For His Renown

That the glory of the Lord might cover the dry land as the waters cover the sea

Archive for September, 2006

Why Do I Have to Go to Chapel?

Posted by Jim Hamilton on September 23, 2006

If you’ve asked that question, maybe this post will help.

HT: Michael Haykin

Posted in Bible and Theology, Evangelism and Apologetics, Spiritual Discipline, Worship | 5 Comments »

Books Every Seminary Graduate Should Have Read

Posted by Jim Hamilton on September 13, 2006

Let me first say that I did not have all the books listed below read by the time I finished seminary (either time, that is, some I didn’t read until after I was out of school altogether). Let me also say that I have not read every word of all of the books listed below. For instance, while I have read substantial portions of Calvin’s Institutes, I have not read the whole thing. So my apologies to you if you think that makes me a hypocrite. I still think the list is useful.

This is a list of books that I think a person who is theologically educated should have read or be planning to read.

Primary Texts

Bible

The whole Bible in the student’s mother tongue (sadly, this should not be assumed).

The whole New Testament in Greek

Genesis, Joshua, Joel, Jonah, and Ruth in Hebrew (or another substantial cross section)

Apocrypha and Jewish Literature

All of the Dead Sea Scrolls

1 Enoch

All of the Apocrypha

Early Christian Literature

The Apostolic Fathers (1 Clement, 2 Clement, the seven letters of Ignatius, Polycarp to the Philippians, the Martyrdom of Polycarp, the Didache, Barnabas, Hermas, Diognetus, Papias) in English. See Michael W. Holmes, ed., The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999).

Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History

Theology and History

Irenaeus, On the Apostolic Preaching

Athanasius, On the Incarnation

Basil, On the Holy Spirit

Augustine, Confessions

Dante, Inferno

Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion

John Owen, Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers

The Baptist Confession of 1689

Jonathan Edwards, The End for Which God Created the World

Modern Secondary Literature

Bible and Interpretation

Stephen Dempster, Dominion and Dynasty: A Theology of the Hebrew Bible, NSBT (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2003).

George E. Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans).

Thomas R. Schreiner, Paul, Apostle of God’s Glory in Christ: A Pauline Theology (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2001).

Geerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments

Theology, History, and Ministry

Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther

Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology

Tom Nettles, The Baptists: Beginnings in Britain

J. I. Packer, Knowing God

J. I. Packer, “Introduction to the Death of Death in the Death of Christ” (essay)

John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad

John Stott, The Cross of Christ

David Wells, No Place for Truth

Posted in Bible and Theology, Books, History, Reformation and Revival, Spiritual Discipline | 41 Comments »

Prayer and the Knowledge of God

Posted by Jim Hamilton on September 11, 2006

Here’s my review of this great book by Graeme Goldsworthy. I hope this gets read as much as Packer’s Knowing God!

Posted in Bible and Theology, Books, Spiritual Discipline | 4 Comments »

Review of Milgrom, Leviticus

Posted by Jim Hamilton on September 8, 2006

Here’s my review of Jacob Milgrom’s one volume commentary of Leviticus.

Posted in Bible and Theology, Books | 1 Comment »