10 Books Every Pastor Should Read!
Here is a list of 10 books by professors of Old Princeton and Westminster Theological Seminary that I have greatly benefited from and wish that every pastor would read. The issues dealt with in these volumes are timeless. These men had an extraordinary depth to their understanding of Scripture. Some of these titles are not as well known as others which they authored. I would recommend almost everything that these men wrote, but these books have been particularly helpful single volumes. I am glad to see that some of them have been reprinted.
Warfield on Christology
Vos on Hebrews
Vos on OT Eschatology
Van Til on Modern Thought
Green on the Canon
Green on Genesis
Murray on Imputation
Murray on Ethics
Westminster Faculty on Scripture (e.g. Van Til’s Nature and Scripture)
Westminster Faculty on Confessions
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What, no Gaffin?! Union with Christ!! Resurrection and Redemption should definitely be on here!
Oh, and I like the new design. Nerdlets needs a serious makeover.
Gaffin could certainly be included. I am limited to ten however! Thanks Tommy!
Left out: the most important symposium book by WTS faculty, and the one that is most sadly ignored now: Innerancy and Hermeneutic
Thanks Mark! I would certainly include this with the other two compilation volumes. These are some of the most helpful works on Scripture and Confessions. Thanks for mentioning this work!
Don’t know if I would call it “the most important synopsis book by WTS faculty” though!
Warfield’s article on the emotional life of Christ is probably one of the best, most memorable I’ve read. For sure top 10.
Nick, I think Vos’s The Pauline Eschatology is much more influential and transformative to ones hermenuetic than the recently published compilation of OT works. Thoughts?
Bob,
I do think that “The Pauline Eschatology” is the probably Vos’ masterpiece (since it was unedited, unlike “Biblical Theology”), but I am not sure that I would say it is more influential and transformative. I have personally benefited more from the particular shorter writings in the Eschatology of the OT. The chapter on “Theocratic Sanctions” is unsurpassed in biblical theological writings. His short, but weighty treatment of the eschatology of the Deluge is also priceless. I don’t know that I would want to pit one against the other, but I know that you have read Vos under the tutelage of Vos scholars. So, perhaps I have not given adequate attention to “The Pauline Eschatology.” At the end of the day, I think everything Vos has written is helpful. I have never read anything he wrote without great benefit.
I am humbled by this list, even if I find Green on Genesis a bit obscure indeed.
I’m sure every reader wants to add his or her own favorite, but I agree, the issues dealt with in these books by these men (in particular) are timeless and need to get in the bloodstreams of our pastors.
Chris,
Your observation about Green’s work is interesting. I actually find it difficult to follow in several places and not as well organized as the other works. That being said, there is some very helpful material in it that is still useful, though it was written in response to higher critical principles.
The theology in the other works has been some of the most useful to me over the years. Especially Vos on Hebrews and the Westminster Symposium, “The Infallible Word.”
Nick, I am puzzled by Green on the Canon, surely its age rules it out as being of great use in that it will not take into account the scrolls found in the Judean Desert?