Starting a Theological Library: A Layman’s Guide to Book Buying
For people trying to grow deeper in their theological knowledge, nothing is better than the old-fashioned learning method: sitting in a chair and reading a book. That’s not a knock against any other form. That’s why I encourage everyone to build a theological library. I love a good Tim Keller sermon, but no medium allows us to communicate the deep riches of theology other than a book. Here are some tips from someone who has done just that.
Free is Good
First, the most important thing to consider is the vast amount of free internet content. You can find whole books, which are theological classics, not only for free in PDF form but often indexed on websites like the ones I have listed below—all the early church fathers, including Augustine. The reformers, including Calvin’s institutes, and most of the significant works of the Puritans are all accessible on the Internet.
I get it; many of us just like a physical book. I’m the same way. However, there’s a reason software like accordance and logos are so popular; digital books could be far more effective for study. That’s not always the case, but it could be for you. Before you go and spend a large sum of your hard-earned money online, I’d highly recommend that you give reading on your phone, tablet, or computer a solid attempt. It might work well for you and save you a pretty penny. Here are some excellent websites to check out with many of the reformed classics, free to enjoy.
A Good Bible Goes a Long Way
Some people have strong, maybe negative, feelings towards studying Bibles. Reformed guys, especially, can look at a study bible and scoff. Why should they pick that up when Calvin’s commentary is on their shelf?
I’ll tell you why: a good study bible can compile the best work from the best scholars on each book of the bible, or each section, and provide you with a concise, editorialized look into every part of your bible. Will it be incredibly in-depth? No. Would it answer many of the questions that may arise while reading scripture? Yes. Don’t let anyone put you down for using a study bible, and you can chuckle knowing that you’re working smarter, not harder!
Along with that, make sure your bible has cross references! So much of the theological study any person will do, layman or scholar, starts with checking cross references. If you don’t have cross-references, you are missing so much of the breadth of scripture. One of Scripture's beautiful characteristics is the vast ways it connects internally.
One thing of note is to pay attention to who contributes to the letters in a study bible. In the same way, we would buy commentaries from the right people. The person or people who contribute to a study bible can make a big difference in the quality of content in it. One last note: I would stay away from single-author study bibles. Many insightful men put study Bibles together, but there is no way that one man understands all scripture well enough to write an entire study bible. Look for multi-author bibles!
Here are some solid, reformed-leaning study bibles that I highly recommend.
Systematic Theology
Systematic Theology is the most profound category to plunge into here. An excellent systematic will hit on every significant doctrine substantially, and a solid systematic could last you a lifetime if it’s well written. Systematic Theology is unique in that it’s reference material conceptually, but because it’s often written cumulatively, you may be able to read it straight through.
As well as that, the theological tradition the author is coming from plays a massive role in systematic theology. Our presuppositions guide all our conclusions, which are just as accurate in a systematic as in any academic work. Here at The Solas Council, we are confessionally reformed and will advocate for confessionally reformed sources.
One other thing to consider is the size of the work. If I were buying my first and only systematic, I would look for a single-volume work. This is for a few reasons. For starters, this provides ease of use. You might sit at the kitchen table rooting through topics if you don't have an office or desk. For storage and ease of use, single volumes are excellent. The other reason is that single-volume works tend to be more accessible. They might have been written for accessibility. There are so many notable multi-volume works, and I wouldn’t rule those out, but if you were buying just one systematic theology work, I would try to get a single volume.
Here are some excellent picks. I have labeled these according to their difficulty level so that you can choose what’s best for you.
Theological Dictionary – Quick Answers
A good Theological Dictionary does what an excellent non-theological dictionary does; it defines words and some concepts clearly and quickly. This is very helpful for you if you read another theological work and come across an unfamiliar idea that may need to be thoroughly explained. This is also generally helpful if you are looking for a word or a concept you are starting to think about on your own but haven’t come across yet. We all have a concept of theological topics that are matters of indifference, but not all of us know that those may be defined as Adiaphora. This is the sort of situation that a theological dictionary is helpful in.
I only have one recommendation, mainly because many of these dictionaries are expensive and because many of them have not-so-great theology.
Commentaries – Should You Even Buy Them?
The title of this section is a little provocative, but I think it’s an excellent question to ask. Consider this: Commentaries are expensive, limited in usefulness, and take up a lot of space. This tradeoff is good for pastors and scholars; they’re paid to study the bible. They often also have offices to store books. For the average layman, you might have a shelf in your dining room or your bedroom. We should be wise with this space. I’m not discouraging you from buying commentary altogether, but I would consider if you need it.
If you buy commentary, I recommend only purchasing commentary for books you are currently studying, not large commentary sets.
I would look for the best scholars on each book if you are set on buying some commentary. The same thinking as a study bible applies here. No single man will be an expert in all the Bible books. Sure, Matthew Henry knew a lot, but just because he has a commentary on the whole bible doesn’t mean he was an expert on the entire bible.
I advise visiting this website, which sorts commentaries based on crowdsourced rankings and shows you the most liked to the least liked on any particular book or topic.
Classic Readers – Old Dead Guys Are the Best
One thing that must be considered is the value of single-volume, single-topic books. These caught on during the days of the Puritans, and that trend continues today. There are hundreds of thousands of books to choose from, and paralysis can be very real when scrolling through something like Christianbook.com.
I think the best route here is to lean on the adage, “Nothing new is true, and nothing true is new.” In other words, try some old dead guys! So many good books are coming out now, but I recommend sticking with works that have stood the test of time. Not only are these time-tested, but they are also everywhere, so there's a host of secondary resources on old books that help if they can be hard to grasp. I think some landmark, influential books are must-haves in your library! Here are my picks.
Building your theological library from scratch is a daunting task. It certainly was for me. However, if you get a small set of solid volumes and read them, you will not only be set for a lifetime of knowledge but ripe for expansion to explore where your curiosities lead you.