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Good Books for Thoughtful People
This list was compiled by me and reflects my personal bias towards contemporary biblical scholarship and a progressive approach to social justice issues. This list does not reflect any kind of consensus of the membership of the board. If, after clicking on any of the links here, you decide to purchase one of these books from Amazon; I receive a small commission. -Joshua
The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NRSV) - All in all the best balance of scholarly notes, readability, and portability. The New Revised Standard Version is part of the line of translations originating with the King James Bible and continuing through the Revised Standard Version.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible (REB) - The Revised English Bible is the successor to the New English Bible, a fresh translation produced in the 1960's. The REB is my preferred translation for reading aloud, since its translators paid close attention to the sound of the language. It is not as precisely literal as the NRSV.
The Harper Collins Study Bible (NRSV) - The notes in the Harper Collins study Bible are often more extensive than that of the Oxford, but I've found the book itself unwieldy for carrying around or using in the pulpit. This is a good one to have in your study.
The New Interpreter's Study Bible (NRSV) - Brand new, so I don't know much about it. I really like the commentary series on which it was based; so I expect good things from it.
The New Interpreter's Bible - Vol: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Ind - This series has become the standard for lay-accessible, mainstream scholarship. It's an excellent resource for devotional use as well, since it also contains the full text of the NIV and NRSV Bibles. I recommend using this as a starting place, and then following the excellent footnotes if you want to explore a passage or theme in greater detail.
Interpretation Series - Primarily intended toward preachers, this series is an excellent tool for exploring ways to build a bridge between the scholarship on the text and the needs of a congregation.
Anchor Bible Commentary - This series includes some true classics (like Raymond Brown's two-volume work on the Gospel of John). These volumes go into more depth than the above commentaries; but are still accessible to lay readers.
Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture - A collection of selected writings from the leaders of the early Church. A fascinating way to place our exegesis within the context of our ancestors in the faith.
Word Biblical Commentary - For linguists, pointy-headed types, and those who want to really carefully analyze the text. This is a fairly expensive series, but a bargain considering the wealth of information contained therein.
The Storyteller's Companion to the Bible - I haven't seen these yet, but I'd love to speak with someone who has.
HarperCollins Bible Dictionary - Paul Achtemeier, ed. - An excellent value for a one-volume dictionary. It manages to answer the most common questions in a concise way. You'd have to spend a lot more money (see below) to get more information.
Anchor Bible Dictionary - This set puts all one-volume Bible dictionaries to shame. The entries are in-depth and thorough; so much so that it's easy to get lost for hours just browsing through its pages.
Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament - An English translation of a German reference work from the early twentieth century; it provides a comprehensive analysis of every significant word in the Old Testament.
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament - An English translation of a German reference work from the early twentieth century; it provides a comprehensive analysis of every significant word in the New Testament.
Old Testament Survey - William S. LaSor, et al - A standard textbook for a survey course on the Hebrew Bible.
Introducing the New Testament - Paul J. Achtemeier, et al - A standard textbook for a survey course on the New Testament.
The Literary Guide to the Bible - Robert Alter, Ed. - An excellent, simple resource on the history of the works that make up our Scriptures.
The Bible As Literature by John B. Gabel, et al - One of the key works for introduction to the literary critical approach to Scripture.
Ancient Near Eastern Texts - James B. Pritchard - The standard collection of texts (in translation) which most likely influenced the writing of the Hebrew Bible.
The Dead Sea Scrolls in English - Geza Vermes - The collected writings produced or collected by the Essene community from Qumran. They are key to understanding the period between the last writings of the Hebrew Bible and the first ones of the New Testament.
The Nag Hammadi Library - James M. Robinson - Another standard collection of Near Eastern texts, also in translation, including extracanonical works like The Gospel of Thomas.
The Historical Jesus - John Dominic Crossan - Crossan offers a system for evaluating the reliability of source material associated with Jesus. He also provides perhaps the most thorough exploration of Jesus in his socio-political content. It's a worthwhile read, but I would recommend using it to define your understanding of the person of Jesus.
Chronological and Background Charts of Church History - Nifty for we visual-learner types.
Documents of the Christian Church - Henry Bettenson, Ed. - An excellent collection of primary sources related to church history.
The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations - Michael W. Holmes, Ed. - This is the contemporary edition of the classic collection of primary sources edited by Lightfoot.
Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church - One of those must-have books that packs a tremendous amount of information into one place.
When Religion Becomes Evil - Charles Kimball - Religion is meant to bring out what is best in us. Kimball looks at the circumstances that can cause it to bring out the worst. This is a far-reaching and thoughtful title that is well worth your time.
The Church Triumphant: A History of Christianity Up to 1300 - Glenn Hinson - A comprehensive and detailed survey textbook on early church history.
The History of the Church from Christ to Constantine - Eusebius (G. A. Williamson, Trans) - Read the introduction first, it provides the much-needed grain of salt.
Renaissance and Reformation - William R. Estep - Not as personable as Bainton, but Loyd Allen picked it as one of our textbooks in seminary; so that alone makes it worthwhile.
The Reformation of the Sixteenth Century - Roland H. Bainton - A single-volume summary of the forces at play in the Reformation.
Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther - Roland Bainton - This is an engaging and fun read; and a comprehensive, treatment of the person and personality behind the Reformation.
History of Christianity in the Middle Ages - William R. Cannon - A popular (albeit older) survey of this period.
The Church and the Age of Reason (1648-1789) - Gerald R. Cragg - Volume 4 in the Penguin History of the Church.
The Church in an Age of Revolution - Alexander Vindler - Volume 5 in the Penguin History of the Church.
Pilgrims in Their Own Land - Martin E. Marty - The Penguin series continues into the U.S.
The Baptist Heritage: Four Centuries of Baptist Witness - H. Leon McBeth - The history book of choice for baptists of the non-fundamentalist persuasion.
A Sourcebook for Baptist Heritage - H. Leon McBeth - A collection of primary sources, linked to the above.
Baptist Ways: A History - Bill Leonard - Leonard offers what may be the most comprehensive treatment of the origins, development, and impact of baptists over the past 500 years.
The Baptist Identity: Four Fragile Freedoms - Walter B. Shurden - Shurden defines the baptist identity as centered on an approach to faith and polity, rather than on particular theological tenets. This is the book by which many non-SBC baptist clergy define their understanding of what it means to be baptist.
The Southern Baptist Convention and the Judgment of History: The Taint of an Original Sin - E. Luther Copeland - Copeland contends that a "denomination" born out of bigotry cannot escape a pattern of exclusion.
Liturgical References and Preaching
The Revised Common Lectionary - Your basic list of the texts for each Sunday and Holy Day.
Pastor's Underground Guide to the Lectionary - Year A - Year B - Year C - A useful tool for reminding you of the things that the Lectionary has left out.
Westminster Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship - This book answers all of your "What's that thingy called?" and "Why did she just do that?" questions.
Liturgies of the Western Church - A fantastic collection of historical Eucharistic liturgies.
New Handbook of the Christian Year - Resources for planning worship that is throughout the Church Year.
Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church by Laurence Hull Stookey- An exploration of the pattern of the Church Year.
Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down by Marva Dawn - The curmudgeon's guide to preserving meaningful worship.
Texts for Preaching - Year A - Year B - Year C - Very brief (usually one-page) commentaries on each text in the Revised Common Lectionary.
Preaching - Fred B. Craddock - If you need an introductory textbook to Preaching, this is the one to get.
A Chorus of Witnesses - Thomas G. Long, Ed. - A top-notch collection of model sermons.
Concise Encyclopedia of Preaching - William H. Willimon - An encyclopedic reference to key people and topics in homiletics.
Showings - Julian of Norwich - The mystical visions of a 14th century anchorite.
Praying with Julian of Norwich - Gloria Durka - A Roman Catholic devotional guide based on Julian's writings. Working through it meant a lot to me in seminary.
The Seven Storey Mountain - Thomas Merton - The beginnings of the faith journey of perhaps the most widely recognized monastic writer of the twentieth century.
Contemplative Prayer - Thomas Merton - One of Merton's later writings.
With Burning Hearts: A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life - Henry Nouwen - A Eucharistic meditation on the "Road to Emmaus" passage in Luke; this meditation on our worshipful thanksgiving is an excellent introduction to Nouwen.
Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development - James W. Fowler - A dangerous book because it can lead to so many "Aha's!" that you start to see his stages in everything.
Becoming Adult, Becoming Christian - James W. Fowler - A companion book to the above which deals specifically with faith development in a Christian context.
The Women's Bible Commentary - Carol Newsom & Sharon Ringe, eds. - Provides brief but interesting insights into various biblical passages from a feminine viewpoint.
Womanwisdom / Womanwitness / Womanword - Miriam Therese Winter - Liturgical material centered around the stories of women in the Bible.
Transforming Grace: Christian Tradition and Women's Experience - Anne E. Carr - A primer on women's studies in the context of religious history.
Rattling Those Dry Bones - June Steffensen Hagen - One of the gifts of feminist theology is a renewed emphasis on sharing our stories. This is a marvellous collection of essays by significant women in the Church.
Models of God - Sallie McFague - A useful book for pondering how we envision God.
Women in Scripture: A Dictionary of Named and Unnamed Women in the Hebrew Bible, the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books and the New Testament - Carol Meyers, et al, Eds.
Love Does No Harm: Sexual Ethics for the Rest of Us - Marie M. Fortune - A balanced and systematic approach to sexual ethics; but one that draws more from principles of fairness than Christian tradition. Of course, it is arguable that historically there has never been a single, consistent "Christian" sexual ethic.
Adam, Eve, and the Serpent - Elaine Pagels - A treatment of the views which shaped the Christian understanding of sexuality in the first four centuries C.E.
God and the Rhetoric of Sexuality - Phyllis Tribble
Sexuality and the Sacred - James B. Nelson and Sandra P. Longfellow, Eds. - A collection of essays that work from the premise that sexuality is an intrinsic and generally positive component of our created identity.
Sex and God: Some Varieties of Women's Religious Experience - Linda Hurcombe, Ed.
Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality - John Boswell - Boswell's historical research is clearly biased, but it makes an interesting (and exhaustive) contrast to the conventional wisdom that homosexuality has been universally reviled throughout the Western history.
We Were Baptized Too: Claiming God's Grace for Lesbians and Gays - Marilyn Bennett Alexander and James Preston - Alexander and Preston frame the Church's exclusion of GLBT Christians within the context of the baptismal covenant.
The New Testament and Homosexuality - Robing Scroggs - Someone dated, but still widely cited or challenged in discussions of the biblical component of the debate on homosexuality.
What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality - Daniel A. Helminiak - I'm wary of anyone who claims to tell me what the Bible "really" says about anything; even if they're on my side. Still, this is an excellent summary of the biblical arguments from the pro-gay side of the debate.
Stranger at the Gate: To Be Gay and Christian in America - Mel White - Written by my friend Mel White, former ghostwriter for Jerry Falwell. This is a moving, personal account of Mel's journey in coming to terms with his sexual identity and his faith.
Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC - Frederick Buechner - A thoughtful Christians theological dictionary. So good that I find myself constantly giving copies as gifts to friends.
Whistling in the Dark: An ABC Theologized - Frederick Buechner - A companion to the above. I value my hardback copy almost as much as my ordination Bible.
The Nature of Grace - By our own Jane Ford!
Compiled and Maintained by
The Rev. C. Joshua Villines
Last Updated
December 09, 2003