Book recommendations for deep study

[Merrill]

I am starting a certificate in divinity program in the Fall at a local college. This is something I am doing for personal/spiritual enrichment

I currently belong to the EFCA Church, and the program is in-line with heir theology/doctrine

but I wanted to ask: what are some good books or study programs I can start looking at now to improve my knowledge in theology? Doesn't have to be completely in-line with the EFCA. Any recommendations would be great

 

[Stephen3141]

(EFCA is parochial denominational jargon.
Most Christians now alive, won't know what you are talking about.
Paul wouldn't know what you are talking about. Or, Augustine.)

One glaring deficiency in the younger generations, and most North American Christians,
is in the area of what I would call "foundational concepts" in philosophy. Very few younger
Christians have the vocabulary to consider basic phlosophical arguments, or the
attention span, or the curiosity.

I suggest a few books to slog through, taking notes, while not making up your mind
immediately on the topics discussed.

Epistemology: Becoming Intellectually... book by W. Jay Wood

Moral Theory book by Mark Timmons

The Life of the Mind book by Hannah Arendt

The Logic of Failure: Recognizing and... book by Dietrich Dörner

The book by Arendt is a history, of what philosophers have thought about THINKING.
The book about Epistemology is considerations of what truth is.
The book on Moral Theory presents common historical models of what good and evil are.
The book by Dorner is a rigorous study of many errors made in reasoning.

If those who study theology, read and understood the subject matter in these books,
we would have much, much better Christian apologists.

 

[Merrill]

(EFCA is parochial denominational jargon.
Most Christians now alive, won't know what you are talking about.
Paul wouldn't know what you are talking about. Or, Augustine.)

One glaring deficiency in the younger generations, and most North American Christians,
is in the area of what I would call "foundational concepts" in philosophy. Very few younger
Christians have the vocabulary to consider basic phlosophical arguments, or the
attention span, or the curiosity.

I suggest a few books to slog through, taking notes, while not making up your mind
immediately on the topics discussed.

Epistemology: Becoming Intellectually... book by W. Jay Wood

Moral Theory book by Mark Timmons

The Life of the Mind book by Hannah Arendt

The Logic of Failure: Recognizing and... book by Dietrich Dörner

The book by Arendt is a history, of what philosophers have thought about THINKING.
The book about Epistemology is considerations of what truth is.
The book on Moral Theory presents common historical models of what good and evil are.
The book by Dorner is a rigorous study of many errors made in reasoning.

If those who study theology, read and understood the subject matter in these books,
we would have much, much better Christian apologists.

My objective here was to get recommendations on theological texts within the protestant tradition, since I was raised Catholic

It wasn't to ask for books involving epistemology, logic, metaphysics, etc. --all that stuff is important and good, but wasn't what I was seeking

Now I will say, as someone who has a graduate degree in philosophy, and who has published in this area, there are better authors and thinkers (in terms of what we are discussing here)

I would start with

1. Richard McKeon: Selected Writings of Richard McKeon, Volume One: Philosophy, Science, and Culture

this book contains the essay "Philosophic Semantics and Philosophic Inquiry" which is a must read for any serious student of philosophy, logic, and rhetoric

and the book "Thought Action and Passion"

2. Richard M. Weaver: the essays "The Ethics of Rhetoric", "The Phaedrus and the Nature of Rhetoric" and "Language is Sermonic" are excellent. "Ideas Have Consequences" is also an important text, and almost entirely unique.

3. Julian Marias: "Metaphysical Anthropology"

now the W. Jay Wood text looks interesting --I will check that one out for sure

but Hannah Arendt is repackaged ideology with stale ideas and empty slogans --for me anyway.

Dietrich Dorner is OK, but he isn't doing anything particularly new, and I highly recommend going to someone like McKeon or even the logical positivists before delving into Dorner's works. I am not an expert in his thought, but I haven't seen anything compelling

generally speaking, I am an eclecticist in the mold of Cicero, and I have always been concerned with the practical application of rhetoric and philosophy to civic and political life (like McKeon)

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I am starting a certificate in divinity program in the Fall at a local college. This is something I am doing for personal/spiritual enrichment

I currently belong to the EFCA Church, and the program is in-line with heir theology/doctrine

but I wanted to ask: what are some good books or study programs I can start looking at now to improve my knowledge in theology? Doesn't have to be completely in-line with the EFCA. Any recommendations would be great

Merrill, being that you already have a graduate degree in Philosophy and have published, I'm not sure how anyone could add much to our common academic praxis for doing basic Lit. Review for research.

But, is there a particular nuance or aspect of some topic you're wanting to hone in on?

 

[Merrill]

Merrill, being that you already have a graduate degree in Philosophy and have published, I'm not sure how anyone could add much to our common academic praxis for doing basic Lit. Review for research.

But, is there a particular nuance or aspect of some topic you're wanting to hone in on?

Note: I have a background in philosophy, but I do not have a background in theology or apologetics

aside from a few texts I've read over the years (and because of my religious background, I am pretty well-versed in Catholicism and Medieval writers)

the Evangelical writers (reformed, etc.) I am weak in for sure

 

[2PhiloVoid]

Note: I have a background in philosophy, but I do not have a background in theology or apologetics

aside from a few texts I've read over the years (and because of my religious background, I am pretty well-versed in Catholicism and Medieval writers)

the Evangelical writers (reformed, etc.) I am weak in for sure

If you're wanting to engage Reformed, Evangelical writers, I can name a few if you like: Ronald Nash, John Warwick Montgomery, etc.. But doing this doesn't really hone in on a specific abstract topic for study.

 

[Merrill]

If you're wanting to engage Reformed, Evangelical writers, I can name a few if you like: Ronald Nash, John Warwick Montgomery, etc.. But doing this doesn't really hone in on a specific abstract topic for study.

That is good

really just looking for a few good writers

 

[2PhiloVoid]

That is good

really just looking for a few good writers

There's a lot more than that I can offer, but if I had two books I'd toss your way which overlap our common interests, you might get a little traction out of:

Rolfe King - Obstacles to Divine Revelation: God and the Reorientation of Human Reason (2008)​

​

and​

​

Dru Johnson - Biblical Knowing: A Scriptural Epistemology of Error (2013)​

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Scott Hahn's "The Lamb's Supper."

Dr Scott Hahn is Doctor of Theology and an expert on the Book of Revelation.

 

[FireDragon76]

You can't beat going to the source of Protestant thought. I recommend contemporary Lutheran theology. I would recommend Paul Hinlicky, particularly this book:

Amazon.com

Also, I think Bonhoeffer is good, but it helps to be grounded in Lutheran theology. Nevertheless, I think this is a good interpretation of Bonhoeffer's most enigmatic work. It's a pity that Bonhoeffer's thought was lost in the culture wars of the 1960's, he has alot to say to contemporary issues about Christian ethics. I have tried to keep in mind his notion that a Christian is firstly a person for others, and not primarily a "religious" person.

Letters from Cell 92: Part 1, A New Theology

Over the summer I read Eric Metaxes' recent biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy . This week I finished...

experimentaltheology.blogspot.com