A Select Annotated Bibliography For The Study Of Christian Theology: Part One -- By: John A. Jelinek

Journal: Michigan Theological Journal
Volume: MTJ 03:2 (Fall 1992)
Article: A Select Annotated Bibliography For The Study Of Christian Theology: Part One
Author: John A. Jelinek


A Select Annotated Bibliography For The Study Of Christian Theology: Part One

John A. Jelinek

Introduction

“Read the best books first, or you may not
have a chance to read them at all”
Henry David Thoreau

Perhaps the chief purpose of Christian Theology is to translate the content of inexhaustible divine revelation into the most intelligible, coherent terms possible. Theology goes beyond a mere description of historical Christian beliefs to encompass and state (in an orderly and/or topical manner) the truth of God. A task such as this is not and cannot ever be truly finished.1 Anyone who engages in this pursuit knows

the value of being well-read and well-rounded in current literature.

There is, however, a sea of information pertaining to each area of theological study. The student of theology may easily be overwhelmed by the prospect of evaluating what is worthy of his first consideration. This list of books, by no means complete, is intended as a guide to discovering the most important materials available to the diligent student of theology. Every attempt has been made to include works of various viewpoints in the bibliography. It should be recognized that one man’s opinion of value may often differ greatly from that of another. It is with these qualifications in mind that the following material is suggested.

The most significant works (in the writer’s opinion) have been annotated and are preceded by an asterisk (*). All of the books that are selected and described herein are in some way valuable. It is assumed that many pastors will encounter the thoughts of some of these theologians in discussions with church members and fellow clergy.

The primary works in each section are followed by a general listing of other pertinent materials available in each section. In this general listing, the theological background of the authors is usually given in parentheses. Due to the nature of the work, it will be reproduced in several installments which will appear in subsequent editions of the journal.2

Theological Bibliographies

In order to facilitate ready reference to the voluminous materials available to the student of theology the following bibliographies are recommended as a starting point. The reader should exercise discernment in using each of these resources and should also consider the dates of publication. Many excellent resources in theology have been published too recently to be included in these works. Generally speaking, bibl...

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