By John Frederick, PhD
College of Theology
September 02, 2016
In Part 1 of this series, I gave a complete list of the top 10 to theology books for seminarians. In Part 2 and Part 3 of this series, I gave brief commentaries on some of the books on the list. Today, I will continue providing commentaries for two more of the selected texts:
Theology for the Community of God by Stanley Grenz
While it is important to read the works of the greatest theologians of the past, it is equally important to read about their reception by contemporary theologians. Further, it is imperative that we learn to come at the biblical texts and the history of Christian thought from a variety of angles.
Stanley Grenz’s systematic theology is approachable, orthodox and incredibly diverse. Reading through his book alongside other systematic theologies will help you to drink from the breadth of the various streams of the Christian tradition while also discovering new streams that you might not have known existed.
A Little Exercise for Young Theologians by Helmut Thielicke
Coming in at a mere 57 pages from cover to cover, this book is by far the shortest on this list. Yet, packed within this small amount of pages is an abundance of practical wisdom for those of us who are involved in the study of theology and the preparation for ministry.
Worried you might fall into some common traps like pride or developing an elite attitude because of your academic training? Read this book, and you will be ready for the challenges when they come and better equipped to navigate through the difficult seasons of spiritual growth ahead.