The Big 5: Books on Calvinism

Yeah, I know that some (many?) of you aren't Calvinists.  And you probably know that I am, but that's not the point.  The point is we all need to read on theological topics of importance regardless of our personal positions.  Often those well-written books persuade us.  So...

What are your Big 5 books on Calvinism?

Actually, be a little more free with the topic if you like.  List a book on Calvinism, Arminianism, both, the sovereignty of God, or even a particular topic like predestination, election, etc.  Go!

Comments

[Josh Montague]

"Actually, be a little more free with the topic if you like."

Ha!

[Gregory Pittman]

The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel, by James Montgomery Boice and Philip Graham Ryken

Desiring God, by John Piper (technically not a book specifically on Reformed theology, but it covers it well)

Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God, by J. I. Packer

God is the Gospel: Meditations on God’s Love as the Gift of Himself, by John Piper

(Ok, so there are only four here, but it's a big four.)

[sdesocio]

Analysis of the Institutes of the Christian Religion of John Calvin - Ford Lewis Battles

Manual of Christian Doctrine - Berkof

[junior]

The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended, and Documented. Highly recommended.

I've been recommended J. C. Ryle's "Old Paths" but haven't got it yet.

[Tim Etherington]

Loved the Packer recommendation and Steele (defined, defended, et. al. It was the first book on Calvinism I read.)

Putting Amazing Back in To Grace by Horton was very good.

Spurgeon's Revival Year Sermons were good too.

[Rob]

The Sovereignty of God (Pink)

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (Packer)

The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination (Boettner)

The Doctrines of Grace (Boice/Ryken)

A Quest for Godliness (Packer)

[David]

Grace and Gratitude: The Eucharistic Theology of John Calvin, Gerrish

Lectures on Calvinism, Kuyper

Calvin and the Atonement, Peterson

Given for You: Reclaiming Calvin's Doctrine of the Lord's Supper, Mathison

The Mystical Presence: A Vindication of the Reformed or Calvinistic Doctrine of the Holy Eucharist, Williamson Nevin

***Thought I'd throw out some non soteriology related studies.

[Jonathan Dodson]

The Institutes, Calvin
The Magisterial Reformers, Tim George
Pleasures of God, John Piper

[paul]

1. The Pleasures of God (Piper)
2. Systematic Theology (Grudem)
3. Institutes (Calvin)
4. Chosen For Life (Storms)
5. Still Sovereign (Ware et al.)

I am reading "The Soverignty of God" by Pink right now, and have been really disappointed in how weak is arguments have been, considering what I have heard about the book. I actually rejected Limited Atonement because his explanation of the problematic passages in scripture. He argues arbitarily in a way that sems to be trying to avoid the obvious meaning of several passages. I had to read Grudem to get a more reasonalbe explanation of 1 Timothy 2:6 and 1 John 2:2 before I could accept the doctrine as consistent with scripture.

[Blake White]

One of my favorites, if not the favorite, book on Calvinism I have read is Douglas Wilson's 'Easy Chairs, Hard Words.' It is particularly good for those who have questions about the doctrines of grace.

[Ben Pun]

Five Views on Sanctification (includes Reformed, Wesleyan, Charismatic, Keswick, Augustinian-Dispensational views)

Kingdom Prologue, Meredith Kline (a primer on Reformed Covenant Theology)

"Free Grace", John Wesley Sermon

[Barry Wallace]

The Pleasures of God (Piper)
Still Sovereign (Ware et al.)
Chosen For Life (Storms)
The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction (Ferguson)
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (Packer)

Ferguson's book deals with much more than the doctrines of grace, but his chapter on election is clear, concise, and extremely helpful even for skeptics.

[Jay Risner]

Boettner - The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination

Richard Belcher - a Journey in Grace

John Gill - The Cause of God and Truth

Tom Nettles - By His GRace and For His Glory

Chosen By God - Sproul

[JTapp]

The Pleasures of God.
Edwards' Distinguishing Marks of a Work of a Spirit of God doesn't make sense outside a Calvinist context, so I'd recommend that too.

What I'd REALLY like are peoples' top 5 recommendations for books on eschatology, specifically Covenentalism vs. Dispensationalism.
I'm looking for an end-all be-all book on that subject.

[Brian Brown]

(1) Easy Chairs, Hard Words Douglas Wilson
(2) The Pleasures of God John Piper
(3) Chosen for Life Sam Storms
(4) The Bondage of the Will Martin Luther**
(5) The Freedom of the Will Jonathan Edwards**

Luther and Edwards played a particularly key role in my discovery of Calvinism. Easy Chairs, Hard Words is generally the first book I give people who have questions. Pleasures of God is the place where I discovered much of the beauty of God's Sovereignty- and Chosen for Life is extremely helpful (most?) in walking through the textual arguments.

[Steve McCoy]

Some great lists all. I was hoping some more Arminian-types would add their lists as well, but we all know they don't read theology books. C'mon, that's funny! :)

Here's my list...

The 5 Points of Calvinism by Steele & The 5 Points of Calvinism by Palmer - both really helped me with their brevity and lots of Scripture
Putting Amazing Back Into Grace by Horton is so helpful, readable, accessible
Freedom of the Will by Edwards - classic and philosophical
Bondage of the Will by Luther - formative
The Sovereignty of God by Pink - The first book on/near the subject of Calvinism that convinced me of the foundations of Calvinism

[Len Flack]

I found "What is Reformed Theology" by R.C. Sproul to be helpful when I was first learning about the Doctrines of Grace.

[Caleb Land]

I read most of the ones you all have listed. I went back and forth for a long time even though I was really drawn to reformed theology because of how it made much of God and Scripture. There is one book that finally convinced me and silenced (most of) my doubts:

"No Place for Sovereignty: What's Wrong with Free Will Theism." by R.K. McGregor Wright. It is simply the best, most logical, biblical defense of Calvinism I've ever seen.

Oh, and "The Death of Death in the Death of Christ" by John Owen.

[Chuck]

Try this one for a change...

"The Second Adam and the New Birth" by M.F. Sadler. In print or at Google books. Mind blowing.

[josh reich]

i have always liked "calvinism and the las vegas airport" by richard muow.

[Nathan Carter]

Has nobody mentioned Packer's introduction to Owen's Death of Death?? It's the best intro to Calvinism (and more specifically 'Limited Atonement') that I've found...

[Steve McCoy]

Good catch Nathan. I would have had it listed if I would have thought of it.

[Gage Browning]

1. Redemption Accomplished and Applied- John Murray (extremely clear and to the point)
2. Chosen by God- Sproul (lays out the arguments in a linear easy to follow fashion)
3. Putting Amazing Back into Grace- (Changed everything for me)
4. A defense of Calvinism- a little booklet by Spurgeon but very helpful
5. The Doctrines of Grace- Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel, by James Montgomery Boice and Philip Graham Ryken (scholarly treatment but good clarity)

If you have to recommend one book that may be hard to do. I normally give away Putting Amazing back into Grace if someone is new to Reformation Theology. If they are somewhat familiar with it, then I give them Chosen by God or Redemption Accomplished and Applied.

[stephen lee cavness]

1) what we believe about the five points of calvinism - john piper and the elders of bethlehem baptist church
[this was the first thing i read that made me think "uh-oh..."and the journey started there]

2)chosen by god - r.c. sproul

3)TULIP - five points of calvinism in the light of scripture - duane edward spencer

4)the five points of calvinism: defined, defended, documented - david n. steele

5)beyond five points - ernest reisinger

piper's tape series on t.u.l.i.p and packer's intro/essay to death of death were also very helpful

another book that i have found helpful to simply mention to those who say "calvinism isn't baptist" is this little book:
southern baptists and the doctrine of election - robert b. selph

[David Cooke]

Someone wanted a one-stop book on eschatology and I can heartily recommend 'And the Lamb Wins' by my friend Simon Ponsonby. it is a very helpful work and extremely readable.

http://www.amazon.com/Lamb-Wins-World-Really-Good/dp/1434767558/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218996035&sr=1-1

[chris]

Steve,
I wonder at how one can call themselves a Calvinist, and yet not practice much of what Calvin regarded as essential to the life of the church: ie paedo-baptism and presbyterian church government, among other things.

Soteriology is one thing, but it is wrapped up with the sacraments and church ecclesiology in the teachings of Calvin. The Synod of Dordt knew as much as well. Is Calvinism just the new black for Baptists looking for an identity? If you are reforming, will you come the whole way?
Kind regards,
Chris

[Steve McCoy]

Chris, I disagree. Thanks.

[chris]

OK. Can you explain why you disagree? I would like to know, as this is not going to be a small issue in the future of the church. Claims to being "Calvinist" are popping up all over the map in American evangelicalism, but the content and praxis is actually different than Calvin's teaching- it is not a difficult thing to compare when the fourth book of the Institutes is taken into account.

chris

[Steve McCoy]

Chris, I'm not interested in discussing this issue. I'm interested in biblical theology...Calvinism is just a nick name for certain aspects of it. I don't follow Calvin, I follow Jesus.

But more importantly, you are trying to hijack my thread on Calvinism books. Stop it. Thanks.

Steve

[chris]

Hijacking? Didn't intend that. Just wondered where you all are coming from in regards to all this. I am interested in the church landscape, and what you all are doing in terms of taking on Calvin as a badge is a new thing in the 21st century. Just wondering where it might go.
Apologies for my gadfly-ness.

Kind regards,
Chris

[Joe Thorn]

Chris,

While some will argue that full Calvinism, or consistent Covenant Theology, or true Reformed theology necessitates paedo-baptism, even most Presbyterians recognize that "Calvinism" can be more generally applied to systems of theology which, at their core, are in harmony with the bulk of Reformed thought, and certainly affirm the Canons of Dordt, while differing on issues of polity and baptism. You may not like that, and you may believe such systems are inherantly flawed. That's fine. But this is certainly off the topic of Steve's post.

And for the record, it is no "new thing" for baptists to use the term Calvinism to describe their convictions, or to identify themselves as "calvinists," or Reformed. To suggest that this is a new, 21st century thing demonstrates ignorance of church history.

Do not assume we have not studied the issues. Many of us have long read and studied Calvin, Turretin, Owen, etc. with great affinity, while remaining unconvinced of their arguments concerning baptism.

It is not a badge for me to call myself a Calvinist. It is a label that is helpful for some, and curiously frustrating for a few. I see that you've taken this to your blog. That's a great place for the discussion - and I hope it flourishes there. Maybe others will jump in to have a good discussion. I would, but I am having Calvin's portrait tattooed on my forearm tonight. So maybe another time.

[chris]

Not fair Joe.
I am fully aware of men like Spurgeon (a great man) and others who have used Calvinism in the same manner that you are. There was even the Baptist Confession that followed upon the Westminster just around 1644. What I said was "a new thing in the 21st century" which it is. The 21st century just started. Up until just recently most if not all Baptist colleges in America looked upon the Calvinist system as just about heretical (attended one for a year where I was daily harassed for being a "Calvinist"). This is a NEW American phenomenon in this, the 21st century. But I would never deny that there have been Calvinist Baptists prior to this. If that was so, your accusation of ignorant would be spot on.
Steve, this is just a clarification. So ends this thread on my part. Promise.

[Joe Thorn]

The Westminster Confession was penned in 1646, not '44. The First London Confession was written in 1644 two years earlier and was thoroughly "calvinistic". But with the Westminster's beautiful confession, the Baptists adopted it (and adapted it in a few points it) in 1677, because there was so much agreement. In 1689 after the Act of Toleration it was widely published and became a dominant confession.

I am thankful for the resurgence of reformed thinking today (not just among baptists), but "Reformed Baptists" are nothing new.

Okay, Steve - I too promise not to contribute to the detour any longer. I will pick up with Chris on his blog if necessary.

[chris]

"around" is the key word. Good grief man. The assembly met for six years, one of which was '44. But all this historicism does not answer the primary issue.

Apologies again Steve.

[Tim Etherington]

Outstanding Joe. Well said. Shall we go flame Chris' blog? Nah. How'd the tattoo come out? :)

[James Grant]

Thanks for your blog Steve. Sorry I am running late on responding to this one, but this has been a crazy week. Here is my contribution:

Terry Johnson, When Grace Comes Home

I posted something short about it here.

-James Grant

[Mike]

Chosen by God -Sproul
Knowing God - Packer
Holiness of God - Sproul
Freedom of the Will - Edwards
Religious Affections - Edwards

Some nice short ones
The Five Dilemmas of Calvinism - Brown
What's so Great about the Doctrines of Grace - Phillips
"No one..." When Jesus says it, he means it - Wetterling

[cavman]

1. Our Sovereign Savior by Roger Nicole
2. The Death of Death in the Death of Christ by John Owen (special props to Packer's excellent introduction).
3. Chosen by God by Sproul
4. The Bondage of the Will by Luther
5. The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination of Boettner