Short Bibliography on Theology and Church History

 This brief bibliography is offered to help orient and guide students in the areas of Christian theology and Church history.

General Church History

Henry Chadwick, The Early Church: The Story of Emergent Christianity, rev. ed. (New York: Penguin Books, 1993).

Owen Chadwick, The Penguin History of the Church: The Reformation (New York: Penguin Books, 1990).

Carlos M. N. Eire, Reformations: The Early Modern World, 1450-1650 (New Haven, CT: Yale Univ. Press, 2016).

Donald Fairbairn, The Global Church—The First Eight Centuries: From Pentecost through the Rise of Islam (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2021).

Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity, rev. ed. (New York: HarperOne, 2014):

Vol. 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation 

Vol. 2: The Reformation to the Present Day

R. W. Southern, The Penguin History of the Church: Western Society and the Church in the Middle Ages (New York: Penguin Books, 1990).

Robert Louis Wilken, The First Thousand Years: A Global History of Christianity (New Haven, CT: Yale Univ. Press, 2012).  [Includes a selection of global persons in Christian history.]

General Historical Theology

Creeds

Donald Fairbairn and Ryan M. Reeves, The Story of Creeds and Confessions: Tracing the Development of the Christian Faith (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2019).

J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Creeds, 3rd ed. (Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 1982).

Mark Noll, editor, Confessions and Catechisms of the Reformation (Vancouver: Regent College Pub., 2004).

John Leith, Creeds of the Churches: A Reader in Christian Doctrine from the Bible to the Present, 3rd ed. (Louisville, KY: Presbyterian Pub. Corp., 1982).

Jaroslav Pelikan, Credo: Historical and Theological Guide to Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition (New Haven, CT: Yale Univ. Press, 2005).

Philip Schaff, Creeds of Christendom, 3 vols., rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1984).

Historical Theology

JND Kelly, Early Christian Doctrines, 5th rev. ed. (New York: HarperOne, 1978).

Tony Lane, A Concise History of Christian Thought, rev. and expanded (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006).

Louis Berkhof, The History of Christian Doctrines (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1983).

Alistair McGrath, Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought, 2nd ed. (Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013).

Gregg Allison, Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2011).

Jaroslav Pelikan, The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, 5 vols. (Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press):

Vol. 1: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600) (1995)

Vol. 2: The Spirit of Eastern Christendom (600-1700) (1977)

Vol. 3: The Growth of Medieval Theology (600-1300) (1980)

Vol. 4: Reformation of Church and Dogma (1300-1700) (1985)

Vol. 5: Christian Doctrine and Modern Culture (Since 1700) (1991)

Justo Gonzalez, A History of Christian Thought, 3 vols. (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2014):

Vol. 1: From the Beginnings to the Council of Chalcedon (1987)

Vol. 2: From Augustine to the Eve of the Reformation (1987)

Vol. 3: From the Protestant Reformation to the Twentieth Century (1987)

Also: A History of Christian Thought in One Volume (2014)

Histories of Various Christian Traditions:

Anglican

J. R. H. Moorman and John Moorman, History of the Church in England, 3^rd ed. (Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Pub., 1980).

Pentecostalism

Allan Heaton Anderson, To the Ends of the Earth: Pentecostalism and the Transformation of World Christianity (Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2013).

Vinson Synan, The Holiness-Pentecostal Tradition: Charismatic Movements in the Twentieth Century (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1997).

Theology in Various Christian Traditions:

Basic Christian Orthodoxy from the Patristic Era

Donald Fairbairn, Life in the Trinity: An Introduction to Theology with the Help of the Church Fathers (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2010).

Baptist

Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013).

Methodist

Thomas C. Oden, Classic Christianity: A Systematic Theology (New York: HarperOne, 2009).

Presbyterian

Donald G. Bloesch, Christian Foundations (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic):

A Theology of Word and Spirit: Authority and Method in Theology (2005)

Holy Scripture: Revelation, Inspiration & Interpretation (2005)

God the Almighty: Power, Wisdom, Holiness, Love (2010)

Jesus Christ: Savior & Lord (2005)

The Holy Spirit: Works Gifts (2005)

The Last Things: Resurrection, Judgment, Glory (2010)

Richard J. Plantinga, Thompson R. Thompson, and Matthew D. Lundberg, An Introduction to Christian Theology, 2nd ed. (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2022).

Pentecostal

Jonathan Black, Apostolic Theology: A Trinitarian Evangelical Pentecostal Introduction to Christian Thought (Luton, UK: ACUK, 2016).

Frank D. Macchia, Introduction to Theology: Declaring the Wonders of God (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023).

Christopher A. Stephenson, Types of Pentecostal Theology: Method, System, Spirit (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1915).

Wolfgang Vondey, Pentecostal Theology: Living the Full Gospel (London: T. & T. Clark, 2017).

Histories of Mission in Regions of the World:

Mark Shaw and Wanjiru M. Gitau, The Kingdom of God in Africa: A History of African Christianity (Carlisle, UK: Langham Global Library, 2020).

Dictionary of African Christian Biography; online: https://dacb.org/.

‘Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center; online: https://ifphc.org/.

Studies in Christian Traditions and Regions

Rollin G. Grams, Stewards of Grace: A Reflective, Mission Bibliography of Eugene and Phyllis Grams in South Africa: 1951-1962 (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2015).

Mookgo Solomon Kgatle, The Peculiarity of Prophetic Pentecostalism in South Africa (Lausanne, Switzerland: Peter Lang, 2022).

Jesse A. Zink, Christianity and Catastrophe in South Sudan: Civil War, Migration, and the Rise of Dinka Anglicanism (Waco, TX: Baylor Univ. Press, 2018).

Baptists in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Rollin G. Grams and Parush R. Parushev, et al. Towards an Understanding of European Baptist Identity: Listening to the Churches in Armenia, Bulgaria, Central Asia, Moldova, North Caucasus, Omsk and Poland (Prague, CZ: International Baptist Theological Seminary, 2006).

Nathan Feldmeth, S. Donald Fortson, Garth M. Rosell, and Kenneth J. Stewart, Reformed and Evangelical across Four Centuries: The Presbyterian Story in America (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2022).

S. Donald Fortson, The Presbyterian Creed: A Confessional Tradition in America 1729-1870 (Milton Keynes, UK: Paternoster, 2015).

Contextual Theologies

Elias Kifon Bongmba, ed., The Routledge Handbook of African Theology (London: Routledge, 2020).

William Paul Bowers, ‘African Theology,’ Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 21.2 (2002), pp. 109-125; online at: https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ajet/21-2_109.pdf.

Old Testament Theology

W. J.  Dumbrell, The Faith of Israel: A Theological Survey of the Old Testament.  2^nd ed.  (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2002).

Stephen J.  Gentry, Kingdom Through Covenant: A Biblical Theological Understanding of the Covenant (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012).

Paul R. House, Old Testament Theology (Downers Grove, Il: Inter Varsity Press, 1998).

Hubbard, R. L., Jr., R. K. Johnston, and R. P. Meye, eds., Studies in Old Testament Theology (Dallas: Word, 1992).

H.D. Preuss, Old Testament Theology (Lexington, KY: Westminster, 1995-6).

Robin Routledge, Old Testament Theology: A Thematic Approach.  Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2009.

Gerhard Von Rad, Old Testament Theology, trans. D. M. G. Stalker (New York: Harper and Row):

Vol. 1: The Theology of Israel's Historical Traditions (1962).

Vol. 2: The Theology of Israel's Prophetic Traditions.  (1965).

Bruce Waltke, An Old Testament Theology.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011.

New Testament Theology

James D. G.  Dunn, New Testament Theology: An Introduction (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2009).  [In Pauline theology, takes a New Perspective approach.]

Donald Guthrie, New Testament Theology (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 1981).  [Evangelical.]

I. H.  Marshall, New Testament Theology: Many Witnesses, One Gospel (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2004).  [Evangelical.]

Brian Rosner, T. Desmond Alexander, and Graeme Goldswothy, eds., New Dictionary of Biblical Theology: Exploring Unity and Diversity in Scripture (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2000). 

Thomas Schreiner, New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008).  [Evangelical.  Southern Baptist.]

Frank S. Thielman, Theology of the New Testament: A Canonical and Synthetic Approach (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005).  [Evangelical.]

Pauline Theology

James D. G. Dunn, The Theology of Paul the Apostle (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2006).

Gordon D. Fee, Jesus the Lord According to Paul the Apostle: A Concise Introduction (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018).  [Evangelical, Pentecostal.]

Douglas J. Moo, A Theology of Paul and His Letters: The Gift of the New Realm in Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2021).  [Evangelical.]

Herman Ridderbos, Paul: An Outline of His Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1997).  [A scholarly study of Paul’s theology organised systematically and from a Reformed perspective.]

Evangelical Christianity

Richard F. Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal, expanded ed. (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2020).

Leslie Newbiggin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1989).

James I. Packer, Knowing God (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 1973).

John R. W. Stott, Basic Christianity, rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1981).