Classic Texts Never To Be Left Unread

Although some of you are doing everything possible to prove me wrong, I stand by my premise that you can’t read all the Great Books. There just isn’t enough time even for the most dedicated bibliophile. You must make discerning choices about what literary wells you drink from. However, in A Students Guided to Liberal Learning James V. Schall recommends the following titles as “classic texts never to be left unread.”

1) Gorgias, by Plato

2) Nicomachean Ethics, by Aristotle

3) Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius

4) The Confessions, by Augustine

5) Reflections on the Revolution in France, by Edmund Burke

6) The Republic, by Plato

7) The City of God, by Augustine

The Summa Theologiae, by Thomas Aquinas

What classic texts would you add to his list?

__________

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Philosophers and Death

No man escapes death, yet most spend their entire life running from even the idea of it. In A Students Guided to Liberal Learning James V. Schall recommends these five classic texts on philosophy, good men, and death;

1) The Apology, Crito, and Phaedo, by Plato

2) The account of the death of Christ in the Gospel of John (chapters 13-21)

3) On Duties, by Cicero (especially Part III which was written just before he was executed)

4) The Consolation of Philosophy, by Boethius

5) Man for All Seasons, by Robert Bolt

What texts would you add to his list?

Thomas Aquinas

Thomas Aquinas has a tremendous influence on the theology of both Catholics and Protestants.  How much do you know of him?  In  A Students Guided to Liberal Learning James V. Schall recommends the following five books on Thomas Aquinas;

1) St. Thomas Aquinas, by Ralph McInerny

2) Guide to St. Thomas Aquinas, by Josef Pieper

3) Friar Thomas D’Aquino, by James Weisheipl

4) St. Thomas Aquinas: The Dumb Ox, by G.K. Chesterton

5) The Thought of Thomas Aquinas, by Brian Davies

What do you think of his recommendations?

Laughter and Metaphysics

In A Students Guided to Liberal Learning James V. Schall writes, “Aristotle said that , because both depend on seeing relations, the ability to laugh is very close to metaphysics.”  Thus, he recommends the following three books of humor;

1) The Wodehouse Clergy (P.G. Wodehouse)

2) My Life and Hard Times (James Thurber)

3) The Pocket Book of Ogden Nash (Ogden Nash)

Worship

Grace Baptist Church of Cape Coral, Florida (pastored by Tom Ascol) shares on its website the following list of recommended books on Worship.

• Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God by Bob Kauflin
• Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship by David Peterson
• Recalling the Hope of Glory: Biblical Worship from the Garden to the New Creation by Allen Ross
• Give Praise to God: A Vision for Reforming Worship by Phil Ryken, Derek Thomas, and Ligon Duncan (eds.)
• Worship: The Regulative Principle and the Biblical Practice of Accommodation by Ernest Reisinger and Matt Allen
• The Art of Worship: A Musician’s Guide to Leading Modern Worship by Greg Scheer
• Unceasing Worship: Biblical Perspectives on Worship and the Arts by Harold Best
• Gospel Worship by Jeremiah Burroughs
• We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry by G.K. Beal
• Worship by the Book by D.A. Carson
• Exploring the Worship Spectrum by Paul Engle and Paul Basden (eds.)

Systematic Theology

Grace Baptist Church of Cape Coral, Florida (pastored by Tom Ascol) shares on its website the following list of recommended books on Systematic Theology.

• Institutes of the Christian Religion (2 vol.) by John Calvin
• Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem
• Abstract of Systematic Theology by James P. Boyce
• Manual of Theology by John L. Dagg
• Christian Theology by Millard Erickson
• Integrative Theology: Three Volumes in One by Bruce Demarest
• Systematic Theology (3 vol.) by Charles Hodge
• Systematic Theology by Louis Berkhof
• A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith by Robert Reymond
• The Marrow of Theology by William Ames11.  
• A Body of Divinity by Thomas Watson
• Systematic Theology by Robert Duncan Culver

Spiritual Warfare

Grace Baptist Church of Cape Coral, Florida (pastored by Tom Ascol) shares on its website the following list of recommended books on Spiritual Warfare.

• The Holy War by John Bunyan
• The Christian Warfare by Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Vol. 7 in Ephesians set)
• The Christian Soldier by Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Vol. 8 in Ephesians set)
• Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices, by Thomas Brooks
• The Christian in Complete Armour (3 vol.) by William Gurnall
• The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
• A Treatise on Satan’s Temptations by Richard Gilpin 
• Power Encounters: Reclaiming Spiritual Warfare by David Powlison
• How to Meet the Enemy: Arming Yourself for Spiritual Warfare by John MacArthur
• Satan Cast Out: A Study in Biblical Demonology by Frederick Leahy

Preaching

Grace Baptist Church of Cape Coral, Florida (pastored by Tom Ascol) shares on its website the following list of recommended books on Preaching.

• Preaching & Preachers by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
• Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon
• Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Preaching Today by John Stott
• On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons by John Broadus
• Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon by Bryan Chapell
• Rediscovering Expository Preaching: Balancing the Science and Art of Biblical Exposition by John MacArthur, Jr.
• The Art of Prophesying by Wiliam Perkins
• The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper
• Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture by Graeme Goldsworthy
• Doctrine That Dances: Bringing Doctrinal Preaching and Teaching to Life by Robert Smith Jr.
• Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching by Don Kistler (ed.)
• Preach the Word: Essays on Expository Preaching in Honor of R. Kent Hughes by Leland Ryken and Todd Wilson (eds.)

Missions

Grace Baptist Church of Cape Coral, Florida (pastored by Tom Ascol) shares on its website the following list of recommended books on Missions.

• Let the Nations Be Glad! The Supremacy of God in Missions by John Piper
• The Mission of God by Christopher J.H. Wright
• Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: A Reader by Ralph Winter and Steven Hawthorne (eds.)
• Salvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission by Andreas Kostenberger and Peter O’Brien
• A Vision for Missions by Tom Wells
• Paradigms in Conflict: 10 Key Questions in Christian Missions Today by David Hesselgrave
• The Church Is Bigger Than You Think: The Unfinished Work of World Evangelisation by Patrick Johnstone
• Announcing the Kingdom: The Story of God’s Mission in the Bible by Arthur Glasser
• Mission on the Way: Issues in Mission Theology by Charles Van Engem
• The Open Secret: An Introdution to the Theology of Mission by Lesslie Newbigin

Jonathan Edwards

Grace Baptist Church of Cape Coral, Florida (pastored by Tom Ascol) shares on its website the following list of recommended books on and by Jonathan Edwards.

• Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards
• The Freedom of the Will by Jonathan Edwards
• A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God by Jonathan Edwards
• The Distinguishing Marks of the Work of the Spirit of God by Jonathan Edwards
• Thoughts on the New England Revival: Vindicating the Great Awakening by Jonathan Edwards
• The Works of Jonathan Edwards (2 vol.) by Hendrickson
• God’s Passion for His Glory by John Piper
• Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography by Iain Murray
• Jonathan Edwards by George Marsden
• A Sweet Flame: Piety in the Letters of Jonathan Edwards by Michael Haykin
• Jonathan Edwards: The Holy Spirit in Revival by Michael Haykin
• The God-Centered Life: Insights from Jonathan Edwards for Today by Josh Moody

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