Recommended: Theological Reference Works
Some books you read straight through. Others you keep close at hand to return to again and again. Theological reference works belong to the second category. They are not meant to replace Scripture but to help you dig deeper: clarifying difficult passages, tracing doctrines through the centuries, and giving you a reliable guide when questions arise.
Here are some of the most trusted resources in the evangelical tradition:
Systematic Theologies
Systematic Theology – Wayne Grudem
Accessible, evangelical, and widely used. Though not strictly Reformed in every point, it has introduced many to the discipline of systematic theology.
Systematic Theology – John Frame
Balances doctrine, application, and worship. Frame’s “tri-perspectival” approach makes theology deeply practical.
Systematic Theology – Louis Berkhof
Concise, clear, and widely used in Reformed seminaries. A standard single-volume introduction to systematic theology.
Institutes of the Christian Religion – John Calvin
The classic Reformed theology, both doctrinal and devotional. Calvin writes not only to clarify doctrine but to shape Christian living.
Institutes of Elenctic Theology – Francis Turretin
The scholastic high point of Reformation orthodoxy. Dense but profoundly influential in shaping Reformed confessions and catechisms.
Reformed Dogmatics (4 Volumes) – Herman Bavinck
A masterpiece of Reformed theology. Scholarly yet pastoral, expansive yet worshipful. For serious and advanced students of doctrine.
Biblical & Theological Dictionaries
The New Bible Dictionary, Voume. 1 – IVP (Edited by Douglas, et al.)
A trusted, accessible one-volume reference covering people, places, themes, and background.
The New Bible Dictionary, Volume 2 - IVP (Edited by Wenham, et al.)
The second in this series.
The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology – IVP (Edited by T. Desmond Alexander & Brian Rosner)
Helps you trace themes across the canon with a redemptive-historical focus.
Evangelical Dictionary of Theology – Edited by Walter Elwell
Concise entries on nearly every major theological topic, written by evangelical scholars.
Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments – IVP
One of several IVP “Black Dictionaries,” each covering part of the biblical canon with scholarly but readable essays.
Historical Theology & Creeds
Historical Theology – Gregg Allison
Surveys how doctrines have developed from the early church through today. Clear and evangelical, with careful attention to primary sources.
The Creeds of Christendom – Philip Schaff
Classic collection of the major creeds and confessions of the church, with historical introductions.
Reformed Confessions of the 16th and 17th Centuries – James Dennison (ed.)
Multivolume collection of key Reformed confessional documents with introductions and notes.
Commentary Series (Multi-Volume, Trusted in the Reformed Tradition)
Tyndale Old & New Testament Commentaries
Shorter, more accessible commentaries. Excellent for beginners or those teaching in the local church.
The New International Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (NICOT/NICNT)
Scholarly, evangelical, and pastorally useful.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC)
Mid-level series, strongly evangelical and Christ-centered.
Reformed Expository Commentary (REC)
Written by pastors for pastors and lay readers. Expositional, devotional, and faithful to Reformed theology.
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Disclaimer: The resources listed here have been selected because they offer particular value for Christian growth and understanding. Their inclusion does not imply full agreement with every statement or position taken by the authors. As with any book outside of Scripture, readers should exercise discernment, testing all things by the Word of God (Acts 17:11).