- Beinert, Wolfgang; Fiorenza, Francis Schussler, ed. . New York: Crossroad, 1995.
- Helpful, short articles that set the question in modern Catholic theology.
- Berardino, Angelo Di, ed. Trans. Adrian Walford. New York: OUP, 1992.
- A wonderful resource covering individuals, movements, significant sites, etc. in the Early Church, and most entries have bibliographies to the more important primary and secondary works on a subject.
- Cameron, Nigel M. de S., ed. . Downers Grove: IVP, 1993.
- Chadwick, Henry. . New York: Facts on File Publications, 1987.
- A serviceable atlas with good text offering insights and interpretations on the maps.
- Clarke, Paul Barry; Linzey, Andrew, ed. . London: Routledge, 1996. Available online at the link provided.
- McGrath, Alister, ed. . Oxford: Blackwell,1993. Available online .
- These articles offer some of the best short introductions to modem theological thought, with bibliographies to guide further reflection.
- Muller, Richard. . Grand Rapids: Baker 1985. Available online .
- If you wonder what that phrase in Latin means, this is a good place to start, though unfortunately it is primarily limited to terminology arising in Protestant Scholasticism.
- Musser, Donald W.; Price, Joseph L., ed. . Nashville: Abingdon, 1992.
- A conservative perspective that also has articles on theology and individuals in North American religious thought that are not always covered in other dictionaries.
- O’Carroll, Michael. . Wilmington: Michael Glazier, 1987.
- . Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1990.
- . Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1992.
- Though the treatment in O’Carroll’s three encyclopedias is at times uneven, it does offer insights into the tradition, key figures, and controversies surrounding these three key areas.
- Rahner, Karl, et al. . New York: Herder and Herder, 1968.
- A standard work, often with extensive articles on a topic.
Theological Research
- Bolich, Gregory C. . Lanham: University Press of America, 1986.
- Bolich offers workbook type exercises to familiarize you with the resources, a knowledge that can certainly save you time in the future.
- Johnston, William M. . Downers Grove: IVP. 1996. Available online .
- The highly annotated work that offers clear analysis of the numerous works available. It is useful as a quick introduction to the types of works that are available.
- Kennedy, James R. . 2nd Ed. Michigan: Pierian Press, 1984.
- Kepple, Robert J.; Muether, John R. . 3rd ed.. Lanham: University Press of America, 1992.
- Though not as comprehensive as Johnston, it still offers good guidance in identifying reference works to consult on a topic.
Theological Methodology
- Barth, Karl. . Trans. Ian Robertson. London: SCM Press, 1960.
- While an analysis of Anselm, this also reveals a great deal about how Barth understood the theological task.
- Frei, Hans W. . Ed. George Hunsinger and William C. Placher. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992.
- Frei offers a succinct yet illuminating typology of modem theology that serves well to highlight various approaches to theology.
- Pannenberg, Wolfhart. . Trans.Francis McDonagh. London: DLT, 1976.
- Pannenberg’s major methodological work portrays a correlation between Christian truth claims with knowledge from other spheres.
- Placher, William C. . Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1989.
- Placher offers both a well written and intelligible survey of recent positions on religion and truth as well as some constructive proposals.
- Stone, Howard W.; Duke, James O. . Minneapolis: Fortress, 2013.
- A simple introduction to theological reflection that emphasizes its central (though often inchoate) status in the Christian life.
History of Theology
- Berardino, Angelo Di; and Studer, Basil, ed. . Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 1996-.
- A very useful introduction by some of the foremost scholars in each area, it should be consulted for any introduction to theology in the Early Church.
- Cunliffe-Jones, Hubert. . Philadelphia: Fortress,1978.
- Gonzalez, Justo L. . Rev ed. 3 vols.Nashville: Abingdon,1987.
- Written in a very readable style, Gonzales is probably the easiest survey to comprehend.
- Grillmeier, Aloys. . 4 vols. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1975-1996.
- A definitive work on the history of christology in the first six centuries.
- Johnson, William Stacy; Leith, John H. . 2 vols Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993.
- Ford, David F., ed. . 2 vols. Oxford: Blackwell,1997. Available online .
- The best recent survey of twentieth-century theology, with essays on both individual theologians and major movements.
- Pelikan, Jaroslav. . 5 vols. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 1971.
- An ambitious work that covers the history of doctrine for the early church through the modem period. It offers a reliable guide to the development of doctrine, and is one of the few works that also considers Eastern Christian thought.
- Quasten, Johannes. . 4 vols. Westminster: Christian Classics, 1983-1986.
- An essential work for study of the early church writings, Quasten primarily gives information on texts, editions, and translations. If you want to know the works a writer penned and if a translation is available, Quasten is a good source to consult.
- Schaff, Philip. . 3 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1983. [BT 990 C72 TRIN].
- A standard collection that contains most important creeds and confessions from the early church to the modem period. Most are presented in both their original language and in translation.
- Smart, Ninian. et. at., ed. . 3 vols. Cambridge: CUP 1985. Available online .
- Short essays by experts on most significant writers on religious thought in the 19th century, not just theologians. Philosophers are significantly represented.
- Welch, Claude. . New Haven: Yale University Press, 1972-1985.
- The best introduction to Protestant theology in the formative 19th century.
Systematic and Dogmatic Theology: Recent and Classic
- Aquinas, Thomas. . Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1954.
- Containing selections from Thomas’ Summa, these can serve as an introduction to the larger work.
- Barth, Karl. . Edinburgh: T & T Clark. 13 vols. Available online at link provided.
- A classic work by one of the 20th centuries foremost theologians. It is certainly worth the effort to follow Barth’s reflection on a subject.
- . Trans.G. T. Thompson. New York: Harper & Row, 1959.
- A short introduction to the Apostles’ Creed.
- Braaten, Carl E.; Jenson, Robert W. ed. . 2 vols. Philadelphia: Fortress,1984.
- A Lutheran perspective that offers beneficial essays on all the topics of Christian theology.
- Calvin, John. . Trans.Ford Lewis Battles. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960.
- Fiorenza, Francis Schussler; Galvin, John P., ed. . 2 vols.Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991. Available online at the link provided.
- A modern Roman Catholic theology with essays by various writers. This makes it less of a systematic presentation.
- Gunton, Colin, ed. . Cambridge: CUP, 1997. Available online at the link provided.
- Not simply an introduction to the topics of theology, the companion’s essays often survey recent opinions and problems and offer constructive proposals.
- Hall, Douglas John. , , . Minneapolis: Fortress, 1991-1996.
- A contextual project by a significant Canadian theologian.
- Jenson, Robert W. . New York: OUP 1997- . Available online .
- McClendon, James W., Jr. . 2 vols. Nashville: Abingdon,1986-1994.
- McClendon begins with ethics as the launching point for understanding Christian reflection upon the Gospel’s meaning.
- McGrath, Alister E. . Oxford: Blackwell, 2nd ed. 2011. Available online at the link provided.
- __________, ed. . Oxford: Blackwell, 1995.
- A readable survey of Christian theology that is concerned with both historical and systematic themes. It is written to be used for individual study as well as group study.
- Migliore, Daniel L. . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2014.
- A brief introduction to theology that takes into account many recent concerns (e.g. feminist and liberationist critiques), but is weak in its interaction with the tradition.
- Pannenberg, Wolfhart. . 3 vols. Trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991-1997.
- A significant project from a German Lutheran, Pannenberg develops his theology from the standpoint of revelation as history.
- Rahner, Karl. . Trans. William V. Dych. New York: Seabury Press, 1978.
- This is a serviceable introduction to a writer who continues to be significant for modern Roman Catholic theology.
Recent Movements and Issues
- Boff. Leonardo: Boff, Clodovis. . Trans. Paul Burns. Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1987.
- A good yet brief summary of liberation theology’s issues and concerns by two of its leading writers.
- Carr, Anne E. . San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1988.
- Chopp, Rebecca S.; Davaney, Sheila Greeve, ed. . Minneapolis: Fortress, 1997.
- Cobb, John B., Jr; Griffin, David Ray. . Philadelphia: Westminster Press. 1976.
- The standard introduction to theology from the perspective of Process philosophy.
- Dyrness, William A, ed. . Grand Rapids:Zondervan, 1994.
- A brief yet helpful introduction to theological reflection outside the North America and Europe, it enables the reader to begin to see the breadth of Christian reflection.
- Fahey, Michael A. . Westport: Greenwood Press, 1992.
- An essential annotated bibliography on ecumenical writings.
- Gonzales, Justo L. . Nashville: Abingdon, 1990.
- Gutierrez, Gustavo. . Maryknoll: Orbis, 1973. Available online at link provided.
- The classical statement of liberation theology which clearly puts forth some of the abiding themes of the movement.
- Hennelly, Alfred T., ed. . Maryknoll: Orbis,1990.
- Loades, Ann, ed. . London: SPCK, 1990. [BT 83.55 F45 TRIN; TRIN/WYCSTOR].
- Lossky, Nicholas, et al. . Geneva/Grand Rapids: WCC Publications/ Eerdmans, 2002.
- A crucial tool for understanding the ecumenical movement, the Dictionary identifies major writers, documents, and issues in ecumenical perspectives. Short bibliographies of important works add to each essay.
- Musto, Ronald G. . Garland Publishing: New York & London, 1991.
- An extensive, annotated bibliography on works in Liberation Theology.
- Newbigin, Lesslie. . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989.
- Ruether, Rosemary Radford. . Boston: Beacon Press. 1983. Available online .
- A classic critique of theology from a feminist perspective, it treats many of the traditional topics of Christian theology.
- Tanner, Kathryn. . Minneapolis: Fortress, 1997.
- Young, Josiah U. . Westport: Greenwood Press, 1993.
Philosophical Theology
- Allen, Diogenes. . Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1985.
- An introductory text that considers philosophy and philosophers on the basis of their influence upon Christian theology from the early church to the modem period.
- Dalferth, Ingolf U. . Oxford: Blackwell, 1988.
- Dalferth investigates how the relation between theology and philosophy has been understood by theologians as well as how philosophy has been theologically utilized.
- Davis, Stephen T. . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans , 1997.
- Surveys the proofs for the existence of God both in the tradition and in more recent analysis.
- Plantinga, Alvin; Wolterstorff, Nicholas, ed. . Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1983.
- Essays by respected Christian philosophers on the relation between faith and reason attempt to take into consideration recent work in epistemology.
- Stead, Christopher. . Cambridge: CUP, 1994. Available online at the link provided.
- A clear and concise work, written for the non-specialist, detailing the relation between philosophy and theology in the early church.
Revised Nov. 2012 by Tom Power; revised July 2021 by A. Findley-Jones