Free eBook Download Guide
These links and books are to assist you with ongoing theological inquiry and research. While these offer valuable information, use with discernment, sensitivity and care.
A Personal Theological Library
These books will give you a powerful jumpstart on a personal journey to deeper biblical knowledge, theological understanding and spiritual growth. Whether you’re a seasoned preaching minister, studying to go into ministry, or eager to deepen your discipleship, this collection of biblical books would be a powerful asset to your library.
Anthology
(An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the webmaster.)
C.S. Lewis: This link takes you to a page dedicated to this insightful author.
Viktor Frankl: Man’s Search for Meaning <*> Say Yes to Life in Spite of Everything else
Carl Ketcherside: Dedicated his latter life to the unity of the Restoration Movement.
Mortimer Adler: How to Read A Book
Lloyd C. Douglas: His books brought thousands to a life in Christ.
Russell Conwell: Known foe his true story / sermon entitled Acres of Diamonds.
David Horton: The Portable Seminary
Archaeology
Charles W. Bennett: Christian Archaeology
Astronomy and the Bible
Jeffery D. Grimm: Solar Eclipses in the Bible: Finding Moses' Burning Bush
Emmeline Plunket: Ancient Calendars and Constellations
Charles J Burton: Astronomy and the Bible; or, God's two great books, nature and revelation
Lucas Albert Reed: Astronomy and the Bible
William G Pollard: Physicist And Christian
Joseph Seiss: The Gospel in the Stars; or, Prímeval Astronomy
How did the ancient civilizations keep track of time? They used the world's Oldest Clock.
Precise Time: The U. S. Naval Observatory (USNO) is charged with maintaining the DoD reference for Precise Time and Time Interval (PTTI). That reference is UTC(USNO).
Baptism
Cottrell: Baptism: What Does the Bible Say, and Does It Really Matter?
Cottrell: The History of Baptism
Miller: A Study on Baptism
Redick: Synecdoche and Salvation
Smith: 41 Reasons to be Baptised
J.W. Shepherd: Handbook on Baptism. This is one of the most researched book available. Questions concerning baptism are living, practical issues, which must be considered by every human being who intelligently endeavors to follow Christ. J. W. Shepherd, the compiler of the materials and the editor of the book, has done his work in the most diligent and painstaking way. He has given us by far the fullest, the best arranged, and most valuable collection of learned testimonies on the action, subjects, and design of baptism ever published in a single volume.
The Connection of Baptism and Remission of Sins
John S. Sweeney: Baptism and Remission of Sins_a sermon
The DHMO controversy in theology. Baptism / Immersion is a problem for some.
George R. Beasley-
Kurt Aland: Did the Early Church Baptize Infants
David Vaughn Elliott: The Salvation Prayer
Bible Study
Discovering The Christian Faith at Orcutt Christian Church
Elmer Dyck, Editor: The Art of Bible Reading: a Multidisciplinary Approach to Biblical Interpretation
Lewis Foster: Selecting a Translation of the Bible
Halley’s Bible Handbook , 25th Edition. Numerous maps and diagrams bring information to light making the bible more easily understood.
A.T. Robertson: Word Pictures in the New Testament – English translation from Greek with nuances and meanings explained. These six volumes were published between 1947 and 1955, and took nearly a decade to complete.
Vol 1 Matthew-
Vol 4 Epistles of Paul Vol 5 John and Hebrews Vol 6 General Epistles and Revelation
E.M. Zerr: Bible Commentaries. Edward Michael Zerr’s commentaries were considered so worth while, that Carl Ketcherside at his own expense paid to have them published. Zerr comments in the preface “The only book which we recommend without reservation is the Bible! But Bible commentaries, when viewed merely as the results of many years of study by scholarly men, can be very helpful to one.”
Vol 1 Genesis -
Vol 4 Jeremiah -
Old Testament Study Resources
Charles A. Briggs: General Introduction to the Study of Holy Scripture
George B. Gray: Forms of Hebrew Poetry
Isaac Leeser: Leeser's 1853 Jewish Translation. Isaac Leeser’s translation of the Jewish scriptures from the Massoretic tradition served as the definitive translation for half a century. Translated by the nineteenth century’s preeminent Jewish scholar, this 1853 edition of the Jewish Scriptures was the first to be published in English. The culmination of a lifetime of scholarly work in the Hebrew Scriptures, Leeser’s work is a highly valuable historical and scholarly resource for serious Bible students.
Robert Lowth: Lectures on the sacred poetry of the Hebrews
John William McGarvey: Class Notes on Sacred History, Vol. I
: Class Notes on Sacred History, Vol. II
John T. Willis: The World and Literature of the Old Testament
New Testament study resources:
Samuel Davidson: An Introduction to the Study of the New Testament
Bethlehem College & Seminary: New Testament Survey
Bob Utley: New Testament Survey
Sydney Cave: The Gospel of St. Paul
Biblical Concepts
Leroy Garrett: Alexander Campbells Rules of Interpretation
Donald G. Hunt: The Unfolded Plan of God
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Creation and Fall: A Theological Exposition of Genesis 1–3
Biblical Typology
Patrick Fairbairn: The Typology of Scripture
George Faull: Typology
Survey of the Bible
John W. Haley : Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible -
Henry H. Halley: Halley's Bible Handbook– see also under Bible Study.
Joseph Hill: Whole Bible Study Course
J.Sidlow Baxter: Explore The Book
Vol. 1 Genesis to Joshua Vol. 2 Judges to Esther Vol. 3 Job to Lamentations
Vol. 4 Ezekiel to Malachi Vol. 5 The Gospels Vol. 6 Acts to Revelation
Geisler, Norman L: A popular survey of the Old Testament
B.S. Dean: An Outline of Bible History
Biography
Calvinism/Augustianism
Augustine’s defection from the Apostolic Faith and subsequent slander of Pelagius
Scores of scholars have been heaping data that demonstrate Augustine defected from the theology of the church held from the beginning up to 412 AD. Augustine was teaching rhetoric in Milan, and Ambrose, Archbishop of Milan, was renown for his rhetorical ability. Augustine first came to Ambrose to improve his teaching, but soon was captured by Ambrose’ faith. Ambrose converted Autustine from Manichaeism about 386 AD.
Around 412 AD Augustine defected from the Free Will doctrine held by the church and reverted to the determinism of the pagan religion of Manichaeism. Pelagius was just one of the faithful who protested Augustine’s defecture. The five points of Calvinism (TULIP), and Calvin’s theology is Augustinian.
Calvinism or Arminianism
A Comparison between Calvinism and Arminianism
Arminianism vs Calvinism
Society of Evangelical Arminianism
Is Calvinism Biblical? This paper is to stimulate discussion on the philosophies that undergirded Augustinism and Calvinism.
Dr. Norman Geisler: Why I am Not a 5 Point Calvinist
Gordon Clark: -
God’s Hammer -
George Mark Elliott: Neither Arminian nor Calvinist
Calvinism, Arminianism, and Original Sin
Dr. Jack Cottrell has written an excellent series on Original sin
Original Sin or Original Grace?
Original Sin and the Incarnation
John Augustus Williams: Life of Elder John Smith. One of the most colorful preachers of the Restoration Movement, and describes his struggle with Calvinism.
Robert Shank: Life in the Son-
: Elect in the Son-
Charismatics
Douglas Jacoby: The Powerful Delusion-
Richard Quebedeaux: The New Charismatics -
John MacArthur: Charismatic Chaos
Robin Arnaud: The Truth About the Gift of Tongues
: Reaching Those Still Trapped in Charismatic Chaos
: A Dominion Experiment: The Shepherding/Discipleship Movement
Prof. Benjamin B. Warfield: Counterfeit Miracles Current Calvinistic theologians say “No successor has attained to his eminence as a biblical thrologian.” The Webmaster is of the opinion that Dr. Jack W. Cottrell is his successor.
:The Cessation of the Charismata
Dr. R. Fowler White: Does God Speak Today Apart from the Bible?
: Gaffin and Grudem on Ephesians 2:20
Richard Gaffin: Challenges of the Charismatic Movement to the Reformed Tradition -
: Challenges of the Charismatic Movement to the Reformed Tradition -
Brian Schwertley:The Charismatic Movement: A Biblical Critique
Prof. Thomas R. Edgar: The Cessation of the Sign Gifts
Leonard J. Coppes:The Cessation of Tongues
Greg Loren Durand:The Cessation of Tongues and Prophecy
George W. Dollar: Church History and the Tongues Movement
Ronald Cooke: Tongues -
Charles Hodge: The Nature of Tongues
O. Palmer Robertson:Tongues Today?
Henry Frost: Miraculous Healing
Erroll Hulse:The Blessings, Main Problem and Dangers of the Charismatic Experience
Erroll Hulse:The Free Grace Experience
J. Gresham Machen: Prophets False and True
A.W. Tozer: The Speaking Voice
Norman H. Street: The Failure of Emotional Religion
Daniel M. Brown: Trichotomists, Charismatics, and 1 Corinthians 14
Christology & the Trinity
Jack Cottrell: The Divinity of Jesus the Christ
Rupert C. Foster: The Life of Christ
: The Destruction of Jerusalem [Matthew 24]
William B. Gulick: What Christ Taught, a Study in the Life of Christ
Jessee R Kellems: The Deity of Christ
Harry Rimmer: TheMagnificence of Jesus
Frederick Edward Marsh: The Resurrection of Christ: Fact or Fiction.
Alfred Edersheim: The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah
Richard Halveson: The Timelessness of Jesus Christ
Seth Wilson: Learning from Jesus
Benjamin Colon II: The Divinity of Jesus Christ
Jack Cottrell: The Divinity of Jesus the Christ
Jessie Kellems: The Divinity of Jesus Christ
John Piper: What Jesus Demands from the World
Archibald Thomas Robertson: Harmony of the Gospels
Edward Henry Bickersteth: The trinity
The Trinity Explained Without Confusion: A Video that MUST be seen!
Donald Fairbairn: Life in The Trinity
George R. Beasley-
Charles B. Williams: The Evolution of New Testament Christology
Death of Jesus the Christ
M.R. DeHaan -
Vaughn Elliott Nobody Left Behind <*> The Sinner’s Prayer
Christianity vrs. Liberalism
Alan Strange: An Introduction to J. Gresham Machen
J. Gresham Machen:
Christianity and Liberalism -
The Virgin Birth of Christ <*> The Life of Christ <*> The Origins of Paul’s Religion <*> Selected Writings
Philip Schaff: The Person of Christ. With the attacks on Christ today, you will find this a delightful, refreshing book to read and study.
Atticus Greene. Haygood, The Man of Galilee: After reading the Dedication and Prefatory, start with the first chapter and read the entire book in order. It is brief. Haygood (1839–1896) was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He was president of Emory College. Haygood gained national prominence as a spokesman for the “New South” with his November 25, 1880 sermon from the pulpit of the Oxford Methodist Episcopal Church South (now known as Old Church). He promoted Christian tolerance and acceptance and urged reconciliation with the northern states, promoted education and educational opportunity for African Americans, called for an end to slavery, and attacked cruel practices against people of color.
Christian Evidence
See under Apologetics
Christian Living
A.W. Tozer: Knowledge of The Holy
Corrie ten Boom: The Hiding Place-
How can I know the Will of God for my life (Powerpoint)
Edward N. Gross: Miracles, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare
Church
The Reformation Movement of Luther, Huss, Calvin, Wesley, et.al., had the goal of reforming the Roman Catholic Church, and end the many abuses of that denomination. We, on the other hand, desire to go back entirely to the pattern of the church which God had given in the New Testament. Our belief is if all followers of the Messiah would unite in the effort to restore the church in the Bible, the unity for which Christ prayed would be achieved. To accomplish this goal requires great humility.
John Foxe: Foxes Book of Martyrs – Worth reading.
Church Polity
W.L. Hayden: Church Polity
Eldership
A Tretise on Ruling Elders and Deacons
Biblical Eldership study guide
ELDERS and DEACONS, Preparing Men to be
What is Biblical Eldership_Alexander Strauch
McGarvey: A Treatise on the Eldership
Communion
Euchrist/Lord’s Supper/Mass
OCC: How to do a Communion Meditation
https://www.awazehaq.com/english/?s=communion&submit= : Lee and Jonathan Turner’s Persian website
John Mark Hicks: Churches of Christ and the Lord’s Supper: Twentieth Century Perspectives
John Mark Hicks: Lords Supper as Eschatological Table
CC Crawford : Comunion
Gary Holloway: Something Happens in the Supper
Alexander Campbell: Restoration Ancient Order-
Byron Lambert: Open Communion
James A. Fowler: The Lord's Supper
Knofel Staton: The Lords Supper Is Essential
Robert Shannon: An Enduring Memorial
Cults
Roger Chamers, Ph.D.: Christianity and the Cults [See his page]
James E. Orr: Christian View of God and the World
Blue Letter Bible Cult Resources
Hank Hanegraaff: Counterfeit Revival -
Manly P. Hall: The Secret Teachins of All Ages. A book which lives up to its title. Hall self-
Jehovah Witnesses
Russell and White Debate – 1908
Raymond Franz: Crisis of Conscious
: In Search of Christian Freedom
William J. Schnell: Into-
Bruce M. Metzger: The Jehovah's Witnesses and Jesus
Daniel Wallace: Greek Grammar and the Personality of the Holy Spirit
James A. Beckford: The trumpet of prophecy -
Health and Wealth Cultism
Dan R. McConnell: A Different Gospel -
Barron, Bruce: The health and wealth gospel -
Ronald Enroth: A guide to cults and new religions
Michael Otieno Maura, Conrad Mbewe, Ken Mbugua: Prosperity_Seeking the True Gospel -
Costi W. Hinn: God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel -
Gordon D. Fee: The Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospels
Angus Deaton: The Great Escape -
D. R. McConnell: The promise of health and wealth -
Mormonism
Recent books point out the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has been in an ongoing theological reformatioon for the fifty years. Many of their early doctrines have beeen disregarded, So when you are studying this religious group, read with discernment, and check your facts.
Joseph Smith: The Book of Mormon-
For over 3 decades, meetings between Mormon and Evangelical theologians have been taking place. Three are listed here:
Blomberg, Craig, Robinson, Stephen Edward: How Wide the Divide_ _ a Mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation
Richard J Mouw; Robert L Millet: Talking Doctrine -
Beckwith-
These books are dialogues between Evangelical Theologians and Mormon Theologians. They point out that LDS theology has change since June 8, 1978, when black people were given full access to all temple ordinances.
Other volumes on Mormonism exist involving scholars with a connection to discussion between Mormonism and evangelical Christianit. There seems to be a wall, at times precluding dialogue, which seems to be coming down over these last few decades, and which calls for a new look at the relationship between Mormonism and traditional Christianity. Some works are in the form of Mormon and evangelical dialogue while others are simply collections or individual evangelical or Mormon scholars treating a topic that was largely responsible for this new direction, in the work heralded by BYU scholar Stephen E. Robinson, Are Mormons Christians? (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1991). Following this was the dialogue Robinson had with an evangelical New Testament scholar in a collaborative work: Craig L. Blomberg and Stephen E. Robinson, How Wide the Divide? A Mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation (Downers Grove, Ill: Inter Varsity Press, 1997). Then came the first major multiauthored critique of Mormonism by evangelical scholars: Francis J. Beckwith, Carl Mosser, and Paul Owen, The New Mormon Challenge (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002). All of this set the stage for interreligious scholarly dialogue over the last decade: Robert L. Millet and Gerald R. McDermott, Claiming Christ: A Mormon-
Bradley R. E. Wright: Christians Are Hate-
CoreyMiller: Academics Leaving Mormonism. Four PhD Academics share their reason for leaving the LDS.
CoreyMiller: Leaving Mormonism: Why Four Scholars Changed Their Minds. √
Latayme C. Scott: Mormon Mirage: A Former Member Looks at the Mormon Church Today.
Lynn K. Wilder: Unveiling Grace: The Storu of How We Found Our Wau Out of the Mormon Church.
Randy Newman: Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People’s Hearts the Way Jesus Did.
R. C. Evans: Forty Years in the Mormon Church -
Guy V. Caskey and Thomas L. Campbell, Editors: Why I Left . . .
Lynn Wilder; Michael Wilder: 7 Reasons We Left Mormonism
Robertson, Judy: Out of Mormonism -
Latayne C. Scott [compiler]: Why We Left Mormonism-
Lynn K. Wilder: Unveiling Grace -
Jerard & Dandra Tanner: The Case Against Mormonism: -
Fawn McKay Brodie: No Man Knows My History: Life of Joseph Smith
John C. Bennett: The History of The Saints
Clark Braden and E. L. Kelley: Public Discussion of the Issues Between the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Church of Christ (Disiples)
Otis Gatewood and Kenneth Farnsworth: Gatewood-
Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery: Mormon enigma -
Ann Eliza Young: Wife No. 19
Susan Ray Schmidt: Favorite Wife -
J.H. Beadle: Polygamy and Mysteries
Charles Shook: Gist of the Bible <*> Mormon Polygamy <*> American Anthropology <*> Cumorah Revisited
William Tabbernee: Fake Prophecy and Polluted Sacraments-
J. H. Lawson and J. M. Thompson: The Identity of the Church
Alexander Campbell: Delusions: An Analysis of the Book of Mormon <*> Mormonism Exposed
La Roy Sunderland: Mormonism Exposed
Francis J. Beckwith: Mormon Theism, The Traditional Christian Concept Of God, And Greek Philosophy: A Critical Analysis
Newell G. Bringhurst, Darron T. Smith, Darron T. Smith: Black and Mormon
New Apostolic Reformation
The Christian Movement that is threatening our Democracy
The extreme right wing movement of the charamastics that is destroying our demoncracy. It’s non-
By now, most Americans understand that Christian nationalism played a role in the January 6, 2021 violent attack on the Capitol. Christian nationalism is a political ideology and cultural framework that seeks to merge American and Christian identities, distorting both the Christian faith and America’s constitutional democracy. Christian nationalism relies on the mythological founding of the United States as a “Christian nation,” singled out for God’s providence in order to fulfill God’s purposes on earth.
Christian_Nationalism_and_the_Jan 6_Insurrection-
Matthew D. Taylor: The Violent take it by Force. (Clear, documented, expose)
R. Douglas Geivett & Holly Pivec: God’s Super-
Holly Pivec:
Bruce Cooper: Investigating the New Apostolic Reformation [See his website here]
John MacArthur: Apostles Among Us. Chapters 5 & 6 in Strange Fire
Sabatarianism
D.M. Canright: Seventh Day Adventism Renounced
Jack Cottrell: My Book about the Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments… “His Way.”
David R. Dungan: Sabbath or Lord’s Day
George M. Elliott_N.W. Kauble: Debate on Seventh Day Adventism
Theonomy
What is Theonomy? A good review can be found on Wikipedia.
What is Christian Reconstructionism? A good review can be found on Wikipedia.
Ashley Johnson: The Covenants. A series of sermons that dispute Theonomy. Excellent study!
Joel McDurmon vs. Jordan Hall: The Theonomy Debate
Richard John Neuhaus: The Theonomist Temptation
Denominations
Various Churches
Thomas R. Burnett and D. B. Ray: Ray-
Alexander Campbell: Delusions: An Analysis of the Book of Mormon
Benjamin Franklin and T. J. Fisher: Debate on Some of the Distinctive Differences Between the Reformers and Baptists (1858)
Ashley S. Johnson: The Great Controversy
Ashley S. Johnson: Letters to a Young Methodist Preacher
George A. Lofton and F. W. Smith: Why the Baptist Name (1912)
C. R.. Nichol: Baptist Answers Reviewed
C. R. Nichol: A Study in Methodist Discipline
John S. Sweeny and John Crawford: Debate on the Points of Difference in Faith and Practice Between the To Religious Bodies Known as the Disciples of Christ and the Regular Baptists Embracing the Subject of Calvinism and Design of Baptism (1874)
Lee G. Tomlinson: Churches of Today in the Light of Scripture
Catholicism
Cottrell & Sparagna The Doctrine of Purgatory
Charles Elliott: Delineation of Roman Catholicism
Alexander Campbell and John B. Purcell: A Debate on the Roman Catholic Religion
Bishop Strossmayer's Speech on Papal infallibility. Amazingly this was spoken at the 1870 Vatican Council which gave the pope infallibility. This is a must read.
The Trinity Review_Antichrist is Coming April 15 2008 (Still relevant!)
Alban Butler: Lives of The Saints
Transubstantiation (a non-
A cardinal doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church is Transubstantationism, which
“expresses the notion that the Sacramental bread and wine, the moment they are consecrated by the Priest, are changed into the very body and blood of our Saviour Christ. This change they hold to be total. Not one particle of he bread, not one drop of the wine, is left; only the appearance is preserved. They are supposed to be wholly transformed in substance; and hence they are said to be transubstantied. (Council of Trent, Sess. 13,c.iv.-
Pope Innocent III convened the 4th Lateran Council and declared
“There is only one universal Church, beyond which no man can in any way be saved. In which Jesus Christ is himself the priest and sacrifice, whose body and blood are really contained in the sacrament of the altar, under the form of bread and wine, being transubstantiated, the bread into the body and the wine into the blood, by divine power.” (Confession of the Synod of the fourth Lateran Council. 1215 A.D.)
Two old but helpful treatises date to the Church of England disentangling itself from the RC doctrine:
Tititson: A Discourse Against the Transubstantiation
Smith: Transubstantiation Tried by Scripture
E. DePressense: Heresy and Christian Doctrine
Several points contra to Transubstantiation
1. Jesus often used metaphors: Cf. Gospel of John 6:35, 9:5, 10:9, 15:1
2. If Christ is taken literally, He is offering, before the Atonement was actualized, atonement to the disciples.
3. John in 20:31 states his gospel is written to give the miracles of Jesus that give eternal life; but he never
mentions the institution of the Lord’s Supper.
4. Transubstantiation goes against the Calcedon Creed of 451 A.D.
An English translation of the Creed
“We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a reasonable soul and body; consubstantial with us according to the manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin; begotten before all ages of the Father according to the Godhead, and in these latter days, for us and for our salvation, born of the virgin Mary, the mother of God, according to the manhood; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-
5. For over 8 centuries the church understood Christ to be speaking in metaphors.
The Pagan Religions that Influenced Augustine
Scholars have identified the pagan religions that influenced Augustine as Stocism, Neoplatonism, and Gnostic Manichaeism, all of which are extremely deterministic philosophies, opposed to “free will.” He spent years personally involved with these three extremely deterministic philosophies. Augustine changed the previous 400 years of church hermeneutics.
Stocism
Augustine was deeply impacted by the pagan religion of Stocism. Augustine’s first work, in 386 AD, On Providence teaches Stocism.
Hendrik F. Stander: STOICISM
Gnosticism
What is Gnosticism? Gnosticism is the most pervasive and popular alternatives to Christianity and is a Major Problem Facing the Church today! It undergirded the later Augustine (after 412 AD).
Roger Chamers, Ph.D.: Christianity and the Cults
Irenaeus: Against Heresies Complete -
Voddie Bacham: Ethnic Gnosticism
Peter Jones: The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back: An Old Heresy for the New Age
Banner of Truth: Gnosticism
Douglas Groothuis: What is Gnosticism?
Craig Carter: The New Gender Gnostics
Dr. Richard John Neuhaus says: “Modern Day gnosticism is the natural religion of Americans, including American Christians…Feel-
Pheme Perkins: Gnosticism
James W. Sire: Scripture Twisting. How often have you encountered some bizarre doctrine only to be stunned to hear a Bible verse quoted to support it? Dr. Sire gives 20 ways cults distort Scripute
: The Universe Next Door. As is stated in the preface: “I am convinced that for any of us to be fully conscious intellectually we should not only be able to detect the worldviews of others but be aware of our own – why it is ours and why, in light of so many options, we think it is true.”
: Naming the Elephant. The Universe Next Door has always lacked a complete definition of “worldview” and a thorough study of that concept itself. Sire writes Naming the Elephant, in an effort to fill this gap.
Neoplatonism
Augustine was deeply impacted by the pagan religion of neoplatonism.
Robert Berchman: Neoplatonism
Manichaeism
Augustine was deeply impacted by the pagan religion of Manichaeism. He was involved with it for some ten years, and studied it deeply. It was Manichaeism that formed his theology that changed the teaching of the previous four hundred years.
Pheme Perkins: Manichaeism
Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
Robert Young (1910): Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible -
W.E. Vine: Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of OT and NT Words
Thayer’s Greek-
Strong’s Bible Concordance by James Strong. – necessary for your word study.
The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary – because you need it!
Wycliffe Dictionary of Theology
James Hastings: A Dictionary of the Bible: Its Language, Literature, and Contents, Including the Biblical Theology
: Dictionary of the Apostolic Church
M.G. Easton: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
James Hastings: A Dictionary of the Bible
James Orr: International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature
Discrimination
W.E.B. DuBois: The Soul of Black Folk. Dr. DuBois was the first African American to earn a doctorate from Harvard University. He researched and wrote some of earliest sociological works on racism.
Philip Schaff: Slavery in the Bible. A lecture in 1861 that called for “Christian
Philanthropy” to resolve the cultural tension.
Voddie Baucham is Dean of Theology at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia. Previously he served as pastor of Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, Texas. Dr. Baucham has his D.Min. From Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, followed by post-
A sermon by Dr. Baucham: We are ONE in Christ.
Howard Thurman: Jesus and the Disinherited. Thurman's theology of radical nonviolence influenced and shaped a generation of civil rights activists, and he was a key mentor to leaders within the civil rights movement, including Martin Luther King Jr. Thurman was dean of Rankin Chapel at Howard University from 1932 to 1944 and as dean of Marsh Chapel at Boston University from 1953 to 1965.
Evergreen Plantation. Evergreen Plantation is the most intact plantation complex in the South with 37 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including 22 slave cabins. Evergreen has its country’s highest historic designation and joins Gettysburg and Mount Vernon in being granted landmark status for its agricultural acreage. Today, Evergreen Plantation remains a privately owned, working sugar cane plantation. People live here and work here. Evergreen is not open for tours. We are dedicated to research and education.
Rebecca Hopkins: Black Missionaries Are Being Written Back into the Story
Eric Mason: Black Christians Are Confronting Black Lies About Christianity
T.W. Crawford: African Americans in Churches of Christ
Gender -
I am Malala -
Sexism and Space Exploration -
Jack Cottrell: Some Vital Feminist Concerns
Wayne Grudem: Grounds for Divorce
John Piper and Wayne Grudem: Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Grasham: Early Women Preachers on the Eastern Seaboard
G.P. Waters: Women in the Pulpit
Podcasts that help understand the Biblical view:
The Sin of Sodom on Display in America
The Woke Church Movement and the Gospel
A Christian Response to Segregation
James O’Kelly (1789): Essay On Negro Slavery [a Pioneer in the Restoration Movement]
Theodore Crawford: From Segregation to Independence-
Charles Feinberg: The curse of anti-
Dispensationalism
Clarence B. Bass: Backgrounds to dispensationalism -
Lorraine Boettner: The Millennium
Reed Richard Clark: What is the Kingdom of God
William E. Cox, An Examination of Dispendationalism
Dave MacPherson: The unbelievable pre-
Ligon Duncan: Dispensationalism -
Irving Lester Jensen: Jensens Bible Study Charts
Charles Hill: Why the Early Church Finally Rejected Premillennialism
Philip Mauro: The Gospel of The Kingdom with an examination of modern dispensationalism
George L. Murray: Millennial Studies -
Arthur W. Pink: Dispensationalism
Alburtus Pieters: A candid examination of the Scoffield Bible
Giovanni M. Quer: Israel and Zionism in the Eyes of Palestinian Christians
J. Stuart Russell: The Parousia
C.I. Schofield: The Scofield reference Bible
Merrill Simon: Jerry Falwell and the Jews
Charles G. Trumbull: The Life Story of C. I. Scofield
John Walvoord: The Rapture Question
Alfred M/ Lilienthal: The Zionist Connection
Whiteside & Nichols: Christ and His Kingdom-
AD70 Cult / Heresy
4 Reasons Why I Cannot Believe the 70AD Doctrine
Hansen-
Jim McGuiggan-
Gus-
Max R/ King: The Spirit of Prophecy
: The Cross and theParousia of Christ
Ted-
Alexander W. Hall: Universalism Against Itself
Garland M. Robinson: The AD-
C.H. Dodd: The Apostolic Preaching and Its Developments
Mark Dunagan: AD 70 Theory
Doctrinal Study
Jack Cottrell: The Faith Once for All: Bible Doctrine for Today. This is a fabulous systematic theology book. The WebMaster HIGHLY recommends keeping it at hand for daily study.
The Fundamentals -
Don’t let the name of this series throw you. It is not the modern “Fundamentalistic” movement, but rather a reasoned, moderate and rational statement of the basic of faith. The Fundamentals is a set of ninety doctrinal articles. It is widely considered to be the foundation of modern Christian Evangelicalism. Evangelical Christians can read them 100 years later and will welcome their approach to truth. From 1910 to 1916 they were distributed free of charge to churches in the United States, due to a grant from Milton and Lyman Stewart of Union Oil Company. In 1917 the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (BIOLA) reprinted the set in four volumes under the editorship of Professor Reuben Archer Torrey.
Brian Jones: Hell Is Real (But I Hate to Admit It) A theologian reluctantly comes to accept the Biblical understanding of life removed from God’s presence. Brother Jones was a student under Dr. Cottrell.
Louis Berkhof: Systematic Theology
James P. Boyce: Abstract of Systematic Theology – the premier handbook for Southern Baptists. Boyce, a 19th century Baptist, [not to be confused with James Boice, the 20th century Presbyterian,] was an eminent Reformed Baptist theologian. His systematic theology is a standard for Baptist teaching in the Calvinistic tradition.
Benjamin Field: Handbook of Christian Theology (Benjamin Field, John C. Symons) -
Louis Gaussen: Theopneustia: The Plenary Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures -
Edgar Young Mullens: The Christian Religion in Its Doctrinal Expression. Mullins was one of the most influential Baptist theologians of the twentieth century
George R. Beasley-
Bert Thompson, Ph.D.: The Origin, Nature, and Destiny of the Soul
Eschatrology
(Study of the End Times)
Preterism
Prefix denoting that something is 'past.' The Preterist theory interprets Revelation chiefly as having had prophetic fulfillment in the past, principally in the events of the first century CE., primarily surrounding the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Often called the A.D. 70 Doctrine. The two principal schools of preterist thought are commonly called partial preterism and full preterism. Preterists disagree significantly about the exact meaning of the terms used to denote these divisions of preterist thought.
Wikipedia has a good overview article on Preterism
Gus Nichols and Max R. King – The Nichols – King Debate
Jim McGuiggan – Max King -
W. Terry Varner: Has The Second Coming Occurred?
Garland M. Robinson – The AD 70 System of Kingism
Ted J. Clarke – The A. D. 70 Doctrine
Futurism
The Futurist approaches the Book of Revelation mostly as unfulfilled prophecy taking place in some yet undetermined future.
Wikipedia has a good overview article on Futurismj
Historicism
The Historicist approach places Revelation within the context of history, identifying figures and passages in Revelation with major historical people and events. This view was commonly held by the early Christian church, then among the predecessors to Protestantism, such as John Wycliffe, Joachim of Fiore and later by the majority of Protestant Reformers, such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Wesley. Further supporters of this view included Isaac Newton (1642–1727), among others.
Wikipedia has a good overview article on Historicism
The Non-
Idealism
The Idealist approach sees the events of Revelation as neither past nor future actualities, but as purely symbolic accounts, dealing with the ongoing struggle and ultimate triumph of good over evil.
Wikipedia has a good overview article on Idealism
Ethics
David K. Clark: Readings in Christian Ethics
Evangelism
Horatius Bonar: Words to Winners of Souls
Otis Gatewood: You Can do Personal Evangelism
Aniceto M. Sparagna: Practical and Doctrinal Suggestions of How to Win Catholics for Christ
Jesse R. Kellems: New Testament Evangelism
Paul Chitwood:Dissertation -
Josh Chen: Evangelism Reimagined
Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
Geography
Charles Baker: The Book of Bible Geography of the Old and New Testaments
Lyman Coleman: An Historical Text Book and Atlas of Biblical Geography
F. A. Cox: The geography, topography, and natural history of Palestine
Thomas Hartwell Horne: Introduction to the Critical Study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures: Summary of Biblical Geography and Antiquities
Charles Foster Kent: Biblical Geography and History
George A. Smith: The Historical Geography of the Holy Land
George H. Whitney: Hand-
Glossolalia
Currently there are two views of glossolalia
1. The Continuanist view that glossolalia and healing are biblical concepts continuing today. A Continuanist professor at Westmont, Dr. Teilford Work, states that it was “birthed” in 1920.
2. The Cessationist view that glossolalia, healing, and prophecy ended with the death of the Apostles.
John MacArthur: Strange Fire: The Danger of Offending the Holy Spirit with Counterfeit Worship
: Tongues
Nathan Busenitz: Comparing the Church Fathers with Contemporary Pentecostalism
Carl Mitchell: The Cessation of Miraculous Gifts of The Holy Spirit
Mansell Pattison: Behavioral Science Research on the Nature of Glossolalia
Garett Reese: SPECIAL STUDY on Speaking in Tongues-
Charles Dailey: The Gift of Tongues
David Farmell: The Montanist Crisis: A Key Refutating Third-
Thomas Edgar: The Cessatrion of the Sign Gift
Chuck Gianotti: Clear Teaching on a Confusing Subject
Benjamin Warfield: Counterfeit Miracles
Unknown author: The Psychology of Speaking in Tongues
Stanley Burges: The new international dictonary of Pentecostal and Charismatic movements.
Lehman Strauss: Speaking in Tongues
Gnosticism & Paganism
What is Gnosticism? Gnosticism is the most pervasive and popular alternatives to Christianity and is a Major Problem Facing the Church today! It is an amalgamation of Eastern paganism and Roman paganism and exploded in the United States in the 1960’s. Writing at the beginning of the Hippie Movement in the late 1950’s, Dr. Hans Jonas wrote these words on the emergence of Eastern mysticism:
“What we do witness at the period roughly coinciding with the beginnings of
Christianity is an explosion of the East. Like long-
broke through the Hellenistic crust and flooded the ancient world, flowing from
the established Greek forms and filing them with their content, besides creating
their own new beds.”
This ancient Worldview arrived in the West, being referred to as “The New Age,” “the Age of Aquarius,” “New Thought,” “Theosophy,”and many others.
Scholars are generally in agreement that Gnosticism originated from the merger of Hindu mysticism and Greek/Roman mysticism; and the New Age Movement of the 1960’s originated from Gnosticism and Hinduism, with the mantra “Hey ho, Don’t you know? Western Civ has got to go!”
The New Age worldview is like a kaleidoscope. There are many tangents to it because it is very eclectic and draws from so many divergent sources. It is behind the gender issues, black lives matter, homosexuality, polyandry, polygyny, and much more. (Polyandry is contrasted with polygyny.)
This new worldview has entered deeply into western society and is seen in the health industry, psychology, science, politics, and “the new spirituality.”
The Apostle Paul is apparently having to address the influence of Gnosticism in the new congregations he was establishing. The Apostle John seems to have had problems with Gnosticism’s development and threat to the health of the church and wrote to counteract its influence. His Gospel and Epistles are evidence of it’s arrival in the Roman Empire.
In contrast with Gnosticism, The God of the Bible is CREATOR, everything else is created. The God of the Bible has given us His inspired Scriptures for our guidance.
Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, was the theologian from whom Roman Catholicism and Calvinism are derived. Around 412 AD, he reverted from the theology of all the Christian theologians preceding him, and returned to the gnosticism he held before becoming a Christian, a fact which he acknowledged. He is purported to have written: "We never cease to look towards India, many things are proposed to our admiration."
Today Gnosticism seeks to destroy the Bible, the Church, historic Christianity; and eliminate Western Civilization, creating a New World Order.
Dr. Richard John Neuhaus says: “Modern Day gnosticism is the natural religion of Americans, including American Christians…Feel-
The Church Fathers refuted Gnosticism
Irenaeus of Lyon -
: Against Heresies -
: Proof of Apostolic Preaching -
Epiphanius of Salamis -
Hippolytus of Rome -
Tertullian of Carthage -
Christianity Today: The Gnostic Hunger for Secret Knowledge
Peter Jones: The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back: An Old Heresy for the New Age
Banner of Truth: Gnosticism
Douglas Groothuis: What is Gnosticism?
Craig Carter: The New Gender Gnostics
M.J. Vermaseren: Studies in Gnosticism and Hellenistic Religions
D. James Kennedy: The DaVinci Myth versus The Gospel Truth
Roger Chamers, Ph.D.: Christianity and the Cults
Voddie Bacham: Ethnic Gnosticism
Craig Carter: The New Gender Gnostics
Banner of Truth: Gnosticism
Douglas Groothuis: What is Gnosticism?
Pheme Perkins: Gnosticism
James W. Sire: Scripture Twisting. How often have you encountered some bizarre doctrine only to be stunned to hear a Bible verse quoted to support it? Dr. Sire gives 20 ways cults distort Scripture.
: The Universe Next Door. As is stated in the preface: “I am convinced that for any of us to be fully conscious intellectually we should not only be able to detect the worldviews of others but be aware of our own – why it is ours and why, in light of so many options, we think it is true.”
: Naming the Elephant. The Universe Next Door has always lacked a complete definition of “worldview” and a thorough study of that concept itself. Sire writes Naming the Elephant, in an effort to fill this gap.
Franz Cumont: Astrology and Religion among the Greeks and Romans. America is in exactly the same place as Rome when Christianity arrived. At the time Paul was writing the Epistle to the Romans, Nero was marrying two men, one as his wife, the other as his husband. Cumont helps us bridge the centuries.
Hermeneutics
(Hermeneutics is the interpretation of biblical texts.)
David R. Dungan: Hermeneutics
Mark Moore: Principles of Interpretation
Rick Warren: Bible Study Methods -
John William McGarvey: A Guide to Bible Study
Bob Utley: Hermeneutics Textbook
Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Peter H. Davids, F.F. Bruce, Manfred T. Brauch: Hard Sayings of the Bible
Thomas Tailor (1816): Christ Revealed: Or the Types and Shadows of Our Saviour in the Old Testament Opened and Explained
Milton Terry: Biblical Hermeneutics
Clinton Lockhart (1915): Principles of Interpretation
Theological Position of Better Known Authors -
Dallas Burdette: Old Texts Through New Eyes
History
The Pilgrimage of Etheria: Etheria or Aetheria was a woman, widely regarded to be the author of a detailed account of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This fourth century (A.D.) narrative of a Christian pilgrimage is the earliest such text which survives to us. It is an important source of information about early Christian practices.
PhilipV.N. Myers: Mediaeval and Modern History
William E.H. Lecky: History of European Morals
George Foot Moore: Judaism -
Homiletics
(Homiletics Is that branch of theology which treats of homilies or sermons.)
Irenaeus: Proof Of The Apostolic Preaching. 2nd century defense of the Gospel
Austin Phelps (1820-
Alexander Campbell as a Preacher
H.W. Beecher: Yale Lectures on Preaching
Daniel I. Block: Preaching Old Testament Apocalyptic to a New Testament Church
Emil Brunner
Benjamin Keach
Troplogia, or, Preaching from the Types and Metaphors of the Bible
Andrew W. Blackwood: Preaching from the Bible
John Broadus:
On The Preparation and Delivery of Sermons
Lectures on the History of Preaching
David R. Breed: Preparing to Preach
Philipps Brooks: Lectures on Preaching
Don DeWelt: If You Want To Preach
David Martyn Lloyd-
J. H. Jowett: The Preacher His Life and Work
Harold E. Knott: The Preparation of Sermons
John W. McGarvey: Broadway Church Sermons
Archibald McLean: Alexander Campbell as a Preacher_A Study
F.B. Meyer: Jottings and Hints for Lay Preachers
T. H. Scambler: The Art of Sermon Construction
A. T. Robertson: The Glory of the Ministry
Floyd D. Shafer: And Preach As You Go
Wilder Smith: Extempore Preaching
C.H. Spurgeon:: Lectures to My Students
John Stott: Between Two Worlds-
Ely V. Zollars: The Great Salvation
Algern Fitch was superb preacher of the word.
Afterglow of Christs Ressurrection <> Alexander Campbell-
Bryan Chapell: Christ-
Owen Crouch: God has spoken _ expository preaching and teaching_ Hebrews -
Hymnology
E. L Jorgenson: Great songs of the church, revised
Hymnary.org: A comprehensive index of hymns and hymnals
Mysticism & Mythology
Many truths of Scripture are being distorted by a philosophy that places experience and emotions above the inerrant Word of God. This philosophy is called mysticism. Because mystics rely on subjective, private, spiritual experiences for guidance and wisdom, they diminish the authority of Scripture. Visions and spiritual encounters become more important than the truths found in God's Word. Unfortunately, this philosophy is having a profound impact on the Lord's church. Here are some excellent resources to counter this pernicious philosophy.
Arthur L Johnson: Faith misguided, Exposing Mysticism
Mike Atnip: Herbology and Christianity
William S. Fox: Greek and Roman [Mythology]
Conyers Middleton: Free Inquiry into Miraculous Powers