What Books Did It for You?

 
What books did it for you?

I thought it might be interesting to poll my readers to see what book (or books) finally pushed you over the edge so that you cried "uncle" and embraced Reformed theology. 

These are five books that were very instrumental in my conversion to Reformed theology from Arminianism and dispensationalism back in 1979-80--although what really did it was Donald Gray Barnhouse's tape series on TULIP.  My list includes Warfield's Inspiration and Authority of the Bible and Plan of Salvation, Bavinck's Our Reasonable Faith, Murray's Redemption Accomplished and Applied, and Berkhof's Systematic Theology.

So, I am looking for those books (not tapes or videos) which were most instrumental in your own journey to Calvinism.  Leave your list in the comments section below.  This could be fun! 

Comments

[Ray]

Lorraine Boettner - Reformed Doctrine of Predestination

The Death of Death in the Death of Jesus Christ - John Owen <i>(Actually Packer's introduction was the clincher on this one)</i>

A New Systematic Theology Of The Christian Faith - Robert Reymond

[GrinningDwarf]

Primarily RC Sproul's 'Chosen By God', which I read in response to Norman Geisler's 'Chosen But Free'. Around the same time, I was also reading Luther's commentary on Galatians and 'The Bondage of the Will', Sproul's 'Willing to Believe', AW Pink's 'The Sovereignty of god' and Lorraine Boettner's 'The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination'.

[Danny]

A surprising list when I look back:
AW Tozer's Knowledge of the Holy - got me to see how big God is.
Chosen by God by RC Sproul
Desiring God by John Piper
Holiness by Grace by Bryan Chapell
Foundations of the Christian Faith by Boice

[JoeW]

Putting Amazing Back into Grace -- Michael Horton (This book was literally life-changing for me)

Grace Unkown -- RC Sproul

Am currently getting ready to work on:
Berkhof's Systematic Theology and Calvin's Institutes.

[zrim]

glad you asked.

laugh if you want to, but for me it was horton's "Beyond Culture Wars." for me, it was much more than theology proper. i needed a way out of the evangelicalism at various levels. and that book was it. my question was how could a reliable path be laid down in order for me to get out in good conscience? then after having gobbled the book up my question was, after declaring someone finally had the gazoos to say the sort of stuff he did and thank heaven he did, how can someone say all this--is he just merely as ticked off as i am? reformed theology was at its heart; horton wrapped it all up in an outer shell that attracted an audience desparate to both get out and retain faith. given that evangelicals have declared themselves to be the long lost tribe of israel, i doubted i could do it. i was shining a flashlight down the trail to rome--talk about divine providence!

that lead to seeking out as much reformation as possible. the way i always put it is after having spent 4-5 years on a steady decline of faith in evagy'ism, and ironically enough, despite all the gospel-ese, God-talk and Bible-babble, i finally heard the gospel. the rest is a history for which i am eternally indebted to the likes of horton.

it was spring break reading for me. i can still recall exactly where i was in that sorry little christian bookstore flipping the turnstiles, absently looking for something slightly thoughtful. i also recall my wife having picked up some more typical tripe. acting like clark's "reformed jerk" from the very beginning, i didn't endear her to anything reformed when i leaned over at the back of the aircraft and said, "my book says your book sucks." but i still get a chuckle from that line nevertheless.

zrim

[Dave]

Here is another vote for R. C. Sproul's Chosen By God. It was more like scales falling from my eyes to my delight rather than coming kicking and screaming.

[Kymanika]

Amillennialsim- Cox
Blessed Hope- Ladd
Understanding Dispensationalists- Poythress

[Paul]

The Proceedings of Pelagius by Augustine. I heard R.C. Sproul say that Calvin never taught anything that Luther hadn't taught and that Luther hadn't taught anything Augustine hadn't taught. So I read Augustine. Great stuff.

[Jeremy Felden]

Romans
Ephesians
Augustine's Confessions--Although I thought at the time that infant baptism must have been a very early heresy:-)

It really didn't take much. The evangelical Arminianism that I was immersed in made me wonder, "Is this all there is?" It didn't seem to fit with large swathes of the biblical testimony. It may be that the day I asked "What does 'elect' mean?" that I was a goner.

[Denise M.]

I had already embraced Calvinism and most reformed theology. I was just stuck in one of those wierd little Reformed Baptist bubbles and wouldn't let go of my eschatology...that is until I read "The Bible and the Future" by Hoekema. It was all amil and reformed from there...

[Steve McCoy]

I can't remember if Packer's Evg and the Sovereignty of God was just before or just after, but I know for sure that AW Pink's The Sovereignty of God was the crucial book.

[Chris Coleman]

Desiring God, Piper
Putting Amazing Back Into Grace, Horton
Romans 9-11

But, beyond these, THE most influential "help" that pushed me over the edge was Dr. Riddlebarger's Wed. Night study through Galatians. I know this area is out-of-bounds, but that series was phenomenal. "publicly placarding Christ," Amen!

[Camden Bucey]

Lorraine Boettner - The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination

O. Palmer Robertson - Christ of the Covenants

[Kelly C]

Horton's "Putting Amazing Back Into Grace"

Like zrim above, I was looking for a way out of evangelicalism and found content!

[plw]

Lying Signs and Wonders- C.Parker Thomas

Midnight Cry Ministries.......and from there it was sermonaudio.com on Amil messages and from there going back into the Bible and checking out all we had heard, then on to Boettner, Riddlebarger, Cox, and Beale.

[T.]

Augustine's Confessions
Knowing God - JI Packer
Bondage of the Will
Holiness of God - RC Sproul

[Chris Dattilo]

G.I. Williamson's study guide on The Westminster Confession of Faith. So logically presented - all the great doctrines - it only led to one happy conclusion - a full embrace of the Reformed Faith. Chris D.

[keith]

1. Romans
2. Putting Amazing Back into Grace
3. Calvin's Institutes
4. Berkhof's Systematics

[James]

1. Knowing God-Packer
2.George Whitefield-Dallimore (particularly the chapter in volume 1 when he was in the boat going to America).
3.Holiness Of God- Sproul
4.Iain' Murray's books

[Brian Davilla]

It was Michael Horton's, "Putting Amazing Back into Grace." This book began my journey into Reformed Theology and began the journey to where I am now.