So I have been trying to get a bit of a clearer definition of what “Reformed Christian Spirituality” means.
Result?
Wow, ok, so there’s not a whole lot out there.
In fact, as of this writing (2007-05-10), Pittsburgh Theological Seminary has the #1 spot on Google for the phrase with the course description (Download PDF).
The Reformed Institute had a nice bibliography of recommended reading but it’s not specific to spirituality, it’s about the Protestant Reformation.
- Benedict, Philip. Christ’s Churches Purely Reformed—A Social History of Calvinism (Yale, 2002)
- A big book (500+ pp.) [TJL adds: actually it’s 704 pages - yikes!] providing thorough treatment of a complex subject; the best scholarly work devoted entirely to the subject of Calvinism currently available; by a distinguished historian who is not himself a Christian; invaluable resource for those who are prepared to devote some sustained time and effort to the book.
- Collinson, Patrick. The Reformation—A History (Modern Library, 2004).
- A short, readable introduction to the story of the Reformation by a distinguished English historian.
- MacCulloch, Diarmaid. The Reformation—A History (Viking, 2003)
- Another big [864 pages - ed] (but quite readable) book by a distinguished scholar; it provides an excellent overview of the entire Reformation, with in-depth analysis of virtually all the major movements involved, from the Anabaptists to the Jesuits. Excellent concluding chapters on the impact of the Reformation on daily life.
- McGrath, Alister E. A Life of John Calvin—A Study in the Shaping of Western Culture (Blackwell, 1990).
- A concise, readable overview of the life, times, thought and historical influence of John Calvin by a respected scholar who is sympathetic to Calvin but not uncritical.
- McGrath, Alister E. In the Beginning—the Story of the King James Bible and How It Changed a Nation, a Language and a Culture (Anchor, 2001)
- A stimulating, brief book—the tale of one of the most important developments in modern English history told by a gifted story teller and distinguished historian.
- Mouw, Richard. Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport—Making Connections in Today’s World (Zondervan, 2004)
- A short, easy read by the current president of Fuller Theological Seminary; designed to make a case for the relevance of (orthodox) Calvinism to contemporary life.
I actually already have the last book. I picked it up at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta sometime last year.
I’m a bit curious how the King James Bible relates. Well, mostly the list is about the Reformed tradition more than Spirituality, although I have found some more information about Reformed Christian Spirituality that I hope to link to in the coming weeks.