Editor’s Pick: 7 Theology Books That Encourage Devotion

As we pursue holiness in this life, Christians should want to know God better. Dozens of books pour from presses and promise to deepen the devotional experience. Many are good and helpful.

However, I tend to agree with C. S. Lewis in “On the Reading of Old Books”:

For my own part I tend to find the doctrinal books often more helpful in devotion than the devotional books, and I rather suspect that the same experience may await many others. I believe that many who find that “nothing happens” when they sit down, or kneel down, to a book of devotion, would find that the heart sings unbidden while they are working their way through a tough bit of theology with a pipe in their teeth and a pencil in their hand.

I’d skip the pipe, but the scene he describes is familiar to me. As helpful as many devotional works are, some of the high points in my spiritual life have come when I was poring over a hefty volume of systematic theology. That may reflect my personality, but I’m sure I’m not alone.

This list of recently published (or republished) theological texts includes books that can encourage Christians at various stages of spiritual maturity and equip them to serve the church.

1. Ronni Kurtz, Theology for Life: A Joy-Filled Introduction to Christian Doctrine (Baker, 2026)

It’s hard to get started in the study of Christian doctrine, especially outside academic institutions. Theology has a specialized vocabulary that can take years to become fluent in. And sometimes in the middle of a 70-page chapter on the doctrine of sin, our eyes glaze over as we try to comprehend various metaphors for a failure to conform to God’s holiness.

Theology for Life is an introduction to Christian theology pitched for the person in the pews. More significantly, as the subtitle suggests, Kurtz’s goal is to help people have a sense of joy in learning important Christian truths. This is an excellent resource for churches seeking to introduce systematic theology to the whole congregation. It’s also the sort of book that can reignite a weary pastor’s love for God amid a grueling ministry.

2. Daniel Akin, Kenneth Keathley, and Keith Whitfield, A Theology for the Church, 2nd Edition (B&H Academic, 2026)

I was just starting seminary when the first edition of A Theology for the Church was published. It was revised in 2014 and now has been more thoroughly updated in 2026. Each version has gotten better with new and updated chapters.

My favorite aspect of this volume is that it’s written with the church in view. The content is unquestionably academic and may be heavy sledding for the average church member, but it’s especially helpful for pastors and church leaders because the arguments begin with what the Bible says. Each chapter also explores what the church has historically believed as well as how each doctrine affects life in the contemporary church. It’s written from a Baptist perspective but could serve other traditions well.

3. Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley, Essentials of Reformed Systematic Theology (Crossway, 2025)

This single volume helpfully summarizes the full four-volume set. Christians seeking a deeper understanding of contemporary Reformed theology will benefit from this resource. The adaptation of the text is smooth; readers won’t be left wondering what they’re missing from the more expansive set. Beeke and Smalley present essential doctrinal content in chapters both concise and well written. This is an ideal resource for every Christian’s home library.

4. Francis Turretin, Institutes of Elenctic Theology, three vols. (P&R, 2025)

Many of the best theology texts come from decades of classroom experience. Turretin spent roughly 30 years teaching theology in Geneva in the 17th century. When you’re reading Turretin, you’re reading mature Reformed theology that has helped shape generations of Presbyterian and Reformed theologians both directly and indirectly.

As helpful as many devotional works are, some of the high points in my spiritual life have come when I was poring over a hefty volume of systematic theology.

Sometimes it’s interesting to read older theological texts as historical artifacts. But Turretin’s elenctic approach is refreshingly different from standard systematic theologies because it involves answering questions framed as objections to Reformed theology from nonbelievers and those from other traditions. In many cases, this helps the apologetic nature of theology shine through. It’s surprising how many of the answers shed light on 21st-century theological controversies.

5. Geerhardus Vos, Reformed Dogmatics: A System of Christian Theology (Baker Academic, 2026)

I didn’t know it until recently, but one of the fathers of biblical theology also wrote a systematic theology. That’s not as surprising as it might initially seem, because when he published this five-volume work in the late 19th century, there was much less distance between disciplines like biblical studies and theology.

Vos’s Reformed Dogmatics wasn’t translated into English until Lexham Press released the five volumes between 2014 and 2016, with the publication of the consolidated single-volume version in 2020. This new edition is a rebranding under the Baker Academic label. Nevertheless, budding theologians curious about the Reformed tradition will find an eloquent and well-argued approach in Vos’s volume.

6. R. Scott Clark, The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Commentary (Lexham Press, 2025)

As catechisms become more popular among evangelicals, questions are likely to arise about how the topics were selected and why the answers were phrased in specific ways. This volume emphasizes the biblical support for specific questions and answers from the Heidelberg Catechism, but it also offers historical and theological explanations for the language included in the classic discipleship tool.

Whether we’re asking what our only comfort is in life and death (question 1) or trying to understand the nature of good works (question 91), this book is a rich resource for pastors, parents, or budding theologians.

7. J. V. Fesko, John Muether, and D. Blair Smith, eds., The Westminster Confession of Faith: A Comprehensive Commentary on Its History, Theology, and Application (Crossway, 2026)

The Westminster Confession of Faith may be the most important articulation of Protestant theology. Written roughly a century after the start of the Reformation, when answers to many key doctrinal questions had been hammered out, this confession serves as a touchstone for various Protestant traditions.

The faculty of Reformed Theological Seminary collaborated to produce this helpful commentary that will serve Presbyterians, Baptists, and other theologians in the Protestant tradition well. It’s a helpful reference for pastors and seminary students alike.