Basic Library Booklist

This list has been prepared to assist students at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary in selecting books for their future ministries. It has been specifically designed to answer the question of which books under each heading are best suited for professional pastoral ministry. In the case of commentaries, best means those that are the most helpful in exegesis and exposition, as well as understanding the overall argument of a book. Commentaries of a sermonic and/or devotional nature, though helpful and oftentimes essential for sermon preparation, are not generally represented in this list. A few books that are out of print are listed because they possess exceptionally enduring value; used copies may often be obtained. It is difficult to find any book with which the faculty completely agree; therefore, the student should understand that a book’s inclusion on the list is not an unqualified endorsement of everything in the book. Many of these titles include errors of various sorts; some do not even preserve the doctrine of inerrancy. The faculty have determined, nonetheless, that the titles listed may be consulted with profit in pastoral ministry. This collection has 278 books in 60 categories.