Westcott House Reading List 2016-17
This is an introductory reading list for those starting at Westcott in September 2016. If you have not studied Theology before, we offer some preparatory suggestions (the most important of which are marked with an asterisk) to enable you to begin to think your way into the subject. Please do not feel that you need to have read all of these before you come!
However, if you are intending to study Biblical Hebrew or New Testament Greek, please follow the specific guidelines over the page.
**Please purchase a copy of Common Worship: Daily Prayer**
(You will be provided with a copy of Common Worship: Services and Prayers for the Church of England, and a copy of the Book of Common Prayer, if you do not already have these.)
When you purchase books we ask you, if possible, to do so on Amazon via the Westcott House website – this way Westcott receives a donation for every purchase you make. Please follow this link: http://www.westcott.cam.ac.uk/giving-through-amazon/
Anglicanism
Andrew Davison, Why Sacraments? (London: SPCK, 2013)
*Samuel Wells, What Anglicans Believe: An Introduction (Norwich: Canterbury Press , 2011)
Jesse Zink, Backpacking through the Anglican Communion: A Search for Unity (Morehouse Publishing, 2014)
Community Life
*Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (New York: Harper and Row, 1954)
Esther de Waal, Living with Contradiction: Benedictine Wisdom for Everyday Life (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2003)
*The Rule of Benedict (London: Penguin Books, 2008)
Study of Theology and Doctrine
Andrew Davison, The Love of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy for Theologians (London: SCM, 2013)
Mike Higton, Christian Doctrine (London: SCM, 2008)
*Mark McIntosh, Divine Teaching (Oxford: Blackwell, 2008)
(See also the range of SCM Study Guides to Christian Doctrine, Ethics, Mission, etc.)
Theological Reflection
*Judith Thompson (et al.), SCM Study Guide to Theological Reflection (London: SCM, 2008)
Biblical Studies
*John Barton & Julia Bowden, The Original Story: God, Israel and the World (London: DLT, 2004)
*David Wenham, Steve Walton, Howard Marshall, Stephen Travis, Ian Paul, Exploring the New Testament, 2 vols (London: SPCK, 2001-2)
Will Lamb, Scripture: A Guide for the Perplexed(London: Bloomsbury, 2013).
Biblical Hebrew and New Testament Greek
If you are a three-year student and/or are under 32 or you are studying Tripos or the BTh, you are required to learn Biblical Hebrew or New Testament Greek.
For both Greek and Hebrew classes it will help you to brush up your knowledge of English grammar (i.e., the meaning of terms such as noun, verb, adjective, tense). There is an introduction to English grammar in Duff (see below) but you may find it more helpful to consult a book aimed at those learning English as a foreign language.
Biblical Hebrew
· Common Awards (Durham) BA and Cambridge BTh students: John Dobson, Learn Biblical Hebrew; Second Edition (Baker Academic, 2005) NB. Some versions come with a CD, but the later ones simply have a web-link to the audio files to be used alongside the book. Either is fine, but the former is more expensive! No prior learning is expected.
· Cambridge Tripos students studying Hebrew and BTh students who choose to learn Hebrew in the Divinity Faculty: obtain a copy of Thomas Lambdin, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew (Darton, Longman and Todd, 1973) and learn the Hebrew alphabet.
New Testament Greek
· Common Awards (Durham) BA students studying Greek: your textbook will be John H. Dobson, Learn New Testament Greek (Bible Society, 3rd revised edition 2005) and you are expected to work through the first six chapters before arriving at Westcott.
· If you are on the Common Awards (Durham) BA programme and over 30, Greek is optional, but we encourage you to try to learn it – even some of the basic vocabulary and grammar can be invaluable. Again, if you wish to undertake NT Greek this academic year, it would be helpful if you have studied the first six chapters of John H Dobson, Learn New Testament Greek (Bible Society, 3rd revised edition 2005).
· Cambridge Tripos students and BTh/DTM students studying Greek in the Divinity Faculty: your textbook will be Jeremy Duff, Elements of New Testament Greek (CUP, 3rd edition, 2005). Please learn the Greek alphabet and work through the first four chapters, completing the 10 units on the following website: www.greek.divinity.cam.ac.uk . You should also buy a Greek lexicon (dictionary), either: A Concise Dictionary of N.T. Greek, Warren C. Trenchard (CUP, 2003), or: Greek-English Dictionary of the N.T., B.H. Newman (UBS, 1971).
For those taking Cambridge Faculty of Divinity courses, you may find it helpful to look at the Faculty website www.divinity.cam.ac.uk and the following link in particular: http://www.divinity.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/introductory-reading.