Self-study theology degree reading plan

After years of study and thousands of dollars spent, in May 2022 I walked across a stage to receive a very expensive piece of paper: my theology degree. Over the course of my time studying theology at Moody Bible Institute, I read dozens of books. Recently, I shared my top 22 favorite books.

But now we’re going a step further.

One of the benefits of a formal degree is the structure and accountability it brings. While I can’t check your attendance and grade your homework, I can give you the structure you need to read through the best books of my time at Moody Bible Institute. And by reading no more than three books a season, you can finish this DIY theology degree through self-study in just two years.

I’ve grouped the readings into four categories:

1. General education (x3)

2. Biblical studies (x4)

3. Church history (x6)

4. Theology (x6)

I have read each book on this list cover-to-cover, and I’ve developed this reading plan to grow in complexity as you go. Follow the plan, and you’ll develop a robust theological foundation.

Spring - Year 1

1. Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth

2.  James K. A. Smith, You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit

3. Keith L. Johnson, Theology as Discipleship

Summer - Year 1

1. Nigel Warburton, Philosophy: The Classics

2. Tom Holland, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World

3. Michael Reeves, Delighting in the Trinity

Fall - Year 1

1. John Kessler, Old Testament Theology: Divine Call and Human Response

2. Marcus Peter Johnson, One with Christ

3. Joseph F. Kelly, The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church: A History

Winter - Year 1

1. Justo Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity, Vol 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation

2. Justo Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity, Vol 2: The Reformation to the Present Day

Spring - Year 2

1. John Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative

2. Kallistos Ware, The Orthodox Way

3. Stephen J. Nichols, Jesus: Made in America

Summer - Year 2

1. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion

2. Scott McKnight, The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible

3. Elaine Scarry, On Beauty and Being Just

Fall - Year 2

1. James C. VanderKam, An Introduction to Early Judaism

2. Bruce Longenecker, In Stone and Story: Early Christianity in the Roman World

3. Roger Olson, The Journey of Modern Theology: From Reconstruction to Deconstruction

Winter - Year 2

1. Yves Congar, The Meaning of Tradition

2. Roger Olson, The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition & Reform

And just like that, you’ve done it! Of course, there’s more to a theology degree than reading, but there’s also no substitute for deep reading. While completing this won’t necessarily get you a degree, if you complete this reading plan, email me, and I’ll send you a fancy piece of paper—one that doesn’t cost you thousands of dollars.

*Links are affiliate links. If you buy the books using these links, you force Amazon to pay me. And who doesn’t like bossing Amazon around. Pretty cool, right?