These are just a few of my favorite authors in a few categories.
Systematic Theology
John Calvin (Institutes)
Kevin Vanhoozer (The Drama of Doctrine, Remythologizing Theology)
Michael Horton (The Christian Faith, 4 Vol Dogmatics)
Herman Bavinck (Reformed Dogmatics, 4 Volumes; here is an article on why you should read him.)
J. Todd Billings (Calvin Participation & the Gift, Union with Christ, The Word of God for the People of God)
Richard Muller (Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics, 4 vols.)
Jaroslav Pelikan (The Christian Tradition, 5 vols.)
Wolfhart Pannenberg (Systematic Theology, 3 Vols.)
Biblical Studies
New Studies in Biblical Theology Series (Ed. D.A. Carson)
John Barclay, Paul and the Gift
N.T. Wright (4 Vols. Christian Origins and the Question of God)
G.K. Beale (The Temple and the Church’s Mission, New Testament Theology)
Michael F. Bird (The Saving Righteousness of God)
Christopher J.H. Wright (The Mission of God)
Philosophy
Alvin Plantinga (Warranted Christian Belief, Where the Conflict Really Lies)
Soren Kierkegaard (Sickness Unto Death, Fear & Trembling, Philosophical Fragments)
Etienne Gilson (The Unity of Philosophical Experience)
Charles Taylor (A Secular Age, Sources of the Self)
Alasdair MacIntyre (After Virtue, Whose Justice, Which Rationality?)
Blaise Pascal (Pensees)
Spirituality
Dallas Willard (The Divine Conspiracy, Renovation of the Heart)
Eugene Petersen (Conversations in Spiritual Theology series, The Message)
J.I. Packer (Knowing God)
Tim Keller (Prodigal God, Counterfeit Gods, pretty much everything else)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (The Cost of Discipleship)
A.W. Tozer (The Knowledge of the Holy, The Pursuit of God)
Apologetics
Tim Keller (The Reason for God)
Peter Kreeft (Handbook of Christian Apologetics, Christianity for Modern Pagans)
Mitch Stokes (A Shot of Faith to the Head)
N.D. Wilson (Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl, Death by Living)
Fiction
C.S. Lewis (Lewis kind of does everything, so but I didn’t know where to put him. Massively influential for me. Of course.)
J.R.R. Tolkien
Dostoevsky
Graham Greene
Joseph Heller
Frank Herbert
Lloyd Alexander
Here’s my Librarything for inspiration
Reformedish 
Regarding your love of philosophy I’m surprised not to see R. C. Sproul on your list of stuff you like to read?
Haven’t really spent any time with him. They didn’t feature him in my philosophy program at UCI. š
But seriously, I mostly lump Sproul in with the theologians. He’s good, but there is a long list of good authors I haven’t read yet.
The endless list of people who you’ve heard good things about but haven’t really explored yourself. If only there were more hours in a day. It’s 1AM at the moment and I’m still reading a dozen different articles.
If I could recommend one writer for you to explore if you haven’t already it’d be James White. He’s got plenty of books on a range of topics and a podcast/articles available over at aomin.org if you don’t have the time for books ATM.
I sent your reprint of Counting the Cost from C S Lewis to a friend today who is struggling. I remembered the dentist analogy- the friend seems to think every slipup he has is a huge disaster he’ll never overcome. Gary Hetrick Medina. OH
I’ve been there. I pray that it blesses him.
Been reading some Van Til recently.
Now that’s powerful philosophy.
You might enjoy Brad Young’s book “The Parables – Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation” since you have Tim Keller’s Prodigal God on your list. There’s some added insight given, culturally, about the older brother’s responsibility to intervene in such a situation. His failure to do so, showed where his heart was from the very beginning.
Consequently, at the very end, the elder brother is challenged by the younger brother’s repentance and acceptance by the father and community. The father’s desire to have a real and meaningful relationship with both sons is partially restored. The parable is left open ended waiting for the response of the elder brother.
I’m wondering, since you come from a middle-eastern background, if the expectation of the eldest brother to intervene in a family matter such as the one Jesus puts forward in this parable still holds true?
I suppose even in our culture, we might wonder why the elder isn’t defending his father in this same situation. We would/should see this as extremely disrespectful, why didn’t the older brother step in at the beginning?
Give some of Francis Schaeffer’s work a read! I benefit greatly from his writings.
I just stumbled across your blog and LOVE it! Thanks for both your writing, your wit, and your attitude, it’s refreshing. PS … if you’re a novice theologian, what do you call a novice’s novice? Or someone who knows less than the novice but has a similar interest/fascination/passion? Anyway, whatever that is, it’s me. Keep up the writing, I’m thoroughly enjoying it.
Thanks for reading, Dan!
Derek, have you thought about starting a Goodreads account?
I have, but I already have a librarything account and I don’t want to spend a bunch of time recataloguing.
No worries, they make it easy by following this:
https://www.goodreads.com/help/show/45-how-to-import-my-books-from-other-cataloging-services
I just find Goodreads to be a better user experience and plus, there’s a lot more people on their to interact and rate books with. Just a thought.
Goodreads is the way to go, I agree!
Derek, what reading would you recommend for an absolute beginner in philosophy?
Subscribe