I noticed recently that Peter Beck at “Living to God” has encouraged folks to read Systematic Theologies (link). While I’d rather invert his list (placing items 4 and 5 at the top, followed by 3, and then by 1 and 2, it is valuable to read systematic theologies, particularly those that have withstood the test of time. Such systematic theologies include:

1. Francis Turretin’s Institutes of Elenctic Theology
2. Benedict Pictet’s Christian Theology
3. John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion
4. Herman Witsius’ Economy of the Divine Covenants Between God and Man
5. Charles Hodge’s Systematic Theology
6. W.G.T. Shedd’s Dogmatic Theology
7. William Ames’ Marrow of Sacred Divinity

Among the contemporary systematic theologies, I would rank in the first place Robert Reymond’s New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith (link to a bookstore that sells this book). At least the first six above are freely available on the internet, and Ames’ Marrow is back in print, I believe.

-Turretinfan