A Reformed Reading Plan

A Structured Journey Through Puritan & Reformed Literature

All Puritan texts freely available on Monergism.com in ePub, Kindle (.mobi), and PDF formats. Modern works noted as free where applicable.

How to Use This Plan

This reading plan is organized into four phases, designed to be completed over approximately 12 months — though there's no rush. Each phase builds on the last, gradually increasing in theological depth and prose density.

Phase 1 — Beginner: Getting Your Puritan Legs

Months 1–3 · These are the friendliest entry points into Puritan literature.

1. The Doctrine of Repentance — Thomas Watson

Watson is the most readable of all the Puritans. His prose is vivid, full of memorable illustrations, and dripping with pastoral warmth. This short work defines true repentance with surgical precision and distinguishes it from all its counterfeits. A perfect first Puritan read.

Tags: Short · Devotional · Sanctification  Suggested pace: 1–2 weeks  Available free on Monergism

2. The Pilgrim's Progress — John Bunyan

The most famous Puritan work ever written and one of the best-selling books in the English language. Bunyan's allegorical narrative traces Christian's journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Deeply theological without feeling academic — an immersive story you'll return to for life.

Tags: Narrative · Allegory · Christian Life  Suggested pace: 2–3 weeks  Available free on Monergism

3. Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices — Thomas Brooks

Brooks catalogs the strategies of spiritual warfare with vivid, almost playful language. Each satanic “device” is paired with practical “remedies” drawn from Scripture. Enormously practical and endlessly quotable — the kind of book you'll keep on your nightstand.

Tags: Practical · Spiritual Warfare  Suggested pace: 2–3 weeks  Available free on Monergism

4. The Art of Divine Contentment — Thomas Watson

A rich meditation on Philippians 4:11 — “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Watson explores the nature, art, and mystery of Christian contentment with his trademark clarity and memorable turns of phrase. A balm for anxious souls.

Tags: Short · Devotional · Contentment  Suggested pace: 1–2 weeks  Available free on Monergism

Phase 2 — Intermediate: Deeper Waters

Months 4–6 · More theological depth and 17th-century prose density. Patience pays off.

5. The Mortification of Sin — John Owen

Owen's classic treatment of Romans 8:13 — the duty and means of putting sin to death. Denser than Watson or Brooks, but profoundly searching. This is the single most important Reformed work on progressive sanctification. Monergism offers both the original and a modernized/abridged edition — consider starting with the abridged version.

Tags: Sanctification · Owen Essential  Suggested pace: 2–3 weeks Available free on Monergism (original and abridged)

6. The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment — Jeremiah Burroughs

Similar theme to Watson's contentment book but far more expansive and nuanced. Burroughs unpacks the “mystery” of contentment — how a Christian can be content even in the worst circumstances, and why this is a learned spiritual art rather than a natural temperament.

Tags: Pastoral · Christian Life  Suggested pace: 3–4 weeks  Available free on Monergism

7. Human Nature in Its Fourfold State — Thomas Boston

A masterwork of pastoral theology that traces the full arc of the human condition — from the original righteousness of creation, through the ruin of the fall, into the renewal of regeneration, and finally to the realities of eternity. Boston uses this fourfold framework as a spiritual diagnostic: Where do you stand? What has God done? What must change? Each section drives the reader to Christ as the only remedy for fallen human nature. Remarkably clear for a work this theologically rich.

Tags: Systematic · Covenant Theology · Anthropology  Suggested pace: 3–4 weeks  Available free on Monergism

8. The Death of Death in the Death of Christ — John Owen

Owen's definitive defense of particular redemption (definite atonement). The logic is tight and the exegesis is careful. Read J.I. Packer's famous introductory essay first — it's one of the best short summaries of Reformed soteriology ever written. Both are available free on Monergism.

Tags: Soteriology · Atonement · Owen Essential  Suggested pace: 4 weeks  Available free on Monergism (includes Packer's intro)

Phase 3 — Advanced: The Deep End

Months 7–10 · Substantial theological masterworks. Dense prose, intricate arguments — the crown jewels of Puritan thought.

9. Communion with the Triune God — John Owen

Owen's treatise on the distinct communion believers enjoy with each person of the Trinity — the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. This is trinitarian devotional theology at its absolute finest. Demanding but genuinely transformative. You will never pray the same way again.

Tags: Trinitarian · Devotional · Owen Masterwork  Suggested pace: 4–5 weeks Available free on Monergism

10. The Nature, Power, Deceit, and Prevalency of Indwelling Sin — John Owen

The companion volume to Mortification of Sin. Owen anatomizes the remaining corruption in the believer — how sin works, deceives, and maintains its hold even in the regenerate heart. The depth of psychological and spiritual insight here is unmatched. Both terrifying and liberating.

Tags: Sanctification · Hamartiology  Suggested pace: 3–4 weeks  Available free on Monergism

11. The Existence and Attributes of God — Stephen Charnock

The magnum opus of Puritan theology proper. Charnock's treatment of God's attributes — eternity, immutability, omnipresence, holiness, goodness, power — is unmatched in both depth and devotional power. This is a long-term project: take it one attribute at a time, a chapter per week or even per fortnight.

Tags: Theology Proper · Divine Attributes · Magnum Opus  Suggested pace: 8–12 weeks (one attribute at a time) Available free on Monergism

12. A Discourse Concerning the Holy Spirit — John Owen

Owen's comprehensive pneumatology covering the Spirit's work in creation, regeneration, sanctification, illumination, and the believer's experience. This is Owen at his most systematic and thorough — a masterclass in Reformed doctrine of the Holy Spirit that has never been surpassed.

Tags: Pneumatology · Systematic · Owen Masterwork  Suggested pace: 5–6 weeks  Available free on Monergism

Modern Companions — Presbyterian & Reformed Works

Read alongside or after the Puritan texts. Free works noted; a few essential paid titles are included because they're too good to leave off.

13. R.C. Sproul's Crucial Questions Series (selected titles)

Ligonier made the entire Crucial Questions eBook series free forever — 35+ short books on Kindle and iBooks. Start with Does God Control Everything?, What Is the Trinity?, Can I Be Sure I'm Saved?, What Does It Mean to Be Born Again?, and What Is the Church?. Each is a short, clear, confessionally Reformed treatment — perfect for reading in a single sitting alongside the Puritan works. Sproul was a PCA teaching elder.

Tags: Free Forever · Short · Accessible · PCA  Available free on Kindle and iBooks from Ligonier

14. The Holiness of God — R.C. Sproul

Sproul's most important book and a modern classic. Puts the holiness of God in its proper and central place in the Christian life — drawing from Isaiah 6, the experience of Luther, and the justice of God to paint an awe-inspiring vision of who God is. This is the modern book to read alongside Charnock's Attributes. Over 250,000 copies sold for good reason.

Tags: Theology Proper · Holiness · PCA · Essential  Paid (~$10 Kindle) — worth every penny Paperbacks frequently on sale at Ligonier.org

15. Chosen by God — R.C. Sproul

Sproul's contemporary classic on predestination — nearly 200,000 copies sold. Shows that the Reformed doctrine of election doesn't create a capricious picture of God, but rather reveals a loving God who provides grace for radically corrupt humanity. Clear, winsome, and utterly convincing. The best modern introduction to the doctrines of grace.

Tags: Election · Doctrines of Grace · PCA · Essential  Paid (~$10 Kindle) Paperbacks frequently on sale at Ligonier.org

16. The Whole Christ — Sinclair B. Ferguson

Ferguson revisits the 18th-century Marrow Controversy to shed light on the perennial tension between legalism and antinomianism. The result is one of the most important books written in the last decade — showing that the antidote to both errors is one and the same: the life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ. Ferguson writes as a pastor-theologian with deep Scottish Presbyterian roots. Crossway has periodically offered this free as a digital download.

Tags: Law & Gospel · Assurance · PCA · Intermediate  Paid (~$12 Kindle) — occasionally free from Crossway promotions

17. A Penitent People: The Doctrine of Repentance — Harrison Perkins

Perkins (OPC pastor at Oakland Hills Community Church, Senior Research Fellow at the Craig Center for Westminster Standards) invites readers to reconsider repentance not as dreary obligation but as a joyful gift of grace. Draws from Scripture and the Reformed confessions to show that repentance flows from faith, propels us toward Christ, and transforms both individuals and churches. A beautiful companion to Watson's Doctrine of Repentance — read them back to back.

Tags: Repentance · OPC · Confessional · 2025 Release  Paid (~$14 paperback, Christian Focus 2025) Paid (~10 Kindle) – I heartily recommend this book.

18. Summary of Christian Doctrine — Louis Berkhof

An accessible condensation of Berkhof's famous Systematic Theology. Covers every major locus of Reformed doctrine in clear, organized prose. An excellent desk reference as you read through the Puritans — when Owen or Charnock raises a doctrine, Berkhof helps you see the bigger picture. Berkhof served as president of Calvin Theological Seminary.

Tags: Systematic Theology · Reference · CRC  Available free on Monergism

19. Sola Fide: The Reformed Doctrine of Justification — J.I. Packer

A concise, masterful exposition of the Reformed doctrine of justification by faith alone. Packer writes with characteristic precision and accessibility. A perfect theological companion as you work through the Puritans on salvation and grace.

Tags: Justification · Confessional  Available free on Monergism

12-Month Reading Schedule with Modern Companions and Suggested Pairings

Reading Tips

Start with Watson or Bunyan to get your “Puritan legs” under you before tackling Owen. Watson's prose is the closest to modern English you'll find among the Puritans.

Don't rush the advanced tier. Charnock and Owen reward slow, meditative reading — a chapter a week is perfectly fine. These are books to be digested, not consumed.

Use the modernized editions when available. Monergism offers modernized versions of several Owen works. There's no shame in starting there and returning to the originals later.

Read with pen in hand. The Puritans wrote to be studied, not skimmed. Underline, annotate, and journal as you go.

Pair your reading with the Westminster Standards. Almost every Puritan work on this list maps directly to specific sections of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms. Let them illuminate each other.

Grab Sproul's Crucial Questions immediately. They're free forever and short enough to read in an afternoon. Start with Does God Control Everything? and What Is the Trinity? — they'll warm you up for the deeper works.

Read Perkins and Watson on repentance back to back. Watson gives you the 17th-century Puritan treatment; Perkins gives you the same doctrine from a confessional OPC pastor writing today. The resonance across 350 years is remarkable.

Puritan texts available at monergism.com/topics/free-ebooks Sproul's Crucial Questions free at ligonier.org

Build 2.0 · February 2026