The best on the fathers is the multi-volume set by Schaff.
You've got Calvin's Institutes, right?
Puritans: Baxter, Watson, Owens, Edwards.
You have read Edwards' "Religious Affections," right?

I would recommend the book "Solitude Improved by Divine Meditation" by Nathaneal Ranew and/or The True Christian's Love to the Unseen Christ by Thomas Vincent. Neither fall under the category of Church History, but these books engage the heart as well as the intellect and are worthy reads.

Thanks, Jonathan.

Schaff's set is on my list. What particular early writings do you consider most important?

I do not have the Institutes. It also is in that limbo known as "my list."

Puritans: could you name one or two of the most important titles by those authors?

I do not have Religious Affections, except in the two-volume Works of Jonathan Edwards, which I hate for their unwieldy size. I have The Freedom of the Will and Justification by Faith Alone, which I intend to finally get read this year. I will look for Religious Affections forthwith.

If you're looking for a short (200 pages) comprehensive Christian history, the best is AM Renwick's The Story of the Church. JC Ryle isn't a reformer or a puritan but stands in their wake in much the same way as Spurgeon does. His book Holiness rocked my world. I still read it once a year. Other than that, if you haven't read Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan you are in sin and need to repent by reading it immediately.

Joe, I read Pilgrim's Progress as a wee lad and have read it a couple of times since. Rest assured, though, that I am no doubt guilty of some other sin.

Read the Institutes by Calvin. You will be glad you did. The two volume edition edited by McNeil and translated by Battles is the best.

Read Luther's The Bondage of the Will

Read All Things for Good and
The Art of Divine Contentment by Thomas Watson

I highly recommend the reading of the biographies of significant figures in church history. This will provide an excellent background in which to understand their key writings. Roland Bainton's Here I Stand on Luther, Alister McGrath's A Life of John Calvin, Iain Murray's Jonathan Edwards, Arnold Dallimore's 2 volume set on George Whitefield are my recommendations.

Thanks, Steve.

I am presently reading The Bondage of the Will. It is rich, and I think I would enjoy Luther's wit even if I had no interest his theology.

Surely thou hast John Owen's The Death of Death in the Death of Christ.

Johnny, no, I don't, but that's a title I've been meaning to get.

David,

I would recommend Matthew Henry's 'A Method for Prayer', revised and edited by Ligon Duncan. I am still going through it (slow going as I'm trying to read three titles at once...I know, I know, I need to stop doing that), but it is a wonderful method (no pun intended) for prayer.

The rare jewel of Christian contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs is on my bedside table as rotating reading.
And Warnings to the churches by JC Ryle is very bracing.

I agree with Steve that the two-volumeMcNeill/Battles version of the Institutes is the one to get.
Augustine is the most significant early guy, so read him among the fathers. The City of God is very important, but can get boring. The Trinity is also good and not too long.
Owens "Death of Death" is high on the list, but a difficult read.
I think P&R produces a paperback of Religious Affections if you don't want to read the fine print of the two volume set. Freedom of the Will is a tough read. Charity and its Fruits is also popular, particularly the last sermon.

Jonathan, you are evidently unaware of my paperback allergy. I think I've tracked down a good hardcover Religious Affections, though. They are a bit hard to find unabridged.

I've begun reading Freedom of the Will a couple of times. I'm glad to hear you say it's a tough read. I was afraid I was just stupid.

Have you read The Christian In Full Armor (William Gurnell)? That is a must.

If you want hardcover Edwards, and are willing to pay a little more, go ahead and get the Yale volume (you can get them cheaper on Amazon). It is part of the series (27 volumes) and they all have scholarly introductory articles.

BTW, I would encourage you to read Marsden's biography on Edwards over Murray. Read both, but Marsden is more even handed and is now the standard biography.

Wow, Jonathan--$49.99 for the cheapest used copy! Ouch!

Gotta have it. It is the work of the Reformation. It does look quite handsome on the shelf (without the tacky dustcovers).

"Handsome on the shelf" is definitely a factor I consider, especially for books I know I will want to keep.