Wayne Grudem's "Christian Beliefs" is the best introductory book I've found on the topic of Christian systematic theology. Condensed from Grudem's much longer and highly recommended work "Systematic Theology," "Christian Beliefs" addresses the most important biblical doctrines and the issues related to those doctrines. I've read this book twice, most recently with a group of six college freshman, for whom this book was a perfect primer on basic Christian theology. While the chapters are short (5-8 pages each), the strength of this book lies in the author's appropriate exegesis of Scripture and the book's abundance of biblical citations. Although some reviewers have written that the book is slanted toward Calvinistic believers, which it is in a few parts, I believe that this book simply addresses scriptural truths and allows readers to wrestle for themselves with the Bible. Grudem is a strong Calvinist, however, he is careful to allow flexibility in areas where difference of opinion is allowed within orthodox Christian teaching (e.g. eschatology, etc.). This book would be an excellent resource to use in a Sunday School class, a new believer's class, in a home group, with teenagers and young adults, or with Christians of any age who need to brush up on Bible-based systematic theology. I highly recommend this book!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Book Review: "Christian Beliefs" by Wayne Grudem
Wayne Grudem's "Christian Beliefs" is the best introductory book I've found on the topic of Christian systematic theology. Condensed from Grudem's much longer and highly recommended work "Systematic Theology," "Christian Beliefs" addresses the most important biblical doctrines and the issues related to those doctrines. I've read this book twice, most recently with a group of six college freshman, for whom this book was a perfect primer on basic Christian theology. While the chapters are short (5-8 pages each), the strength of this book lies in the author's appropriate exegesis of Scripture and the book's abundance of biblical citations. Although some reviewers have written that the book is slanted toward Calvinistic believers, which it is in a few parts, I believe that this book simply addresses scriptural truths and allows readers to wrestle for themselves with the Bible. Grudem is a strong Calvinist, however, he is careful to allow flexibility in areas where difference of opinion is allowed within orthodox Christian teaching (e.g. eschatology, etc.). This book would be an excellent resource to use in a Sunday School class, a new believer's class, in a home group, with teenagers and young adults, or with Christians of any age who need to brush up on Bible-based systematic theology. I highly recommend this book!
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