BOOKGUIDE: READINGS IN HISTORICAL THEOLOGY

Great Pillars of the Faith

Quality: * * * * Acceptability: +4

RELEASE DATE: 2009

AUTHOR: Robert F. Lay

PUBLISHER: Kregel Publications

CONTENT: (CCC) Extreme wonderful Christian content; and, nothing objectionable.

GENRE: Non-Fiction/Biblical Reference

INTENDED AUDIENCE: General

REVIEWER: Ted Baehr

REVIEW: We live in the best of times and the worst of times. While some of the main line churches are contracting irreversibly, Evangelical and especially Pentecostal and Charismatic churches are growing tremendously. However, many studies from Barna Research, Gallup, Pew and others suggest that solid biblical theology is waning even in the churches that are growing.

Therefore, it is a great joy to be able to commend READINGS IN HISTORICAL THEOLOGY. It is full of the most important readings from the fathers of the faith, the great councils, and the reformers.

From Tertullian to Justin Martyr to Augustine to John Calvin, these readings will help every Christian get a solid grasp of comprehensive biblical theology! Furthermore, READINGS IN HISTORICAL THEOLOGY comes with a CD containing many more wonderful readings. The selections are arranged by themes and chronology. They guide the reader toward are full-orbed understanding of Christianity.

Of course, the place to start in understanding Christianity is reading the Bible, and this reader opens with a selection of key biblical covenants, creeds and commissions. Beyond this, Scripture itself (see Proverbs 3, 8 & 9) tells us to seek wisdom, knowledge and understanding, and so, these readings help the theologian, the pastorand layman understand solid theological teaching.

Quite often, when I’m teaching at the Christian Institute for the Study of Media at the “Center for the Arts, Religion and Education” of the Graduate Theological Union at the University of California at Berkeley, my students will question the value of reading anything from the ancients, or even from the great authors of the not so distant past. The value is that these patristic fathers and the reformers asked many of the same questions that the average Christian asks today, and their answers give us the ability to stand on their shoulders to understand the questions in a more profound way and see farther to go beyond their answers.

READINGS IN HISTORICAL THEOLOGY is highly recommended.

Please address your comments to:

Kregel Publications

PO Box 2607

Grand Rapids, MI 49501-2607