This
book may be the best teaching on the essential beliefs of the
Christian faith I have seen. It is an excellent systematic theology
for the lay person.
Allison
has good explanations of difficult issues. His explanation of how the
Apocrypha came to be and why it is in the Catholic Bible and not the
Protestant Bible was very clear. He also does a good job of
presenting theological options, such as explaining both meticulous
providence and general providence with respect to God's governing of
the world. Likewise, he does a good job of objectively explaining the
Reformed and Arminian views on salvation. He explained the different
views on the Lord's Supper, even identifying the differences between
Zwingli and Calvin within the Reformed tradition. He carefully
presents the biblical evidence for each view but lets the reader make
up his own mind.
I
found new insights in this book too. For example, God says of His
creation that it was very good. Allison writes, “This affirmation
was not one of moral goodness, for evil had not yet entered the
world. Rather, it was one of fittedness: the creation, as coming from
the hand of God, corresponded perfectly to the divine design.” (Loc
1762/7550) That brought some needed clarity to me.
The
structure of the book is such that it can be read by a layperson and
also used by laypeople and pastors as a guide for teaching. Allison
includes suggested strategies for teaching each topic as well as an
outline. I really like that he suggests that each view be clearly
presented when teaching the topic. He also adds resources on each
topic so those who want to investigate more deeply have a place to
start. I also like that he identifies the errors associated with each
belief. His concise summary, list of Scriptures, and explanation of
each doctrine is very readable and informative.
I
highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to investigate the
basic beliefs of Christianity in a format where variations in the
doctrines are presented objectively.
My
rating: 5/5 stars.
Gregg
R. Allison is professor of Christian theology at The Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary and is the author of many books. He serves as
secretary of the Evangelical Theological Society and is a book
review editor for the Journal
of the Evangelical Theological Society.
He is also a pastor of Sojourn Community Church.
Baker
Books, 448 pages.
I
received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My
comments are an independent and honest review.
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