Customer Reviews

Introducing Christian Doctrine(2nd Edition)

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My seminary diploma from Bethel has Erickson's signature on it (when he was there back in the 1980's), so I am familiar with this man's work. I studied theology using his Christian Theology text (it was 3 volumes at the time). I love what he has done in this second edition volume of Introducing Christian Doctrine, as he was able to condense his material to fit into 400 pages. He admits in his preface that it was his editor who is reponsible for being able to chop down his work in such a radical way, and I fully understand that the hardest task for a writer to do is to edit down his own work. Anyway, it worked.

We are using this text for the first time in our private Christian high school's junior and senior Bible classes. Some students appear to be a little lost, but many are welcoming the challenge to clearer thinking. The book is not "Theology Light," as another reviewer seemed to suggest, so please don't approach it as "easy." Good systematic theology takes lots of work, plenty of wrestling with scripture, and many restless nights. But I like the fact that this text is a softer approach (without a complete "dumbing down" of the material) for first-time theology students. (I'd be happy to let anyone know the results by the end of 2002 when we will complete this text.) Also, I like about Erickson's attitude is that, while he certainly has presuppositions, he attempts to fairly lay out the possibilities on issues that certainly divide Christians into separate camps. He gives his opinion, but he doesn't treat it as if anyone who disagrees is a heretic. All in all, Erickson's work gets a thumbs up for those who want an overview on the basic teachings of Christianity.

I am not a school student anymore, but when I wanted clarification of certain Biblical doctrines, a friend of mine pointed me to this book. This book was written by Dr. Millard J. Erickson, a widely respected Evangelical professor of theology, and is widely used as a textbook throughout the United States. The book is divided into twelve parts: 1) The Doing of Theology (studying and contemporizing theology), 2) God's Revelation, 3) The Nature of God, 4) The Work of God, 5) Humanity , 6) Sin, 7) The Person of Christ, 8) The Work of Christ, 9) The Holy Spirit, 10) Salvation, 11) The Church (nature, government and ordinances), and 12) The Last Things (eschatology).

Unlike what you might expect from a textbook, I found this book to be very readable, with the issues being spelled out in easy to read language, with the different views of the doctrines being explained, with the author then focusing in on his view and how and why it differs from the other views. Overall, this book answered my questions quite nicely, giving me a much better understanding. So, even if you are a simple layperson like me, you will benefit from having this book. I highly recommend it.

"Introduction to Christian Doctrine" is a great quick reference book for theology for anyone interested in brief understandings of the major views on major subjects with the authors input on which best fits the Scriptures.

Today many people are ignorant concerning any doctrinal position other than their own. In light of that fact it is important for Christians to understand other views than those they are accustomed to.

As Charles Finney noted:

"My brother, sister, friend--read, study, think, and read again. You were made to think. It will do you good to think; to develop your powers by study. God designed that religion should require thought intense thought, and should thoroughly develop our powers of thought. The Bible itself is written in a style so condensed as to require much intense study. Many know nothing of the Bible or of religion, because they will not think and study."

This book will help give you concise descriptions of major views of theology and assist you in reflecting on them.

I rate this book as 4 Starts because the author leans toward Calvinism, and I vehemently disagree with Calvinism.

I have been a Christian for a long while, and thought I knew all the basics (the "milk" as Paul describes). After studying this volume, I found there were a few points with which I was not as familiar as I previously thought. It serves as a great intro into basic Christian theology by covering the main doctrines without getting too deep or techincal. I could see this as a good text for neophyte young Christians or long-time believers who want a solid refresher. One word to the wise: Don't skip over the first two chapters covering the definition of theology and revelation. They may appear tedious and unnecessary, but they are important components for the rest of the doctrines discussed.

If you are worried about a specific denomination or slant, don't be. Erickson is obviously evangelistic (which I appreciate), and his arguments sometimes border on "mildly Calvinistic", but he does a good job representing all sides of the issues. As far as I can tell, his points are solidly backed by a conservative rendering of Scripture. At any rate, most people will not find a single theology text that they totally agree with.

If you want to go "back to the basics", then this is the book for you.

Introducing Christian Doctrine (second edition), written by Millard J. Erickson and edited by L. Arnold Hustad, is a briefer version of Erickson's previous work, Christian Theology. Introducing Christian Doctrine is an introductory-level textbook in systematic theology.

This book covers the full gamut of Christian theology, with sections on what theology is, God's revelation, the nature and work of god, humanity and sin, the person and work of Christ, the Holy Spirit, salvation, the church, and eschatology. On issues of doctrine, Erickson explains the various positions, identifies their strengths and weaknesses, and then pronounces which he believes is the best position. The reader may not always agree, but Erickson's arguments are well-reasoned and logical.

Introducing Christian Doctrine is easy to read, perhaps surprisingly so, both for theology students and laity. And in addition to being a worthwhile textbook, it also serves as a very handy quick reference guide to doctrinal questions. No self-respecting theologian should be without it.

I have been quite happy with this abridged version of Erickson's 1300-word Christian Theology. While I find the full verison to be one of the more excellent references out there and think it is well-suited for a more advanced theological course, it boggles the mind of many students in an introductory course. This condensed version of Erickson's work by his former grad student Arnold Hustad is perfect for an undergraduate introduction to Christian theology.

Erickson's students have called his CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY "the jolly green giant" partly because of it's content's depth, but mostly because of it's binding's girth. Other students have called this condensed version "theology light" because it contains the same meat as Erickson's tome without all of that filling. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of evangelical Christian theology and the information necessary to effectively articulate traditional conservative evangelical Christain doctrine. As a theology textbook it is best suited for the undergraduate classroom (where I was introduced to it). It could also be utilized in a graduate setting, but it really isn't a sufficient treatment for studies at that level.

Highly recommended.

As a recovering Christian...deacon and Sunday School teacher...I must point out to all the enthusiastic reviewers of this book and the students assigned to read it that the author does NOT present the full gospel...only the interpretations that support his career as a theologian and academic professor...as do they all. Erickson abandons logic and reason when he claims, "There are some things God cannot do. God cannot be cruel, for cruelty is contrary to his nature. He cannot lie. He cannot break his promise." How can a man place such restrictions upon God, and why would a theologian mislead his students like that - unless God willed it so to be? It takes a lot of probing to see both sides of theology...like exploring the dark side of the moon. It is there but nobody ever visits. Take this quote from Theofatalism - Personal Reformation for Troubled Souls...by this writer...and then consider if Christianity needs another great reformation or not.

"Conveniently overlooked by theologians who would make everyone into sinners so they will feel threatened and condemned unless they accept church dogma is the fact that the Bible does not claim the sin of disobedience by Adam and Eve in the creation account of Genesis was passed on to their descendents for all generations by God. Go look it up. It is not there. In contrast there are other scriptures that say the opposite. The Bible plainly states that each person will be held responsible for his own sins and those only. "The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged to them." (Ezekiel 18:19-20) and when Jesus healed a man blind since birth, he explained, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so the works of God might be shown in him." (John 9:3.) These counter scriptures never show up in Sunday school classes. Nevertheless, it does appear that some of us reap what we do not sow, whether it is for ill or good. Jesus said so. Even Cain, who slew his brother Abel in a fit of jealousy was not punished for his crime but was protected from harm and made the "father of cities." Where is the justice in that? (Genesis 4: 15-17, Matthew 25:24, Luke 19: 21-22, John 4:36-38) Are these necessary opposites, or what?"

Perhaps the belief in the five principles of Theofatalism would be a more reaonable approach to a faith one can feel good about inside no matter what happens outside. But, whoever said that faith was reasonable? You could google Theofatalism for study. So, let the dialogue begin...think you can handle that?

I find that Introduction to Christian Theology is particularly helpul and thorough for an intro into the subject matter. The beginning of each chapter has an outline of objectives discussed, summary, study questions and chapter outline. I like the fact that Erickson includes various world views, theories and philosophies, then compares and contrasts to the Christian/Biblical view and presents a cohesive conclusion. A must for any student, lay person, and/or pastor.

This is a great one volume book on Christian Doctrine. It was designed as a Seminary Level Introductory book. So, because of that I must say that you want to be a serious student of the Bible if you order this book, otherwise you might get overwhelmed.

If you are serious, this is a great place to start for studying Doctrine. Professor Erickson gives us a well written concise book on doctrine. In 400 pages he covers what some need to take 3 to 7 volumes to cover. While this is a "short" primer on Doctrine it is not Doctrine "Light". He gives full descriptions, well thought out principles and challenging thoughts on all the major doctrines of the Bible.

You won't be disappointed with this work. I have had several students who have attended Baylor University and they have always told me that Professor Erickson is one of their favorites. After working my way through his book I would have to agree.

Enjoy!