A Theology for the Church [Hardcover]

Daniel L. Akin (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2007

A Theology for the Church, an immense 992-page work edited by Daniel Akin, with contributions from leading Baptist thinkers Albert Mohler, Jr., Paige Patterson, Timothy George, and many others, addresses four major issues in regard to eight Christian doctrines.

What does the Bible say? Each Christian doctrine is rooted in the Bible’s own teaching in both the Old and New Testaments.

What has the Church believed? Christians have interpreted these doctrines in somewhat different ways through the centuries.

How do the doctrines fit together? Each Christian doctrine must cohere with the other doctrines.

How does each doctrine impact the church today? Each Christian doctrine must be meaningful for today’s church. It’s sure to become a widely-used resource in systematic theology study.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Daniel L. Akin is the president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He holds a Ph.D. in Humanities from the University of Texas at Arlington and is the author or editor of numerous books and Bible commentaries including Theology for the Church and the New American Commentary on 1, 2, and 3 John.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 979 pages
• Publisher: B&H Academic (July 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080542640X
• ISBN-13: 978-0805426403
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 2.3 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #166,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Protestantism > Baptist

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Baptist Theology September 24, 2007

By Dan A. Esterline Sr.

Format:Hardcover

A Theology for the Church editied by Daniel L. Akin is one of the best if not the best Baptist Theology book in print. It is clear in its presentation of the different views within the evangelical context but is bold enough to take a stand on a view.
This is for the serious student of theology.

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid resource, and not just for Southern Baptists March 18, 2008

By Jake Hunt

Format:Hardcover

A Theology for the Church is a unique book. It's a systematic theology by multiple authors, written on an academic level but with the goal of impacting the church as a whole. It is written by Southern Baptists but is applicable to all thinking Christians. The contributors disagree on some points, although they are united by their "passion for a revival of theological knowledge and understanding in the church."

The goal of the book is to present to the church a guide to the major headings of theology that will help pastors and laypeople both to learn sound doctrine and to see the importance, the relevance, of that doctrine. Toward that end, each chapter asks four questions about the doctrine at hand:

1. What does the Bible say?
2. What has the church believed?
3. How does it all fit together?
4. What is the significance of the doctrine for the church today?

This is a great approach, integrating exegesis, history, systematic theology, and application. This last section was especially great in most of the chapters I read. It's true that the study of theology involves the danger of divorcing the knowledge of God from "real life," but it's also true that the true knowledge of God, the ground of all reality, is invaluable in living in the real world.The application sections are dead-on in showing how our theology, good or bad, shapes our behavior, whether we admit it or not.

Because this book was written by a variety of authors and covers a vast amount of material, it's inevitable that everyone will disagree at some point. That was the case for me, although at most points I thought the treatments were fair even when I disagreed with the author. The chapter on salvation, for example, contained some misunderstandings of the doctrine of predestination (including an out-of-line comment that R.C. Sproul's doctrine of God is similar to that of Islam!). But it avoided many of the common errors, and was a pretty good treatment of the Reformed view of predestination, considering that the author doesn't hold that view.

A second criticism is that the book is not really written on quite the popular level you might expect from the title. I still think Grudem's Systematic Theology is the best reference for most churchgoers (without sacrificing academic rigor). Of course many laypeople will read Theology for the Church and profit from it, but it will probably be more useful to pastors with some theological training.

Criticisms aside, though, this book really is a gift to the church. The chapter "Introduction to the Task of Theology" is great; other standouts are "Special Revelation" and "Human Sinfulness." The contributors are a who's-who of bigshots in the SBC, but they quote extensively from outside that tradition, so the relevance isn't limited. The historical overviews are a great resource, and the general zeal for the importance of theology in the life of the church is catching. A Theology for the Church deserves a spot on the thinking Christian's shelf.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Theology for the Church September 19, 2007

By M. P. Massey

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

A Theology for the Church is a scholarly systematic theology text book with a decided conservative and evangelical orientation. The book is edited by the President of a Southern Baptist seminary which should be a big clue as to the book's theological composition. However, it is an excellent book with chapters by some of the finest theologians in America. The book's major challenge is its huge size (over 900 pages) which makes it a difficult read. A Theology for the Church provides a wealth of rewarding theological insights for those willing to work through its voluminous size.