Help Needed

-
I am studying systematic theology for a blog post. I am particularly concerned with theology proper (attributes of God). I am reviewing the following:

A Summary of Christian Doctrine – Louis Berkhof
Abstract of Systematic Theology – James P. Boice
Systematic Theology – Wayne Grudem
Systematic Theology – Charles Hodge
One Holy Passion – R. C. Sproul
Christian Dogmatics – John Mueller

Thanks to LP Cruz for the recommendation on the last one.

Does anyone have any more suggestions? Any comments would be appreciated.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Are the attribute of God those unique to God the Father or is it those that can be attributed to each of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity? If you start with only focusing on God the Father, you may end up at the same place as John Calvin. If you start with God the Son, you may end up at the same place as Martin Luther.
June 20, 2007
J. K. Jones said…
I intend to study the issue from both perspectives and decide. So the answer is, both.
June 20, 2007
Ryan Jones said…
From a reformed perspective, you will not want to neglect The Doctrine of God by Gerald Bray (IVP). Besides Grudem, the standard Evangelical treatment is Systematic Theology by Millard Erickson.
It is important to read outside of our own tradition. I am currently reading through a theological anthology, The Christian Theology Reader, edited by Alister McGrath, which provides 361 passages from relevant theologians from every century since Christ (43 readings are specifically on the doctrine of God). For an entirely different theological perspective, check out the recent lists by Halden and Ben Myers.
June 20, 2007
J. K. Jones said…
Thanks, RT.

I'll look them up.
June 20, 2007
Ryan Jones said…
Oops. I was in the bookstore today and noticed that the title of Erickson's book is Christian Theology, not Systematic Theology.
June 21, 2007
J. K. Jones said…
R. T.

Found McGrath's anthology. I've read about half of it (I admit to skiping around). Good stuff.

Thanks for the recommend.
June 26, 2007
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Face of Terror

-
Osama Bin laden is dead. Since the rest of the internet is buzzing with opinions on that death, I thought I would weigh in. First, this is not the end of global terrorism. Like the Hydra of old, when one head is chopped off, two more take its place. We still need diligence in our fight against global terror. U. S. and allied Armed Forces still need our prayers. We still need a strong military and intelligence community. We have not yet cut off the Hydra’s immortal head. Second, the way to get to the ‘heart of the matter’ is with Christian missionary efforts. We must reach the people who make up those societies and population segments that produce terrorists . To tell a story I have told here before : Early in the twentieth century, Baptist evangelists preached through rural Mississippi and Alabama with such effectiveness that moonshiners could no longer sell their whiskey: All their customers were getting converted! In desperation, the whiskey sellers hired two men to murder on
Read more

The Canons of Dort

-
I believe that the Canons of Dort are true. This is a statement that came out the Synod of Dort, held from 1618-1619. The Canons of Dort outline the system of theology known today as the “five points of Calvinism.” The problem I have with most “five-point Calvinists” is that the Canons of Dort contain much more than five points. Many explanations of the TULIP (total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace and the perseverance of the saints) are gross simplifications of the Canons of Dort. [This is especially true of explanations given by those who oppose Calvinism. It is easier to knock down a straw man than it is to knock down a real man, and so it is easier to criticize an oversimplified Calvinism that the more robust form.] Some of those who teach the “five points” leave out some of the quotes below: This death of God's Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins; it is of infinite value and worth, more than
Read more

Intelligent Design

-
The Intelligent Design (ID) movement makes much of the argument from irreducible complexity. Dr. Michael Behe has become famous for a simple example, the mousetrap. He points out that the mousetrap will not perform its function without all of its parts. The wooden base, the metal hammer, a spring, a catch and a metal bar to hold back the hammer are all necessary parts. One component by itself will not catch a mouse. Mainstream evolutionary science has a counter-argument. To paraphrase Dr. Kenneth Miller, if you disassemble the mousetrap, each component can serve as something useful on its own. If we take away the catch and metal bar, we have something left that can serve as a paper clip. The spring could make a simple two-section key chain. The wooden base makes a paperweight. Evolutionary processes like random mutation and natural selection can combine and retain the useful parts as the complicated evolves to perform the complex function. The useful parts are combined into the mousetr
Read more