Systematic Theology Study Guide and Workbook for Beginners
Theology is the systematic study of God, the divine, nature, or religious beliefs, practices, and experiences. Often, it is thought of as a lofty subject and quite a challenge to read and understand. However, it doesn’t have to be that way, and I’ve always thrived off trying to break down complex biblical theology to make it understandable, better yet practicable. Systematic Theology Study Guide and Workbook for Beginners: How to Easily Understand the Bible and Christian Doctrine Through A Clear Study with Practical Lessons and Exercises by James Northwell does a pretty good job of doing that. I was slightly disappointed at first when just reading the first book in the set of two because it didn’t give the in-depth biblical study I’d want to see accompany it. I felt the book gave a good breakdown on how to approach theology: gather relevant scripture, understand the scripture in context, summarize, test the summary, and make it applicable. However, I saw that what I was looking for was present in the second book, which actually asks the reader to do these things. I highly recommend doing the workbook in tandem with the book rather than reading the book all the way through like I did and then discovering the workbook afterwards. I think it will help to make each chapter more memorable, applicable, and meaningful to the reader to do a study of each chapter in each book together. There’s nothing wrong with the interpretations of theology by the author of this book. I like that he stresses that we can disagree on things that are not core issues (restoration movement). I agree with his interpretation of the scriptures in how he spoke about God throughout the book. It is doctrinally sound. I would challenge the reader to embrace all the historical and discarded books of the Bible as history has shown many were tossed to the side or translated in ways not consistent with the original meaning. This book would be a good book in particular for people new to the Christian faith as it walks the reader through who God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are, repentance from sin, the resurrection of Christ, and the coming of Christ. It would also be appropriate for a small group or bible study group to work through. The chapters are not overly long, so if combined with the workbook pages, it would be a good balance for someone to read during the week to participate in group. Action steps such as scripture memorization and practices are at the end of the chapter which I liked since it put faith into action. The wording is not overly scholarly, so a regular person could easily read and understand the scripture and theology presented in the book, which is always a plus as many theology-based books tend to leave anyone but a scholar in the dust. I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. Although I don’t think it’s my favorite book, I do think it’s well written for this genre.
You can purchase the book here:
