Everyone’s a Theologian, an Introduction to Systematic Theology

by R.C. Sproul

Reformation Trust (2019)

ISBN-978-1-64289-2024

ICM Direct  £11.99

The thought of a book on theology may fill you with joy and excitement or leave you cold, but whatever your first instinct, know that this book is not your average Systematic Theology. The task of the systematic theologian is, according to the first chapter of this introduction to the subject, ‘considering the whole scope of scripture and inquiring how it fits together’. The basic premise behind R.C. Sproul’s book is inescapable; we may not all be professional theologians, but when we come to the Bible to study it, work to understand its teaching, and apply what we learn to ourselves as it is preached week by week, then we are doing the work of theology. All Christians are theologians, Sproul wants to help us all be better ones.

This is a book meant to be read, as the title suggests, by everyone, from the new believer to the seasoned Minister, and with that in mind what Sproul has done is to produce a comprehensive summary of Systematic Theology while keeping it eminently readable and easy to understand.

The whole is divided into eight sections covering major topics such as Christology (the study of Christ), Pneumatology (the study of the Holy Spirit), and Soteriology (the study of salvation), each featuring seven to eight short chapters. Sproul begins with a basic understanding of what theology is all about, and lays a thoroughly robust foundation for the later subjects with the origin and authority of the Bible as God’s revelation before diving into the subject matter proper from Creation to Eschatology and everything in between. Technical, historical and academic terms, where they are used, are briefly explained so as not to interrupt the flow of the reader and, because each chapter is just a few pages long, it’s ideal to be read at any time and repays even the briefest interaction with depths of solid spiritual food.

This is a book that will give you a good and solid grasp of the big themes of Scripture with enough depth to satisfy the well-versed theological student while remaining accessible enough for the casual enquirer.

This book won’t replace larger and weightier works, but it’s not meant to. What it does well is offer an accessible way to develop your understanding of the revelation of God, the basic truths of Scripture, and perhaps whet the appetite for further study.