Book recommendation: Christian Doctrine, revised edition by Shirley C Guthrie Jr.

If there is one book that I would recommend for every Christian to read in the area of Christian Doctrine, it is this one.  What began as a church school curriculum for use by adults in the 60's primary with the lay reader in mind, has become a classic in seminaries and colleges.  While the book is written to interpret the ecumenical Christian faith as summarized in the Apostles creed and is written from a Reformed-Presbyterian perspective, it encompasses a broad array of Christian theology including Eastern Orthodoxy, catholic, and the reformed theological influence of John Calvin, Karl Barth, Jürgen Moltmann.  Liberation theologians Gustavo Gutiérrez, Leonardo Boff, Juan Luis Segundo, African American theologian James Cone, South African Allan Boesak, Feminist theologian Rosemary Ruehter, Sallie McFagues, Letty Russell, and Jacquelyn Grant are all cited in the author's preface.  The author also includes the influence of reformed confessional statements like the Declaration of Faith of 1976, and Brief Statement of Faith 1991.  

It is an easy to read text, laid out in the traditional format of the apostle creed.  The book does not examine doctrine as a static systematic mental exercise but ties doctrine directly to the reality of life as lived in our society, our church, our homes, our places of work and worship.  It connects theology with the deeper questions that we seek in life lending to chapter titles such as "What are we doing here?  The doctrine of creation", "Why doesn't God do something about It (the problem of evil)","Who are we? The doctrine of human beings", "Is God against us? The doctrine of the atonement","Living or dead, the doctrine of the church."  Guthrie presents options, laying out how the church historically has approached different doctrine and does not push one particular view on his reader.  Guthrie invites the reader to engage the different issues and problems raised by each doctrinal loci, while at the same time, addressing areas where Christians have in the past gone down theological paths that should be avoided.  

There are study questions after each chapter that encourage groups to delve into deeper engagement.  What makes this book of Christian doctrine stand out is a particular perspective, the wisdom by which Guthrie approaches the entire matter of Christian doctrine, the respect for the historical ecumenical catholicity of the church, and Jesus as the center of all Christian theology.

Amazon.com "Christian Doctrine"