I first heard the term “Systematic Theology” when I stumbled upon Wayne Grudem’s systematic theology book. The Bible geek in me got highly interested, and I wanted to read it. However, the huge page count intimated me, and the high price discouraged me. Consequently, my dream of learning systematic theology was deferred. Until I discovered Everyone’s a Theologian: An Introduction to Systematic Theology by R.C Sproul.
Everyone’s a theologian is a concise introduction to systematic theology. In the author’s words, systematic theology is “an orderly, coherent study of the principal doctrines of the Christian faith.” The premise of this book is that we are all theologians because we all have some knowledge of God. The question is whether we are good or poor ones.
Many Christians falsely believe theology is only for pastors or seminarians. Some think knowledge is at odds with faith, i.e., the less you know, the more significant your faith. So they value feelings instead. It is a grievous mistake. The Lord once said His people were perishing because of a lack of knowledge. A quick look at the evangelical scene today with its multitude of false teachers proves God’s people are still dying for lack of knowledge.
Hence, R.C wrote this book so that Christians can gain a more profound understanding of God as established in the Holy Scriptures and become better theologians.
He accomplishes that in sixty chapters that are categorized in eight main sections. The first part is the introduction, where R.C explains the meaning of theology, types of revelation, and the inerrancy of Scriptures. In the second part, titled “Theology Proper,” R.C explains the nature of God, His attributes, and His will. The remaining sections teach on the different types of theology, which are, Anthropology, Christology, Pneumatology, Soteriology, Ecclesiology, and Eschatology. The book concludes with the historic creeds of the faith and indexes.
R.C Sproul was undeniably gifted in his ability to take complex doctrines and break it down for anyone to understand. His explanations were clear, succinct, and easy to understand. In this short 370-paged book, R.C tackled every area of systematic theology and provided enough information to satisfy our thirst, and yet thirst for more knowledge.
It was also fun and entertaining to read. I learned a lot of new things from this book, and it provided me with a better understanding of some areas of theology. Also, I feel more confident now of picking up a denser book on systematic theology like the aforementioned Grudem’s book and dig in deeper.
I highly recommend every Christian to read Everyone’s a theologian because, as A.W. Tozer said, “what comes into our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”
And this book is a fantastic introduction and starting point to gain more biblical knowledge of God. R.C wrote it in a way that it is easy to understand for a layman or new believer, and packed it with enough doctrines to satisfy a more seasoned believer.
Do note, though, that R.C Sproul affirmed the doctrines of Grace. If you are not Calvinist, you might not agree with some of his points in the book.
Grace and peace to you!
D
