Rating: 
Summary: Great for College Student!
Review: I don't think I could praise this book enough in a few sentences. Grudem clearly lays out the truth on what the Bible teaches on any given subject. Where there are common differences he tends to explain each viewpoint, but is honest about which view he personally holds, and why. As a college student discovering for the first time how real God was, I found this book an amazing window into some punchin' truth. Really practical for anyone on a quest to know God more. Asks tough questions like, "If God controls all things, how can our actions have real meaning?" "Why does God want us to pray?" "When and why did God choose us? Are some not chosen?" "Can true Christians lose their salvation?" "Should women serve as pastors of churches?" "What are spiritual gifts? How many are there?" So get this one! Good for reading cover to cover, or for reference.
Rating:
Summary: The best systematic theology text on the market.
Review: I have found this book to be an invaluable resource on Christian doctrine. The only drawback is the author's raving Calvinism. Nevertheless, it deserves 5 stars for its usefulness.
Rating:
Summary: A deep book without being complex!
Review: If you are tired to read books of systematic theology full of technical expressions of difficult understanding, you will find in this book a text light, clear and communicative. It doesn't use unnecessary technical terms and it talks directly about each theme. In his book, Grudem reveals a deep respect for the Holy Scriptures. He wrote his book from a conservative theological perspective. Highly recommended!
Rating: 
Summary: Valuable but flawed exposition of reformed theology
Review: Grudem's book provides a decent exposition of standard reformed doctrine, and he has the credentials of being a convinced charismatic, and so his sections on the gifts of the Holy Spirit are an invaluable addition lacking in most systematic theologies. He provides some very basic, though useful, defences of traditional evangelical theology.On the other hand, Grudem's work is flawed by its overly scientific-rational approach to theology and doctrine. His treatment of the authority of the Scriptures, for example, is unconvincing in many of the details, eg. inerrancy etc. Evangelical theology, to be taken seriously, must move away from the 'prooftexting' approach, and interact on a more substantial level with some of the real challenges presented by alternative theological and philosophical understandings of Scripture which have equally been established out of a high regard and respect for the Bible.
Rating: 
Summary: Review of Grudem's Systematic Theology
Review: Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem (Zondervan, 1994) It would be difficult to write a systematic theology which makes a significant contribution to this field of study. I'm not sure that Grudem's does, but there are some things about it that are different. He takes effort to be doxological, and that is refreshing. He writes clearly and concisely, and that is somewhat unusual. He covers a wider range of subjects than most. And besides all that, he is a calvinist with other theological distinctives which I share and appreciate. The work seems to be designed for undergraduate level -- this is not a criticism, but I was expecting something more advanced. It shows virtually nothing of historical theology. And he spends relatively little time doing exegesis -- too often it's the "make a statement and put a verse reference in parenthesis" mode. Good, but not very thoroughly exegetically grounded. I guess Grudem opted for the wider rather than deeper idea (over 1,200 pages), and there is something to be said for that. But other than that, I don't think he has made a significant contribution. Finally, Grudem shows an odd set of priorities sometimes -- for example: 8 pages on regeneration, 12 or so pages each on justification and union with Christ, and barely over 4 pages on hell (especially striking, given the popular rejection of hell among evangelical theologians today) --yet more space than any of this is given to his unusual view of prophecy and to the continuation of the miraculous gifts. Overall, this book is enjoyable and interesting reading, and it is helpful in many ways. Grudem will strike you as a genuine and a sincere Christian who wants theology to be appreciated by all. It is a good book, and I like it overall -- despite the few areas of disagreement. I think it will have some general use especially among laymen and undergraduate doctrines students. And there is something to be said for the wider range of subject material in a single volume. A pastor friend says he's reading through it for his devotions and loving it -- a great idea!
Rating:
Summary: Why did I not find this volume sooner?!
Review: Grudem has done a great job of writing theology as worship! Our study of God's character and his revelation should cause us to worship and more urgently seek after him. I think this is the philosophy that Grudem has maintained throughout this large volume. At the end of each section he adds a hymn of praise that can be sung in light of what has been learned, and a verse to be memorized to "hide the word in our hearts." What a great approach! Even though I am a Presbyterian and disagree with him in a few areas, I could not value his insight more. This work will thrill your soul and grow your love for God. I would also recommend Berkhof's Systematic Theologhy (But not the new Eerdman's edition because you can hardly open the pages), A.A. Hodge's Outlines of Theology, and Francis Turretin's Elenctic Theology. Enjoy
Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING
Review: Thoughts on the 'Creation' chapter: 1) In my opinion, the book of Genesis is the main reason for the schism between religion and science. It would have been far better if the author had simply stated that "God created all that there is" without attempting to state a time or event sequence. As a scientist (veterinary pathologist) I find my faith strengthened and not weakened by each new scientific discovery in God's wonderful Universe. 2) The Bible was not written (or even, dictated) by God - if it had been, it would most certainly be crystal clear without any possibility of misinterpretation. Though Divinely inspired, it is still a product of the human mind, and there is no need to doubt God's Truths because of possible human error in some passages. Some may argue that God is a 'Divine Censor' who would not allow any Bible errors, but were this so, all but one 'versions' of the New Testament, would instantly vanish without a trace. 3) I find the concept of 'Panspermia' (ie,if life could not originate on Earth it must have come from outer space) absurd. Why would it be any more likely to develop elsewhere? In the extremely unlikely event that this did occur, however, only some unicellular organisms (some bacteria, viruses and prions) could survive the cold, dehydration and, most importantly, ultraviolet and other radiations of interstellar space; were they fortunate enough to 'find' Earth, they couldn't reproduce unless preexisting organic nutrient compounds (for most bacteria) or multicellular organisms (for prions and viruses except bacteriophages) already existed on earth (also from 'Panspermia? ') in sufficient concentrations to be readily available. And even if they could survive and reproduce, it would be most difficult of all to explain the development of extremely complex multicellular organisms, including animals and man.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is the best Bible commentary I have ever read. Based on Biblical doctrine, Dr Gruden clearly answers questions such as 'who were the 'Sons of God?'; what are Angels and should we pray to them; should we pray 'in the name of Jesus?', and so on, and supports most points with several passages from the New and Old Testaments - a refreshing change from many sects, theologians and others who base their views on single quotations from the Bible. I found Dr Grudem's chapter on the Holy Trinity interesting, but find it less difficult to accept the 'Three separate but as One' idea. An analogy may be a cube - although it has three separate and equal dimensions (length, width, height) it is one unit with each dimension contributing equally to its overall structure. Another analogy could be in a prism - a beam of white light (God as One) is separated by a prism (the human mind) into 3 major* colors (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). (* - blue, yellow and red predominate in multifaceted prisms such as crystal spheres, etc). >> If Dr Grudem reads this, I would be very interested in his views about the cube/prism analogies above.
Rating:
Summary: A New Standard for a New Millenium
Review: Of the many works on Systematic Theology being sold today, from a conservative-evangelical perspective, this is undoubtedly the finest. Grudem has succeeded in providing a clear presentation of the historic, Protestant understanding of the Bible's overall teaching in a clear and concise way. Moreover, he has made such a study eminently practical by providing questions for personal application, scripture memory suggestions, and Ñ of all things in a theology book - a concluding hymn/song of praise and worship! While some may take issue over Grudem's understanding of particular topics, none can deny that he seeks to do justice to various opinions; always careful to dignify their representative spokespersons. Perhaps the works most rewarding feature is the humble tone and "air" of teachableness that pervades it - a feature hearkening back to what is perhaps the seminal Protestant theological textbook: Calvin's "Institutes." Here is a volume that careful students of God's truth ought to digest over the course of many years... We give it 5 STARS as the best in overall soundness and usefullness.
Rating:
Summary: From the heart
Review: I truly appreciate Grudem's approach to theology. He uses his heart. In light of other systematic works that give you black and white facts, Grudem, while preserving accuracy, injects a heart-engaging perspective that many times caused me to go to my knees in prayer rather than feel good at accomplishing the reading of another systematic perspective. Whether you believe the gifts are for today (pray for empiricle knowledge) or not, agree with doctrines Grudem discusses or not, you'll appreciate this work.
|
