How To Read Theology For All Its Worth

The Guide You Need to Read Theology Well. Too many Christians avoid reading theology for fear they won't understand it or out of a misconception that it's only meant for the academic elite. Similarly, students in introductory theology classes can feel overwhelmed by the concepts and terminology they encounter. Yet theology can be read with enjoyment and discernment. In How to Read Theology for All Its Worth, professor, author, and devoted reader Karin Stetina introduces students to the basic skills of intelligent reading, applied especially to theological works. Anyone who'd like to read theology well, whether a formal student or interested layperson, will benefit from the simple steps Stetina outlines. Steps include: Identifying genre Becoming acquainted with the author and the context out of which he or she wrote Determining a thesis and main arguments How to Read Theology for All Its Worth will equip readers not only to understand theology but also to insightfully engage authors' ideas. With the basic tools in hand, everyone can read with confidence and enjoy "conversations" with theological works.

This book helps readers determine what Scriptures meant at the time they were written and how that meaning applies to us today.

Your Guide to Understanding the Bible Understanding the Bible isn’t for the few, the gifted, the scholarly. The Bible is accessible. It’s meant to be read and comprehended by everyone from armchair readers to seminary students. A few essential insights into the Bible can clear up a lot of misconceptions and help you grasp the meaning of Scripture and its application to your 21st-century life. More than half a million people have turned to How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth to inform their reading of the Bible. This third edition features substantial revisions that keep pace with current scholarship, resources, and culture. Changes include: •Updated language •A new authors’ preface •Several chapters rewritten for better readability •Updated list of recommended commentaries and resources Covering everything from translational concerns to different genres of biblical writing, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth is used all around the world. In clear, simple language, it helps you accurately understand the different parts of the Bible—their meaning for ancient audiences and their implications for you today—so you can uncover the inexhaustible worth that is in God’s Word.

Reading the Bible doesn't need to be a difficult journey through strange and bewildering territory. How to Read the Bible Book by Book walks you through the Scriptures like an experienced tour guide, helping you understand each of its sixty-six books. For each book of the Bible, the authors start with a quick snapshot, then expand the view to help you better understand its message and how it fits into the grand narrative of the Bible. Written by two top evangelical scholars, this survey is designed to get you actually reading the Bible knowledgeably and understanding it accurately. In an engaging, conversational style, Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart take you through every book of the Bible using their unique approach: Orienting Data—Concise info bytes that form a thumbnail of the book. Overview—A brief panorama that introduces key concepts and themes and important landmarks in the book Specific Advice for Reading—Pointers for accurately understanding the details and message of the book in context with the circumstances surrounding its writing. A Walk Through—The actual section-by-section tour that helps you see both the larger landscape of the book and how its various parts work together to form the whole. How to Read the Bible Book by Book can be used as a companion to How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. It also stands on its own as a reliable guide to reading and understanding the Bible for yourself.

This accessible yet comprehensive primer explores the breadth of viewpoints on major issues in evangelical theology by examining positions taken by evangelicals on seventeen seminal issues. The second edition retains the helpful features of the first edition and adds an appendix that addresses thirteen peripheral issues in contemporary evangelicalism. Praise for the first edition "The authors do what no book on the market does: In one volume they faithfully present divergent views on the crucial issues that divide evangelicals, and they do so in an unbiased, succinct, and lively manner. This book is perfect as a supplemental text in an introductory theology course or as a manual for church study groups. It will help everyone arrive at his or her own conclusions within the parameters of the evangelical tradition."--Dennis Okholm, Azusa Pacific University "Across the Spectrum succeeds with distinction in at least two respects. First, it represents a very useful tool for those who wish to begin grappling with different approaches to difficult theological problems. The book will be most helpful to beginning students in evangelical theology, the target audience. Second, the work presents various perspectives in fair and unbiased tones. . . . If used with care, it will repeatedly reward the reader with its fair and even treatment of different theological views."--Nathan D. Holsteen, Bibliotheca Sacra "I've been waiting for this book for some time. Due to its brief, nontechnical format, it can be used in a variety of ways in undergraduate theology courses. Although a concise volume, it succinctly outlines multiple arguments, both pro and con, for (incredibly!) over two dozen issues in disputed, largely non-fundamental areas of doctrine. The professor can present positions in favor of particular views or leave the issues open. It's settled--I'm requiring it!"--Gary R. Habermas, Liberty University "A collective sigh of relief will arise from the evangelical student body when it discovers this book! It helpfully and critically surveys the many legitimate evangelical theological options and convincingly demonstrates that there is no single authentically evangelical viewpoint on a wide range of controversial issues. It constitutes a small library between two covers."--Roger E. Olson, George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University

This handy, accessible introduction to reading theology helps readers engage doctrine critically and charitably. It serves as a primer to theological texts, offering practical guidelines for assessing theology and equipping the next generation of pastors and theologians to read theological literature wisely--even when they might disagree with it. An ideal theology textbook, it is especially well suited for students reading theological literature and discussing doctrine for the first time.

Learn to identify, evaluate, and refine your approach to forming theological conclusions based on the biblical text. The Bible has long served as the standard for Christian practice, yet believers still disagree on how biblical passages should be interpreted and applied. Only when readers fully understand the constructs that inform their process of moving from Scripture to theology--and those of others--can Christians fully evaluate teachings that claim to be "biblical." In this book--part of the Counterpoints series--scholars who affirm an inspired Bible, relevant and authoritative for every era, present models they consider most faithful to Scripture Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.: Principlizing Model Daniel M. Doriani: Redemptive-Historical Model Kevin J. Vanhoozer: Drama-of-Redemption Model William J. Webb: Redemptive-Movement Model Each position receives critiques from the proponents of the other views. Moreover, due to the far-reaching implications this topic holds for biblical studies, theology, and church teaching, this book includes three additional reflections by Christopher J. H. Wright, Mark L. Strauss, and Al Wolters on the theological and practical interpretation of biblical texts. The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.

A revised workbook to accompany Grasping God's Word textbook on reading, interpreting, and applying the Bible for college students and other serious readers.