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adamrshields's review against another edition
4.0
Summary: Well-written intro to theology text.
I picked up Practicing Christian Doctrine because I had an audiobook credit that had to be used before it expired, and I remembered a good podcast interview with Beth Felker Jones and decided to see what else she had written. All of that is to say I was not looking for a theology textbook; I was looking for a book by Jones, and the one I found happened to be an Intro to Theology textbook.
My last seminary theology class was more than 25 years ago. I read Erickson for my undergrad systematic theology class. My seminary systematic theology class was with Dwight Hopkins, and we read Reinhold Neibhur, Delores S. Williams, Rosemary Radford Ruether, and I think James Cone (or I read James Cone on my own at the time, I can't remember), among some others. Hopkins' class was focused on reading theologians not summary textbooks. I wish I could take that class again because I would get a lot more out of it now than I did. I remember at the time learning about a lot of perspectives in theology that I had not been exposed to. But I also remember thinking that I was glad I had had an undergrad course in systematic theology because I needed that grounding to understand what the authors we were reading were responding to.
Practicing Christian Doctrine is exactly the type of systematic theology book I would recommend to someone who does not have a seminary background but is interested. I listened to it as an audiobook, which is probably not ideal for this type of book, but it was ideal for me. There are several things that I really liked about it. First, Jones cited widely throughout history and around the world. She also included a note about when and where the author being cited was from. That is a very small feature, but it really helped to note that background matters in how a person approaches theology.
Another important feature of a book of this type is that there was a wide range of perspectives discussed and the perspectives I felt were presented well. There are theology books that are written from a particular background, and assume that readers will agree with them. But this isn't that type of book; this is an introductory textbook, and it needed to (and did) give a fair presentation to a range of thought. In many cases, undergraduate or seminary students using this book will not be familiar with the range of options on any given topic. They will be familiar with how their church understood a topic and not realize other options exist. That makes a fair presentation of the options even more important.
This may sound contradictory to the previous paragraph, but where there was a more clear perspective was the catholicity of the church. Jones made the case that the church is both diverse and unified in Christ. That is not to say that the church should be uniform, but that regardless of actions, the church is unified in Christ and should act like it. This came up in a number of places, but the chapter on escatology may have been the most clear presentation of the importance of the church's unity.
Practicing Christian Doctrine is written as a textbook, but it is a well-written textbook that has value outside of just the academy. And if you are someone who does have an interest in theology and is looking for an intro, this is a good choice.
This was originally posted on my blog at https://bookwi.se/practicing-christian-doctrine/
I picked up Practicing Christian Doctrine because I had an audiobook credit that had to be used before it expired, and I remembered a good podcast interview with Beth Felker Jones and decided to see what else she had written. All of that is to say I was not looking for a theology textbook; I was looking for a book by Jones, and the one I found happened to be an Intro to Theology textbook.
My last seminary theology class was more than 25 years ago. I read Erickson for my undergrad systematic theology class. My seminary systematic theology class was with Dwight Hopkins, and we read Reinhold Neibhur, Delores S. Williams, Rosemary Radford Ruether, and I think James Cone (or I read James Cone on my own at the time, I can't remember), among some others. Hopkins' class was focused on reading theologians not summary textbooks. I wish I could take that class again because I would get a lot more out of it now than I did. I remember at the time learning about a lot of perspectives in theology that I had not been exposed to. But I also remember thinking that I was glad I had had an undergrad course in systematic theology because I needed that grounding to understand what the authors we were reading were responding to.
Practicing Christian Doctrine is exactly the type of systematic theology book I would recommend to someone who does not have a seminary background but is interested. I listened to it as an audiobook, which is probably not ideal for this type of book, but it was ideal for me. There are several things that I really liked about it. First, Jones cited widely throughout history and around the world. She also included a note about when and where the author being cited was from. That is a very small feature, but it really helped to note that background matters in how a person approaches theology.
Another important feature of a book of this type is that there was a wide range of perspectives discussed and the perspectives I felt were presented well. There are theology books that are written from a particular background, and assume that readers will agree with them. But this isn't that type of book; this is an introductory textbook, and it needed to (and did) give a fair presentation to a range of thought. In many cases, undergraduate or seminary students using this book will not be familiar with the range of options on any given topic. They will be familiar with how their church understood a topic and not realize other options exist. That makes a fair presentation of the options even more important.
This may sound contradictory to the previous paragraph, but where there was a more clear perspective was the catholicity of the church. Jones made the case that the church is both diverse and unified in Christ. That is not to say that the church should be uniform, but that regardless of actions, the church is unified in Christ and should act like it. This came up in a number of places, but the chapter on escatology may have been the most clear presentation of the importance of the church's unity.
Practicing Christian Doctrine is written as a textbook, but it is a well-written textbook that has value outside of just the academy. And if you are someone who does have an interest in theology and is looking for an intro, this is a good choice.
This was originally posted on my blog at https://bookwi.se/practicing-christian-doctrine/
ninjakiwi12's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Fun(ny) fact(s): Not much except I needed this for school, and it was much better than I could have expected.
Favorite quote/image: "All four are connected: the heart's passion, the soul's yearning, the power God grants us, and the intellectual task of seeking the truth of God. This means that study of doctrine is an act of love for God: in studying the things of God, we are formed as worshippers and as God's servants. To practice doctrine is to yearn for a deeper understanding of the Christian faith, to seek the logic and the beauty of that faith, and to live out what we have learned in the daily realities of the Christian life." (pg. 2)
Honorable mention: "The sacramental life of the church is central to the goodness of our holy–sacred–life together. In sacrament, we learn that the church's sacred life is a life in which body and soul, material and spiritual, are united. It is a life perfectly fitted for the material and spiritual human beings who are the people of God. In the church, we are born of water and the Spirit, and we are fed, body and soul, at the family table." (pg. 209)
Why: Jones provides a thoughtful, coherent overview of the major Christian doctrines, weaving together a nuanced and balanced collection of voices from the tradition, to introduce students to the basic tenets and debates of the faith. I would wholeheartedly recommend this as an approachable primer to Christian theology.
Favorite quote/image: "All four are connected: the heart's passion, the soul's yearning, the power God grants us, and the intellectual task of seeking the truth of God. This means that study of doctrine is an act of love for God: in studying the things of God, we are formed as worshippers and as God's servants. To practice doctrine is to yearn for a deeper understanding of the Christian faith, to seek the logic and the beauty of that faith, and to live out what we have learned in the daily realities of the Christian life." (pg. 2)
Honorable mention: "The sacramental life of the church is central to the goodness of our holy–sacred–life together. In sacrament, we learn that the church's sacred life is a life in which body and soul, material and spiritual, are united. It is a life perfectly fitted for the material and spiritual human beings who are the people of God. In the church, we are born of water and the Spirit, and we are fed, body and soul, at the family table." (pg. 209)
Why: Jones provides a thoughtful, coherent overview of the major Christian doctrines, weaving together a nuanced and balanced collection of voices from the tradition, to introduce students to the basic tenets and debates of the faith. I would wholeheartedly recommend this as an approachable primer to Christian theology.
tabernethy's review against another edition
5.0
Great book. Makes theology "readable" and understandable. Summarizes a lot of material in a way that is clear and illuminating.
ant_joseph's review against another edition
4.0
I usually don't enjoy theology books because I struggle with the big words and really deep concepts, but this one was for the most part understandable to me. I also really enjoyed how Jones applied each theological category to how it can affect our daily lives, a super helpful addition when it comes to theology!
Would recommend if you're youthful to theology like me and want to know the depths of what you believe as a follower of Jesus.
Would recommend if you're youthful to theology like me and want to know the depths of what you believe as a follower of Jesus.
gemsy_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Simple in the complexity of Christian doctrine, this is a great book to gain one's theological footing whilst recognizing a call to both understand what Christians believe and live accordingly.
notspencerryan's review against another edition
slow-paced
1.0
I had to read this book for a mandatory theology class. It is hard to judge this book fairly since I’m not a Christian, but what I can say fairly is that this book is full of contradictory arguments and arguments that lack any evidence or explanation. Jones is incredibly dismissive of any viewpoint on Christianity or any other topic that isn’t her own, yet never provides a good explanation as to why her view is correct and every other view is wrong. Even if you are a Christian, this book is not worth the read.