Bible Study Tools

Do you know what you believe?  If someone were to ask you to explain -- or defend -- what you believe, would you be able to?  Many people believe that a study of Christian theology is necessary only for members of the clergy or other religious professionals -- but in fact, nearly every believing person can benefit from a study of these subjects.  Here are some recommended resources, to get you started --

One book that I have found very helpful is entitled Major Bible Themes.  This book was originally written by Lewis Sperry Chafer, the founder of Dallas Theological Seminary.  In recent years this book has been rewritten and updated by one of his most gifted students, John F. Walvoord.  In this Christian theology resource, 52 basic Bible doctrines are examined in detail -- the original plan was that the reader could study one chapter a week, and work through the entire book in one year.  The discussions are very helpful and clear -- and they are full of Bible references and quotations, so you can see how each biblical doctrine is based on the Scriptures.  Each chapter also includes very helpful questions for discussion -- and I have used this book as the basis for Sunday school lessons in my own church.  It is published by Zondervan and retails for just under $26.

Another great Christian theology book was written by Charles C. Ryrie.  It is entitled A Survey of Bible Doctrine.  Published by Moody press, it is a very inexpensive paperback (retailing just under $14).  This Christian theology book was written just for evangelical laypeople, and it in it Ryrie (who provided the notes for the very popular Ryrie Study Bible) discusses such subjects as the Holy Spirit, sin, the person of Christ, salvation, the church, the nature of God, and last things.

If you are interested in pursuing a more in depth study of Christian theology, I would recommend to you a rather large and imposing volume entitled Christian Theology, written by Millard J. Erickson.  This book is over 1300 pages in length -- meaning that each chapter will give you, not an overview, but rather an in-depth discussion.  But this is no dry and dusty textbook -- it is one of the better written Christian theology books in existence.  It is in its second edition, and there is enough material in this book to provide a lifetime of study on theological subjects: everything from the nature of God, to the Bible, Jesus, the church, the role of women, the nature of salvation -- and much more.  I have been greatly helped from it and recommend it to you highly!

Finally, I want to recommend a very small paperback -- that packs a big punch.  This book was written many years ago by Paul E. Little, and it is entitled Know Why You Believe.  It is now in its second edition, and is published as a small, 180-page paperback by InterVarsity Press.  It won't set you back much money -- around $13 -- but in it he deals with such subjects as why is there pain and evil, and how do we know there is a God.  The revised edition  of this Christian theology text also includes study questions, which makes it very adaptable for a home group study environment.  It is quite easy to read, and has been of immense help to many people asking serious questions about the faith.

Our Privacy Policy