Christian Theology

While retaining the accessibility of the original volume, Erickson has taken into account input from professors, students, and reviewers and added several sections, a new chapter on postmodernism, chapter objectives, chapter summaries, and study questions.

The central theme of Christian Theology is the magnificence of God. By this the author refers to the greatness of God in terms of his power, knowledge, and other traditional 'natural attributes', as well as excellence and splendor. Writes Erickson, Theology as well as life needs to be centered on the great living God, rather than on the human creature.

Author Information: Millard J. Erickson is Distinguished Professor of Theology at Baylor University's Truett Seminary and at Western Seminary, Portland. He is a leading evangelical spokesperson with numerous volumes to his credit, including God the Father Almighty, God in Three Persons, The Word Became Flesh, and Postmodernizing the Faith.

Endorsements: This book is a very learned presentation of Christian doctrine on the basis of Scripture, but in continuing conversation with the tradition of the church as well as with modern philosophical and theological contributions. While affirming the divine inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, its form of argument is not fundamentalist, but open and available to everyone interested in the issues of Christian doctrine. The author takes account of critical historical exegesis. His book constitutes an excellent example of the evangelical outlook on the Christian faith and a basis for dialog with other theological positions.--Wolfhart Pannenberg

During the past decade Millard Erickson's Christian Theology has established itself as the most widely used and most generally useful of modern Protestant surveys of Christian truth. Robustly evangelical, essentially conservative, thoroughly contemporary, firmly Baptist, gently Calvinistic, and cautiously post-tribulationist premillennial, its fair-minded breadth and meticulous analysis of options have won it consistent praise. Now updated, augmented, and provided with study aids, its usefulness as a text for students and a resource for pastors and lay leaders will be even greater. It is altogether a masterly piece of work.--J.I. Packer

Reviews: Erickson has produced a work that will benefit both pastors and laypeople looking for a contermporary, thorough and accessible summary of historic Christian teachings.--The Presbyterian Layman, November/December 1998

There is more than enough to appreciate and agree with in the book to make it worthwhile to own. It is more for a seminary level than undergraduate, and more for the person who is interested in a variety of views instead of just one. But most anyone who reads the book will benefit from the scholarship and insights to be gained.--Richard A. Fordyce,(Stone-Campbell Journal

Easily recognized as the most popular modern evangelical textbook for seminary-level systematic theology, Millard Erickson's Christian Theology has now appeared in its second edition. The popularity of Erickson's textbook among evangelicals no doubt rests upon its Baptist approach, its moderate Calvinism, and its premillennial stance.--Robert D. Bell, Biblical Viewpoint

Reviews of the first edition:

This may well be the best systematic theology available. --L. Russ Bush, Southwestern Journal of Theology

Belongs in the personal library of every evangelical pastor, teacher, and student. --David Dockery, Grace Theological Journal

Destined to be the major beginning text in systematic theology for evangelicals in the twenty-first century.

--Charles Chaney, Review and Expositor

"This is a good place to look for a concise statement of varying theological positions from one who affirms the inerrancy of the Bible."--Alan D. Strange, New Horizons