The title of my Review says it all, and since there are already over 130 Reviews, I will make this short. This is simply the best comprehensive modern systematic theology in one volume on the market I have seen in 40 years of ministry. Why? It covers charismatic, evangelical, historical, liturgical and every other angle theologically, is reader friendly, loaded with footnotes and references from every Christian persuasion, and yet not avoiding thorny and difficult topics usually only tackled by very independent writers. No wonder it has sold over a quarter of a million copies in such a short time.

The study of doctrine should be important to any professing Christian. Understanding what you believe is essential. I have yet to read all through this book but plan on going through it in the next year. I am greatly looking forward to it.

This a fantastic book!,Imagine a book on Theology for everyman to enjoy,From the scholar to the layperson,everyone can enjoy understanding who God is.And this gentleman seems to write from a perspective of really loving God and people too,without any desire to impress anyone with his knowledge as Mr Grudem could easily do,This is a masterpiece and I cannot overemphasize how enjoyable and solid this hefty volume is,We need more men like this to break down these wonderful truths for us and yet they are still as meaty and can be as deep as you need to go with them,I thank my God for using Mr Grudem to bring this to us,all Glory to Him!!

Fantasticly easy to read systematic theology with some challenging questions at the end of each chapter.
Can't say I liked the hymms section because I didn't really know any of them to be honest (pentecostal / charismatic background sorry) but would be helpful to some.

I've tried reading a few systematic theologies before like Berkhofs, Hodge, Torey and even Calvins Institutes. All hopeless complex and I found myself stuggling. Grudems book is great for students who want a good understanding of Christian theology, but don't want to spend hours struggling with Archaic language and overly scholarlised books.

Grudem has a gift for making complex assertions simple facts. The other guys seem to do things the other way around. Not that there isnt any value in the other authors, but for me I found this book most helpful.
He is quite conservative and rigoursly biblical. Its not an historical or philosophical theology either so it should be renamed biblical theology.

Well worth it, its a massive book and its heavy. make sure you get a hardcover version, softcovers just wont cut it!!

Having spent a few months working through Grudem's Systematic Theology, I'm convinced it is a very important book. I think this will go down in church history as one of the best systematic theologies ever written, and can easily hold its own place on a shelf with works by Calvin, Gill, Henry and Poole. It's a great book to read straight through (if you have a lot of time on your hands) or to use as a reference for specific topics or questions you may have. It's laid out very well, user friendly for laymen, and has great supplementary info at the end of the chapters as well as at the back of the book. A great Reformed theology textbook and a great gift for any believer, whether in seminary or not. Youth pastors should be teaching this book instead of hosting gatherings for playing air hockey and eating pizza.

This is the most biblically accurate, readable, best structured, thought provoking, quick reference-friendly Theology book that I have ever seen. Grudem is thorough and concise. Even the the set up in the book is eye-friendly. You don't have to hold a Doctorate in Theology to understand it either. He writes in terms that any adult Christian should be able to understand. And he wrote some smaller versions of it so you can pass out to those who may be intimidated by the full text version.

A friend who attended seminary and learned under Dr. Grudem introduced me to this book. I have read it nearly two times through so far and anticipate reading it periodically for the rest of my life. Besides the Bible itself, this is the most influential book I've ever read. It has profoundly affected my theology. I am most impressed with how Dr. Grudem always proves every conclusion through the scripture itself. There are no personal opinions or beliefs or convictions in this book, only conclusions one reaches with Dr. Grudem by systematically studying the scriptures with him. If only everyone would be so willing to let the Bible itself do the talking for God.

This is a great theology book, doctrinally very good and solidly evangelical. What it unique is that this book can be read devotionally. Read if prayerfully, slowly and asking God to change your heart. He will draw you to Himself as you pursue Him in this book. It does not replace bible reading, and no book ever could or should, but you can learn more about God by studying this book.

This is a pretty deep book. The title should make that plainly obvious. Wayne Grudem, however, takes the subject matter and explains it in the way that anyone can understand. He breaks down each individual topic and makes it transparently easy to read.

While this is certainly not a book you'd be able to (or really even want to) read in a single sitting, This is an invaluable tool to help you to have a more enriching spiritual life. It can really help to enhance your bible study quite well.

All in all, I would heartily recommend this book to anyone who wishes to have a deeper knowledge of the Scriptures. It will bring you well along that path.

I got free shipping on this, and I got it within a week! It was brand new and I needed it for a class, so it has been a great experience. The book itself is a great tool for theological insight, so if you're looking to learn about theology this is a great book for you.

This book was sent to me quickly and in great condition. Very impressed with the speed of shipment.

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to understand not only the basics of the Christian faith but also to understand how to read and understand the Bible correctly. With so many different views about what the Bible says it can be very confusing to wade through and understand what it is really saying. I highly recommend this book. (See: SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine) I would say it is foundational if you want to develop a proper "interpretation" of the Faith!

The book is all I expected it to be and the shipping was faster than I expected.
Mike

This systematic Theology will benefit the general student of the bible as much as a Theology Student or pastor would make great use of it. I highly recommend it for any Christians library. Both sides of all doctrinal differences are addressed from both perspectives. Ideal for the new Christian wanting to understand more about the theology and history of the faith.

Excellent resource.

This is an excellent resource for anyone seriously interested in knowing more about their Christian faith. Written in easy-to-understand terms, it is a must have for your library! Do not delay-buy your copy today!

This is an excellent resource for anyone seriously interested in knowing more about their Christian faith. Written in easy-to-understand terms, it is a must have for your library! Do not delay-buy your copy today!

This text was written from a Reformed, conservative view. It was well written. I will enjoy having it for future reference of docrinal positions and explanations.

I bought this book in September 2007. Now, in December, I get to page 832 and realize that the pages from 833 through 864 are missing. This can't be the only copy like this! Anyone else with this problem?

Grudem consistently misrepresents the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church in this book. I'm not criticizing his disagreement with those teachings, that's his right to disagree, but his statements of what Catholics believe is wrong on several counts, and where he's not completely wrong he interprets the teaching in the most uncharitable way possible.

Other than that, his book barely qualifies as systematic theology. It's more like a catechism for consevative evangelicals.

Highly recommended for new and seasoned students of theology. Systematic organization promotes analysis and understanding. Excellent reference guide.

the book was in great shape, it shipped when it was supposed to, it was good service and ya

I am glad that I got this book. It is very helpful and a good read so far. I was also very happy with the speed in which my book made it to me.

The updated version of Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology is great. The font on this updated version is much larger and easier to read. Even if you own the old book, this is still a must get.

Although this book deals with complex and weighty issues like Angelology, Christology, Pneumatology and others, Mr. Grudem addresses them in such a straightforward manner that without dumbing down the concepts, he makes them easy to understand and apply to everyday life.
He also addresses the fact that not everyone agrees with his point of view on every topic (me included) and goes so far as to include an index at the end of each chapter that addresses something like 18 other major views.
This is the first time I've ever read a theology book, and I was intimidated at its size (over 1600 pages!) but it really is written for those who, like me, want to understand what we believe.

I have never been excited by an introduction before! This book is very encouraging and challenging yet written in everyday language! It has already helped me to learn a lot and I haven't gotten that far yet. It is exciting and I appreciate that not only does Grudem give you references for his views, but others as well! He also includes life application questions, memory verses and hymns at the end of the chapters. It focuses on God's awesomeness!

Wayne Grudem does an excellent job of stating accurately what Biblical doctrine is and making it clear to the reader.

Well written and thorough, this book does hold to essentials such as the Trinity but regarding it's Christology, ecclesiology, and soteriology it contains much that would be regarded as heretical by significant portions of Christendom. That said, there are other portions that would find it entirely orthodox.

Great overview of Systematic Theology and a terrific resource for someone who is interested in the different doctrinal issues of the Bible. It is laid out by doctrinal topics which makes it easy to locate any topic. Author's goal is a clearly demonstrated pursuit for truth, not recognition. Great resource!

Most systematic theology books are a great read for seminary students and the like. However, Wayne Grudem's book is a great read for all Christians. It is very easy and enjoyable reading, yet it looses none of the scholarship required of a great theology book. It teaches the person in the pew the why of what they are taught from the pulpit.

I purchased this book to aid me in the depth of my bible study. It's simple and an excellent read. I highly recommend it!

This book is primarily an in-depth *topical* Bible study. As such, it is a great *hand-held teacher* for pastors, SS teachers, and any other serious students of God's Word.

The theology of this book is "reformed conservative." As such, it holds firmly to the Bible truth that salvation is a gracious gift from God, and has no basis whatsoever in a person's own righteousness or works.

Well-organized. Holds interest. Easy to understand. In my case, I found that this book gave me a fuller understanding of doctrinal interrelationships and "the Big picture."

This book answers so many tough questions and puts them so eloquently. As a result, I have grown closer in my walk with Christ and my knowledge of God has grown tremendously.

The book arrived in perfect condition in a timely manner.
I am a fully satisfied customer.

Right off the bat, this book is full of details that gives the reader a better foundation to understanding their Bible. This book should be in any serious Bible students library.

Grudem's work is just that, a devout waste of time. I admire his devotion to Christ and the works devotional tone; however, beyond the devotion it lacks academic rigor. One of the most glaring weaknesses is the book spends almost as much time telling the reader why they should believe as it does to what should be believed. Grudem's epistemic foundationlism dominates the prolegomena of the book. In what amounts to a condescending circular argument the reader is told that God is necessarily and philosophically truth, therefore whatever God utters is truth, therefore the Bible as the verbally inspired word (not to be confused with Christ as the Word) is truth, therefore whatever the scriptures say about God is necessarily true, and therefore they are to be fully trusted. This argument is a waste of time, and if it is intended to convince one who does not consider themselves a part of the church, it will fail. Faith is ultimately a confession to be made, and the foundationlism seems insincere.

Grudem treats the scriptures as if they were somehow part of the Godhead. Despite his holding to a basic Chalcedonian (orthodox) view of Christ as fully God and fully human, he neglects the human aspect of scripture. As his view of inspiration amounts to the human being consumed and turned into a type-writer for the Divine.

He is also currently involved in reinterpreting the view of the Trinity that has been orthodox since the first ecumenical council of Nicea. He is reintroducing a type of Semi-Arianism in order to recreate the Trinity in the image of his view of the Christian household. Where traditional orthodoxy has asserted that Christ, to image faith for those who would follow, was obedient to the desires of the Father, was non-the-less eternally homoousias (of the same substance) with the Father - God of God, light of light. The subordination of the Son to the Father was condemned as heresy in Arius, and is no less questionable when Grudem (and others) seek to reintroduce it. The trinitarian subordinationism will always be a poor interpretation of divinity, and must not be used to support the subordination of women in the Christian household.

For one who seeks to monitor the doctrinal orthodoxy of others, Grudem himself seems to fall very short.

I would give this work less than one star if I could.

This thick book is a real gem...it is so well organized and thorough...nearly every question I have ever had concerning the Bible and spiritual matters has an answer contained within the pages of this great book...it is easy to read..Bible references are clear..it is cross=referenced in the back..every theme of the Bible is covered...so many times we have questions we would like to ask our pastor after he is finished speaking and we may not get a chance to ask them..this book covers all those questions and more...I feel like I have gone to seminary and yet it is not hard to read his explanations based on scripture entirely. I would highly recommend Wayne Grudum's Systematic Theology for those hungering for more truths of the Bible and being secure in what you believe and why..Cathy Benson

One of my very favorites books for fast straight forward answers. It is filled with understandable & thoughtful explainations of many CHRISTIAN principles. Don't buy it unless you are serious or need a new paper weight.

Grudem's book is a refreshing presentation of systematic theology. Im enjoying reading it in my vacation even though I am a civil engineer. Having been a Christian for over 30 years and a church elder for about 8 of these I wish I had read this text a lot earlier. It has greatly assisted in crystallising my theological concepts, increased my confidence in presenting the Christian faith to others and given me a better understanding of the God I love. Grudem presents from a fundmentalist charasmatic perspective but his analysis will be thought provoking to Christians of all persuations. Put in on your must have list.

this is a pretty good, fairly large textbook on the major (and lots of minor) themes found in the bible. the doctrine of God, Jesus, salvation, the Holy Spirit, creation and a host of others. Does a good job of letting the bible dictate the nature of the subject matter. Filled with tons of material and well thought out. A highly respected and learned textbook. A great theology textbook to learn from and interact with. Well footnoted and good lists of for further studies. This work is protestant, conservative, reformed and on a few issues it is just slightly baptistic, but not dogmatically so. Interacts with quite a wide array of perspectives and scholarship on many issues and subjects. For a much smaller scale theology book that is also very good, try Concise Theology by J.I. Packer or Know The Truth by Bruce Milne. I give Grudem's Systematic Theology four stars instead of five mainly because as a systematics book on theology, it doesn't do a very good job of grasping or explaining the narrative of scripture, that is - the story line from Genesis to Revelation and how it all holds together. But then again, that is the nature of systematic theology rather than a biblical redemptive historical theology. As far as systematics go however, it's one of the better more current ones. For some good biblical redemptive historical theological works check out: The Mission of God by Chris Wright, The Drama of Scripture by Craig Bartholomew, The Symphony of Scripture by Mark Strom and if you are in for a truly rewarding but difficult read on true biblical theology- Kingdom Prologue by Meredith Kline is amazingly insightful, though lots of mental effort.

very clear, to the point, yet comprehensive and complete. well structured, well organized, and outlined.

I have read a majority of it but I have not gotten to the part about the Holy Spirit so my review will be about the other sections.

I have found the theology to be extremely useful. I bought his other book, "Bible Doctrine" and I thought it was good but a bit imcomplete. This book far surpasses it. If I would have gotten this one first, I would have been much happier. It is very complete and references Scripture very frequently when compared to many books on theology. I have not found any scriptures written out of context or ideas that were not taken from Scripture.

I like the way the book is written. Each chapter does not rely on the others meaning you can skip strait to the last chapter and understand it well. It covers the best choice of topics. You can see those topics by searching inside the book so I will not elaborate.

I think that if you have been introduced to reformed theology and have a hard time deciding what the Bible teaches, this book can help you bring that issue to a rest.

If you are a evangelical Christian, this book deserves a spot in your library.

My book came before I expected. Very fast delivery. Book was in even better condition than I thought. Great service all around.

I attend a church which has a conservative evangelical seminary attached to it, and I asked multiple professors and seminarians what would be a good systematic theology that I could read to my children so that they could be exposed to a broad band of theology (we are also under the teaching of an excellent expositor, but to get a broad based theology would require years and years of listening to sermons, since we travel at the pace of multiple years per book). Uniformly, of the many systematic theology books available, they recommended his. The reasoning was as follows- Dr. Grudem writes in an very organized fashion, the theology is correct (with some disagreement over cessasionism), he writes very clearly in words which convey meaning clearly without being overly academic. So I have been reading this book to my just into their teens children - and with some explaination from me - they get it. I'm very pleased with this book. I have also had the great pleasure of meeting Dr. Grudem, and he is a remarkable man- he is a humble man (not common with the formidable intellect he possesses), he is a loving man (he is not in the quiet backwaters of Christianty, but is engaged in the hand to hand combat of translations and place of women in the church - and he is very gracious and kind in the midst of all that. Anyway - excellent book, excellent person behind it.

Unlike most scriptural studies, this book provides the student with a way to learn about many topics from a perspective of the "whole" Bible, vs. one verse or chapter. Whether you are a serious student or new to the Word you will gain valuable insight by utilizing this study resource. Of all the various study methods available this is the best I've ever used!

JWynn

If you want detail, scripture, and indepth analysis.......... this is the book for you. This book has 57 chapters covering every Bibical topic from prayer, sanctification, the Lord's Supper, miracles, Angels, sin, election and reprobation, justification, the Holy Spirit, Grace, the creation, God, the Trinity, adoption.... 57 chapters. You can go directly to a chapter of interest and find a wealth of information. This would be a great reference for anyone trying to study the word of God!

Most students of biblical theology are familiar with the work of Wayne Grudem. He has presented a solid theological discussion in the standard format of such Protestant systematic works. His balance is professional, and his writing style clear.

must have this book,good for preacher, pastor, bible teacher. It very detail and subpoint very clear

Grudem produces the volume that should be in every Reformed/Calvinistic baptist's library.

This is a book that I believe each evangelical Christian would do well to own -- whether you are Reformed or not -- whether you like Systematic Theology or not. I have never seen anything like this textbook before. Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology truly "makes theology practical". I have found it so helpful and meaningful in my own personal life. I have learned new things in every chapter I've read, and I have been driven to worship in each chapter, too.

The back cover says about it "Wayne Grudem believes that theology is meant to be lived and prayed and sung." That is so true. Each chapter will layout the doctrine in question; the varying (if any) evangelical view points on that doctrine and evidence, pro and con, for each one as well as the author's particular view. This is always followed by a section which shows how we should apply the doctrine in question to our lives as Christians. Then a list of thought provoking questions are given, as well as a memory verse and a hymn that encapsulates that doctrine.

Also, Grudem writes so clearly and easy to understand. Even though many points of doctrine are deep, you don't need to read over it again and again (as you do with Owen) or brush up on Latin (as you need to with Hodge), nor does the author put you to sleep (as with Berkhof). I have found this book so meaningful and worshipful.

Furthermore, it is the perfect textbook to follow for both the one who wishes to teach Systematic Theology or for the layperson wishing to understand doctrine better. It is extremely biblical as well as practical. Grudem has succeeded in applying these glorious biblical truths to life. I cannot recommend it enough for teacher and student alike.

Triston Dyer

Also, I had to read this volume for my graduated studies. Grudem makes no bones that he is calvanistic. The reader should always keep that in mind.

I love the thoroughgoing approach that Grudem takes in this book. Good use of Scripture. I recommend this book highly.