J. I. Packer’s Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs is the second systematic theology we are making available today for the Accordance Library, following this morning’s release of Ryrie’s Basic Theology. Both of these theologies have in common the goal of making Christian doctrine understandable to the everyday believer, as opposed to those studying or teaching theology in academic settings.
In fact, Dr. Packer states in the preface, “Remembering that the Lord Jesus Christ called those he wanted fed sheep rather than giraffes, I have aimed to keep things as simple as possible.” Shorter in length than Ryrie’s Basic Theology, Packer’s work has the same number of chapters (94), each of which are short enough to read in one sitting. However, each chapter includes numerous Scripture readings which Packer assumes readers will explore on their own.
Packer’s goal is to produce an abbreviated overview of “the permanent essentials of Christianity, viewed as both a belief system and a way of life.” However, Packer acknowledges that he is writing from an Evangelical, Reformed-Anglican perspective, which he maintains is part of the “historic and classic mainstream.”
In Concise Theology Packer regularly quotes from the 1984 NIV and occasionally from the NRSV. He also references historic Christian documents at times, especially the Westminster Confession. If anyone wonders about this since he is an Anglican and not a Presbyterian, Packer reminds readers that “…the Confession was intended to amplify the Thirty-nine Articles, and most of its framers were Anglican Clergy, and […] it is something of a masterpiece….”
Click/tap the image above to see a larger view of Packer’s Concise Theology in Accordance Mobile on an iPad Pro.
With its short, readable chapters, Packer’s Concise Theology makes for great mobile reading on an iPad or iPhone. Some may even want to use its content for doctrine-based study groups. Page numbers are included in the Accordance edition for those with mixed paper and digital copies.
Concise Theology (Packer)
Regular Price $14.90