Accordance users have benefitted from the Ryrie Study Bible notes—one of the best-selling study Bibles in history—for a number of years in their personal Accordance Libraries. Now, fans of Charles Ryrie can go even deeper into the late theologian’s thought with our release of Ryrie’s Basic Theology: A Popular Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth.
“Theology is for everyone. Indeed, everyone needs to be a theologian.” These are the opening sentences in Ryrie’s Basic Theology and the driving idea behind every chapter in the book. Ryrie believed everyone could be (and, in fact, was) a theologian, but he wanted people to be good theologians, not sloppy ones. This volume is not written with academics in mind, but as the subtitle suggests, a popular audience.
In keeping with the conviction that everyone has the potential to be a good theologian, Ryrie divides his content into 94 chapters, spread across 15 sections in the book (see table of contents in the screenshot below for subjects covered). In the print edition, most of these chapters are three or four pages. Thus, a chapter can be read through in one sitting—a matter of minutes, really—although looking up Scripture references and reflections may take a while longer.
Ryrie defines everything, including the designation of the first section, Prolegomena (defined by Ryrie as “prefatory or preliminary remarks”). In this section, Ryrie offers a number of definitions as well as clearly delineating a number of presuppositions.
Charles Ryrie, who taught for many years at Dallas Theological Seminary, is one of the most influential theologians of this generation. Ryrie’s Basic Theology is conservative in keeping with his beliefs and convictions and Premillennial Dispensationalist in regard to eschatology. If your theology falls into these categories, this title is indispensable. However, even if you don’t align yourself with Ryrie’s thought, his mere influence alone makes this a worthy title to include in your Accordance Library, so as to better understand this widely-held theological perspective.
For Accordance users who have the Theological Journal Library, you will want to check out Bruce Demarest’s review of Ryrie’s Basic Theology from the December 1987 issue of The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. Also, don’t miss our own David Lang’s memory of visiting Dr. Ryrie in his home in “An Afternoon with Dr. Charles Ryrie,” written by David last year upon the occasion of Ryrie’s death.
Basic Theology (Ryrie)
Regular Price $35.90