The 2011 award-winning publication The Christian Faith garnered wide praise as a thorough, well-informed treatment of the philosophical foundations of Christian theology, the classical elements of systematic theology, and exegesis of relevant biblical texts. Pilgrim Theology distills the distinctive benefits of this approach into a more accessible introduction designed for classroom and group study.
In this book, Michael Horton guides readers through a preliminary exploration of Christian theology in ‘a Reformed key.’ Horton reviews the biblical passages that give rise to a particular doctrine in addition to surveying past and present interpretations. Also included are sidebars showing the key distinctions readers need to grasp on a particular subject, helpful charts and tables illuminating exegetical and historical topics, and questions at the end of each chapter for individual, classroom, and small group reflection.
Pilgrim Theology will help undergraduate students of theology and educated laypersons gain an understanding of the Christian tradition’s biblical and historical foundations.
Buy it on Amazon.com or you can find it on Zondervan’s site.
- Hardcover: 512 pages
- Publisher: Zondervan (February 5, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0310330645
- ISBN-13: 978-0310330646
- Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.6 x 9.5 inches
Learn more about the book from our friends at the koinonia (Zondervan) blog:
My own thoughts?
I don’t know how I can say anything negative about this book (and I am not just being nice). It is a Reformed systematic theology for people who don’t want to read a text that feels like systematic theology. He laces countless hours of research and the study of the Word of God with evidence of himself scuffling through the truths and their application.
What I found most helpful was his organization of thoughts and the ease of which he approaches different subjects. Many people, including Horton himself, say that this text is a gutted version of his larger systematic work, Christian Faith. Though gutted by about half the depth as his larger work (Horton took out ~500 pages), Pilgrim Theology is a steller introduction to systematics. Pertinent theological terms are highlighted, typically given their own special attention off to the side, and included in the glossary at the back of the book. Following the glossary, Horton has supplied his (visual) readers with a chart that takes students from the Scriptures to application in an array of concepts (in the same format that he has written his entire systematic theology in, from Drama —> Doctrine —> Doxology —> Discipline). The chart is followed by Scripture, Subject, and Author indexes.
As far as ease of reading and organization of content, this is a 4.5/5 stars and a text that every student should have on their shelf. I would love to have a copy of his larger work, Christian Faith, to compare this to but until then I say that this is a solid resource for someone seeking a understanding of Reformed theology.
*This book was provided free from our friends at Zondervan.com with our promise of an unbiased summary/review.
