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Concise Theology
Theology matters! At last it can be understood easily, thanks to this “layman's language” approach to biblical belief. Authored by J. I. Packer, one of the premier theologians of Christianity, this summary of Christian teaching covers nearly 100 major Christian beliefs from a Reformed perspective. Brief, easy-to-understand chapters offer precise descriptions without sacrificing depth. Thoughtfully arranged and refreshingly readable, this is a book that belongs on the shelf of every Christian.
288 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1993
441 people are currently reading
2639 people want to read
About the author
J.I. Packer
446 books925 followersWhat do J. I. Packer, Billy Graham and Richard John Neuhaus have in common? Each was recently named by TIME magazine as among the 25 most influential evangelicals in America.
Dr. Packer, the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College, was hailed by TIME as “a doctrinal Solomon” among Protestants. “Mediating debates on everything from a particular Bible translation to the acceptability of free-flowing Pentecostal spirituality, Packer helps unify a community [evangelicalism] that could easily fall victim to its internal tensions.”
Knowing God, Dr. Packer’s seminal 1973 work, was lauded as a book which articulated shared beliefs for members of diverse denominations; the TIME profile quotes Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington as saying, “conservative Methodists and Presbyterians and Baptists could all look to [Knowing God] and say, ‘This sums it all up for us.’”
In a similar tribute to Dr. Packer almost ten years ago, American theologian Mark Noll wrote in Christianity Today that, “Packer’s ability to address immensely important subjects in crisp, succinct sentences is one of the reasons why, both as an author and speaker, he has played such an important role among American evangelicals for four decades.”
For over 25 years Regent College students have been privileged to study under Dr. Packer’s clear and lucid teaching, and our faculty, staff and students celebrate the international recognition he rightly receives as a leading Christian thinker and teacher.
(https://www.regent-college.edu/facult...)
Dr. Packer, the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College, was hailed by TIME as “a doctrinal Solomon” among Protestants. “Mediating debates on everything from a particular Bible translation to the acceptability of free-flowing Pentecostal spirituality, Packer helps unify a community [evangelicalism] that could easily fall victim to its internal tensions.”
Knowing God, Dr. Packer’s seminal 1973 work, was lauded as a book which articulated shared beliefs for members of diverse denominations; the TIME profile quotes Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington as saying, “conservative Methodists and Presbyterians and Baptists could all look to [Knowing God] and say, ‘This sums it all up for us.’”
In a similar tribute to Dr. Packer almost ten years ago, American theologian Mark Noll wrote in Christianity Today that, “Packer’s ability to address immensely important subjects in crisp, succinct sentences is one of the reasons why, both as an author and speaker, he has played such an important role among American evangelicals for four decades.”
For over 25 years Regent College students have been privileged to study under Dr. Packer’s clear and lucid teaching, and our faculty, staff and students celebrate the international recognition he rightly receives as a leading Christian thinker and teacher.
(https://www.regent-college.edu/facult...)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
October 30, 2020
In July 2020, the church lost a great titan of the Christian faith. J.I. Packer went to be with the Lord he loved so much. He was as he once said, "British by birth and Canadian by choice." This man of God wielded a mighty influence on countless numbers of people all around the world.
One of my biggest regrets in life is falling asleep during a Packer sermon when I was an immature Bible College student. Put off by his British accent and outdated dress, I withered away an opportunity as true greatness stood before me. The funny thing is that Dr. Packer would have recoiled at the reference to "greatness" uttered in the same sentence as his name. A good friend once shared how Packer rebuked an audience for giving him a standing ovation - when God alone is worthy of such adulation.
Thirty years after my mistaken nap during Dr. Packer's sermon, I heard him again - this time at a conference in Minneapolis, celebrating Jonathan Edwards' 300th birthday. I remember being captivated by Packer's sermon. He was simply riveting. His accent was no longer a problem. I could care less about his taste in clothing. This man was delivering the Word of God with passion, authority, and God-centered resolve.
Most people credit R.C. Sproul with the resurgence of Reformed theology in America. It's probably true that Dr. Sproul is behind a lion's share of the renewed interest in Calvinism, otherwise known as the doctrines of grace. And John Piper is certainly a key player when one considers the uptick in Reformed thought, especially among young men and pastors. If R.C. Sproul is the mind behind Reformed theology and John Piper is the heart behind the Reformed faith in the 21st century. Surely then, J.I. Packer is the backbone of Reformed theology. When J.I. Packer penned Knowing God in 1973, the evangelical world reverberated with Christ-centered joy as he reminded the church about the essential attributes of God.
Thankfully, Crossway Books is committed to keeping the memory of J.I. Packer alive with the recent re-publication of Concise Theology, which first appeared in 1993. Concise Theology is quite frankly a mini-systematic theology. Instead of taking 50 pages to explore the doctrine of the Trinity or the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, this book narrows the discussion to a few pages. Thus, the great benefit of this work is its brevity. In a few minutes, readers can get a solid overview of a subject from a world-renowned Reformed theologian.
Concise Theology is a must-read for pastors and students of theology. Each chapter invites readers to ponder the depth and profundity of the Scriptures, which always directs their gaze to a holy God.
One of my biggest regrets in life is falling asleep during a Packer sermon when I was an immature Bible College student. Put off by his British accent and outdated dress, I withered away an opportunity as true greatness stood before me. The funny thing is that Dr. Packer would have recoiled at the reference to "greatness" uttered in the same sentence as his name. A good friend once shared how Packer rebuked an audience for giving him a standing ovation - when God alone is worthy of such adulation.
Thirty years after my mistaken nap during Dr. Packer's sermon, I heard him again - this time at a conference in Minneapolis, celebrating Jonathan Edwards' 300th birthday. I remember being captivated by Packer's sermon. He was simply riveting. His accent was no longer a problem. I could care less about his taste in clothing. This man was delivering the Word of God with passion, authority, and God-centered resolve.
Most people credit R.C. Sproul with the resurgence of Reformed theology in America. It's probably true that Dr. Sproul is behind a lion's share of the renewed interest in Calvinism, otherwise known as the doctrines of grace. And John Piper is certainly a key player when one considers the uptick in Reformed thought, especially among young men and pastors. If R.C. Sproul is the mind behind Reformed theology and John Piper is the heart behind the Reformed faith in the 21st century. Surely then, J.I. Packer is the backbone of Reformed theology. When J.I. Packer penned Knowing God in 1973, the evangelical world reverberated with Christ-centered joy as he reminded the church about the essential attributes of God.
Thankfully, Crossway Books is committed to keeping the memory of J.I. Packer alive with the recent re-publication of Concise Theology, which first appeared in 1993. Concise Theology is quite frankly a mini-systematic theology. Instead of taking 50 pages to explore the doctrine of the Trinity or the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, this book narrows the discussion to a few pages. Thus, the great benefit of this work is its brevity. In a few minutes, readers can get a solid overview of a subject from a world-renowned Reformed theologian.
Concise Theology is a must-read for pastors and students of theology. Each chapter invites readers to ponder the depth and profundity of the Scriptures, which always directs their gaze to a holy God.
May 11, 2018
Despite how very long it took me to read, I really loved this book. It's not necessarily designed for reading cover to cover like this, more as a reference book. But it was definitely worth it. Now I am familiar with it, and can remember to use it as a resource later.
And it will be an excellent one.
My favorite section was his chapter on Election. In less than 3 pages, he managed to give me a clearer picture of election than anything else I've heard or read.
Not that that's all I loved. In almost every chapter there was a moment of, "Woah! That makes perfect sense."
So yeah, five stars, for sure.
And it will be an excellent one.
My favorite section was his chapter on Election. In less than 3 pages, he managed to give me a clearer picture of election than anything else I've heard or read.
Not that that's all I loved. In almost every chapter there was a moment of, "Woah! That makes perfect sense."
So yeah, five stars, for sure.
Read
October 11, 2024― “The Gospel is punctuated with ‘I Am’ statements that have special significance because I am (Greek: ego eimi) was used to render God’s name in the Greek translation of Exodus 3:14; whenever John reports Jesus as saying ego eimi, a claim to deity is implicit.”
― J.I. Packer, Concise Theology
(Note: My reading has taken a big hit over the last fifteen days. I should have finished this book ten days ago. But Hurricane Helene brought devastation to our beloved mountains of North Carolina. While we are safe, we have been without power for that entire period and anticipate another six weeks without power.)
As a young Christian in college 54 years ago, one of the first authors I became familiar with was J. I. Packer. He is a respected theologian and author of Knowing God (published 1973) and Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God (1961).
In his book Concise Theology, Packer covers the essentials of theology from a Reformed perspective in 94 topics over 267 pages. Brief, easy-to-read chapters offer precise descriptions without sacrificing depth. Topics are two to four pages in length and in laymen’s language. Despite the seeming brevity, Packer has managed to provide a surprising amount of detail. It is a fantastic refence book. One of the things I found especially helpful was the many scriptural references that back up his statements.
While I have a copy of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, it is 1,291 pages in length. That’s quite intimidating, to say the least. Busy readers will appreciate Packer's wonderful book.
― J.I. Packer, Concise Theology
(Note: My reading has taken a big hit over the last fifteen days. I should have finished this book ten days ago. But Hurricane Helene brought devastation to our beloved mountains of North Carolina. While we are safe, we have been without power for that entire period and anticipate another six weeks without power.)
As a young Christian in college 54 years ago, one of the first authors I became familiar with was J. I. Packer. He is a respected theologian and author of Knowing God (published 1973) and Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God (1961).
In his book Concise Theology, Packer covers the essentials of theology from a Reformed perspective in 94 topics over 267 pages. Brief, easy-to-read chapters offer precise descriptions without sacrificing depth. Topics are two to four pages in length and in laymen’s language. Despite the seeming brevity, Packer has managed to provide a surprising amount of detail. It is a fantastic refence book. One of the things I found especially helpful was the many scriptural references that back up his statements.
While I have a copy of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, it is 1,291 pages in length. That’s quite intimidating, to say the least. Busy readers will appreciate Packer's wonderful book.
September 10, 2019
2010: I was gripped by this book! Not sure why precisely -- I don't always find theology gripping. Packer was repeatedly able to condense massive, complex concepts into only a paragraph or two and yet leave me feeling satisfied. I enjoyed the comprehensive scope -- this was my first foray into a systematic theology cover to cover. Most encouraging was how practical I found this book to be -- it was spilling into my everyday life all the time, which has to be theology at it's best.
2019: Read together with our elders over the course of a year or so - a very helpful exercise.
2019: Read together with our elders over the course of a year or so - a very helpful exercise.
November 18, 2024
Concise Theology makes good on the promise of its title (which is quite a feat). Packer manages to address all of the major points of reformed theology while keeping each point concise and easily digestible. This book is great for personal devotion, straight-through reading, or just quick referencing.
As I mentioned, each chapter addresses a topic of theology. Packer gives the orthodox reformed view of each topic, and manages to keep each topic to less than 2 pages. This book has been very helpful when trying to explain what I believe to others, or just as a reference to the mainline reformed view on a topic.
As I mentioned, each chapter addresses a topic of theology. Packer gives the orthodox reformed view of each topic, and manages to keep each topic to less than 2 pages. This book has been very helpful when trying to explain what I believe to others, or just as a reference to the mainline reformed view on a topic.
August 6, 2025
I received this book as a high school graduation gift, and after 8 years and several restarts, I’ve finally finished it.
Don’t be fooled into believing that “Concise” means “simple.” Each short chapter is packed with scripture references and no sentence is wasted. It’s best read in short chunks, with an open Bible by your side.
This has been a helpful resource to me over the years, and I’m sure that I’ll keep coming back to it when I need a concise clarification on any particular doctrine.
Don’t be fooled into believing that “Concise” means “simple.” Each short chapter is packed with scripture references and no sentence is wasted. It’s best read in short chunks, with an open Bible by your side.
This has been a helpful resource to me over the years, and I’m sure that I’ll keep coming back to it when I need a concise clarification on any particular doctrine.
February 9, 2025
Deliver’s on the title’s premise. It was really sweet working through this slowly with a student. Will definitely function well as a reference in the future, especially with how dedicated Packer is with including scripture with each theological statement.
March 12, 2021
An excellent foundation when trying to understand an overview of biblical, reformed theology.
March 8, 2024
Excellent. Joyful, well-written, and Scripture-rich.
June 1, 2024
A solid book that summarizes a number of theological topics in a way this is succinct, specific, and understandable. I can see this being a reference point for me later on as each chapter offers many Scripture references for further understanding.
March 27, 2024
"Why waste time say lot word when few word do trick?"
Our staff team read this over the last year or so during our weekly staff meetings. Highly recommend!
Our staff team read this over the last year or so during our weekly staff meetings. Highly recommend!
August 19, 2020
Read a chapter or two each day over the span of three months. This is a helpful, biblical introduction to systematic theology disciplines, thought it is not robust and not truly a systematic theology text (know that before you get it).
Essentially, Packer writes 3-4 pages on various theological subjects with many Scripture references throughout (not much is offered in the way of exegesis though - much more proof/texting, though it’s helpful).
Would be ideal for lay people to get started in reading theology and to discover more subjects they want to give focused study to.
Essentially, Packer writes 3-4 pages on various theological subjects with many Scripture references throughout (not much is offered in the way of exegesis though - much more proof/texting, though it’s helpful).
Would be ideal for lay people to get started in reading theology and to discover more subjects they want to give focused study to.
March 17, 2019
Clear and straight to the point. Highly recommended.
March 11, 2023
Excerpt from my Frontline Internship reflection paper:
This is the second time in attempting to read through Concise Theology, the first time being in Frontline’s Leadership Development Cohort last year. This book has proved yet again to be more difficult to bring myself to sit down and read due to its academic writing style and quick, dense theological teaching. But with this second reading being within the internship program, and having a dramatic increase of time to devote to reading overall, I was able to digest larger chunks of the book. At first, the book’s chapter flow made it difficult to retain teachings as I read, but once I developed a consistent reading rhythm, the logical trajectory was much more manageable and I was able to better process the theology as I read.
Some real benefit came from the stretch of chapters covering who Christ is and what He came to do. One profound realization is of the strong link between the Trinity and the Incarnation (Ch 39). This may have more to do with my reading of Delighting In The Trinity, but this book’s overview of the Godhood and the humanity of man, as expressed in these two concepts, has served to aim my view of Jesus in a more human way than I thought. This aim then created a more firm groundwork for His role as a faithful High Priest (Mediation) who has been tempted and tried in every way humans have, and deeper than I had originally thought. This most likely comes from a long-standing view I have of Jesus being this lofty, distant concept of a being rather than a living, present, active person that actually loves and feels and moves through the Holy Spirit.
As dense as this book is, this second reading helped me realize the benefit of how detailed it is in such a short amount of time. It’s especially helpful in how it illuminates the nuance of important concepts of the Christian life that are often conflated. A particularly insightful section of the book started with its third part on how God is revealed as the Lord of Grace. A couple examples are the concepts of Justification and Adoption – as Packer states, “adoption is the crowning blessing, to which justification clears the way”. This highlights an importance of justification being the means to the ultimate end of God’s work: a relationship as a loving Father. The chapters on Regeneration and Sanctification likewise brought distinction to this process: a loving Father wants his adopted children to bear his character using implanted desires to love Him back (Regeneration), yet there lies the “working out” of our own salvation to fulfill those desires (Sanctification), which is a “conflict and frustration” in sinful Christians as long we are in the body. Having this detailed knowledge of the process of how God works is a lot to handle all at once, but upon processing and internalizing it over time, I feel confident it will grow my love for God and for how he works.
A quick aside: one chapter in particular I recall feeling particular strain over was on the Inward Witness (Ch 5). I have a tense feeling when I ponder that the heart of Scripture won’t make sense until the Holy Spirit reveals the wisdom to a person. I can probably attribute why I feel this to how often I value wisdom and logic of the world on its own, rather than trusting the wisdom Jesus gives, which could honestly make me look like an idiot to a number of people that don’t trust Him. There’s definitely some pride in wisdom I have there that still needs to be sanctified out of me…
Overall, keeping up with the weekly readings of Concise Theology has honestly been a battle, and I admit that I’ve lowered it as a priority compared to other tasks and readings. I have never been particularly diligent with reading heavy theological books before giving up, which is something I want to improve in myself going forward. Hopefully the reading rhythms I’ve put into place in the last few weeks will help me grow in that way and gain deeper insight from extremely wise authors and theologians who love Jesus.
This is the second time in attempting to read through Concise Theology, the first time being in Frontline’s Leadership Development Cohort last year. This book has proved yet again to be more difficult to bring myself to sit down and read due to its academic writing style and quick, dense theological teaching. But with this second reading being within the internship program, and having a dramatic increase of time to devote to reading overall, I was able to digest larger chunks of the book. At first, the book’s chapter flow made it difficult to retain teachings as I read, but once I developed a consistent reading rhythm, the logical trajectory was much more manageable and I was able to better process the theology as I read.
Some real benefit came from the stretch of chapters covering who Christ is and what He came to do. One profound realization is of the strong link between the Trinity and the Incarnation (Ch 39). This may have more to do with my reading of Delighting In The Trinity, but this book’s overview of the Godhood and the humanity of man, as expressed in these two concepts, has served to aim my view of Jesus in a more human way than I thought. This aim then created a more firm groundwork for His role as a faithful High Priest (Mediation) who has been tempted and tried in every way humans have, and deeper than I had originally thought. This most likely comes from a long-standing view I have of Jesus being this lofty, distant concept of a being rather than a living, present, active person that actually loves and feels and moves through the Holy Spirit.
As dense as this book is, this second reading helped me realize the benefit of how detailed it is in such a short amount of time. It’s especially helpful in how it illuminates the nuance of important concepts of the Christian life that are often conflated. A particularly insightful section of the book started with its third part on how God is revealed as the Lord of Grace. A couple examples are the concepts of Justification and Adoption – as Packer states, “adoption is the crowning blessing, to which justification clears the way”. This highlights an importance of justification being the means to the ultimate end of God’s work: a relationship as a loving Father. The chapters on Regeneration and Sanctification likewise brought distinction to this process: a loving Father wants his adopted children to bear his character using implanted desires to love Him back (Regeneration), yet there lies the “working out” of our own salvation to fulfill those desires (Sanctification), which is a “conflict and frustration” in sinful Christians as long we are in the body. Having this detailed knowledge of the process of how God works is a lot to handle all at once, but upon processing and internalizing it over time, I feel confident it will grow my love for God and for how he works.
A quick aside: one chapter in particular I recall feeling particular strain over was on the Inward Witness (Ch 5). I have a tense feeling when I ponder that the heart of Scripture won’t make sense until the Holy Spirit reveals the wisdom to a person. I can probably attribute why I feel this to how often I value wisdom and logic of the world on its own, rather than trusting the wisdom Jesus gives, which could honestly make me look like an idiot to a number of people that don’t trust Him. There’s definitely some pride in wisdom I have there that still needs to be sanctified out of me…
Overall, keeping up with the weekly readings of Concise Theology has honestly been a battle, and I admit that I’ve lowered it as a priority compared to other tasks and readings. I have never been particularly diligent with reading heavy theological books before giving up, which is something I want to improve in myself going forward. Hopefully the reading rhythms I’ve put into place in the last few weeks will help me grow in that way and gain deeper insight from extremely wise authors and theologians who love Jesus.
January 21, 2023
I give this book four stars because there are some areas where I do disagree theologically with Packer, but that’s mainly because of his Anglican heritage. Nonetheless, Christians can greatly benefit from this book. Personally, I’ve found it to be a helpful resource for quickly gathering insights into biblical doctrines and had used it numerous times before I went all the way through it. I think this work accomplishes the goal of providing a concise theology for its readers and many would benefit from spending some time in it.
January 26, 2023
Definitely an impressive summation of 94 “topics?”. I wish I had understood what I was picking up more, and I would love to read this in a group setting. Packer does an impressive job of writing with scripture and the book might honestly have more scripture references than his own words. Solid read, I’d recommend studying it in a group
May 30, 2022
This book is indeed THE theology book I’m going to be recommending for a very long time. Packer is able to describe the loftiest of theological terminology and study in right around three to four pages. I’m not sure how he does it, but it made this read easy to take in, in such a way I’ve never been able to find before. Packers does it in a way that is both Bible-honoring, yet written in a way for any believer to grasp (theology degree or not). I loved this book.
March 5, 2024
It’s usefulness is in the title. Concise not trivial. Theology that produces praise and prayer. Practical and warm in the way Packer does so well.
July 21, 2025
Oh how I loved this book. Packer has a way of detailing foundational concepts to Reformed theology in (get this) concise terms. It was edifying and yet incredibly digestible (even tho it took me 6 months to read).
March 21, 2024
Wonderfully precise and easy to understand definitions and concepts. I plan to give each one of my young adult children a copy for reference. Very grateful for this work by Packer.
January 4, 2018
Words cannot fully express how helped I was by this book (key word: fully).
J. I. Packer thoroughly explains historic Christian beliefs from a Reformed position. His process is similar to the Westminster Confession (which he often quotes), using Scripture references to support each conclusion; fortunately, Packer takes more time explaining and discussing each theological concept, making it easier to understand.
Although easy to understand, it is important--and I highly suggest--that readers take their time when going through this book. Scripture references should be checked, theological concepts should be pondered, and further research should be done in response to any unsettled feelings one has toward comments made in this book.
Remember, "the best of men are men at best," so if you disagree with any doctrinal statement made, continue your research! The Holy Spirit will guide you and reveal the truth of Scripture. And doctrine must be based on Scripture in its entirety.
J. I. Packer thoroughly explains historic Christian beliefs from a Reformed position. His process is similar to the Westminster Confession (which he often quotes), using Scripture references to support each conclusion; fortunately, Packer takes more time explaining and discussing each theological concept, making it easier to understand.
Although easy to understand, it is important--and I highly suggest--that readers take their time when going through this book. Scripture references should be checked, theological concepts should be pondered, and further research should be done in response to any unsettled feelings one has toward comments made in this book.
Remember, "the best of men are men at best," so if you disagree with any doctrinal statement made, continue your research! The Holy Spirit will guide you and reveal the truth of Scripture. And doctrine must be based on Scripture in its entirety.
June 3, 2025
It’s difficult to emphasise quite how much I love this book. Packer concisely yet thoroughly explains a wide range of theological topics, with a clarity and accessibility that is quite remarkable. As you would expect, Packer approaches his subject from a classically reformed position and draws frequently from the Westminster Confession as part of his wider Anglican heritage.
This is not necessarily a book to sit down and read cover to cover, but the fact that each topic is covered in two or three pages and is accompanied by copious scripture references makes it ideal for personal devotions, Sunday School classes, or home groups.
This is not necessarily a book to sit down and read cover to cover, but the fact that each topic is covered in two or three pages and is accompanied by copious scripture references makes it ideal for personal devotions, Sunday School classes, or home groups.
June 21, 2018
This book was a perfect breakfast devotional or rather daily read. Each morning before school we would read a chapter (2 to 3 pages) concerning a topic. The explanations of the various aspects of theology were very concise and loaded with bible references that backed up the explanations. This book is also a great tool to do a quick look-up of various beliefs and where they come from, especially when you have a differences in view concerning an aspect of theology. Some of the terminology was over one or another of my kids head, and some of the work was difficult on the tongue. Still superior as an over-all guide.
May 17, 2014
This is the most concise book on systematic theology I've seen that is legitimate. So, I suppose it is aptly named. It is succinct, chock-full of Scriptural references, and still thorough. Great intro book for anyone wanting a survey of orthodox Christianity.
March 9, 2024
The format of this book is what I enjoyed most. It takes various topics of theology and gives a short 3-5 min read for each. While I listened to this on audio I will be buying for my bookshelf as a quick reference guide.
June 16, 2023
I've been reading this book at a snail's pace for many months, and it's helped me in my walk with Christ by deepening my understanding of Christian doctrine. Concise Theology is what it says on the tin: a pit-stop volume of systematic theology where each doctrine (94 in total) is considered on 2-2.5 pages. While concise and straightforward, Packer is not cursory or superficial. His chapters are full of biblical truth, and doctrine is analysed and applied in the faithful spirit of the Reformers, the Puritans, and the Westminster Confession. My favourite chapters were the ones on justification, repentance, the Second Coming, and heaven. This is a great book for the Christian who wants to read a systematic theology but who can't currently commit to Grudem or Berkhof because life is, at times, busy.
February 15, 2022
Packer has a real gift for saying something clear, biblical and profound with remarkable economy. In one or two places the chapter headings were quirky (the main discussion of faith in the order of salvation came in the chapter entitled 'works'), there was a bit more of Westminster than I thought there needed to be (especially in such a concise theology!), and in the third quarter of the book I wasn't as consistently 'with' Packer as the rest of the time. And of course the nature of the beast (90+ chapters of 2-3 pages on each of the key doctrinal loci) means it's more of a reference book than a sit down and soak it in right through read.
But the strengths are manifold: the opening few chapters are really excellent, the tone throughout is often pastoral or doxological, the sense of proportion is frequently astonishing ('you remembered to say that! Bravo'). Peter Jensen apparently checks this book every time he's about to teach on a doctrinal loci. I think I'll do the same.
But the strengths are manifold: the opening few chapters are really excellent, the tone throughout is often pastoral or doxological, the sense of proportion is frequently astonishing ('you remembered to say that! Bravo'). Peter Jensen apparently checks this book every time he's about to teach on a doctrinal loci. I think I'll do the same.
April 12, 2022
Expect it to be exactly what the title says that it is, and in the finest way, at that. An abundance of topics are covered beautifully without being dauntingly dense. Could see that this is probably better read as a reference as opposed to being read cover to cover (I did the latter), but I didn't mind since I'm in the phase of just trying to comprehend the basics of theology vs supplementing lots of prior knowledge I already learned before. Am between 4 and 5 stars simply because I felt some sections could've been expounded upon a bit more, but then I thought... this book is called CONCISE Theology, and it excels at that, so I'll give it 5.
October 2, 2022
Dr. Packer is well known and respected as a solid, traditional Christian theologian. "Concise theology" just sounds like a contradiction - so I only tried this book because of Packer's reputation. I was right to trust him.
The book is 94 different theological words or phrases explained in 2 or 3 pages each. Despite the brevity in text, there is good depth in thought. Everything seems like solid, historical Christian thinking. The Scriptural grounding is abundant and appropriate. This will be my go-to first consultation in the future when I am researching a new topic. I would never stop at this book, but it is a good start.
The book is 94 different theological words or phrases explained in 2 or 3 pages each. Despite the brevity in text, there is good depth in thought. Everything seems like solid, historical Christian thinking. The Scriptural grounding is abundant and appropriate. This will be my go-to first consultation in the future when I am researching a new topic. I would never stop at this book, but it is a good start.
March 11, 2022
The title says it all. A concise guide to reformed theology. Read this about 15 years ago, re-reading and found it better than the first time.
He presents his side of controversial issues like baptism, but does not alienate the differing viewpoints. This is a good read for someone new to the faith who just needs simple explanations to why we believe what we believe on any given topic.
He presents his side of controversial issues like baptism, but does not alienate the differing viewpoints. This is a good read for someone new to the faith who just needs simple explanations to why we believe what we believe on any given topic.
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