The fundamental principles which underlie any course of study are called simply "the basics." The basics are the ABCs, the nuts and bolts. They are the essentials, the things we must master before we can become proficient in any particular field. But the basics are also things to which we must return when we lose our bearings. They are the bedrock, apart from which we have no hope of standing.
This is a biblical study text. It covers the basic tenets of Christianity which I thought I was already familiar with, but the book brought them new depth and new understanding. It took a year to read it because I was reading along with a bible study group that met sporadically. It also has quite a bit of conversation about the grammar of ancient Greek and ancient Hebrew and talks about how knowing the root language adds to the understanding of the bible. I want to read it again, and I would recommend this book to all Christians or anyone interested in knowing more about Christianity.