Daily Doctrine: A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology

by Kevin DeYoung

Learn Important Systematic Theology Topics Each Day with This Accessible One-Year Devotional

All thoughtful Christians want to better understand the Bible, its author, and its influence on their beliefs. In short—whether they recognize it or not—they want to understand theology. But many find the subject matter too academic, dense, or difficult to understand, and they lack proper study resources to help expand their knowledge of God and his written word.

Designed to make systematic theology clear and accessible for the everyday Christian, this devotional walks through the most important theology topics over the course of a year. Each month is categorized into broad themes, starting with the study of God and concluding with the end times. Written by bestselling author and associate professor of systematic theology Kevin DeYoung, each concise daily reading contains verses for meditation and application, building upon each other and easing readers into the study of systematic theology. 

Written for Thoughtful  Offers pastors, ministry leaders, and everyday Christians access to a theologically rich yet accessible study  One-Year  Daily readings build off one another to help ease readers into systematic theology  Covers Important Theological  Each month covers a different broad theological topic, including mankind, salvation, the church, end times, and more Written by Kevin  Pastor, bestselling author, and associate professor of systematic theology

Genres: Theology, Christian, Devotional, Christianity, Nonfiction, Faith, Religion

408 pages, Hardcover

Published October 22, 2024

About the author

Kevin DeYoung is the Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church (RCA) in East Lansing, Michigan, right across the street from Michigan State University.

Reviews

[Kevin Halloran · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the past dozen years since I graduated seminary, I’ve slowly tried to re-read core texts from my education. I’ve read loads on biblical theology, hermeneutics, ministry, preaching, counseling, and more. But one topic I haven’t read much on is Systematic Theology. One reason is my ministry hasn’t focused on Systematic Theology. Another is that most Systematic Theology books are thick—the newest version of Grudem’s Systematic theology is over 1600 pages!

With this background I decided to pick up Kevin DeYoung’s Daily Doctrine: A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology. I figured a shorter book (432 pages) with daily readings should be the easiest way to trek through such a large topic. My instincts proved correct. Daily Doctrine provides 260 readings (one for each weekday in the year) and is designed to be read daily, although I enjoyed trekking through four or five days at a time.

DeYoung writes from a Presbyterian perspective and at an accessible level—he can distill complex truths in an understandable way in about a page and a half. That’s a major strength of the book. As he teaches, he interacts with some of the great theologians from history and also touches on historical theology that shows the development of doctrines and historical debates behind them.

While I don’t think this book is for everyone, those who it is for will treasure it. I don’t recommend this for more casual lay Christians unless you’re willing to stretch yourself to think deeper about doctrine with a seminary professor. (A more introductory recommendation on doctrine is Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know by Wayne Grudem.) For non-Reformed/Presbyterians, the Presbyterian framework about Covenant Theology and Baptism for instance, may not be as helpful as reading someone you align with more fully. (For example, I wouldn’t recommend this book to newer Christians who attend my EFCA church.)

Some may have a hard time discerning how to understand DeYoung’s view on complex topics like the Impassibility of God. (Sam Storms’s review provided good thoughts on that and other theological differences he had with DeYoung.) But overall I agree with Storms’ assessment of the book’s value: “Please don’t let these minor disagreements hinder you from obtaining and reading Kevin’s book. It is excellent, clear, and will prove to be a blessing to all who read it.”

Those who will benefit most from this work are lay people and leaders wanting to dig deeper into theology to understand the foundations and underpinnings of many of the truths we hold dear. I loved the length of each day and the breadth of topics. I also understand Covenant Theology better than I did before (although I hold more to a Progressive Covenantalism as outlined in Kingdom Through Covenant by Gentry and Wellum).

Overall, with aforementioned caveats I recommend Daily Doctrine. DeYoung’s writing is rich, clear, and devotional. For some, it will be a rigorous theological workout that will benefit them from years to come. For the more theologically trained like pastors and missionaries, it will provide a helpful refresher on doctrine much like a continuing education course. For all, it will open up solid theologians and reading recommendations across a variety of theological topics.

[Derek Woodall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed and greatly valued everything I’ve read by DeYoung, this one being another on that list. I highly recommend someone working their way through this. DeYoung is clear and concise, biblically grounded, historically driven, and delights in knowing God. I am grateful for this one.

[Rainer Erani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewing a book you’ve been reading for a year is hard. It’s like giving a best man speech for a friend you’ve met with every morning to challenge and encourage each other in the faith—three minutes just can’t do it justice.

But alas, I will try. Daily Doctrine by Kevin DeYoung does at least five things exceptionally well: external presentation, internal presentation, systematic categorization, theological articulation, and personal transformation.

External presentation: The book is simply beautiful. It deserves a place of honor on your shelf—it’s that stunning.
Internal presentation: The inside matches the outside. The fonts, colors, and layout are captivating and thoughtfully designed.
Systematic categorization: DeYoung offers an easy-to-follow and easy-to-navigate reference guide. It’s structured in a way that makes finding what you need both quick and satisfying.
Theological articulation: Concepts are clear, concise, well-cited, and well-expressed. Theology isn’t easy to do, but DeYoung gives readers the tools they need to engage deeply and faithfully.
Personal transformation: Doing theology with DeYoung changes you. It reshapes what you love and how you think. Spending time with Daily Doctrine makes you more like Jesus.

The only thing I’d change would be having my copy signed by Pastor Kevin.

[Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven't quite read everything from cover to cover yet, but we've been working through this for most of the year as part of our family worship time, and it is excellent. Both my wife and I have learned much from DeYoung's short-but-rich treatments of each topic. Great as both a systematic theology and a daily devotional.

[Jack Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant, devotional, and classical/historical systematic theology that everyone should read.

[Ben Moser]

I read through this as a daily devotional this year, really enjoyed it

I will continue to use it often as a quick reference for systematic theology

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. Took me 2 months to read it but I learned a lot. Learned so much about being Presbyterian, about religion as a whole, learned about what the Church does and does not believe, and which topics are hills to die on and which are not. Overall would recommend to anyone, it’s a great resource and also feels like I was in seminary classes for 2 months, but a great way to get a little bit of theology under your belt without going to seminary. Great for the layperson, not just pastors or those in ministry, and honestly a lot of these topics come up in conversations with students (specifically the Trinity, predestination & baby baptism) so I’m happy to have a resource for myself as I have the conversations and for them so I can point them somewhere!

[Cale Fauver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin DeYoung is one of my favorite pastors to listen to and read. Always encouraging, deeply exegetical, and has rightly placed humor.

That being said, this is an excellent systematic book. And I can heartily say that as a Reformed Baptist to my Presbyterian brothers!

[Joshua Bremerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

My five-star review of this book does not indicate complete endorsement (I am a Baptist, and happily so, so my disagreements are extensive not only with baptism—but also the new covenant, polity, etc.), but I cannot think of another book written in this style with such a level of both depth and clarity!

I would *highly* recommend this book as a companion for daily readings in the Bible for anyone wanting to take deeper steps into theology.

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This can be read through or taken as a daily devotional. I did the former but recommend the latter as it would have probably helped me take it in more. Helpful overview of lots of theology although worth noting Kevin DeYoung is Presbyterian so it’s in favour of paedo-baptism etc - but quite helpful to understand the arguments!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good devotional book that I read with my wife for family worship. I didn’t agree with everything said since DeYoung is writing from a Presbyterian perspective, but he also in so many chapters showed the different views of different doctrines.

I think there is a need for a similar book from a Reformed Baptist perspective.

[Peter Krol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, bite-sized chunks to systematics that are never breezy or uninsightful. DeYoung takes a (sometimes unnecessary) stand on quite a few debatable topics, but he's always winsome and transparent in his reasoning. Well worth the time, and easy to digest in a single reading per day.

[Donald White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daily Dose of Systematic Theology

This book is well written and full of a deep, rich theology that helps one understand God’s Word better and helps one understand the big picture of God’s redemptive history and plan.

[Douglas Domer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you would like to learn more of Reformed Doctrine, I highly recommend this book. It is loaded with practical aids in the study of Doctrine. I rate books based on content and aids. This book gets my highest rating! DeYoung has included: an Appendix of Works Frequently Cited, a listing of Works Cited, a General Index, and a Scripture Index. I am sure I will return to this book frequently!

[Aaron Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid

[Caleb Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

For what it is, this book is excellent. Surprising that to my knowledge no one had really taken systematic theology and applied it to a daily devotional book (or at least if someone has, not in this type of format and clarity). The strength of this comes in its readability. DeYoung is one of my favorites at making the complex simple. This will be a book I reference for years to come thanks to its layout and chapter titles.

[Ian Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

The strength of this one is brevity. I have never read a systematic theology with such economy of words. If you are looking to read your first systematic theology, start here. It was a delight to read.

[Amelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book to read devotionally. Structured to run for 52 weeks with 5 days of readings per week, this book is an excellent way to fill your week with an introduction to Reformed doctrine. Built on Scripture and buttressed by creeds and confessions, Daily Doctrine provides detailed yet accessible snapshots of Reformed views, rarely over two pages long, while inspiring you to find the tools to zoom in on these snapshots yourself. I’m not on the exact same page as DeYoung on every point of doctrine, but we are in the same chapter of the same book, and I’m grateful for his love for the richness of truth and the goodness of the Reformed church.

[Alex Yauk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and found it very valuable. Modeled on a full systematic theology, DeYoung distilled doctrines down to their essence, leaving the readers with just over one-page summaries of the most important issues.

The book is organized so that readers can read it through by reading one entry Monday-Friday for a year. By limiting himself to one page, DeYoung does the hard work and leaves readers not only with a great (and devotional) reading experience, but also Daily Doctrine becomes a great reference work and jumping off point to deeper study. Recommend!

[John Boyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kevin DeYoung's devotional is unlike any you will find out there. It is a devotional book, but is also a systematic theology book. What a combination! You aren't going to find anything else like this out there. His simple writing with each devotion only a little bigger than a single page covers deep theological truths that are often contained in massive thousand page systematics. Great devotion! Great theology book! I will likely be referencing this book often as the deep truths are presented in such an easy to find and easy to read format.

[Hannah Duggan · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have been reading this book as a part of our devotions after dinner and it almost always sparks further conversation. DeYoung addresses complex topics with the layperson in mind. The theological terms are all defined and the topics are explained in a concise manner. This book has served as a reminder of the important and foundational truths we know to be true. I will be gifting this book to several families this Christmas.

[emma jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an excellent addition to my daily devotional time. Kevin DeYoung is very readable, while still offering a rich depth of information and insight. While I didn’t align with a decent portion of the ecclesiology and eschatology sections, who reads a systematic theology and agrees with everything? 🤷🏼‍♀️ If you do, you’re not really paying attention.
I learned so much and was challenged in many areas to think more deeply about certain aspects of theology. I will definitely revisit it in the future, both as a reference book for specific topics, and perhaps in a few years to go through again devotionally.

[Terry Dykstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good devotional with digestible bits of systematic theology. Only quibbles I have are that some of the chapters needed more depth and time than the format allowed. The brevity also didn’t allow for much of DeYoung’s usual personality and wit to shine through as I enjoy from him. Otherwise nice to have a devotional that’s five days a week allowing some flexibility.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a 5 min a day dose of doctrine. It is is organized like a typical systematic theology with 260 short readings. It's very accessible and not overly technical. It's a good way for someone to cover the breath of ST topics at a high level with the aim to worship God for his revealed truth.

[Lindsey Eggleston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good intro point into theology but it still had some dense portions that I had to google in order to gain better understanding. I really enjoyed the daily format. I could re read this every year and keep learning something new because it covers so much.

[Cory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though I disagree with DeYoung on the covenants, church polity, and how strongly various modern deviations should be refuted, this book is incredible. It will be a go-to doctrinal resource. DeYoung is like Berkhof in his ability to be deep and clear.

[Grant Hohlbein · Rating 4 out of 5]

JAM PACKED

[Kirwan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mini systematic theology in the form of a one-year devotional. DeYoung writes from a Reformed Presbyterian perspective while fairly presenting other perspectives. Very useful, and a nice challenge for dipping ones toes into deeper theological concepts.

[J. Alfred · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a real systematic theology, done in bite sized chunks to read with your cereal each morning. Grounded in scripture and history, filled with useful quotes from high strata of Reformed thought, and extremely readable.
A useful gift to the church from the excellent Kevin DeYoung.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

On one of his Plodcasts, my pastor, Douglas Wilson, recommended reading DeYoung’s book. The daily entries are short and concise. I ended up reading many more than one entry a day.