Presbytopia: What it means to be Presbyterian

by Ken Golden

When people visit churches, they come with questions. What do you believe about the Bible? How are you different from the church down the street? Why should I become a member of a Presbyterian Church? These are important questions, and questions that sometimes presbyterians don’t even know the answer to! Ken Golden considers the distinctives of being a presbyterian, the basis for making a profession of faith and the role of the church as a means of grace.

144 pages, Paperback

Published March 20, 2016

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

My family and I are in the process of joining an OPC church. Presbytopia was one of the books that were given to us to read for membership. I cannot recommend this book enough. I actually grabbed a couple of extra copies to give to loved ones. The author expertly explains the Christian faith and the Reformed distinctives with the art of simplicity. There is no additional fluff in this book and each section is direct to the point, yet does not read as boring theology.

He directly deals with the following topics: Bible, God, Man, Sin, Christ, Justification, Sanctification, Doctrines of Grace, Church Government, Worship, Preaching, Baptism, Lord's Supper, and Prayer. Each chapter is written within 5-8 pages and has discussion questions for further study.

If you are interested in an introduction to what the Orthodox Presbyterian Church believes and practices, I would recommend this book.

[Zack · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-written, clear, and brisk introduction to Reformed theology, worship, and church life. Golden does a good job here. I love the title, by the way!

Some notes:
- he adopts a three-office view
- in his general introduction to Presbyterianism/Reformed theology, he begins with TULIP (as opposed to the five solas, which aren’t mentioned)
- unless I missed it, there is no mention of union with Christ in the sections discussing salvation or sacraments
- he presents the three-office view (which makes sense, as he is an OPC minister)
- the strongest sections are the ones on worship and TULIP

[landrejczyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES. READ THIS. MS. LINDMEIER AND MS. TOMASSI HAVE TO READ THIS YESSS. that’s all i have to say. i am simply an incoherent biological nightmare. farewell my beloved cheese bags.

[BarricadeBoiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

YESSSSS

[Bob O'Bannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very handy and brief introduction to evangelical Presbyterianism. Golden starts with an explanation of the orthodox, evangelical gospel (so this is good for people new to the faith as well), then moves into discussions of Presbyterian distinctives, such as covenant theology, Calvinism, infant baptism and the regulative principal of worship. I love the appendix, which gives a sample order of Presbyterian worship, along with Scriptural support for each element and rationale for their placement in the liturgy.

[Rebekah Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a concise but rich summary of what Presbyterians believe, every Presbyterian should read this book and a great resource for Presbyterian ministers to use with their congregations in different contexts

[Sean McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful introduction. I have a few quibbles, title included, but overall a very good work.

[Matthew Rawlings · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent little introduction to the presbyterian model. Recommended.

[Iversenandrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful. Informative. Great launching pad into further reading and wrestling.