Rooted: Theology for Growing Christians

by J.A. Medders, Brandon D. Smith, Russell D. Moore (Foreword)

The word "theology," at its most basic definition, means "words about God." We are all theologians since we all talk about God. We all have a theology, and it's either good or bad. Good theology is the system of roots that keeps our tree of faith vibrant and alive. It keeps us grounded, centered, and yet growing. And when we are rooted, we won’t remain stagnant. In Rooted, Medders and Smith make theology practical for Christians who want to grow in their faith.

Rooted covers the most basic and crucial areas of theology: the Trinity, Scripture, redemption in Christ, and eternity. The authors bring the deeper things of God to light, but without the complexities often associated with theological works. Whether you read this book on your own or with a group with friends, you will have a better understanding of theology and why it matters for your life.

Genres: Theology, Christian

67 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 12, 2016

About the author

J.A. Medders is the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Church in Tomball, TX. He and Natalie have two kids, Ivy and Oliver. Jeff digs snobby coffee, books, and he is an uncertified grillmaster.

He blogs at www.jamedders.com and tweets from @mrmedders. Jeff’s first book, Gospel-Formed: Living a Grace-Addicted, Truth-Filled, Jesus-Exalting Life, is set to release this November from Kregel.

Reviews

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Short, readable and Biblical!! This book is a nice little primer on theology. I enjoyed it, it does not waste a single page with fluff, it hits the main key points of theology. Recommended

[Tim Ogle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, good for discussion.

I liked this book because it was not as “colored,” or biased as many evangelical books are in our current market.

This is a very basic, simple (don’t confuse that as being shallow) explanation of the trots of Christian faith.

[Sophie Reynolds · Rating 1 out of 5]

All in all this isn’t a bad book. It is easy to read and does a decent job with explaining theology for growing Christians. The problem I had was in the editing. On page 21, it refers to Isa. 6:14. I looked that up and found that verse does not exist! I think they meant to write Isa. 6:3 since it refers to the phrase three-times holy which is what that paragraph is written about. Then on page 126, the first sentence says, “This would is not my home.” I believe the author meant to use the word world instead of would. If it wasn’t for the mistakes, I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. Until then, I am not sure how I feel about the authors or this publisher.

[Janna Bartosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really well written, as are all of Medders'books. However, if you've studied theology at all or just sit in a church that teaches Biblical truth on Sundays, you'll likely find this very elementary. For a new Christian or young person just starting to sit under truth, this book would be awesome. Clear exposition of foundational theology.

[Bill Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vibrant theology in a nutshell.

Wonderful , vibrant writing. Good for Christians to polish up their faith and beliefs, and good for non-Christians to discover faith for the first time.

[Caleb Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very intro level into the world of theology and how we’re all theologians at heart. Id say if you already have a good base knowledge of theology then this isn’t the best book but if you want an intro book into this world it’s amazing.

[Brandon Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good little read. If you want to understand your faith better, this book on basic Christian theology will benefit you greatly.

[Nitoy Gonzales · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title “Rooted” gives me the impression that this is just a “one cool word” books that are already out in the market. What got me excited is the subtitle “Theology for Growing Christians”. So this short book is about theology. Actually they call this a “primer” that deals with the basics doctrine of Christianity. So this book doesn’t cover all the doctrines that we believers affirm.

As I read “Rooted” I can assure you that Smith and Medders really delivers and does connect the message to the readers. They know what they are saying and they can convey it in the manner that show the book is enough to be a primer and meaty enough to have great content. Medders provided an easy to digest and accessible explanations similar to his previous book “Gospel Formed” (which you should check it out too). They dropped the ivory tower jargons with millennial-friendly words which can reach believers (and unbelievers as well) whether new or seasoned.

Chapter 1 discusses the Trinity and how Godhead relates to each other. Chapter 2 zooms in the reliability of Scriptures. But I really enjoyed chapters 3 and 4 which tackle about the gospel and eschatology.

“Rooted” is the go to book to learn, unlearn and relearn about some of the basic doctrines that Christians believe. If you’re just starting or already ahead in your Christian journey and you want some map, pick this book up.

My verdict: 4.5 out of 5.

The authors of “Rooted” provided me a review copy of the book.

More book reviews here: https://delightinggrace.wordpress.com

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last chapter on heaven was great encouragement.
A book about theology