Everyday Theology - Bible Study Book: What You Believe Matters

by Mary Wiley

Theology is the study of God, what He has done, is doing, and will do in the world. And it’s not just for those with formal education or those who work at your church. It’s for you in your everyday moments, questions, and decisions. It’s for the big and little, the exciting and mundane. Our theology is the basis of our faith and touches every part of our existence.
 
In this 8-session study, explore the essential doctrines of Scripture, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, humanity, salvation, the church, and the end times to know God more deeply through these foundational truths.
 
 

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

208 pages, Paperback

Published February 3, 2020

Reviews

[Laura Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry to be the downer here. I am new to the world of Bible study books so I guess maybe I’m not the person to ask. But, although this book had good info, I found myself not compelled to read/study it. This was due to 1) not having the verses she referenced just IN the book. That couldn’t have been hard. And there were SO MANY, which I appreciated from a theological standpoint. However, having to look up all those verses was cumbersome. And that brings me to 2) a lot of times, after having you look up the verse, it would be summarized anyway. And there were a lot of questions she asked and you were supposed to write about, but then she would go into what she thought right after.

So, it just felt super tedious in its set up to me. I would have rather just read what she thought with the verses right there, and then a few discussion questions that didn’t involve me basically writing down what she was going to say anyway.

All that said, I only actually answered the questions and looked up verses for the first two sessions. After that I just read the book. I think I got about as much out of the other six as the first two.

So good info, tedious set up.

[Sarah Creek · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a youth leader, I used this book as a guide for a year long study of theology. We did each day as a week and spent our Sundays during the school year diving deeper into God’s word. Highly recommend!

[Ashley Chesnut · Rating 5 out of 5]

I studied Mary’s book with my small group, most of whom are young in the faith, and we had great discussions about the various doctrines in this book. We took 2 weeks for discussing each “session,” which helped spread out the homework, and we would usually spend time walking through one of the biblical texts from that week’s homework.

We also concluded each week by each person filling in the following blank: “Based on what we’ve studied this week, we as Christians are a people who…” Then, we would share our responses with one another. This prompt helped give clarity on what we believe and do as Christians. Highly recommend this study!

[Lexi | Type6Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good study. It challenged me question what I’ve always believed to see if it was true. It also challenged me to see things in a different way I’ve never noticed. This would be a good study if you’re a new or old believer. It gives the foundation of our faith and helps us understand why we believe what we believe.

[Brandon Sparks · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Bible studies go, this one is fairly short and effective - this is part of an upcoming program at my church, and my goal in reading through it in advance was to familiarize myself with it and see how it will fit into a group setting. I think this works well as an overview of the basics of Christian belief, which is great for a new believer or anyone wanting a refresher - there are tons of Scriptural references (which are not actually included, so you'll have to have a Bible - book or electronic - handy), and the lessons are pretty good at efficiently providing the context needed to understand what Scripture is saying. There are some points where depth and detail is sacrificed for length; it's a collection of short sessions, not a deep analysis of any one issue. And I found the writing somewhat personable and effective, although far from revelatory. Also worth noting is that, while the book largely takes pains to avoid staking a claim on divisive theological issues, it does not fall into the camp of inclusive/progressive theology; lots of love-the-sinner-hate-the-sin vibes when it comes to LGBTQ+ inclusion, and pretty much no reference to racial equity beyond a blanket racism-is-bad statement. But those may fall outside the scope of this book anyway; for what it is, I'd say this is a pretty effective if not captivating read.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I worked through this quickly to start prepping to teach it to a group of ladies and I am so excited to now go back through it again and study slower in order to prep each week. This study is thorough and challenging to everywhere from a new believer to those who have been believers for a long time. I love the application at the end of each day asking the reader to summarize the point of the lesson and then to consider how that affects/changes my life. I highly recommend.

[Meg Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise, approachable, and faithful resource. Would highly recommend to men and women seeking to understand the core truths of the Christian faith. Great used as a group or personal study!

[Robin Hatcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good "everyday" theology study.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love counting my bible studies in my reading goals and lists here on Goodreads. I really enjoyed this bible study more than I thought I would. I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the "story" of the bible and my Christian faith so I thought this would be just a good refresher of things I already know.

Boy was I wrong and silly to think I know it all. She did a very good job at drawing you deeper and pointing out strong Theology that effects how we believe. What we believe does matter. There are false teachings everywhere we look. People that take things out of context or twist it to suit themselves. She helps bring you back to biblical principals and to the core of what we believe when we call ourselves Christian and what we are called to do. I have a deeper understanding of Theology and it has helped shape me and I felt Gods gentle answer to my prayers of seeking wisdom during this weekly study.

[Brynn De Bruyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I looked forward to reading this Bible study at the end of my day! This did take my FOUR months instead of TWO because it is SO heavy in scripture reference (which is great, get in the word) but almost too much to where it would take a solid 30-45 minutes to get through. She would have you turn to a scripture, turn to a different one, then turn back to the first one. This is why i took so many break nights. But overall it was informative on the foundations of Christianity which is genuinely always good to go over. She answers a lot of popular questions with scriptural backing which was great. Good book, nothing too moving.

[Natalie Giduz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with my Bible study and found it very beneficial to my faith. It reminded me of the important truths of the Bible and how these truths should affect how I live my life daily. I found the questions Mary Wiley asked very helpful, as they forced me to really evaluate my beliefs and how the truth of scripture applies to me. Although at times I found myself not wanting to put in the work of answering the questions, I was glad I did. I went through the book with others, but I think it would be a great book to read on your own for your quiet time as well.

[Graham Gaines · Rating 4 out of 5]

My church small group went through this as a summer study. I found it helpful as a seminary student and I'm sure others did as well that aren't in seminary.

I think this is a helpful and accessible intro to theology that a lot of people will find useful. I thought her FAQ/Resources section at the end of each chapter was very helpful for those who want to go a bit deeper.

I did think the questions where she asks you to draw were a bit silly. I always wrote "No" or "No thanks" in those blanks lol.

4.5/5

[Marika Lenee Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a 10 week bible study that I did weekly with a womans bible study group at my church. This book or study was setup to help you in everyday moments, with everyday questions and everyday decisions. It helped me to learn how I am responding to not only the blessings in my life, but also the disasters in my life, which lately has seemed to be many. We delved into the eight essential doctrines of the faith: Scripture, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Humanity, Salvation, The Church, and the End times. I really liked the Humanity section and the Holy Spirit to understand those aspects better.

[Becky Schommer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a great study! The author centered well on the essential issues of all the core doctrine, while giving enough of a nod to the secondary issues. My one disappointment is that I didn’t feel well led to the implications of these doctrines to my everyday life (which is what the book marketed itself as). Still worthwhile though and doing it with a group who I discussed these things with allowed us to come to many of those everyday implications.

[Ericka Andersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome overview and workbook on basic theological concepts. I loved the simplicity and the way the author weaves so much depth into each lesson. The workbook setup was really helpful for my learning process.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book we used for our women’s Bible Study. A chapter was completed during the week then our team of teachers (including me) taught about the topic. Good study. Great topics to take the women deeper in the Word.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I missed the opportunity to complete this study with Saylorville Women so I did it on my own. I probably would have gotten more out of it with others, but it was still valuable to study.

[Jennifer Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of the basic doctrines of Christianity!

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent study!

[Lauren J · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This is a good intro to theology study.

[Deedee Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Bible study that delves into what we believe as Christians and why we believe it.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid teaching, engaging writing, homework isn't overwhelming. Definitely recommend.

[Coralie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This study is very well laid out. It's clear and easy to navigate. The topics transition well from one to another. And the questions and content itself was just really well done, in my opinion. It's also just well-bound and laid out visually.

There was no accompanying video, which seems a little out of norm for what I've seen in women's bible studies recently, but that didn't detract from the study at all, in my opinion. Our group was forced to actually talk about the questions and points in the study, which I really liked.

The study covers basic, foundational truths that we build the Christian faith on. But it digs into each one and shows us why we believe what we do. The connections that Wiley drew and truths she pointed us toward were really neat. There were a few days I really got excited. Though I wouldn't venture to say I learned much new, I did learn a whole lot deeper. I feel like I'm standing on a more solid foundation for the truths I do believe in, which is really encouraging.

It's an eight week study, and each week covers a different foundational piece of the Christian doctrine. But, don't worry, it isn't as scary as it sounds. Wiley asks questions that make you think and grow in your understanding of why this is so important, but she's also super conversational and down to earth. She explains the big theological words and really brings the concepts down to the everyday level.

I'd definitely recommend the study! Even if you're a seasoned warrior, this book has a firm foundation that can be useful for deeping and clarifying your understanding as well as preparing you to talk about what and why you believe with confidence.

[Frank Zahrobsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Men’s Action Group in Cru covered this book as our material in the spring semester of 2024. this handbook was not one of my favorites, but it did a good job of making us re-read scripture over and over and highlighting key elements that made the scripture what it is.