by
Daryl Aaron
A Review
It was a little over a month ago that I stumbled upon a classic theology book by Gordon R. Lewis, Decide For Yourself. This small book provided a workbook that guided individuals toward discovering their own theology - rather than being fed a canned theology. Alas, this small paperback is nearly out of print and is very expensive, if it can be found.
Daryl Aaron’s book attempts to accomplish some of the same thing - though, rather than being a workbook, it is a monograph that works through the various important issues of theology. The 40 chapters start with the nature of theology itself (a discussion included in most theological texts) and end with a discussion on the nature of the church and the end times. Dr. Aaron attempts (and succeeds) to write an unbiased synopsis of the various positions that have been taken by scholars in the theological literature. He also is careful to state his own opinion - though putting the summary of his opinion in a section separated from the main body of his text at the end of each chapter.
Each chapter discusses a major issue in theology. The ideas are presented objectively and include scripture to support each opinion. Because the book is rather small, each chapter is in reality only a summary of the various opinions. Though references are provided, they do not provide significant guidance for the reader to really do additional study on their own. The other major absence is the lack of an index. Though terminology is used throughout the book, there is no way to find where a particular term is referenced in the book.
The book is readable by the average layman and would serve as a good book in a Sunday School class or small group study. It would also serve as a helpful handbook to use along with Lewis’ Decide For Yourself, mentioned earlier.
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This review is based on a free copy provided by Bethany House, the publisher, for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.
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