Theology for the Community of God

Every generation needs theologians willing to wrestle with the challenging task of communicating the timeless theological truths of the Bible in the cultural and linguistic setting of the day. Such work is difficult because it requires the theologian to "draw lines" between rigid doctrinalism and syncretism. Stanley Grenz's work provides an excellent example of such a task well done. Theology for the Community of God is easy to read without going "soft" on the often counter-cultural claims of the Bible. I highly recommend it for the serious Bible student and for the average person seeking a deeper understanding of the Christian faith.

This book has to be one of the most accessible evangelical theology books out there. Grenz's book is scholarly yet simple for the layperson. He writes from an evangelical Baptist perspective but builds his work around the concept of the community aspect of the Triune God. He argues that the Triune God's fellowship overflows into the church. All the sections are written from this community aspect of redemption. Grenz covers practically all matters you'll find in standard systematic theologies (from prolegomena to eschatology). The writing style is not like other more technical systematic theologies (e.g., Erickson, Grudem, Reymond, etc.) because it is written in a narrative fashion. You won't see Grenz being too detailed in his discussion of certain issues (hence, his book is only about 700 pages). This book is a must read for anyone wanting a good and easy introduction to the major topics of systematic theology.

I bought this book because it was required for a class i was taking on the history of the Church. As it turned out this is one of few text books that I decided to keep. As I read Grenz's excellent presentation of the Protestant Christian faith I was challenged to think on issues that I never before considered. Overall I think this is an excellent book for any Christian who is seeking a greater knowledge of their faith or for anyone who is considering converting to the Christian faith and is curios about its beliefs and some of its doctrines.

As a ministry student I find this book immensely helpful in our postmodern culture because of its emphasis on community. Grenz does an outstanding job integrating church tradition with contemporary culture and theology. His relational view of the trinity is his paradigm for understanding community. This relational view is present throughout this work and is a refreshing idea in today's western society where individualism is dominant. For a one volume systematic theology it is comprehensive and thorough. Grenz's writing is easy to understand for theology students, but I would recommend his Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms if you are new to reading theology. I think anyone could benefit from reading this contemporary evangelical theology.

Professor Grenz' has done a masterful job in presenting a systematic theology with the "community motif." I have used/am using this text in a seminary course (as a student), and have found Doctor Grenz's presentation of theological matters to be clear, understandable, sensible, and refreshing. There is nothing dry about this book. Particularly interesting is his presentation of the Doctrine of Christ, and why God sent His Son in the manner that He did. Written from a Calvinistic standpoint, Grenz also gives a careful, and respectable hearing to those of other religious traditions (Wesleyan, Arminian, etc). Since man was created to live in sociality and community with God and other humans, this understanding of theology in light of community is, by far, the best contribution to the field of systematic theology in a long, long time. Should be read by every believer, and taught in every house which truly wants to "pursue God."