The battle of the basics....

Its the battle of the century.....Lets get ready to ruuuummmmbbblllleeee!

In one corner we have bitesize theology- an ABC of the Christian faith by Peter Jeffery, and in the other Christian beliefs-20 basics every Christian should know by Wayne Grudem.

These are both very similar books, with similar intentions- to educate a general audience regarding the fundamentals of the Christian faith. So which one would I recommend as the one to read....

ROUND ONE: CONTENT: both books definitely cover what I agree to be the fundamental things a Christian needs to know. Both authors effectively present the bad news that all men and women have broken Gods law, and deserve punishment in hell. And they both present the good news that this punishment that we deserve was instead given to Jesus, so that we might spend eternity in heaven. Then, the authors go on to explore fundamental beliefs that go along with the good news of Christ.  Both books cover similar ground- who is God, what is sin, what is the trinity, justification, adoption, Grace... in fact, chapter by chapter the two books bear a remarkable semblance to one another. The difference between the two books is the content within the chapters. While Christian beliefs has a very in depth exploration of each subject, bitesize theology reflects its name by keeping the concepts as simple as possible- just the main points. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but just because Christian beliefs goes deeper into the subject matter, Grudem wins round one.... back to your corners as we prepare for...

ROUND TWO: STYLE: Both books are vastly different in their style. Christian beliefs is at times a difficult read, as the abundance of information makes things a bit hard going (but lets face it- it is a condensed version of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology- a book that is as thick as a brick). Bitesize theology, on the other hand is very easy to read. Jeffery has a knack for making complicated ideas simple and easy to understand. I absolutely wizzed through this book, and didn’t get a headache or feel like I missed anything. For this reason, Jeffery takes out round two. 

So our two contestants are neck and neck, punch for punch...

ROUND THREE: BIBLE BASED? This one was the most difficult part to judge. Both books present their definitions and Christian concepts in a way that lines up with the bible (as far as I most humbly understand).  However, Chrisitan beliefs supports all of the information given in the book with references to the bible...many many references to the bible. Bitesize theology also has scripture references, just not as many... so although the concepts and ideas presented in both books are biblical, Grudem’s heavy use of scripture makes his a little more credible. I’m going to tie the authors on this point.

So who win the battle of the basics? It really depends on who you want to read the book. If you are giving the book to a new Christian, or someone who isn’t a Christian but is curious- I would give them Bitesize theology. Its simple, easy to read and can be easily digested and remembered. Christian beliefs is a great book, but seems better suited to a Christian who wants to deepen and expand their understanding of basic Christian beliefs. Or, if you want to be really awesome.. read them both. Start with Bitesize theology and follow it with Christian beliefs. Together, they make a great team, covering big theological words, and big theological concepts, complimenting each other perfectly.