God is Love: A Biblical and Systematic Theology

I've pretty much read this book cover to cover. I love it. I'll be gifting it to people I know will read and enjoy it. I think Bray is a good writer because he is clear and very easy to understand. The style of the book is that most of the footnotes are Bible references. There are plenty of parts in the book where you will come across certain mysteries in the Bible, and he doesn't necessarily give you answers but is very helpful in acknowledging that they are mysteries. There are very clear things which he points out in the Bible. I constantly find myself encouraged as I read it. He deals with a number of modern day issues as well which is refreshing for a systematic theology. I read the other review on Kurrong, but the person wasn't very impressed with it at all. I think I can understand where they're coming from. It's not a systematic in the way that we perhaps think about systematics. But at the same time it definitely is a systematic! I'm not sure that if you don't follow the formula you're not doing it right. . . And as for nitpicking about the issue of baptism, well, I'm not sure that's necessarily worth fighting over, especially when Bray is simply stating his position as an Anglican. It is to be expected. And perhaps it's also a testimony to the way that he covers issues. He tells you what he thinks, but very often if there is an alternative view, he's happy to say so. And that's there are different ways to interpret the Bible.

All in all it is absolutely fantastic…

I read this book because I had previously read the author's """"God Has Spoken"""", which looked at the historical development of Christian theology. I really liked this book, and when I saw that the author had written a Systematic Theology, I was quite excited to read it as well. \\r\\n\\r\\nIt was a disappointment. \\r\\n\\r\\nThis is not a Systematic Theology in the normal sense, in fact, I wouldn't call it a Systematic Theology at all. It is more a series of (at times rambling) essays. They are often disjointed. They do not flow evenly. And they are not really a systematic study of the Scriptures. I persevered because I had purchased the book. \\r\\n\\r\\nThere were also some very glaring errors. \\r\\n\\r\\n1)\\tJames, the brother of John, was not one of the """"pillars"""" that Barnabas and Paul spoke to because by this time James, the brother of Jesus, had long been dead. \\r\\n2)\\tIt does make a difference that baptizo means """"to dip"""" when we think about baptism, and just because """"so many people do it differently"""" doesn't really confuse the issue. The issue has been confused because so many people haven't really listened to what the Bible says. \\r\\n3)\\tBaptists do not practice """"adult baptism"""", but """"believer's baptism"""". There is a very important distinction. \\r\\n\\r\\nI would not recommend this book, and I will not read it again. In fact, I will most probably give it away.