Knowing Me, Knowing God

I don’t know of a better introduction to Christian doctrine than this brilliant new book by Richard Brash. It is both modest and ambitious in its aim: not attempting, like a textbook, to cover all the major doctrinal themes, but rather, like a guidebook, seeking to introduce to the territory and point us in the right direction to discover its delights. We are introduced to three deceptively simple pairs of contrasting statements, which together provide a window into the vast vista of biblical teaching, a compass that enables us to navigate the terrain, and a set of keys to help us begin to unlock some of the mysteries we meet along the way. This is theology at its best: biblically grounded, mind-blowing and heart-warming. It is a great resource, both for those who are new to systematic theology and to seasoned travellers. Enjoy the journey!

Winsome and rich, this book wonderfully exhibits the bond between the knowledge of God and of ourselves. Richard Brash gives us a reliable compass to keep us from getting lost in the theological forest.

Many people are wary of ‘systematic theology’ but it is, when done properly, simply an exercise in reading the Bible as a whole and in fellowship with God’s people. Richard Brash shows us how that is so. This simple doctrinal ‘compass’ will help you navigate life in God’s world in the light of God’s word. Richard writes with a clarity that comes from knowing the subject well. He enables us to see that the big picture of the Bible is both an unfolding narrative and a coherent account of God and his purpose in creating us, making himself known to us, and saving us from sin. Highly recommended.

Thoroughly contemporary but at the same time well rooted in exegesis and biblical theology, this volume quickly gripped me as a fresh, stimulating and enjoyable plea for Systematic Theology. But it is more than a plea. Its six keys serve as both invaluable entry-points and as axioms to guide us in life-long study of the relations between one biblical truth and another, and between each truth (or Scripture text) and the whole field of revelation. The keys are well chosen and, being presented in pairs, remind us of the danger of being carried away by one side of a truth at the expense of another. This volume will both feed and stretch your mind, but it will not exhaust it.