Systematic Theology

Augustus Hopkins StrongProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.1

Word count: 1.7M words
Chapters: 170

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Systematic Theology (Volume 1 of 3) by Augustus Hopkins StrongAuthor: Strong, Augustus Hopkins, 1836-1921,Language: English, Class: BT: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Doctrinal theology, God, Christology, Release Date: Oct 25, 2013

Editor's review

The first volume of Systematic Theology opens the monumental doctrinal work that Augustus Hopkins Strong completed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As a systematic introduction to theology, its value lies not in devotional warmth but in its rigorous argumentative structure, which treats such foundational topics as revelation, the doctrine of God, and creation. Strong's writing bears the clear mark of his era: he quotes extensively from Scripture and from theologians across the centuries, while attempting to answer the challenges that contemporary natural science and philosophy posed to Christian faith. The reader therefore sees an effort to build bridges between tradition and modern thought. For Chinese readers, this book is better read as a historical source and framework for theological thought than as a devotional piece. The language is English, the sentences are long, and the terminology is dense, requiring patience and tools for reference. It suits quiet study with note-taking, chapter by chapter, and also serves well as a reference text for theology courses or reading groups.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with basic theological training who wish to organize the framework of doctrine systematically
Scholars or students researching the history of nineteenth-century English theological thought and church history
Members of courses or reading groups who need original English materials for reading and discussion
Self-learners patient enough to work through Christian doctrines of God and revelation

Not a good fit for

General readers looking for light devotional reading or daily meditation material
Beginners who struggle with English reading and would prefer to start with a Chinese translation
Readers who expect contemporary theological discussion and dislike old-style argumentation

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents and introduction to grasp the overall structure of Volume 1; then proceed chapter by chapter, keeping notes on terminology.
After each chapter, write in your own words its core argument and main biblical basis, rather than merely highlighting passages.
When you meet unfamiliar names or theological terms, note them down and look them up in a batch later; do not interrupt the reading rhythm too often.
Read alongside contemporary theological works or church history to understand the background of the questions Strong was answering.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a theology primer for beginners?

No. It is primarily a systematic exposition of doctrine, presupposing some knowledge of the Bible and the Christian tradition and quoting extensively from earlier writers. Readers with no theological background can easily get lost in the terminology and argumentative structure; it is better to read introductory works first.

Can I understand the whole systematic theology by reading only Volume 1?

Volume 1 opens the whole work and deals mainly with foundational topics, showing the author's method and structure, but the complete doctrinal system is spread across the later volumes. To grasp the whole, you need to continue reading the subsequent volumes on a plan, rather than treating Volume 1 as a complete substitute.

How difficult is the English?

The original has long sentences, dense terminology, and the style of nineteenth-century English theological writing. Readers with university-level English who are willing to look up terms can make progress, but not quickly. A paper or electronic dictionary is recommended, along with excerpting key passages.

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About the author

Augustus Hopkins Strong Author · American · 1836–1921

Augustus Hopkins Strong (1836–1921) was an American Baptist minister and theologian. From 1872 he served as president of Rochester Theological Seminary for about forty years, long directing the academic and theological education of this Baptist institution. In 1886 he published the multi-volume Systematic Theology, which remained a standard textbook in North American Baptist seminaries for many years and had a profound influence on Baptist theological education from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. In 1907 he became the first president of the Northern Baptist Convention. His writings center on systematic theology, marked by clear organization and a complete system, with attention to the overall arrangement of doctrine and its suitability for teaching; three of his works are held in the collection.