This is Jared Luchabor from MidAmerica Reformed Seminary presenting not another podcast, but more of an addendum to one. We wrapped up our conversation about systematic theology not too long ago, but we decided to release this clip just so you can get a good idea for what sort of resources you can put to use if you decide to study systematic theology yourself. If you seek to continue to grow in your knowledge of God's Word, especially in the knowledge of the system of truth contained in God's Word, there are plenty of resources out there. The question is, what are some good ones? Well certainly if someone's looking for an introduction to systematic theology written in a fairly winsome way, R.C. Sproul's Everyone's a Theologian is a good example of systematic theology. James Montgomery Boyce's... I think that's been reissued. Reissued, I think, or republished. Yeah, that's a bit heftier than Sproul's volume, but that's still written in a Well, oriented to lay people. A plug for a book I wrote summarizing Calvin's Institute, Piety's Wisdom. It tries to let Calvin speak in his own idiom, but that book has been used for Bible studies, even catechism classes, adult Bible studies. which is a summary of Christian doctrine. And of course, there's classic sources as well. Some people try to tackle Calvin's Institutes. Or you can read any of Louis Berkoff's materials. If you want to get deep into dogmatics, Herman Bovink's Reformed dogmatics. There's also a one volume abridged version of that or his our reasonable faith I would recommend overly abridged volume myself that needs to be the translation needs to be maybe hefted up a bit and it needs a I'm surprised a publisher hasn't taken hold of that book, put it in a new font, put some subheadings, headings and subheadings in it. It's really a terrific book. Bobbing's a terrific example of a dogmatic theologian. Michael Horton's written a number of His Christian faith is more recent dogmatics and he has an introductory or a shortened, abridged version of that as well. Those are a variety of sources. And R.C. also, everyone's a theologian, is sort of based on the lectures he gave at Ligonier called Foundations. I think it's just the Foundations series of maybe 40 40 talks, each about 20-25 minutes, just going through the loci. I would say, in addition to that, any fairly good and competent treatment of one of the ecumenical creeds, let's say the Apostles' Creed, or more narrowly, Reformed confessions, whether the Three Forms of Unity or the Westminster Standards. There are too many of those to begin to identify them. I have a little one that's written for a very general audience on the Apostles' Creed. I've written another on the Canons of Dort. But if you look for those kinds, they'll get you into, because in a manner of speaking, Systematic theology builds on not only scripture, but the summary of scriptural teaching, first of all, in creeds and confessions. So that's a good place to start. There's a little book, too, by J.I. Packer, J.I. Packer, Concise Theology. All right, right. And if I may throw one additional source in, I'm fairly impressed with Carl Truman's The Credal Imperative. Alan mentioned earlier the no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible. He provides I think a very strong case. for the indispensability, the way in which the church is always a confessing church and can't escape the calling to understand well the biblical gospel in a summary fashion. So that would be also, I think, it might be tough sledding at some points, but overall it's written for a general audience. So those are a few sources. It does help to link the fact that, you know, For most people who are in Reformed or Presbyterian churches right now, it's not as though the closest systematic theological writing they have is at some bookstore somewhere or at Amazon. No, it's probably in the pew right in front of them in one of their confessions. There is a systematic treatment. Well, if I may just throw this in. When I used to teach the course on the doctrine of God, I'd love to quote the children's version, which has undergone some revision of late, of the shorter catechism. And I would illustrate the wisdom and the theological profundity of that little catechism, even its children's form. when the question is asked, can God do all things? And you get an answer that if you parse it out, no theologian that I know of has done better. And it's God can do all His holy will. So you're absolutely right. Any member of the church would do themselves a great favor just to spend time. We don't typically read the confessions as a whole, but most of them can be read easily in one sitting. I've been working with the canons of Dort lately and I'm impressed with, even in my own life, seldom have I read the canons from the very first point to the last as a singular document. And it's just very rich and a great stimulus. Some of what you read there you might not like upon first reading, so it'll stimulate you to go back to the scriptures and see whether it's so and reflect on it as well for yourself.