Systematic Theology (ePub)

"Systematic Theology" in 3 volumes is one of the best-known works by the American Baptist minister and theologian Augustus Hopkins Strong. Excerpt: "Under the influence of Ritschl and his Kantian relativism, many of our teachers and preachers have swung off into a practical denial of Christ's deity and of his atonement. We seem upon the verge of a second Unitarian defection that will break up churches and compel secessions, in a worse manner than did that of Channing and Ware a century ago. American Christianity recovered from that disaster only by vigorously asserting the authority of Christ and the inspiration of the Scriptures. We need a new vision of the Savior like that which Paul saw on the way to Damascus and John saw on the isle of Patmos, to convince us that Jesus is lifted above space and time, that his existence antedated creation, that he conducted the march of Hebrew history, that he was born of a virgin, suffered on the cross, rose from the dead, and now lives forevermore, the Lord of the universe, the only God with whom we have to do, our Savior here and our Judge hereafter. Without a revival of this faith our churches will become secularized, mission enterprise will die out, and the candlestick will be removed out of its place as it was with the seven churches of Asia, and as it has been with the apostate churches of New England." Contents: Idea of Theology Method of Theology The Existence of God Origin of Our Idea of God's Existence Corroborative Evidences of God's Existence The Scriptures A Revelation from God The Nature, Decrees, and Works of God The Attributes of God Doctrine of the Trinity The Decrees of God The Works of God Anthropology, Or the Doctrine of Man: The Original State of Man Sin, Or Man's State Of Apostasy Soteriology Christology The Reconciliation of Man to God Ecclesiology, Or the Doctrine of the Church Eschatology...