One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is not only dive into the Word of God, but also find some fantastic Christian books to read as well. I've been doing this for years. I do my morning devotions and then BAM, right into a book that I'm tackling.
And now that I work at a Christian book store, I'm surrounded by amazing things to read....Recently I came across the massive new book from John C. Peckham called 'God With Us - An Introduction to Adventist Theology' And when I discovered it, the first thing I did was read some of the reviews that were already out there for it.
I saw comments like:
"I can't put it down..."
"It's like taking a college course on Theology.."
So safe to say, I grabbed it right away and started to dig in a few weeks ago. Usually I can get through books fairly quickly but alas...
It's a doozy!
768 pages to be exact, and with a total of 19 chapters you can do the math....It's between 40-50 pages per chapter and it's not what I would call an easy read...Well let me rephrase that and frame it properly.
The book is meant to be an overview of the major beliefs within the Seventh Day Adventist Church, which I am a member of. And all you have to do, is google 'SDA' and I'm sure there is someone slamming my faith. So the new approach a lot of Adventists have been taking lately, on social media and with the printed word is...Presenting our message, for all to see.
The idea is, if you want to learn about Adventism, ask an Adventist. Just like if you wanted to learn about any other religion or faith, go right to the source. So this book is something I knew I was going to enjoy.
Like I mentioned, it was 19 chapters long and the first quarter of the book goes over some very important topics that I quite easy to grasp. Not that the topics are basic, by all means they are amazing to read. But the author presents them in plain english and let's the reader really understand the topics quickly and effectively.
Maybe it's because it's stuff I've heard for years but not so.....
Then things really start getting juicy :)
The Adventist church is big on two major doctrines, and it's where we get our name from.... Seventh Day, meaning we keep the 7th day Sabbath (Saturday) holy, and Adventist , we are preparing for the soon return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Part of the latter doctrine has a lot to do with properly interpreting prophecy. And the 2300 day prophecy is a major part of our belief. This book breaks it down perfectly. The dates are clear, the graphics that are provided help the reader understand it all, and the math adds up!
Obviously, I'm throw it out there....Anytime you want to learn more about this powerful prophecy, let me know or check out one of my favorite bible study tools today ;)
But God With Us is so much more than prophecy and keeping the Sabbath holy, just like Adventism!
So many different doctrines are addressed in this book, it really is like going to college and getting your degree in theology. From 'hell' to the sanctuary, prophecy and the end times plus everything in between. But the most important part of this book, was how the focus was always Jesus. Everything pointing back to the title of God With Us and how our Savior came to earth for a dying and sick world.
What I noticed when reading this book was that even though some of the topics got pretty intense, the author continued to always write in plain english. So even though the book goes over a lot of theology and sometimes confusing topics, it was always easy to read.
You did not feel that anything was over your head as it was presented. Which to me is one of the biggest selling points for this book. In-depth theological discussions, without needing a PHd in...Theology :)
Overall, one of the better books I've read when it comes to presenting Adventism for readers that may be curious about 'the people of the Book'.
ISBN: 9781940980324
Publisher: Andrews University Press, 2023