How to Read Theology for All Its Worth: A Guide for Students

Too many Christians avoid reading theology for fear they won't understand it or out of a misconception that it's only meant for the academic elite. Similarly, students in introductory theology classes can feel overwhelmed by the concepts and terminology they encounter.

Yet theology can be read with enjoyment and discernment. In How to Read Theology for All Its Worth, professor, author, and devoted reader Karin Stetina introduces students to the basic skills of intelligent reading, applied especially to theological works. Anyone who'd like to read theology well, whether a formal student or interested layperson, will benefit from the simple steps Stetina outlines.

Steps include:

• Identifying genre
• Becoming acquainted with the author and the context out of which he or she wrote
• Determining a thesis and main arguments

How to Read Theology for All Its Worth will equip readers not only to understand theology but also to insightfully engage authors' ideas. With the basic tools in hand, everyone can read with confidence and enjoy "conversations" with theological works.

Karin Spiecker Stetina (PhD, Marquette University) is associate professor of biblical and theological studies at Biola University. She is the author of Jonathan Edwards' Early Understanding of Religious Experience and The Fatherhood of God in John Calvin's Thought.