Publisher's Synopsis
This edition of Petigru Boyce's masterwork includes all forty-two chapters, each of them bursting with spiritual wisdom from one of the most well-read and cogent Christian authors in 19th century America.
James Petigru Boyce was a professional pastor blessed with a gift for words and explanation. Putting the myriad experiences and readings of his life to good use, he authored his famous Abstract of Systematic Theology with a view to aiding Christians wishing to acquire deeper understanding of the various attributes of Christian virtue, the Lord God, the Holy Trinity, and Jesus Christ.
This book offers readers a tour de force of the Christian canon, taking readers through both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible and expounding upon the various tenets of Christianity. Early in the book, Boyce sequentially examines the traits of God and their purpose in the wider context of the faith, explaining the virtues and commands of the Lord with adept and lucid understanding.
Topics such as the creation of Man and Adam's subsequent fall from grace in the Garden of Eden are given much thought, with the nature of sin revealed in detail. Boyce's discussions of these crucial attributes of Biblical lore are followed by a deep examination of the New Testament and the life of Jesus Christ. Various theories concerning Christ's atonement and other actions are compared, giving the reader a firm overview of Gospel study, while the notion of sin in the context of Christ's death and resurrection is likewise considered.
A sublime constant throughout this work is Boyce's mastery of the Biblical canon. His assertions are supported by citations of Biblical passages, allowing the reader to follow his explanations closely by keeping a Bible to hand for reference. Many of the more difficult to grasp doctrines of Christianity are soundly revealed by Boyce, whose thorough yet accessible style acts to ably enlighten the receptive reader.
After absorbing this work in full, the reader will be versed on many of the most important topics of Christian theology. Decades of Biblical study and intense research of past theologians made Boyce a leading authority of his time - as such, it is no exaggeration to call the Abstract of Systematic Theology a spiritual classic.
