A Faith for All Seasons Paperback – March 15, 2001

I had to get this for a textbook for my class on Church Doctrines. (I am a college student at Moody Bible Insitute) I felt like it was a good and fairly balanced introduction to the doctrines of the Christian church. It was relatively easy to understand and while it takes a biblically conservative viewpoint, it describes the different views on most issues in a manner that seemed fair to me. That said, I am a pretty conservative believer. (i.e., I hold to the reformed view of election, I am not charismatic, etc.) It regularly uses quotes from catechisms and creeds, as well as renowned theologians (Calvin, Edwards, Augustine, Luther, Wesley etc.) Also, it often includes an insert in the chapter that pauses to introduce the history or biography of a certain catechism or theologian. I really like that feature because it meant that I could know something about the person they were quoting and I didn't have to research him if I hadn't heard of him or had forgotten who he was. I would recommend this book to someone wanting to understand the doctrines of the faith and who didn't necessarily want a very complex explanation of every detail. I think it covers everything fully and accurately, so it isnt like it skimped on the material. But each doctrine could be the subject of a book all by itself. So if you only want one book, or you want a starting place, this is a good way to go. It covers general revelation, the doctrine of scripture, the doctrine of God, the doctrine of creation, the doctrine of providence, the doctrine of humanity, the doctrine of Christ (Christology, which includes the incarnation and the atonement and the resurrection), the doctrine of the Holy Spirit (pneumatology), the doctrine of salvation (soteriology), the doctrine of the church ( ecclesiology), and the doctrine of the end times (eschatology).

Dorman has given us a fine piece of work here. The book is organized by theological topic but each topic is discussed historically. In this way, it provides a helpful combination of systematic theology and historical theology. It provides a wonderful way of comparing historical perspectives on various topics. In chapter 12, for example, he discusses the doctrine of salvation, beginning by distinguishing Eastern concepts from Western and then moving on to discussing the doctrine of election from Augustine to Barth. He ends with an extensive look at the order of salvation in the theologies of Roman Catholicism, Luther, Calvin, Arminius, and Wesley, being careful to focus on the distinctives of each.Interspersed throughout each of Dorman's chapters are little snippets of key figures and ideas that have shaped Christian theology. So in his chapter on the church he includes a brief summary of H. Richard Niebuhr's  Christ and Culture . In his chapter on providence he provides an overview and brief critique of Rabbi Harold Kushner's bestselling  When Bad Things Happen to Good People .Dorman is almost certainly writing from a Reformed perspective and thus he often gives the final word on a given topic to Calvin. Being of like theological persuasion I can't say this without some ignorance, but he seems to present each view fairly and accurately. When speaking of Wesley's view of Justification, for instance, he gives no hint of predisposition against him. In fact, he ends the chapter on salvation with a several points of agreement between the Calvinist Reformed and Wesleyan-Arminian traditions.In all, this is a great book and provides a wonderful introduction to both historical and systematic theology. I first read it when I first began my theological training and I still turn to it some five years later. It's an especially good resource for teaching about the distinctives of various theological traditions.

A broad stroked, honest and compelling read. It takes valuable side roads into the lives of influential individuals throughout Church History. The author represents both sides of a given point of theology in a fair, balanced and objective way. I gave this as a gift to my son who comes to his faith without much historical perspective. My experience teaches we dare not speak too authoratatively about Christianity until they understand the rudiments of church history. Those who do are like clanging bells - experience lacking needed perspective and context. Great book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The author does a very good job of objectively tackling different doctrines. I learned a lot frombthis book and I would definitely reccomend it. It is a great overview of different church doctrines.

Purchased for a class - but is a good read even if not in school. It clearly summarizes the historical background for the foundational thought of Christianity and briefly, but effectively, explained the driver for separation of Protestants and Catholics.

Used for a class textbook, easy to read and understand

enjoyed reading it.

Dorman provides an excellent overview of theology. Ultimately written from an evangelical perspective, the author includes historical developments that are both Catholic and Protestant, providing an accurate picture of the history of Christian doctrine. The book is great for those looking for the essence of the Christian faith in every major doctrinal area. A few areas are a bit skimpy, but overall he covers the theologies (Soteriology, Angelology, Eschatology, etc.) very well.