This book is a great start. It is chock full of scripture and church history! R. C. Sproul does such a beautiful job using scripture to show us what reformed theology is all about and why, based on that scripture, it is where he falls on the theological spectrum. I have come to so many of the same conclusions as I have grown as a Christian over the years. This is what I believe!

Sproul's writing is so thoughtful and logical. He spends the first five chapters showing us where the idea of reformed theology started and how it developed over time through men like Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Calvin. He shares how Luther came out of the Catholic tradition and the conclusions he came to based on his study of scripture.

The second half of the book is spent addressing the five basic tenets of Reformed Theology using the TULIP acronym (check out the link for a series on this) to open up the dialog. I won't go into detail here on each one because the book is so beautifully thorough on each point. I encourage you to read the book for yourself to learn more about why churches teach certain ideas. It might just answer some questions or clarify some ideas you have wondered about yourself.

Sproul has a real gift for bringing this history and explanation into layman's terms so that everyone can read and understand these ideas. Martin Luther was doing the same thing when he tacked his 95 Theses on the church door. These men felt that the masses should be able to know and understand the things of God 500 years ago, today and all the years in between.

As we are coming upon the 500th year since Luther's stand for reformation took place this book and the ideas contained in it are as relevant today as they were then.

I give this book a solid 5 out of 5.

This book was sent to me free of charge from Baker Books and all they ask in return is an honest review. ( )

Dr. R.C. Sproul does exactly what the title suggests, providing an introduction to Reformed Theology. The first half of the book goes through similarities with other Christian traditions as well as what he views as distinct emphases in Reformed Theology. There is a few instances in which he goes into church history like Luther’s Sola Fide controversy with Rome. The second half explains the five points of Calvinism as outlined in the Westminster Confession of Faith with supporting scriptural interpretation.

Overall, a solid introduction to Reformed theology that can be useful to new Calvinists or those who seek to grasp what Calvinists believe. ( )

Answers the title question admirably. A decent intro to folks unfamiliar with Reformed Theology. Does a good job of explaining his terms and not assuming any previous knowledge on the part of the reader. ( )

3 DVD's, 12 part series. ( )

Having dabbled in reformed theology off and on for the better part of 20 years, I came to this book already having a passing familiarity with much of what Sproul is intending to communicate. I wanted to read this so that I might have a better, deeper understanding of what Reformed theology is and is not, and this book lives up to that purpose. An excellent introduction into what exactly is meant by "reformed" theology, the first half of the book gives historical context and overview of reformed theology and its distinguishing characteristics, while the second half of the book deals with the five points of Calvinism, which is an essential part of reformed thought. Interestingly, one can ascribe to Calvinism without being reformed, but one cannot be reformed without ascribing to Calvinism.

At times the prose was a bit thicker than I anticipated, considering that the title includes the phrase Understanding the Basics, however, Sproul is usually pretty good at taking complex ideas and explaining them in an easily understood manner. There were some times I had to re-read a paragraph or two, but that was more common when he was block quoting Luther or Calvin.

All in all, I can say that this book has helped me to more fully understand what I believe and why I believe it, and it will remain a permanent fixture on my bookcase. ( )