Our Evangelical Faith

If one wants a short but informative book on the basic tenets of evangelicalism then this book is the right place to start. Shepherd covers the foundational issues of evangelical theology (scripture, the Trinity, Jesus Christ, salvation by faith, the Holy Spirit, the church, and the final judgment) in a concise way. He also writes about what makes a particular person an evangelical (Introduction) and the function of doctrine in Christianity (epilogue). Though thoroughly evangelical in his convictions, Shepherd does not fall into the anti-intellectual dogmatism found among fundamentalists. In fact, he is aware that proper evangelical theology must be done within the context of intellectual sensibility and its engagement with the contemporary world. Also, his argument that correct doctrine must be taught and maintained in our churches in order for believers to be effective witnesses for Christ is something that must be heard clearly in our fad-oriented churches today. Overall, I recommend this short book. Though you will not get a comprehensive account of the standard topics of evangelicalism found in major systematic theology texts this book is a good place to start for those who want to get a taste of what makes an evangelical theology evangelical.