This book began its life as the notes that Peter provided to first-year doctrine students at Moore College. The notes served as readings to accompany Peter’s lectures(since he had a very open, Socratic teaching style, the notes were meant to cover the foundational material and give him the freedom to take a more ‘meandering’ approach in lectures). These notes have now been extensively revised, expanded and updated, together with the addition of new discussion questions and a range of other interactive material, to make this a resource that should introduce a whole new group of people to Peter’s approach to theology.

The book provides an introductory-level systematic theology for the keen layperson, ministry trainee or Bible college student, but still offers enough depth and stimulation to be relevant and interesting for full-time gospel workers.In many ways, it is best seen as a ‘gateway book’: a volume that takes readers beyond the depth of teaching that they will find in most Christianbooks, while whetting the appetite for those who then wish to go on to fuller doctrinal study or reading (think of large systematic theologies like Grudem, Horton, or Letham, or perhaps Calvin’s Institutes).

The book is divided into 27 relatively short chapters (just over 3,000 words per chapter, on average), making it highly accessible and an ideal reference volume for preachers, Bible college students, Bible study leaders, and keen readers and lay leaders. It sits within the tradition of books like In Understanding Be Men by TC Hammond and Concise Theology by JI Packer, but is written for a 21st-century audience.