Journal: Emmaus Journal
Volume: EMJ 14:1 (Summer 2005)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Mark R. Stevenson

EMJ 14:1 (Summer 2005) p. 107

Book Reviews

Mark R. Stevenson

DocTALK: A Fairly Serious Survey of All That Theological Stuff, By Larry Dixon, Ross-Shire: Christian Focus Publications, 2002, 367 pages, paperback, $11.99.

DocDEVOS: Ten-Minute Daily Devotionals on the Great Doctrines of the Christian Faith, By Larry Dixon, Camp Hill: Christian Publications, 2002, 290 pages, paperback, $12.00.

DocWALK: Putting into Practice What You Say You Believe, By Larry Dixon, Ross-shire: Christian Focus Publications, 2005, 288 pages, paperback, $14.99.

The Christian church today is faced with a difficult problem: how do we present the great doctrines of the faith in such a way that we do not leave people feeling as though they have been eating straw? For many believers (particularly those of the younger generation), the thought of curling up in front of the fire with Berkhof or Hodge and pouring over theories of the atonement or attempting to decipher complex presentations of the hypostatic union leaves them with feelings similar to those experienced when one is anticipating a root canal! In many minds there is no doubt that the subjects expounded in these theological volumes are of great importance to the Christian faith, it is just that trying to read them is often, well, boring! And for an increasing number of Christians, the whole subject of theology has become, in their minds, an over-emphasized concept; a holdover of the modern era when absolutism and intellectualism were the name of the game. The fear is that this heavy emphasis on doctrine has side-lined and de-emphasized the importance of practice. The accuracy of these conclusions is still being debated, but what is certain is that for these postmodern

EMJ 14:1 (Summer 2005) p. 108

saints, theology itself has become somewhat distasteful, with the result that many in the church are fast becoming doctrinally illiterate.

Yet church history has taught us that when Christian practice and Christian doctrine are not held in balance, with the proper level of emphasis given to each, ungodliness in practice and heresy in belief are just around the corner. What is needed, then, is a presentation of the great truths of the faith in a manner that is easily digested and reignites the interest of the average Christian, yet firmly rooted in biblical truth. This is precisely what Larry Dixon has given to the church in these three volumes. Each of the books is steeped in theology, yet far from being stuffy and dry. In fact, even the most skeptical reader will find these works to be, at the risk of making a bad pun, just what the doctor ordered. Dixon’s ability to find an appropriate illustration for just about everything, mixed with his keen wit, make for a tru...