Christian Handbook is subtitled “A straightforward guide to the Bible, church history and Christian doctrine.” Written by Peter Jeffrey (a pastor in the United Kingdom) the book presents a wonderful introduction to the foundations and teachings of Reformed Christianity.
The book begins with an examination of the Bible. It first examines how the Bible was written and compiled and then moves to a short overview of each of the Testaments with their settings and teachings. Almost every page contains a quote by a great Christian teacher of the past.
The second section of the book examines the church, dedicating a chapter to the first 450 years, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, the Eighteenth-century revivals and finally the nineteenth and twentieth-century revivals.
The bulk of the book is contained in the third section which examines the Christian faith. It is a layman’s introduction to systematic theology, beginning with who God is and ending with the end times. There is a Reformed flavor throughout and the author quotes heavily from many Reformed pastors and theologians.
Weighing in at under 200 pages and being written in laymen’s terms, this book is an easy read and serves as an excellent introduction to Christianity. I rely on it continually as a reference book.
Title: Christian Handbook
Author: Peter Jeffrey
Published: 1988
