Title: Bitesize Theology: the ABC of the Christian Faith
Author: Peter Jeffery
Publisher: Evangelical Press, 2000; 110 pp. $5.99
Recommendation (4-star scale): 
When I was in seminary, one of my Hebrew professors, who not only had a doctorate in Semitic languages from a prestigious university, but whose wife also had a doctorate in biology (or another science). And when he was telling us about his ministry in his local church, he said that he taught children’s church for kindergarten age children.
We wondered aloud why — it seemed to be a “waste” of both his and his wife’s gifting not to be teaching adults. Because, he said, he believed that until one could teach complex Biblical truths to children, they really hadn’t mastered the topic. So he taught children to sharpen his own understanding of Bible truth.
For teachers and parents this task of communicating theological truth is constant and sometimes daunting. For instance, how do you explain the Trinity to a six-year-old — and what are the most relevant Bible passages to explain it?
To assist us in that task, Peter Jeffery has written a concise and inexpensive book entitled Bitsize Theology. His presupposition is “Surely it is not unreasonable to expect Christians to know the vocabulary of what they believe.” This book provides that very vocabulary, along with brief Biblical explanations of the core doctrines of our faith, like God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, sin, atonement, grace, regeneration, justification, and about ten other similar topics.
He is careful to note that this book is not intended for mature believers, but to “introduce doctrine to those Christians who are bewildered by it.” So it’s helpful for young children and new believers — and for mature believers who are trying to disciple young believers but uncertain about how to articulate some truths.
The book is helpfully laid out — each chapter includes a brief overview and definition of the topic, a discussion of one or more relevant Biblical passages, a quote from another author (like J. I. Packer, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and other similar writers) to synthesize the truth, a few “think about it” questions, and one or two resources for additional reading.
As an example of his writing, he writes in the chapter on sin,
God’s wrath is his anger against those who sin and his determination to punish them. It is divine holiness stirred into action against violations of his holy law. God, who is utterly and completely holy, cannot regard evil and good as the same. He cannot smile benevolently upon both truth and lies. So God’s holiness makes hell as inevitable as his love makes heaven.
The primary deficiency of this book is an intended one — it leaves the reader saying, “I want more…” which in this case is good, for it will stimulate the reader into more and deeper thinking, which should in turn produce more mature believers, which is good. So overall, a helpful and encouraging little book.
Words of Grace 