“Our missionary activity, our church activity, and everything we do ought to flow from the theologian and the exegete—the man who opens up his Bible and has only one question: What is Thy will, Oh God?”

(Paul Washer, Ten Indictments against the Modern Church, ebook, Loc 117 of 953)

“‘The work of a true theologian is to dig deep, to examine with restless assiduity, and not to draw back in terror should his investigation lead to conclusions that are unwelcome or inconsistent with preconceived notions or favorite views…’”

(Cited in The Divine Library of the Old Testament: Its Origin, Preservation, Inspiration, and Permanent Value, (Five Lectures), A. F. Kirkpatrick, London: MacMillan and Co., Limited, 1909, from Preface, vii)

The religious book market is full of books for “the intelligent layman.” Some are an insult to his intelligence. Others are covertly written for professional theologians. A few are genuine helps in communicating the faith.

In this spate of books being thrust at the lay reader, what distinctive place can the Layman’s Theological Library claim to hold? For one thing, it will try to remind the layman that he is a theologian. The close conjunction of the words “layman” and “theological” in the title of the series is not by chance but by design. For theology is not an irrelevant pastime of seminary professors. It is the occupation of every Christian, the moment he begins to think about, or talk about, or communicate, his Christian faith. The injunction to love God with all his mind, necessarily involves the layman in theology. He can never avoid theology; if he refuses to think through his faith, he simply settles for an inferior theology.

(Fred J. Denbeaux, Understanding the Bible, Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, MCMLVIII, 7; Excerpt from Foreword by Robert McAfee Brown)