Kevin DeYoung has been one of my favorite go-to authors for years. His conservative theology, deep understanding, and winsome communication style make him accessible to just about any reading level while giving him the ability to interact at some of the deepest levels of theological discussion. In his newest work, Daily Doctrine, DeYoung tries something new.
Daily Doctrine is a systematic theology, but instead of a massive tome with roughly ten different sections (think Grudem or Frame), DeYoung has written this systematic as a daily devotional. He still progresses through sections of systematic theology in the traditional order but in more bite-sized pieces. If someone has tried to do this before, I am not aware of it. I have read a number of devotionals over the years on various subjects. This is the first one I have seen that seeks to break down theology in this way. I was excited to read it.
I found the book to be a bit of a mixed bag. It is well-written, which is vintage Kevin DeYoung. His wit and ability to distill complex theological concepts into everyday language is present throughout the book. However, for a book (I believe) that was intended for a general audience, it misses on two key points.
DeYoung is a Presbyterian, and that theology is the perspective of the book. This is an important caveat for anyone intending to use the book as a tool for teaching doctrine in bite-sized portions to general members of their congregation. While DeYoung is fair in his assessment of other theological viewpoints, there is no room in the book for a comprehensive argument to be made for alternative viewpoints. As a progressive Dispensationalist and Baptist, this was the most challenging part of the book.
