Pastor and seminary professor Sean Michael Lucas suggests that being Presbyterian means embracing distinctive beliefs, practices, and stories as one’s own. As new members, church officers, and potential Presbyterians read about beliefs, practices, and stories, they will understand and move to embrace this way of being Christian. Written in a nontechnical style, On Being Presbyterian is a unique resource for equipping believers and introducing them to Presbyterian church practice.

In the past I was put off by this book's silly cover art, which is a shame because I found the content excellent and helpful. It's particularly geared toward those who are coming into a Presbyterian church from a more baptistic/non-denominational setting, and it makes a positive, non-triumphalistic case for (primarily PCA) Presbyterian identity in an age that sees little use for denominations. It's divided into sections on doctrine (sovereignty, grace, covenant, ecclesiology, sacraments), practice (piety, worship, governance), and "stories" that frame and give shape to the previous two areas--in other words, history. Unsurprisingly coming from Sean Lucas, this last section is top-notch, particularly on the American stuff. It admittedly confirms my bias that historians often make some of the most clear-eyed pastors. :)

On the whole, it's a learned, pastoral, and wonderfully accessible book. ( )

Very well done intorducton to Presbyterian Church. Intorduces the presbyterian doctrineand theology, church polity or government and church history and those who have influenced presbyterianism. It is taken form the stance, which is a logical one, that many of todays presbyterians came form a different background. This work allows those new to this reformed denomination to see those areas that are similar to their past chrches and those areas that are different and why they are different. This is a very good work to be supplied to those who are taking membership classes. This is the second book I have read by Sean Lucas, and I hope I get to read more. ( )