A Field Guide on False Teaching

A Field Guide on False Teaching provides a concise introduction to prominent false teachings, cults, and non-Christian religions and worldviews, equipping readers to recognize doctrinal error and respond with biblical truth.

Published by Ligonier Ministries, this book is organized into three sections: false teaching within the church (including the prosperity gospel, deism, and legalism and antinomianism), cults (Mormonism, Christian Science, and Jehovah’s Witnesses), and false religions and worldviews (Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, New Age spirituality, and atheism and secularism). Each entry surveys the origins, core beliefs, and key figures of the movement in question, then contrasts those claims with the teaching of Scripture.

The book opens by grounding readers in the biblical doctrines most frequently distorted by false teaching—revelation, God, humanity, sin, Christ, atonement, and salvation—and by presenting the biblical call to apologetics found in 1 Peter 3:15. This doctrinal foundation serves as the standard by which each error is measured throughout the work. While the book does not claim to be an exhaustive survey, it addresses a broad range of movements that Christians are likely to encounter in daily life and conversation.

By pairing a summary of each false teaching with a clear articulation of the corresponding biblical truth, this book aims to strengthen readers’ confidence in Scripture and prepare them to engage thoughtfully with friends, family, and neighbors who hold differing beliefs.

Key Themes

• The sufficiency and authority of Scripture as the standard for evaluating all truth claims
• Core Christian doctrines as the foundation for identifying and responding to error
• The biblical call to defend the faith with clarity and conviction
• The distinction between the Creator and the creature as a touchstone of orthodox theology

Featured Quotes

“No amount of good works can save us. No number of religious acts can give someone a right standing before God.”

“There exists an astonishingly wide diversity of opinions about doctrine and practice under the umbrella of Christianity.”