I've just realized that for the entire past month of March we have been in the 20th century.

Well, let's spend one more week in the 1900s and let's talk about a book and its author.

This book is entitled The Symbol.

Its subtitle is a contemporary exposition of the Apostles Creed.

It was published in 1973 and it was the very first book published by its author, Dr. R. C. Sproul.

It would certainly not be his last book.

It was 50 years ago this year in 1971 that Dr. Sproul founded the Ligonier Valley Study Center.

As would be said of that place, it was a place for learning.

For R.C. it was a place for teaching.

He would teach the students who would gather their students of all ages.

He would teach on subjects like philosophy and apologetics and theology and how to study the Bible.

He also taught through writing and many, many more books would come from the pen of Dr. R. C. Sproul

and there was that first one in 1973.

Well, first a word on how he wrote, he would write out longhand using mostly a yellow pad and then that would get typed up

and then it would be sent off to the publisher.

The material for this first book came from a doctrinal survey course that Dr. Sproul taught over the summer

at Westminster College about an hour north of Pittsburgh.

He worked over that material, wrote up the drafts and then submitted it.

The book was dedicated to Vesta and it had a preface.

In that preface, he writes that this book is directed to a reading public of college students

and intellectually oriented laymen.

He adds, consequently, I have sought to adopt a semi-popular literary style

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