Christian Dogmatics: Reformed Theology for the Church Catholic
Overview
This one-volume introduction to systematic theology draws deeply on the catholic and Reformed heritage to present the major doctrines of the Christian faith, displaying the power of theological retrieval for the church’s renewal. Leading Reformed theologians offer the “state of the question” on standard theological topics and engage in both exegetical and historical retrieval for the sake of theological analysis. Christian Dogmatics represents the exciting new theological trajectory of Reformed catholicity and will serve professors and students in systematic theology or Christian doctrine courses well. It will also be of interest to pastors and church leaders.
Key Features
- Includes essays on most of the major topics of dogmatics
- Connects the Reformational heritage with contemporary theologians
- Draws on the resources of Holy Scripture within the context of the catholic church of the Reformed confessions
Contents
- Knowledge of God
- Holy Scripture
- Divine Attributes
- Divine Trinity
- Covenant of Redemption
- Creation out of Nothing
- Providence
- Anthropology
- Sin
- Incarnation
- The Work of Christ Accomplished
- The Work of Christ Applied
- The Law of God and Christian Ethics
- The Church
- Sacraments
- Kingdom of God
Top Highlights
“Dogmatic reasoning is the concerted attempt of the church to discipline its hearing of and testimony to the gospel according to that same gospel, specifically, to the promise that God makes himself known to and by his people.” (Page 1)
“Second, the God who is truth himself freely shares that truth with us.” (Page 11)
“The covenant of redemption is the eternal self-determination of the blessed Trinity, who wills to communicate the bliss of his triune life to elect sinners through the mediation of Jesus Christ for the glory of Jesus Christ. The doctrine is a faithful conceptual gloss of biblical teaching regarding the eternal appointment of the Son of God, by way of covenant, to become the incarnate redeemer and head of his adopted siblings. Because it faithfully renders the eternal mystery of our salvation, once hidden but now revealed through the gospel, the doctrine not only orients our understanding of the broader economy of God’s works to its divine source, but it also enables us to perceive that economy in relation to its trinitarian and christological ends.” (Page 109)
“The destructive results of sin are virtually incalculable. Still, as we consider the full misery of human sin, it is important to recognize that all of its consequences are basically twofold. First, sin affects the sinner’s status before God; it renders sinners guilty, liable to his just judgment and condemnation. Second, it affects the condition of the sinner; it leaves sinners thoroughly corrupt and enslaved to Satan and sin as the power that dominates their lives. The depth of their sinful state is such that all sinners, left to themselves apart from God’s saving grace, are nothing less than ‘dead in … transgressions and sins’ (Eph. 2:1, 5). In sum, sin renders the sinner inexcusably guilty and helplessly enslaved.” (Page 273)
Praise for the Print Edition
This book is a significant contribution to Christian doctrinal theology. It covers the main loci concisely and competently in a way that makes it suitable for classroom use. I expect it to have a wide usefulness in the years ahead.
—George Hunsinger, Hazel Thompson McCord Professor of Systematic Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary
This is an important contribution to the ongoing renewal of Reformed dogmatics in the ecumenical context of our time. It should have a significant impact on current discussion and feed into the systematic reconstruction of Reformed theology that is gradually taking shape before our eyes.
—Gerald Bray, research professor of theology, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University
An outstanding collection on Reformed dogmatics from some of the sharpest minds in the contemporary business. Insisting upon the centrality of the scriptural gospel of the Triune God for every area of Christian confession, the contributors also demonstrate how the hearing of that gospel in the company of the church catholic and Reformed presents true hope for theological renewal in today’s world. This book instructs, challenges, and inspires, abundantly illustrating the privilege and delight as well as demands that attend our ongoing reckoning with the church’s historic faith. Why does dogmatic reasoning continue to matter so much, and what must dogmatics seek—in the strength of God—to say if it is to speak the gospel afresh in the church and to the world? Read here, and find out.
—Ivor J. Davidson, professor of systematic and historical theology, University of St. Andrews
Product Details
- Title: Christian Dogmatics: Reformed Theology for the Church Catholic
- Editors: Michael Allen and Scott R. Swain
- Publisher: Baker
- Publication Date: 2016
- Pages: 416
- Christian Group: Reformed
- Resource Type: Introduction
- Topic: Systematic Theology
About the Editors
Michael Allen (PhD, Wheaton College) is John Dyer Trimble Professor of Systematic Theology and associate dean at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. He is the author of several books, including Reformed Catholicity (coauthored with Scott R. Swain), Justification and the Gospel, Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics: An Introduction and Reader, Reformed Theology, and The Christ’s Faith: A Dogmatic Account. He also serves as book review editor for the International Journal of Systematic Theology.
Scott R. Swain (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is president and James Woodrow Hassell Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. He is the author of several books, including Reformed Catholicity (coauthored with Michael Allen), The God of the Gospel: Robert Jenson’s Trinitarian Theology and Trinity, Revelation, and Reading: A Theological Introduction to the Bible and Its Interpretation.