Against God and Nature: The Doctrine of Sin (Foundations of Evangelical Theology)
Overview
Without a proper understanding of sin, there can never be a proper understanding of the gospel. Sin is opposed both to God’s will and to nature, leaving us in need of God’s grace and redemption. This comprehensive exploration of the doctrine of sin looks at what the Bible teaches about sin’s origin, nature, and consequences, engaging with historical and contemporary movements. Dealing with difficult issues such as original sin, angelic sin, corporate sin, greater and lesser sins, and more, this book ends with a discussion on divine grace, which is the only hope for the problem of sin.
- Examines what the Bible teaches about sin’s origin, nature, and consequences
- Addresses topics including original sin, angelic sin, corporate sin, and greater and lesser sins
- Incorporates insights from Scripture, historical theology, and philosophy
- Introduction
- Sin According to Scripture: Sin Portrayed in the Canonical Narrative
- The Origin of Sin
- The Doctrine of Original Sin
- The “Nature” of Sin and “The Sin Nature”
- The Wages of Sin: The Results of Sin
- Where Sin Abounded: Sin and Grace
- Conclusion
Top Highlights
“no one claims to make a direct case for the view from exegesis of the Bible” (Page 211)
“nowhere in Scripture is a doctrine of sin explicated or explained in any sort of abstract way” (Page 113)
“sin is always, and in the first instance, against God.” (Page 237)
“God’s very wrath tells us that we are children of God.” (Page 124)
“We can briefly summarize Zwingli’s position as follows:49 first, all humans (other than Christ) are corrupted by the original sin of Adam. No one escapes this original sin; all suffer from its corruption. Second, this condition of original sin is the result of self-love. Third, while this corruption brings us to utter moral ruin, we are not somehow guilty for this inherited condition. Nor are we culpable for what Adam did in Eden. Fourth, all humans are guilty—but they are guilty for what they do. Their corruption inevitably produces actual sins, and we are guilty for these sinful actions. We are not guilty either for what Adam did or for having the corrupting condition itself, but we are guilty and condemned.” (Pages 157–158)
Thomas McCall proves himself a knowledgeable, reliable, and congenial guide to the sad subject of human sin. Here you will find a vigorous and invigorating loyalty to, and defense of, the orthodox Christian tradition. McCall’s argument is firmly rooted in the biblical storyline, well conversant with the history of discussion, and philosophically careful. He shows respect to the various branches of Christianity, offering advice on how they can refine and improve their positions on issues where they differ from one another, and he strengthens their confidence in the large swaths of agreement between them. You can tell as well that McCall, the serious scholar, also loves God and his people, and wants us to aspire to holiness.
—C. John Collins, Professor of Old Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary
This book is a gift. Dealing with one of the more contentious issues in theology today, McCall offers a discussion that is judicious, clear, and thought-provoking from beginning to end. It comprehensively surveys the biblical material and historical discussions, deals fairly with a broad range of theological perspectives, and constructively addresses the most difficult questions raised by this much-maligned doctrine. And yet somehow it does all of this while remaining thoroughly readable throughout. I have long hoped to find a comprehensive and up-to-date survey of the doctrine of sin and its significance for theology today, and I think this is it.
—Marc Cortez, Professor of Theology, Wheaton College Graduate School
In Against God and Nature, Thomas McCall invites us to join him as he thoughtfully guides us through a thorough, careful, and insightful exploration of the doctrine of sin from biblical, historical, philosophical, theological, pastoral, and practical perspectives. Wide-ranging in his interaction with the biblical text and with other thinkers through the centuries, this first-rate theologian wrestles with the personal, societal, private, and public aspects of this oft-neglected area of theology. Offering careful exegesis of the central biblical texts on this subject, our author serves as a judicious and astute guide through the issues of original sin, guilt, corruption, and the multiple dimensions of sin. In doing so, he avoids the trap of popular psychobabble while, with pastoral sensitivity, leading readers to a deeper and more thoroughly biblical understanding of the awfulness of sin, idolatry, transgression, and depravity. He helps us all to gain a more theologically informed grasp of the important issues of humanity and our desperate need for rescue, redemption, forgiveness, and salvation. Against God and Nature is an extremely valuable work that I am delighted to recommend.
—David S. Dockery, President, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
- Title: Against God and Nature: The Doctrine of Sin
- Author: Thomas H. McCall
- Editor: John S. Feinberg
- Series: Foundations of Evangelical Theology
- Publisher: Crossway
- Publication Date: 2019
- Pages: 448
- Resource Type: Systematic Theology
- Topic: Sin