The Unconditional Freeness of the Gospel: In Three Essays. Annotated Edition
Ebook
When Scottish lay theologian Thomas Erskine's book The Unconditional Freeness of the Gospel was published in 1828, it provoked a storm of controversy throughout his Calvinist homeland. The ideas expressed in the book were violently attacked as being radical, unwarranted, and heretical, and yet, by the turn of the twentieth century, those same ideas that had been so heatedly condemned when first presented had become common stock in the Christian world--ideas such as the universal Fatherhood of God, the universal atonement of Christ, and a gospel that was meant to be proclaimed freely to all people. This new and unabridged edition of Thomas Erskine's classic work has been fully and helpfully annotated. It includes an introduction to Thomas Erskine and his theology by the editor, Richard Leimbach, and a final chapter consisting of further readings from Erskine's letters and books. The book will surely be a welcomed addition for anyone interested in the development of Christian theology in the early nineteenth century.
“Richard Leimbach has done the ongoing theological conversation about the triune God, and the gospel many of us proclaim concerning them, a great service by reintroducing the thought of Thomas Erskine into the conversation. A deeply insightful Christian thinker rooted in Scottish Calvinism, yet profoundly aware of its limitations, Erskine pushed through, alongside his great friend John McLeod Campbell, to a much stronger and more central emphasis on a God who loves us. This is a much-needed tonic to those who thirst for words of real grace.”
—Douglas Campbell, professor of New Testament, Duke Divinity School
“Thomas Erskine was one of the most significant British theologians of the nineteenth century, whose pioneering work is as relevant and revolutionary today as it was in his own time. It is satisfying to have this wonderful, accessible edition of The Unconditional Freeness of the Gospel available to introduce his teaching on divine grace to a new generation.”
—Robin A. Parry, author of A Larger Hope? Universal Salvation from the Reformation to the Nineteenth Century
“In this little book you will find a mine full of gold, silver, and precious stones. Editor Richard Leimbach has taken a classic text of Christian theology, polished the English, and annotated the text—a text which in its time was controversial but now may well have found its time. Its arguments are fluid and convincing. Erskine, as an author, breathes new life into the gospel that God is good, God is light, and in God there is no dark side.”
—Michael Hardin, author of Mimetic Theory and Biblical Interpretation: Reclaiming the Good News of the Gospel
- Title: The Unconditional Freeness of the Gospel: In Three Essays. Annotated Edition
- Authors: Thomas Erskine, Richard L. Leimbach
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Print Publication Date: 2023
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666756401, 9781666756395, 1666756393, 9781666756388, 1666756385, 1666756407
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666756401
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-04-25T09:59:57Z
Thomas Erskine (1788–1870) was a nineteenth-century Scottish theologian whose work influenced many contemporaries, including the theologian F. D. Maurice and the novelist George MacDonald.
Richard Leimbach is a retired software engineer. He has a theology degree from Ambassador College, Pasadena and spent twenty-four years serving in various support staff capacities for the leadership of a California-based church organization.