The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield, Vol. 7: Perfectionism, Part 1
Overview
All of Warfield’s writings are littered with a subtle disdain for Christian perfectionism—from his condemnation of Pelagianism in the early church to his critique of the marriage of works and grace in theology in America. However, this volume succinctly and coherently outlines Warfield’s appraisal of Christian perfectionism. Warfield resists the perfectionist tendencies in Christian thought and practice. He warns against mistakenly thinking the endowments of human nature and the condition of human action can somehow affect the efficacy of grace and the extent of the Spirit’s work in sanctification. Warfield admits that Christian perfectionism comes not from a single source, but stems from an admixture of Pelagianism, rationalism, and libertarianism. This volume explains the complicated and meandering history of Christian perfectionism, and includes chapters on Ritschl, Wernle, Clemen, Pfleiderer, Windisch, and the Higher Life Movement.
Product Details
- Title: The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield, Vol. 7: Perfectionism, Part 1
- Author: B. B. Warfield
- Publisher: Oxford University Press
- Publication Date: 1931
- Pages: 399
About Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield
Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield was born in 1851 in Lexington, Kentucky. He studied mathematics and science at Princeton University and graduated in 1871. In 1873, he decided to enroll at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he was taught by Charles Hodge. He graduated from seminary in 1876, and was married shortly thereafter. He traveled to Germany later that year to study under Franz Delitazsch.
After returning to America, Warfield taught at Western Theological Seminary (now Pittsburgh Theological Seminary). In 1881, Warfield co-wrote an article with A. A. Hodge on the inspiration of Scripture—a subject which dominated his scholarly pursuits throughout the remainder of his lifetime. When A. A. Hodge died in 1887, Warfield became professor of Theology at Princeton, where he taught from 1887–1921. History remembers Warfield as one of the last great Princeton Theologians prior to the seminary’s re-organization and the split in the Presbyterian Church. B. B. Warfield died in 1921.
Top Highlights
“ two fundamental streams of thought. Wherever Mysticism intrudes, it carries a tendency to Perfectionism with it.” (Page 3)
“The spirit of this Christianity is a spirit of penitent indeed, but overmastering exultation. The attitude of the ‘miserable sinner’ is not only not one of despair; it is not even one of depression; and not even one of hesitation or doubt; hope is too weak a word to apply to it. It is an attitude of exultant joy. Only this joy has its ground not in ourselves but in our Savior. We are sinners and we know ourselves to be sinners, lost and helpless in ourselves. But we are saved sinners; and it is our salvation which gives the tone to our life, a tone of joy which swells in exact proportion to the sense we have of our ill-desert; for it is he to whom much is forgiven who loves much, and who, loving, rejoices much.” (Page 114)
“We must always be accepted for Christ’s sake, or we cannot ever be accepted at all. This is not true of us only ‘when we believe.’ It is just as true after we have believed. It will continue to be true as long as we live. Our need of Christ does not cease with our believing; nor does the nature of our relation to Him or to God through Him ever alter, no matter what our attainments in Christian graces or our achievements in Christian behavior may be. It is always on His ‘blood and righteousness’ alone that we can rest.” (Page 113)
“English-speaking French Protestant Church of Charleston, S. C.,” (Page 121)
- Title: The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield, Volume 7: Perfectionism, Part One
- Author: Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield
- Series: The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield
- Publisher: Faithlife
- Print Publication Date: 2008
- Logos Release Date: 2008
- Era: era:modern
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Perfection › Religious aspects--Christianity
- ISBNs: 9780801096457, 0801096456
- Resource ID: LLS:WARFIELD07
- Resource Type: text.monograph.collected-work
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-01-24T20:44:34Z
B. B. Warfield (1851–1921) was a prolific writer, accomplished scholar, and ranks as one of America’s greatest theologians. After studying mathematics and science at Princeton University, he enrolled at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1873, where he was taught by Charles Hodge, in order to train for ministry as a Presbyterian minister. He later returned to America and taught at Western Theological Seminary (now Pittsburgh Theological Seminary).
In 1881, Benjamin B. Warfield co-wrote an article with A. A. Hodge on the inspiration of Scripture—a subject which dominated his scholarly pursuits throughout the remainder of his lifetime. When A. A. Hodge died in 1887, Warfield became a professor of theology at Princeton, where he taught from 1887 until 1921.
History remembers Warfield as one of the last great Princeton Theologians prior to the seminary’s re-organization and the split in the Presbyterian Church.
Warfield is known as one of Reformed theology’s most ardent defenders. The foundation to Warfield’s theology was his adherence to Calvinism as supported by the Westminster Confession of Faith and much of his writings are centered on this.
He has authored many books in his lifetime, including The Atonement and Modern Thought in the Classic Studies on the Atonement collection, Westminster Doctrine anent Holy Scripture: Tractates by A. A. Hodge and B. B. Warfield, and the titles included in the B. B. Warfield Collection.