Michael Allen - Christian Dogmatics: Reformed Theology for the Church Catholic

2016 by Michael Allen and Scott R. Swain

Published by Baker Academic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakeracademic.com

Ebook edition created 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4934-0278-6

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2011

Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 7 is published by kind permission of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc / T&T Clark.

A valuable collection that interprets the central loci of Christian belief from the perspective of the classical Reformed tradition. In providing a set of resources for the wider church, the volume is characterized by lucid, patient, and temperate exposition of key themes. It reflects the dual capacity of Reformed theology to accommodate a measure of diversity while never losing sight of its catholicity.

David Fergusson , New College, University of Edinburgh

Behaving for all the world as if we were living in some kind of golden age of vibrant Reformed orthodoxy, the editors have brought together a multiauthor confessional theology, with significant contributions from a range of respected scholars. This is a gift to the entire church: the solidity, maturity, resourcefulness, and sagacity of these chapters provide theologians from all confessions with a statement of Christian doctrine from an identifiably Protestant perspective. I would not have thought such a thing possible in our time, but here it is: further evidence of Reformed catholicitys helpfulness.

Fred Sanders , Torrey Honors Institute, Biola 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 todays world. This book instructs, challenges, and inspires, abundantly illustrating the privilege and delight as well as demands that attend our ongoing reckoning with the churchs historic faith. Why does dogmatic reasoning continue to matter so much, and what must dogmatics seekin the strength of Godto say if it is to speak the gospel afresh in the church and to the world? Read here, and find out.

Ivor J. Davidson , University of St. Andrews

With this volume, Michael Allen and Scott Swain continue their promising project of Reformed catholicity. Those of us who identify as confessional Reformed Christians should embrace their call to center our faith and life around the Scriptures, yet to do so as participants in an ancient and enduring community of believers who have mined the Scriptures and confessed the faith before us. Christian Dogmatics brings together a diverse group of thoughtful and accomplished theologians who take up the editors call for retrieval and reflect upon most of the main themes of Christian theology. Their constructive proposals embrace a variety of classical and revisionist ideas, and although no reader will embrace everything proposed herein, no one will fail to be challenged, edified, and spurred on to further study of Scripture with the help of our theological forebears.

David VanDrunen , Westminster Seminary California For our children:
Jackson and Will Allen
and
Caroline, Sophia, Josiah, and Micah Swain CONTENTS Cover Title Page Copyright Page Endorsements Dedication Introduction Michael Allen and Scott R. Swain 1. Knowledge of God Michael Allen 2. Holy Scripture Kevin J. Vanhoozer 3. Divine Attributes Michael Allen 4. Divine Trinity Scott R. Swain 5. Covenant of Redemption Scott R. Swain 6. Creation out of Nothing John Webster 7. Providence John Webster 8. Anthropology Kelly M. Kapic 9. Sin Oliver D. Crisp 10. Incarnation Daniel J. Treier 11. The Work of Christ Accomplished Donald Macleod 12. The Work of Christ Applied Richard Gaffin 13. The Law of God and Christian Ethics Paul T. Nimmo 14. The Church Michael Horton 15. Sacraments Todd Billings 16. Kingdom of God Michael Horton Contributors Scripture Index Subject Index Back Cover INTRODUCTION MICHAEL ALLEN AND SCOTT R. SWAIN

Christian Dogmatics and the Theological Task

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. As Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson has articulated so well, The church has a mission: to see to the speaking of the gospel, whether to the world as message of salvation or to God as appeal and praise. This is no easy mission, for the world is not eager to hear this message, and we are not naturally prone to profess it. Even regenerate Christians continue to resist the shape of the gospel at times and to return to their sinful ways. The practice of dogmatics nevertheless goes forward in its mission vis--vis the gospel because it is moved along by the promise and provision of the Lord. The possibility of faithful service in the task of dogmatics does not arise from within the resources of dogmatics itself but from within the infinite depths of the Triune God who speaks to his church and who wills through his church to shed abroad the knowledge and love of himself.

This volume includes essays on most of the major topics ( loci ) of dogmatics. They are written by accomplished theologians from across the world. The contributors bring differing areas of specialization and theological affiliation to the table and therefore do not constitute a unified school of thought The contributors to this volume are all committed to the proposition that theological renewal comes through dependence upon the generative resources of the Triune God in and through the gospel and that such dependence is best expressed in our particular historical moment by way of retrieval. In other words, theological fruitfulness in the future will be possible only if we first tend faithfully to the past: specifically, to the confession of our ancestors in the faith and to the root of that confession in the scriptural witness that God has generated through his Word and Spirit. Thus this volume seeks to bridge the classical and the contemporary by enlisting the contribution of some of todays leading theologians and by aligning itself with the catholic and Reformational heritage of the church. In this manner, these essays are meant to contribute to the flourishing of theology within the church today.

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