Showing posts with label doctrine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label doctrine. Show all posts

The Holy Spirit (Contours of Christian Theology) Review

The Holy Spirit (Contours of Christian Theology)
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The Holy Spirit (Contours of Christian Theology) ReviewThis book by Ferguson is now 7 years old, but it remains an essential treatment of the Holy Spirit from a Reformed perspective. As Ferguson aptly notes early on, fascination with the work of the Holy Spirit has greatly increased in the last 100 years in Christian circles, but knowledge and understanding of the Spirit Himself remains more elusive than ever it seems. This book is a wonderful remedy to this starvation.
Ferguson takes a very mild mannered tone throughout his presentation. Even the section of the book where he registers his sharpest theological disagreement (in this case, with Grudem), he is charitable and properly recognizes the importance of theology's role to increase understanding and knowledge, but also the depth of Christian community.
As is to be expected from a book written by a professor from Westminster Seminary, the reader can expect to get a healthy dosage of Vos/Ridderbos Biblical theology in here. Ferguson adopts the favored Westminster view that the New Testament needs to be seen within the context of redemptive history, and particularly eschatology. As a result, Ferguson's treatment of the presence and work of the Holy Spirit is seen within an eschatological context that stresses His role in the 'already/not yet' period of the coming of the Kingdom. What this means is that a reader who picks up this book who is enamored more with a systematic theological approach will find a different approach undertaken here. Particularly in Ferguson's treatment of the ordo salutis, the scholastic approach is mostly spurned in favor of a Biblical Theological approach that stresses the believer's unity in Christ within redemptive history as the predominate motif of the Spirit's work.
Ferguson's early detail on the Person of the Holy Spirit is highly informative and a needed premise to analyzing the work of the Holy Spirit. In this respect, Ferguson does retain elements of a more traditional systematic theological approach, but also employs a literary approach as well which is the latest thing in theological formulation. In addition, Ferguson's section on sanctification is outstanding and should aid believers in the perennial dilemma of what to make of the old self/new self imagery in the Bible, as well as the inner personal struggle we experience that frustrates and even perplexes us at times. Lastly, Ferguson's section on the Spirit's ministry gifts is outstanding. He comes to this discussion from a cessationist perspective, but is very charitable in his critique and seeks not to minimize or dismiss personal experience, but to incorporate such experience within what he believes is a Biblical framework.
Overall, this book is definitely a worthy successor to Kuyper's work a century ago, and is a book that is much needed in Reformed circles to regain the appreciation and dependence we should be feeling toward the Holy Spirit in all phases of our living. Highly recommended.The Holy Spirit (Contours of Christian Theology) Overview

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The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way Review

The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way
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The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way ReviewThis work by Michael Horton may be the finest systematic theology since Berkhof's classic which I believe was written in the 1930's. Clear, insightful and what I would call a page turner. It is so full of theological jewels I often found myself excited to turn the page or anxiously wanting to get back to reading it after a short break.
Written in a style that is easily reachable even for the common layman, Horton weaves historic, biblical and systematic theology in a way that highlights not only the truth of Scripture but why and how the Christian world-view is necessarily antithetical to pagan and atheistic world-views. Horton has written his text in a manner much different than many systematics. He writes in a style almost like telling a story. His writing style definitely holds the readers attention and is not the dry technical style found in many systematic theologies.
Dr. Horton, writes from a consistently reformed and covenantal perspective. That said, the author understands covenant not as a system forced upon the Bible but one that naturally raises from text itself. The Bible is inherently covenantal in that it is God's own record of His own covenant making and keeping redemptive drama from eternity to eternity. Therefore, covenant becomes the motif for properly understanding God's redemptive purpose and the biblical doctrines that reveal it. God's covenants have a goal. Therefore, eschatology is not merely a stand-alone doctrine but the lens through which we read all scripture. Covenant and eschatology become central to our understanding of ontology, epistemology and all of history. The author interacts with past and current philosophies and theologies as he writes, unpacking the doctrines of the Bible in their historical-redemptive setting.
There are three very helpful tools at the end of the hard copy for the new or not highly trained theology reader. The first is a glossary of terms. The author has given short definitions to key theological terms, Latin phrases and historical events, theological systems and theological movements. This will prove to be very helpful for someone just beginning their dive into serious theological reading. The second tool is Dr. Horton's annotated bibliography of recommended reading. This list is broken down by doctrine and each work is listed as beginner, intermediate, and advanced. With this reading list, the student is directed into a lifetime of great theological reading. Finally, the author has supplied not just a scripture index but on for the reformational creeds and catechisms sited in this work. This could prove to very helpful for the teacher seeking to cross-reference this systematic theology and the creeds and confessions.
It is a rare systematic theology that can prove to be helpful to both the pastor-teacher and the layman. I can't wait to get this into the hands of our congregation. Dr. Horton's, "The Christian Faith" is written not just to promote sound theology, but consistent thinking and living pilgrims growing in faith in Christ.
A must have for anyone seriously interested good theology. Makes a great gift for your pastor, Bible school student or anyone interested in mastering the great truths of the BibleThe Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way Overview

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