You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
A historical and theological re-evaluation of the polemical writings of Athanasius of Alexandria (bishop 328-73), who would become known to later Christian generations as a saint and a champion of orthodoxy, and as the defender of the original Nicene Creed of 325 against the `Arian heresy'. For much of his own lifetime, however, Athanasius was an extremely controversial figure, and his writings, although highly influential on modern interpretations of the fourth-century Church and the so-called `Arian Controversy', display bias and distortion. David M. Gwynn examines Athanasius' polemic in detail, and in particular his construction of those he condemns as `Arian' as a single `heretical party', 'the Eusebians'. Gwynn argues that Athanasius' image of the Church polarized between his own `orthodoxy' and the `Arianism' of the `Eusebians' is a polemical construct, which has seriously impaired our knowledge of the development of Christianity in the crucial period in which the Later Roman Empire became ever increasingly a Christian empire.
Maintaining hope in Christ for the weary soul. In the face of trials and tribulations, persevering in the faith can be a difficult task. For Puritan pastor--theologian William Gouge, this question was of critical importance for those he shepherded. His theology of assurance during the difficult seasons in life provided direction and help to weary souls. In Christ Is Yours, Eric Rivera explores Gouge's theology, revealing a man who cared deeply about the truths of Scripture and the spiritual lives of his community. His theology was focused on the promises of God found in Scripture while staying grounded in the realities of life. This message of perseverance and hope is just as necessary for Christ-followers today as it was then. Written for academics and pastors alike, Rivera brings this important theology to a modern audience.
Joel R. Beeke's work is an academic monograph of historical theology that examines three flashpoints of controversy in Reformation and Post-Reformation theology. As the subtitle, Early Lutheran Predestination, Calvinian Reprobation, and Variations in Genevan Lapsarianism implies, the work addresses, first, the development of the Lutheran doctrine of predestination from Martin Luther (1483–1546) and Philip Melanchthon (1497–1560) to the Formula of Concord (1577); second, the development of John Calvin's (1509–1564) doctrine of reprobation as traced through his writings; and third, the doctrine of predestination in Geneva with a particular emphasis on lapsarianism from Theodore Beza (151...
A Companion to the Reformation in Geneva describes the course of the Protestant Reformation in the city of Geneva from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. It explores the beginnings of reform in the city, the struggles the reformers encountered when seeking to teach, minister to, educate, and discipline the inhabitants of Geneva, and the methods employed to overcome these obstacles. It examines Geneva’s relations with nearby cities and how Geneva handled the influx of immigrants from France. The volume focuses on the most significant aspects of life in the city, examines major theological and liturgical subjects associated with the Genevan Reformation, and describes the political, s...
This book is for anyone who has an interest in the theology of the Reformation, irrespective of one’s prior training in the field. Undergraduate students and laypersons will find it particularly helpful because it does not require any previous acquaintance with Reformation doctrines. All those who want to become minimally acquainted with Reformation thought would therefore find it useful to read or perhaps only browse because the chapters can be approached individually, which means that they can read in any order. Those who want to delve a little deeper into Reformation issues have a selection of over four hundred sources in the bibliography that can be consulted for further reference.
Suk Yu Chan provides a revisit of John Calvin's interpretation of the doctrine of divine providence and builds upon a vast repository of quality research conducted by previous Reformation scholars. The author adopts a historical approach to explore Calvin's works from 1534–1559, and argues that from 1534–1541, Calvin used the image of the fountain to portray God as the source of everything, who has power to preserve and give life to all creatures on earth. Between the Latin edition of the Institutes in 1539 and the French translation of that work in 1541, Calvin was indecisive about the definition of special providence, articulating a fitful relationship between providence and soteriolog...
The period between the late Renaissance and the early Enlightenment has long been regarded as the zenith of the "republic of letters", a pan-European community of like-minded scholars and intellectuals who fostered critical approaches to the study of the Bible and other ancient texts, while renouncing the brutal religio-political disputes that were tearing their continent apart at the same time. Criticism and Confession offers an unprecedentedly comprehensive challenge to this account. Throughout this period, all forms of biblical scholarship were intended to contribute to theological debates, rather than defusing or transcending them, and meaningful collaboration between scholars of differe...
Richard Cross explores the largely uncharted territory of seventeenth-century Christology, paying close attention to its metaphysical and semantic presuppositions and consequences. He shows that theologians of all stripes develop and expand theories that are associated respectively with the medieval theologians Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus. Italian and French Dominicans follow Aquinas closely, read through the lens of Cardinal Cajetan. But most Iberian Dominicans incorporate Suárez's theory of modes into their account, and Suárez, whose account is a modification of Scotus's, is in turn followed by his fellow Jesuits. Lutherans use Cajetan's account to fill explanatory gaps in their own accounts; and Reformed theologians by and large adapt the position associated with Scotus. The study ends with an account of Leibniz's Christology in its historical and conceptual context.
This book reflects and comprises the latest in research on the history and theology of Reformed Orthodoxy (± 1550-1750) and is at the same time a work in progress, which makes this volume in the Companion series unique. The reason for this is not only the quality of the authors and the chapters they have produced, but also the fact that the study of Reformed Orthodoxy has in recent years taken an entirely new approach and has received renewed and spirited attention, whose results have so far not been brought together in one book. The renewed interest and reappraisal of this period in intellectual history is reflected in this work in which an international team of renowned scholars give an oversight of this fascinating period in intellectual history. Contributors include Willem van Asselt, Aza Goudriaan, Irena Backus, Mark Beach, Christian Moser, Anton Vos, Tobias Sarx, Andreas Mühling, Carl Trueman, Graeme Murdock, Joel Beeke, Sebastian Rehnman, Scott Clark, John Fesko, Luca Baschera, Maarten Wisse, Hugo Meijer, Pieter Rouwendal, and John Witte.