Institutes of Elenctic Theology

Institutes of Elenctic Theology #2

by Francis Turretin, James T. Dennison (Editor), Jr. (Editor)

This is Francis Turretin's magnum opus, a massive work of Reformed scholasticism. Written originally in Latin with sentences frequently lasting nearly a half a page, Turretin's Institutes are at once familiar, profound, erudite, thorough and precise, detailed, comprehensive, historically significant, and truly Reformed, etc. Turretin organized his Institutes into 20 topics (loci) that range from "Prolegomena" (that is, very necessary introductory considerations) to "The Last Things." Each topic (locus) is organized by specific questions. The work is Elenctic (polemic or argumentitive), for a large chunk of this work is written against the Roman Catholics, Arminians, Socinians, Anabaptists, Molinists and others.

Translated by George Musgrave Giger Edited by James T. Dennison Jr.

Volume 2: Topics 11-17

Topic XI: The Law of God

Topic XII: The Covenant Of Grace And Its Twofold Economy In The Old And New Testaments

Topic XIII: The Person And State Of Christ

Topic XIV: The Mediatorial Office Of Christ

Topic XV: Calling And Faith

Topic XVI: Justification

Topic XVII: Sanctification And Good Works

Genres: Theology, Reference, Christian

724 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1993

About the author

Francis Turretin (also known as François Turretini) was a Swiss-Italian Protestant theologian.

Turretin is especially known as a zealous opponent of the theology of the Academy of Saumur (embodied by Moise Amyraut and called Amyraldianism), as an earnest defender of the Calvinistic orthodoxy represented by the Synod of Dort, and as one of the authors of the Helvetic Consensus, which defended the formulation of double predestination from the Synod of Dort and the verbal inspiration of the Bible.

Reviews

[Etienne OMNES · Rating 5 out of 5]

Celui qui a lu ce livre n'a plus rien à apprendre d'autre en sotériologie réformée, sinon des opinions minoritaires. Une lecture cardinale.

[Darren Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally done with Turretin's second volume. I enjoyed the first volume more because Turretin seems to repeat himself a lot more in this volume. He's also more pastoral in this volume. Despite some differences from the writing style of the first volume, it still requires the same amount of hard work to read this volume.

Although this volume is not an easy read, it is well worth it. Turretin helped me breakthrough the theological struggle I had with the book of Galatians. While I know the Mosaic Covenant is a covenant of grace, but somehow I had trouble dealing with the "slavery" status of the Old Testament believers in Galatians, which is something modern covenant theology books didn't address. And ta da...Turretin resolved this issue for me in this volume.

Turretin also changed my position on how God can punish children on account of the sins of their parents, which is something modern evangelicals are deeply uncomfortable with. But this doesn't seems to be an issue for Christians before our modern era. Whether you agree or disagree with Turretin on this issue, it is worth hearing him out.

Turretin's take on the traditional take of Romans 7 is pretty good as well, he may probably be the best defender for the traditional take. All commentators and bible scholars engaging with Romans 7 should consider what he has to say on this topic.

There are 3 highlights in this volume that are worth checking out
1. Ethics on the The Law of God (Ten Commandments)
2. Covenant Theology (particularly the Covenant of Grace)
3. Sanctification and Good Works

Besides the occasionally repetitiveness from Turretin which sometimes annoyed me, there is another thing that kinda let me down, and that is, he didn't write a specific section for the doctrine of Union with Christ. Maybe he might have covered this in volume 3. But nevertheless, I highly recommend those who are seriously hungry for theology to read all 3 volumes of Turretin one day.

[Nathan Burkhalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Answered a ton of questions that I’ve had. Best Systematic I’ve read so far. Looking forward to 1 & 3. Grateful to have it on my shelf for reference and further study.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

SECOND OF THREE VOLUMES OF AN "ELENCTIC" (i.e., refutative) REFORMED THEOLOGY,

Francis Turretin (1623-1687) was a Swiss-Italian Calvinist theologian, who was a firm opponent of Amyraldianism, and one of the authors of the Helvetic Consensus (which defended the Synod of Dort's formulation of double predestination). The other volumes in this set are 'Institutes of Elenctic Theology: Volume 1: First Through 10 Topics' and 'Institutes of Elenctic Theology, Vol. 3: Eighteenth Through Twentieth Topics.'

There are seven topics in the second volume: The Law of God; The Covenant of Grace; The Person and State of Christ; The Mediatorial Office of Christ; Calling and Faith; Justification; Sanctification and Good Works.

He argues, "the observance of the Lord's day is not necessary per se as a part of divine worship or a grace of mystical signification, but still is necessary with regard to the preservation of good order ... and apostolic and ecclesiastical polity." (Pg. 96) Concerning festivals, he writes, "It is one thing to make mention of the conception, nativity, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ on certain days in discourses to the people ... It is another, however, to make and by established law to impose necessarily upon Christian festivals sacred to God and the saints, to constitute these a part of religion and of divine worship as more holy than other days." (Pg. 103)

He asserts that the "ceremonial law" was abrogated by the coming of Jesus, as suggested by Genesis 49:10 (pg. 158). The Reformed "hold to a particularity of the covenant... that...may be called general... (but) never was universal with each and all, but particular only with the true elect members of Christ." (Pg. 207) Although he counsels that "anxious labor should not be spent upon it," he computes that Jesus was born "in the beginning of October." (Pg. 338) Like Luther, he affirms that Mary continued to be a virgin even after Jesus' birth (Pg. 345-346).

He affirms "the common opinion of the Reformed" that Christ was appointed and given as a Redeemer and head, not to all men, but to a certain number of men... For these alone, Christ... was willing and determined to die... to acquire faith and salvation for them." (Pg. 458) Supporting the notion that God didn't intend for the nonelect to actually believe and be saved, he adds, "For if he seriously intended this end, he would add to the external preaching the internal power of Spirit, without which it remains always inefficacious." (Pg. 509-510) He contends that "the habit of faith once enjoyed by the elect can indeed sometimes be strained or remitted, become stronger or weaker in reference to the inroads of sin, but so that it is never wholly and finally destroyed and lost, nor the grace of regeneration once bestowed upon man wholly taken from him." (Pg. 595)

This series is a true "classic" of Reformed theology---almost on a par with Calvin's "Institutes," and will be of continuing interest to all students of Reformed theology.

[Jonathan Grubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turrettin is a genius. He is hard to understand mostly because the language he uses does not mean the same thing today as it once did. But when you really dive into what he means and how he reasons through some tough questions, it becomes really beautiful. I learned a whole bunch and am sad I’m done with it, but I also blitzed this thing in like a month for DeYoung’s ST class and I’m fried on Turretin.

[Tyler Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was an absolute drudge to get through some days, but I'm glad I did. Turretin is a super shape thinker, and I feel like his scholastic method is really helpful for me learning to think carefully and reason thoroughly. He has the too-common gift of taking simple ideas and making them needlessly complex, but it pays off in the end!

[Ryan Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, very dense, very polemic.

[Bryan Counts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh sweet Turretin. What to make of you?

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard to know where to start. Turretin is simply majestic. He was the greatest Reformed theologian of all time. Ideally, this review would give an indepth analysis of all of Turretin's key points. Sadly, such a review would span many pages. Instead, I'll give a brief outline of the loci and focus on his high points.

He begins with an exposition of the Ten Commandments. Of particular importance are his takes on the 2nd and 7th Commandments. He then moves into the Covenant of Grace. I thought this section could have been fleshed out more. Perhaps that is where Witsius comes in. He then moves to the Person of Christ and this is where he shines. He mightily vindicates the Reformed Christology, presupposing the "finiti non capax infinitum." From here he moves to the Offices of Christ. THis is in particular contrast to the Socinians. There is a very strong section on the Priestly office of Christ.

From there he moves to Calling and Faith. He gives a rather thorough, if somewhat laborious, justification of effectual calling. I think his later disciple Charles Hodge did a better job of summarizing this. The section on justification was particularly good.

The book is not perfect, but it comes very close. There are about 7 to 10 areas with which I disagree with Turretin, but that's only natural.

[Cody Plezgnarles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read the section on "The Person and State of Christ," twice. Some heavy sledding, but it is fantastic.

Page 317
XXV. If the Son of God assumed our nature, nothing on that account was added to him intrinsically to perfect his nature (which already had in an eminent degree all the perfection of humanity). Only extrinsically was something adjoined to it for the work of redemption.
XXVI. He who was made what he was not before transmutatively, is changed; but not forthwith, he who is only made what he was not assumptively. Therefore, the change (if there were any here) is in the human nature (which in an extraordinary and special manner is sustained by the Logos), not in the person of the Logos (who, always existing the same, united it to himself).

[Brittany Petruzzi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whatever good this contains is typically lost in the impossible prose. I blame the lingering effects of scholasticism.

[Mad Russian the Traveller]

WOULD SOMEONE WITH LIBRARY PRIVILEGES PLEASE FIX THE NUMBER OF PAGES IN THE BOOK DATA???

The hardcover editon has 724 numbered pages.