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Reformed Covenant Theology: A Systematic Introduction
“Perkins is an expert in his field and very much a pastor. … You will not be disappointed.” ―From the foreword by Ligon Duncan
Covenant shapes our life with God. In Reformed Covenant A Systematic Introduction , Harrison Perkins shows how Christ and his work are the heart of that covenant relationship. Since God lives in covenant with his redeemed people, covenant theology provides a framework for Christians to grow in their life with God, to read the Bible, and to love the church.
Covenant shapes our life with God. In Reformed Covenant A Systematic Introduction , Harrison Perkins shows how Christ and his work are the heart of that covenant relationship. Since God lives in covenant with his redeemed people, covenant theology provides a framework for Christians to grow in their life with God, to read the Bible, and to love the church.
520 pages, Hardcover
Published April 24, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 15, 2026
Often when people begin to enter the world of reformed theology, they come in through the front door of Calvinism. But eventually, if you hang around for long, you're going to have to grapple with covenant theology too, and this often presents challenges for people steeped in broad evangelical or Baptist theology. The basic continuity or sameness of the flow of redemptive history from Old Covenant to New is a strange idea for some. And yet reformed folks would say you can't fully grasp the fullness of the Gospel without a grasp of this covenantal approach. That's why this book by Harrison Perkins is such a helpful addition to the discussion..
Other books might be preferred as a brief introduction to covenant theology, but if you want to think more deeply about the distinctions and nuances, this is the book for you. Perkins is extremely thorough in his explanations of the covenant of works, the covenant of grace, the relationship between the persons of the Trinity and the covenants, and the way the covenants relate to the sacraments and practical godly living.
Most helpful is that Perkins is intentional about providing simple illustrations to clarify some of these difficult abstract concepts. For instance, he compares the different administrations of the covenant to a trip to the ice cream shop. Whether you choose a cup or a cone, you always get ice cream. Similarly, whether we are talking about the Abrahamic covenant or the Davidic covenant, Christ is always the substance being delivered, even though we receive him in different ways. (p.274).
Or, while it is true that an envelope is not as important as the letter it contains, the envelope is nonetheless important because it is the means the Postal Service has appointed to carry our letters. In the same way, sacraments are not as important as the gospel, but they are the means God uses to "carry" grace. (p.285).
Or, Adam functions as humanity's covenantal representative in a way similar to how an Olympian represents his nation. Even if the athlete wins the gold medal long before you were born, you will still tend to say "we won” when referring to your nation’s accomplishment, including yourself in the victory. "Their victory or loss is credited to me even though I did not yet exist because they represented the group of people to which I belong." (p.94). In the same way, Adam's sin made us all sinners because he was our representative.
My only critique is that Perkins can tend to spin his wheels sometimes, using lots of words to hammer home a point, meaning this book could have probably been shorter. But again, given the difficulty of the topic, and the common misunderstandings that come with it, I can understand why he thought this was necessary.
This is a substantial, thoughtful, challenging book that will reward careful reading. And it has a great front cover too.
Other books might be preferred as a brief introduction to covenant theology, but if you want to think more deeply about the distinctions and nuances, this is the book for you. Perkins is extremely thorough in his explanations of the covenant of works, the covenant of grace, the relationship between the persons of the Trinity and the covenants, and the way the covenants relate to the sacraments and practical godly living.
Most helpful is that Perkins is intentional about providing simple illustrations to clarify some of these difficult abstract concepts. For instance, he compares the different administrations of the covenant to a trip to the ice cream shop. Whether you choose a cup or a cone, you always get ice cream. Similarly, whether we are talking about the Abrahamic covenant or the Davidic covenant, Christ is always the substance being delivered, even though we receive him in different ways. (p.274).
Or, while it is true that an envelope is not as important as the letter it contains, the envelope is nonetheless important because it is the means the Postal Service has appointed to carry our letters. In the same way, sacraments are not as important as the gospel, but they are the means God uses to "carry" grace. (p.285).
Or, Adam functions as humanity's covenantal representative in a way similar to how an Olympian represents his nation. Even if the athlete wins the gold medal long before you were born, you will still tend to say "we won” when referring to your nation’s accomplishment, including yourself in the victory. "Their victory or loss is credited to me even though I did not yet exist because they represented the group of people to which I belong." (p.94). In the same way, Adam's sin made us all sinners because he was our representative.
My only critique is that Perkins can tend to spin his wheels sometimes, using lots of words to hammer home a point, meaning this book could have probably been shorter. But again, given the difficulty of the topic, and the common misunderstandings that come with it, I can understand why he thought this was necessary.
This is a substantial, thoughtful, challenging book that will reward careful reading. And it has a great front cover too.
April 29, 2024
In the foreword to this book Ligon Duncan lists more than 10 books on Reformed Covenant Theology that have been published since the 1990s. While I can't claim to have read them all, I can claim to have a bit more mileage in the list than the average layman. I preface with this to say that Harrison's addition "Reformed Covenant Theology" is now my definitive favourite.
Many of the books that have come before have focused narrowly on biblical exegesis (no bad thing), or historical retrieval (also wonderful), but they have often spent little time in conversation in the same book. A few of them, I shall not name names, have been so drily written that even an enthusiast like myself has almost considered defeat before reaching the end. This book is a very different affair!
Harrison has written not primarily for academia, but for the Church. That isn't to say this book is not academic (the footnotes won't let you fall into that illusion), but that it is first and foremost pastoral. In the preface he says "My favorite thing about this book is its thorough connection to my life as a pastor" and I have to say it shines through! The book itself starts with a prayer and every single chapter ends with a "conclusion" where Harrison makes sure that you have a practical take away of how the doctrines he has talked about affect you as a Christian in your walk with God. This is a radical departure from all the other books I have read on the topic and one which I just love! What is the point of reading a book on theology if it just does things to your head and not your heart and hands?
Each chapter generally follows a pattern of exegesis, historical under-girding followed by an analogy. The historical sources are astonishingly extensive, from Church Fathers like Irenaeus, the Cyril's, Athanasius, Augustine and more; Medieval sources like Peter Lombard, Anselm and Aquinas; Reformation favourites and even some obscure sources like Taco Hajo van den Honert or the Westminster Annotations; Not forgetting modern debates from the 20th Century onwards. It does come across as though Harrison has read pretty much all of the available material on the topic and is summarising it for the reader. It is perhaps this breadth of reading that helps him to have such a generous tone when engaging with others. There are some sharply defined positions, but overall there is a graciousness which can be lacking in much academic interaction.
Having mentioned Harrison's use of analogy I need to once again draw attention to how helpful they are. They are perhaps the clearest sign of the pastoral intent. It might be technically correct to refer to "multiple administrations differing in accidents but not substance" but without at least a limited grounding in Aristotelian categories it can be a bit mumbo-jumbo. Ice cream being dispensed in cones or cups on the other hand is immediately tangible. The kind of analogy that a normal Christian can hear and immediately get what is going on. Amazingly Harrison doesn't miss a single analogy in his explanations (bar perhaps the genuinely mysterious Covenant of Redemption), each analogy he uses is fitting and easy to understand.
There is a surprisingly large amount of content in this book which I hadn't initially thought of as "Covenant Theology" particularly around the ordo salutis and the Christian life, but as I went into each section thinking "why is this here?" by the end of each section I came away seeing the reasoning and being reminded that at it's core Covenant Theology isn't about a legal framework but about a relationship with our God.
My favourite chapter of the whole book was actually the final one which ended up being an extended address on virtue ethics in sanctification. If you're wondering how that made it's way into a book on "Reformed Covenant Theology" I'm afraid you will just have to read the whole thing.
Many of the books that have come before have focused narrowly on biblical exegesis (no bad thing), or historical retrieval (also wonderful), but they have often spent little time in conversation in the same book. A few of them, I shall not name names, have been so drily written that even an enthusiast like myself has almost considered defeat before reaching the end. This book is a very different affair!
Harrison has written not primarily for academia, but for the Church. That isn't to say this book is not academic (the footnotes won't let you fall into that illusion), but that it is first and foremost pastoral. In the preface he says "My favorite thing about this book is its thorough connection to my life as a pastor" and I have to say it shines through! The book itself starts with a prayer and every single chapter ends with a "conclusion" where Harrison makes sure that you have a practical take away of how the doctrines he has talked about affect you as a Christian in your walk with God. This is a radical departure from all the other books I have read on the topic and one which I just love! What is the point of reading a book on theology if it just does things to your head and not your heart and hands?
Each chapter generally follows a pattern of exegesis, historical under-girding followed by an analogy. The historical sources are astonishingly extensive, from Church Fathers like Irenaeus, the Cyril's, Athanasius, Augustine and more; Medieval sources like Peter Lombard, Anselm and Aquinas; Reformation favourites and even some obscure sources like Taco Hajo van den Honert or the Westminster Annotations; Not forgetting modern debates from the 20th Century onwards. It does come across as though Harrison has read pretty much all of the available material on the topic and is summarising it for the reader. It is perhaps this breadth of reading that helps him to have such a generous tone when engaging with others. There are some sharply defined positions, but overall there is a graciousness which can be lacking in much academic interaction.
Having mentioned Harrison's use of analogy I need to once again draw attention to how helpful they are. They are perhaps the clearest sign of the pastoral intent. It might be technically correct to refer to "multiple administrations differing in accidents but not substance" but without at least a limited grounding in Aristotelian categories it can be a bit mumbo-jumbo. Ice cream being dispensed in cones or cups on the other hand is immediately tangible. The kind of analogy that a normal Christian can hear and immediately get what is going on. Amazingly Harrison doesn't miss a single analogy in his explanations (bar perhaps the genuinely mysterious Covenant of Redemption), each analogy he uses is fitting and easy to understand.
There is a surprisingly large amount of content in this book which I hadn't initially thought of as "Covenant Theology" particularly around the ordo salutis and the Christian life, but as I went into each section thinking "why is this here?" by the end of each section I came away seeing the reasoning and being reminded that at it's core Covenant Theology isn't about a legal framework but about a relationship with our God.
My favourite chapter of the whole book was actually the final one which ended up being an extended address on virtue ethics in sanctification. If you're wondering how that made it's way into a book on "Reformed Covenant Theology" I'm afraid you will just have to read the whole thing.
June 30, 2025
4.5 stars
Solid introduction to Reformed covenant theology, there are a number of really helpful distinctions and illustrations for covenant theology that I will be using.
There are a few points that drop this from 5 stars, some of them more preference than anything else.
- the abbreviation system drove me insane, too many different works have abbreviations that it’s hard to keep track and it’s a pain to flip back to the front of the book. At least there weren’t endnotes, which are the worst invention ever.
- He assumes republication of the CoW in the Mosaic covenant, but he doesn’t acknowledge that it is a minority view in Reformed theology or give any sustained interaction with those who would disagree, even in the footnotes. However, I found his approach of positively laying out his position attractive, and it served to make the book a good intro for someone wanting to just learn about covenant theology without pages and pages of polemics.
One thing that I really appreciated about RCT was Perkins’ charitable interaction with Baptist theologians, with whom he is clearly actual friends with. When his polemic edge came out, it was not over the top, and arguments were engaged at their strongest points.
I learned a lot from reading this book and discussing it with a friend!
Solid introduction to Reformed covenant theology, there are a number of really helpful distinctions and illustrations for covenant theology that I will be using.
There are a few points that drop this from 5 stars, some of them more preference than anything else.
- the abbreviation system drove me insane, too many different works have abbreviations that it’s hard to keep track and it’s a pain to flip back to the front of the book. At least there weren’t endnotes, which are the worst invention ever.
- He assumes republication of the CoW in the Mosaic covenant, but he doesn’t acknowledge that it is a minority view in Reformed theology or give any sustained interaction with those who would disagree, even in the footnotes. However, I found his approach of positively laying out his position attractive, and it served to make the book a good intro for someone wanting to just learn about covenant theology without pages and pages of polemics.
One thing that I really appreciated about RCT was Perkins’ charitable interaction with Baptist theologians, with whom he is clearly actual friends with. When his polemic edge came out, it was not over the top, and arguments were engaged at their strongest points.
I learned a lot from reading this book and discussing it with a friend!
June 28, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thoroughly Reformed, warmly pastoral, and rigorously footnoted in primary sources.
Thoroughly Reformed, warmly pastoral, and rigorously footnoted in primary sources.
April 1, 2025
Probably 4.5 tbh, but rounded up out of the goodness of my heart.
Persuasively lays out the case for a theological (rather than simply redemptive-historical) covenant theology. Is a very good demonstration of the robustness and depth that the Reformed confessional tradition, particularly when compared with more novel approaches such as Progressive Covenantalism.
Strengths include:
- exegetical defence of doctrines considered somewhat speculative, e.g., Covenant of Redemption, Covenant of Works.
- consistent demonstration of the unity of the covenant of Grace in its substance, ie, Christ and his benefits
- really helpful reflections on how the covenants shape and ground Christian living
Weaknesses:
- needs another edit or smaller subsections to keep the train of thought crystal clear throughout
- still not convinced on the author’s republication views of the Mosaic covenant
Persuasively lays out the case for a theological (rather than simply redemptive-historical) covenant theology. Is a very good demonstration of the robustness and depth that the Reformed confessional tradition, particularly when compared with more novel approaches such as Progressive Covenantalism.
Strengths include:
- exegetical defence of doctrines considered somewhat speculative, e.g., Covenant of Redemption, Covenant of Works.
- consistent demonstration of the unity of the covenant of Grace in its substance, ie, Christ and his benefits
- really helpful reflections on how the covenants shape and ground Christian living
Weaknesses:
- needs another edit or smaller subsections to keep the train of thought crystal clear throughout
- still not convinced on the author’s republication views of the Mosaic covenant
May 2, 2024
Dr. Perkins’ systematic approach to covenant theology is a clear, organized, and valuable contribution to the field Reformed covenant theology. Using concise exegesis, as well as a plethora of ancient, medieval, and Reformed theologians and confessions, the author concisely demonstrates the unfolding plan of redemptive history through covenants. Whereas this volume is a must-read for scholars in the fields of systematic, biblical, and covenant theologies, it also belongs on the shelf of every pastor who takes the Holy Scriptures seriously and seeks to faithfully proclaim the covenantal promise of God to his people. Each chapter has a clearly stated thesis as well as a helpful conclusion with application for the Christian life. Thus, in addition to scholars and pastors, the book is ideal for book studies within the church and is a must read for the thoughtful Christian layman. Particularly beneficial and refreshing are parts two and five on the “Covenant of Redemption” and “Living in God’s Covenant of Grace.” Scholars, pastors, and laypeople alike are indebted to Dr. Perkins and his work.
I did not receive this book for free.
I did not receive this book for free.
July 11, 2024
Several things I appreciated about this book right off the bat: First, Perkins' Scriptural argument for the three covenants of Reformed theology. Sproul tries to tackle this in his intro to Reformed book, but without the Scriptural arguments needed to be convincing. Perkins is methodical and sound on this point. Second, Perkins has applications built in to each chapter. This does not make it devotional reading, but it does bring the theology back down to earth and helps us to see this material's importance for the local church. Also on this point, the last two chapters apply it to church, sacraments, prayer and preaching, which made for some of the most enjoyable reading in the book. I look forward to reading more on covenants (especially from Reformed Baptists), but I am satisfied that I have been served well in this very robust "introduction." Lastly, my harcover copy is just a beautiful book, from slipcover to binding to the pages themselves. Kudos to the publisher for spending the extra change to up the experience for all of us who still enjoy the fine feeling of turning physical pages.
Read
September 23, 2024Clearly written, well-argued work of covenant theology that has a more systematic-theological and pastoral focus. As such, it is a welcome contribution to the broader discussion and such is highly recommended.
January 9, 2026
This book is authored by my pastor at Oakland Hills Community Church in Farmington Hills, Michigan. This is a well written, scholarly presentation of the basic tenants of Reformed Covenant Theology. It was not an exercise in "light reading" for me. I was not raised in the Reformed tradition, so being able to read a thorough, well organized presentation of what is believed and why was beneficial to me.
July 21, 2025
Had the privilege of taking an intro to Covenant Theology class with Dr. Perkins. Excellent work in this book. Two notable quotes:
“In all its details, the Bible points us to Christ.” p.32
“Reformed covenant theology aligns with concerns and interpretive strategies nascent in even the earliest post-apostolic period, arguably because it reflects the apostolic interest themselves. The doctrines that most characterize Reformed covenant theology are latent throughout the ecumenical legacy, being codified with a new set of terminology in our confessional tradition. Nonetheless, the Reformed understand our conclusions and hermeneutics, specifically in our appeal to the covenants for soteriology and ecclesiology, to be, by and large, in continuity with patriotic theology. Although not itself a guarantee of truth, this point concerning antiquity explains why Reformed theologians are often hard to dissuade from our viewpoints.”
Too often, we are looking to have a complete and full set of doctrines set out in the minutes after Revelation was closed with all the spiritual I’s and T’s crossed in order for us to subscribe to them. That is not how life works. That is not how God worked in the unfolding of His one plan of salvation. Some understandings take time. We are totally depraved apart from His goodness after all. Reformed Covenant Theology helps the church see the one plan of salvation set forth from all eternity. From how we fell, to God saving us in Christ Jesus, to the New Heaven and Earth in which all righteousness dwells. We must not separate ourselves from our fathers, who served as an example for us in the wilderness and the Christ who was present among them in it (1 Cor. 10:1-5). Christ and His benefits are offered in every covenant that God established with His people. Because of this, we can take heart knowing that the same Christ who saved Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David (along with the faithful in their times) also saves us now. His promise to be God to you and your children after you is not void (Acts 2:14-47).
“In all its details, the Bible points us to Christ.” p.32
“Reformed covenant theology aligns with concerns and interpretive strategies nascent in even the earliest post-apostolic period, arguably because it reflects the apostolic interest themselves. The doctrines that most characterize Reformed covenant theology are latent throughout the ecumenical legacy, being codified with a new set of terminology in our confessional tradition. Nonetheless, the Reformed understand our conclusions and hermeneutics, specifically in our appeal to the covenants for soteriology and ecclesiology, to be, by and large, in continuity with patriotic theology. Although not itself a guarantee of truth, this point concerning antiquity explains why Reformed theologians are often hard to dissuade from our viewpoints.”
Too often, we are looking to have a complete and full set of doctrines set out in the minutes after Revelation was closed with all the spiritual I’s and T’s crossed in order for us to subscribe to them. That is not how life works. That is not how God worked in the unfolding of His one plan of salvation. Some understandings take time. We are totally depraved apart from His goodness after all. Reformed Covenant Theology helps the church see the one plan of salvation set forth from all eternity. From how we fell, to God saving us in Christ Jesus, to the New Heaven and Earth in which all righteousness dwells. We must not separate ourselves from our fathers, who served as an example for us in the wilderness and the Christ who was present among them in it (1 Cor. 10:1-5). Christ and His benefits are offered in every covenant that God established with His people. Because of this, we can take heart knowing that the same Christ who saved Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David (along with the faithful in their times) also saves us now. His promise to be God to you and your children after you is not void (Acts 2:14-47).
May 20, 2024
What fundamental truths about God’s nature and our relationship with him are illuminated through the lens of Scripture? In Reformed Covenant Theology, Harrison Perkins helps us know God through his covenants.
Covenantal Presence
This book helped me understand the covenants in a new way. I was most moved to consider the Covenant of Works as a covenant of love. To obey God is a way to express our love for him. And through the Covenant of Works, God makes his blessings known to man through features of everyday life. True spirituality is to walk and fellowship with God and his people, in regular affairs. We were made to commune with God in a relationship.
What makes this book and the arguments within particularly reformed is revealed when Perkins describes the Father, Son, and Spirit’s love for the elect. The Covenant of Redemption relates God’s infinite inner triune love to the immense love God had for his people. He is personally involved in our lives, and grants us the Spirit’s ongoing presence.
Covenantal Community
I was most interested to learn how the Covenant of Grace impacts reformed preaching. As the redeemer of God’s elect, Christ should be preached from every portion of Scripture. The Covenant of Grace defines the blessings we receive in Christ, guaranteeing our everlasting life in relationship with God. The already-not-yet nature of the covenant of grace calls us to patience, endurance, and hope.
The end of the book examines the unfolding covenants, and details what it means to live in a covenantal community with the church and with God. It is the family where we belong to each other, but ultimately to God. Through the covenants, I have come to deeply see and appreciate the rich rewards of fellowship with God and his people.
I received a media copy of Reformed Covenant Theology and this is my honest review.
Covenantal Presence
This book helped me understand the covenants in a new way. I was most moved to consider the Covenant of Works as a covenant of love. To obey God is a way to express our love for him. And through the Covenant of Works, God makes his blessings known to man through features of everyday life. True spirituality is to walk and fellowship with God and his people, in regular affairs. We were made to commune with God in a relationship.
What makes this book and the arguments within particularly reformed is revealed when Perkins describes the Father, Son, and Spirit’s love for the elect. The Covenant of Redemption relates God’s infinite inner triune love to the immense love God had for his people. He is personally involved in our lives, and grants us the Spirit’s ongoing presence.
Covenantal Community
I was most interested to learn how the Covenant of Grace impacts reformed preaching. As the redeemer of God’s elect, Christ should be preached from every portion of Scripture. The Covenant of Grace defines the blessings we receive in Christ, guaranteeing our everlasting life in relationship with God. The already-not-yet nature of the covenant of grace calls us to patience, endurance, and hope.
The end of the book examines the unfolding covenants, and details what it means to live in a covenantal community with the church and with God. It is the family where we belong to each other, but ultimately to God. Through the covenants, I have come to deeply see and appreciate the rich rewards of fellowship with God and his people.
I received a media copy of Reformed Covenant Theology and this is my honest review.
February 4, 2025
As it’s title suggests, this book provides a systematic and comprehensive exploration of Covenant Theology from a Reformed perspective. The book focuses on how Christ and his work are central to the covenant relationship between God and his people. Dr. Perkins writes from a scholarly perspective, with a pastors heart.
The book is noted for its accessibility despite its depth, making it suitable for both scholars and laypersons interested in theology. It addresses key debates within covenant theology, offering clarity on the distinctions between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace, the unity of the covenant of grace across its various administrations, and the centrality of Christ in all of Scripture. Perkins’ approach is not only scholarly but also deeply pastoral, emphasizing how covenant theology shapes the Christian life, offering frameworks for spiritual growth, biblical reading, and church life.
Readers can expect to gain insights into how covenants shape our relationship with God, with Perkins guiding through complex theological concepts — with a focus on practical application for Christian living.
The book provides a systematic introduction to five main topics:
1. The Covenant of Works
2. The Covenant of Redemption
3. The Substance of the Covenant of Grace
4. The Administration of the Covenant of Grace
5. Living in God’s Covenant of Grace
The methodology and tools of systematic theology are deliberately used in the framework of this book so that topics are thoroughly covered — moving beyond academic debate to meaningful understanding that touches the heart.
My full review provides a roundup of recent interviews and podcasts where Dr. Perkins talks about the book. see https://dougvos.com/reformed-covenant...
The book is noted for its accessibility despite its depth, making it suitable for both scholars and laypersons interested in theology. It addresses key debates within covenant theology, offering clarity on the distinctions between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace, the unity of the covenant of grace across its various administrations, and the centrality of Christ in all of Scripture. Perkins’ approach is not only scholarly but also deeply pastoral, emphasizing how covenant theology shapes the Christian life, offering frameworks for spiritual growth, biblical reading, and church life.
Readers can expect to gain insights into how covenants shape our relationship with God, with Perkins guiding through complex theological concepts — with a focus on practical application for Christian living.
The book provides a systematic introduction to five main topics:
1. The Covenant of Works
2. The Covenant of Redemption
3. The Substance of the Covenant of Grace
4. The Administration of the Covenant of Grace
5. Living in God’s Covenant of Grace
The methodology and tools of systematic theology are deliberately used in the framework of this book so that topics are thoroughly covered — moving beyond academic debate to meaningful understanding that touches the heart.
My full review provides a roundup of recent interviews and podcasts where Dr. Perkins talks about the book. see https://dougvos.com/reformed-covenant...
April 27, 2024
Covenant theology serves as a bridge between systematic and biblical theology. Understandably until now, the vast corpus of work in this area focused on the beautiful progression of God’s administration of His covenant with man through redemptive history. This has been to the expense of viewing the covenants through a systematic lens. Dr. Perkin’s book masterfully fills this void helping us to formulate proper categories by drawing clear distinctions without being antagonist. Far from a cold, intellectual exercise, he guides his reader from the orthodoxy of covenant theology to the resulting doxology in a covenantal context to the orthopraxy of the grateful recipient with particular focus toward pastoral concerns concluding each chapter. While certainly a robust academic endeavor, the inclined layperson should not shy away. Dr. Perkin’s clear style of communication makes this treasure trove accessible. A beautifully bound book that is a joy and, dare I say, fun - to read.
May 28, 2025
Disclaimer, Dr. Perkins is a personal friend, but this does not influence my opinion of the book. Read it for yourself and you'll see. Perkins consistently returns to the Gospel in this essential work. Some theological works only treat the Gospel when it comes up in their subject - you could say the subject of Reformed Covenant Theology IS the Gospel. I found the clear distinctions between works and grace, and the beautiful, clear expression of the active obedience of Christ in this excellent systematic theology to be up there with Vos. Perkins is intentionally gracious toward covenant theologies outside his native circles, and is successful, in my opinion, in his attempts to reach the agreeable terms we [insert various covenant theology here] should be able to hold. I can't say enough good about this book, and it should be on every theologian's shelf. By theologian I mean Christian.
July 25, 2025
A great book, accessible to any interested readers with plenty of (verbal) illustrations and pastoral application while remaining quite deep and technical. I personally found the extended treatment of the covenant of works most useful. I appreciated how he engaged with progressive covenantalism (something I'm only somewhat familiar with), but I did struggle at times to understand where he was taking sides in a debate related to that or republication.
February 5, 2025
A powerful, faith-filled, systematic exploration and proclamation of Reformed Covenant Theology. The book is full of great citations and expositions of the Bible, the church fathers, and Reformed Confessions. Due to its systematic nature it can at times get repetitive and overly scholarly. Overall I highly recommend this work.
June 11, 2024
A great book covering the topic of covenant theology from a more systematic-theological approach. It is thoroughly confessional (in the WCF vein) and biblically saturated. A worth-while read for anyone diving into the area of Covenant Theology.
January 31, 2025
Practical. Pastoral. Accessible. This book is a fantastic foundation for understanding Covenant Theology.
May 1, 2025
Exceptional book, clearly explains the covenants and how they apply to redemption and works!
September 27, 2025
This book is an excellent, shorter primer concerning covenant theology. It’s great for those exploring the concept of CT for the first time.
September 16, 2025
This is a great book - introductory in level but comprehensive in scope. There were a number of areas that were helpful for me particularly around inseparable operations and mission in the context of the covenant of redemption. I also found the sections on final justification helpful and clarifying.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews