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Beyond Calvin: Essays on the Diversity of the Reformed Tradition
The Reformed tradition today often carries a reputation for narrowness and dogmatism, rather than breadth and diversity. But it was not always so. In the early modern era, the Reformed family of churches boasted not merely a host of theological luminaries of the highest rank, but a remarkable diversity of viewpoints on church polity, ethics, sacraments, and even matters like atonement theology. At their best, they charitably debated these differences within a shared confessional framework, offering examples for Protestants today of how to pursue the maxim, “in essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.” The essays in this volume, based on papers presented at the Davenant Trust's 4th Annual Convivium Irenicum, offer an introduction to the theological rigor and surprising breadth of the early Reformed tradition.
- GenresTheology
196 pages, Paperback
Published May 8, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 28, 2022
Really good book overall. I was pleasantly surprised by about 3/4 of the book. Littlejohn's essay was one of the best, in my opinion. Lot's of good stuff here on why the early Reformers were trying their (ahem, irenic) best to conciliate and appease their Lutheran co-belligerents on the issue of the communicatio idiomatum. It makes perfect sense that the likes of Beza and Zanchi were all about trying to affirm the multi-presence (or even omnipresence) of Christ's human nature (with all kinds of metaphysical qualifications), while also sticking to their guns on the fact that corporeal bodies can only occupy one place at a given time. Absurd contradictions don't somehow become "divine mysteries" simply because we declare with our mouths that "God can do whatever He wants to do."
I also enjoyed all the other essays, except the last one, which is why I had to give this book only four stars instead of five. The last essay just smacked way too much of Radical Two-Kingdom eschatology. I know Littlejohn has written extensively on a more biblically responsible and theologically informed approach to the whole "Two-Kingdom" debacle in our day, and I genuinely admire his stuff along these lines. But I just could not stomach the encroaching "amillennialisms" in this last essay. Partly because I am a "die-hard" postmillennialist, and I just cannot give up on what I believe is the biblical case for both the natural AND the supernatural transformation of all geo-political realities, prior to the final advent of our Lord. But even here, the author had some really good arguments for why pagan socio-political orders throughout human history have benefited from natural law, which is itself grounded in the imago dei and ultimately in the very being of God Himself. I would just add to this that we Reformed types need to develop something of a hybrid approach to both natural and "theonomic" law. These realities tend to get separated unnecessarily in the theo-political literature within the Reformed world. I would argue that we need to develop a political theology that incorporates both a natural law approach and a theonomic approach to the reformation and glorification of human societies and their political welfare -- an imago dei approach to a natural law/theonomic politics, of sorts.
My last minor gripe with the book is more of an overall problem I have with this whole "irenic" approach to early Reformation "ressourcement." I like the irenic part, but sometimes I think these guys present more of a hagiographic re-presentation of the early Reformers and their writings than what is actually warranted. They should also hit on the fact that the early Reformers could be just as hawkish and belligerent as their opponents, and do so without so much as batting an eye. And while I greatly appreciate the fact that these guys are doing their due diligence in digging up original and early Reformation sources, they also have a tendency in their overall theological methodology towards what I call "theological historicism" or "theological traditionalism." Not a whole lot of biblical exegesis and arguments coming from this movement. Hopefully this will change down the road.
I also enjoyed all the other essays, except the last one, which is why I had to give this book only four stars instead of five. The last essay just smacked way too much of Radical Two-Kingdom eschatology. I know Littlejohn has written extensively on a more biblically responsible and theologically informed approach to the whole "Two-Kingdom" debacle in our day, and I genuinely admire his stuff along these lines. But I just could not stomach the encroaching "amillennialisms" in this last essay. Partly because I am a "die-hard" postmillennialist, and I just cannot give up on what I believe is the biblical case for both the natural AND the supernatural transformation of all geo-political realities, prior to the final advent of our Lord. But even here, the author had some really good arguments for why pagan socio-political orders throughout human history have benefited from natural law, which is itself grounded in the imago dei and ultimately in the very being of God Himself. I would just add to this that we Reformed types need to develop something of a hybrid approach to both natural and "theonomic" law. These realities tend to get separated unnecessarily in the theo-political literature within the Reformed world. I would argue that we need to develop a political theology that incorporates both a natural law approach and a theonomic approach to the reformation and glorification of human societies and their political welfare -- an imago dei approach to a natural law/theonomic politics, of sorts.
My last minor gripe with the book is more of an overall problem I have with this whole "irenic" approach to early Reformation "ressourcement." I like the irenic part, but sometimes I think these guys present more of a hagiographic re-presentation of the early Reformers and their writings than what is actually warranted. They should also hit on the fact that the early Reformers could be just as hawkish and belligerent as their opponents, and do so without so much as batting an eye. And while I greatly appreciate the fact that these guys are doing their due diligence in digging up original and early Reformation sources, they also have a tendency in their overall theological methodology towards what I call "theological historicism" or "theological traditionalism." Not a whole lot of biblical exegesis and arguments coming from this movement. Hopefully this will change down the road.
January 28, 2018
An interesting collection of essays on various figures from the Reformed tradition beyond that of John Calvin, including Martin Bucer, Theodore Beza, Richard Hooker, George Carleton, John Davenant, and Francis Turretin.
The essay on Davenant argues that the Westminster Confession was not originally designed to preclude those who held to Davenant's form of hypothetical universalism from subscribing to it. I personally remain unconvinced by this argument, though it is important to note that Davenant's hypothetical universalism is a far cry from the Arminian notion of universal atonement.
The essay on Bishop Carleton, who was one of the English delegates at the Synod of Dort, reminds us that there is no incongruity in Anglicans insisting that the Bible is primarily about the salvation of sinners to the glory of God and that a particular form of church government is juro divino, though I disagree with Carleton on the precise form that is of divine right. Carleton argued that church polity was necessary to safeguard the gospel, thus it is a false dichotomy to argue that Christianity is primarily about salvation to the exclusion of matters of church government.
The chapter on Francis Turretin reminds us of the critical importance of natural law to Reformed ethics and political theology. Natural law explains why fallen sinners still perform acts of apparent civic and political virtue, though these acts are not, properly speaking, good works as they are not done to the glory of God.
If you have a Kindle Unlimited account, you may read this collection of articles for free. The only drawback is that the references are compiled in a list of endnotes at the back of the work. Still, each essay has a bibliography at the end, which points you to relevant further reading.
The essay on Davenant argues that the Westminster Confession was not originally designed to preclude those who held to Davenant's form of hypothetical universalism from subscribing to it. I personally remain unconvinced by this argument, though it is important to note that Davenant's hypothetical universalism is a far cry from the Arminian notion of universal atonement.
The essay on Bishop Carleton, who was one of the English delegates at the Synod of Dort, reminds us that there is no incongruity in Anglicans insisting that the Bible is primarily about the salvation of sinners to the glory of God and that a particular form of church government is juro divino, though I disagree with Carleton on the precise form that is of divine right. Carleton argued that church polity was necessary to safeguard the gospel, thus it is a false dichotomy to argue that Christianity is primarily about salvation to the exclusion of matters of church government.
The chapter on Francis Turretin reminds us of the critical importance of natural law to Reformed ethics and political theology. Natural law explains why fallen sinners still perform acts of apparent civic and political virtue, though these acts are not, properly speaking, good works as they are not done to the glory of God.
If you have a Kindle Unlimited account, you may read this collection of articles for free. The only drawback is that the references are compiled in a list of endnotes at the back of the work. Still, each essay has a bibliography at the end, which points you to relevant further reading.
November 19, 2023
Illuminating set of essays, united only in that they touch on some or other issue in Reformed theology. All were valuable in their place, but I was most edified by Michael Lynch's case that the Westminster Confession does not exclude some form of hypothetical universalism, and Stephen Wolfe's summary of Turretin's teaching on natural law.
April 2, 2024
A good collection of essays on diversity in the Reformed tradition. I learned a lot from the essays on Bucer and Turretin. The one on Anglican church government was useful, too. I probably admit that English Hypothetical Universalism is within the Reformered Pale; but barely. But that is an odd, and internally inconsistent, theological tradition.
Liked it.
Liked it.
June 23, 2018
Awesome work. I may get back to this later with more detail, but I found it immensely helpful.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews