What do you think?
Rate this book
Christ and Covenant Theology: Essays on Election, Republication, and the Covenants
“In the biblical drama of the living God’s works in creation and redemption,” writes Cornelis Venema, “no theme is more lustrous than that of God’s gracious intention to enjoy communion with humans who bear his image and whose lives have been broken through sin.” This collection of Venema’s essays summarizes and defends a broad consensus view of the doctrine of the covenants in the history of Reformed theology and clarifies several areas of dispute. Venema argues that (1) the distinction between a pre-fall covenant of works and a post-fall covenant of grace is an integral feature of a biblical and confessionally Reformed understanding of the history of redemption; (2) the distinction between a pre-fall covenant of works and a post-fall covenant of grace is necessary to preserve the sheer graciousness of God’s redemption in Jesus Christ; and (3) the doctrines of covenant and election are corollary doctrines, not opposed to each other, but mutually defining.
498 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 25, 2017
28 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Cornelis P. Venema
22 books17 followersVenema is Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Doctrinal Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, Dyer, Indiana. He gained his doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary for work on the theology of John Calvin and has served as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church in Ontario, California, and South Holland, Illinois.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 24, 2024
Outstanding work.
In this volume, Cornelis P. Venema gives a clear response to a handful of debates and issues in Reformed theology, specifically in the North American context.
In chapter 1, Venema vindicates the language of “covenant of works” in the Westminster Confession. The main critique found in writers of the Reformed tradition is that this terminology misses the idea that the covenant of works, despite its nature, is still a gracious covenant (a “voluntary condescension,’ per WCF)
Venema gives credit to the critics that the language can lead us to believe that the merit of which we speak when we talk about Adam in his pre-fall state is based upon a principle of strict merit, a kind of one-to-one exchange between God and humanity with Adam as a representative. Although that would be one extreme, Venema likewise guards against the idea that Adam’s fulfillment of the law was not meritorious. Following John Murray, he opts for the idea that Adam would have merited the eternal communion by a covenantal merit, a merit not based on strict justice, but by God’s voluntary condescension in the covenant of works. In the end, according to Venema, the language of “covenant of works” can be understood properly only when it is paired with the other Westminsterian term for it, namely a “covenant of life” or “covenant of favor.” The covenant of works was a gracious covenant, although it did require the obedience of Adam for its promise to come to fruition.
In chapters 2-3, Venema provides a treatment of the idea that the Mosaic covenant was “in some sense” a republication of the prelapsarian covenant of works. Here, he is interacting directly with essays in the book “The Law Is Not of Faith.” He spends one chapter giving a charitable representation to the views advocated for in TLNF, and another refuting the various claims that are brought up.
Venema’s key point in refuting their arguments lies in the distinction between the law narrowly considered and the law broadly considered. The law was given together with the promise, and so it can only be considered in that context. Contrary to the contributors to TLNF, both the Apostle Paul and the writers of the Reformed orthodox period saw the law and the gospel as antithetical only as it regards justification. When a redeemed people is given the law, it is to function as a rule of gratitude and a way of life within the covenant into which they have been brought. Therefore, in sanctification, the law and the gospel work together and are functionally inseparable in God’s work for and in believers. Furthermore, the idea of “typological merit” does not hold up in a consistent framework, since, according to Geerhardus Vos, “the typological can communicate in its essence nothing different than the symbolized reality it portrays.” Another issue that Venema brings up is the fact that the law is certainly republished in form, but not in substance. This is another area where the writers in TLNF are shaky - they equate the moral law with the covenant of works.
In the end, theologians who hold to Republication base their view upon an accommodated reading of the sources, heavily influenced but the framework of Meredith Kline.
In chapters 4-8, Venema gives a careful presentation of the historic Reformed view of the relation between election and covenant, drawing heavily on the writings of Herman Bavinck. His main point is that, though election and covenant heavily overlap, there is dual aspect of the covenant, meaning not everyone who is part of the historical administration of the covenant of grace is necessarily elect. Venema is careful in making this distinction, since there have been attempts to either equate the two, or to separate them altogether.
This distinction likewise has implications for the reformed view of the salvation of children who die in infancy, a topic to which Venema dedicated two chapters, drawing on Article 1.17 of the Canons of Dort. Finally, Venema tops his discussion off with a chapter defending the classic theology behind the baptism of children of believers in light of this distinction.
In chapters 9-11, Venema deals with the Federal Vision, a fairly new controversy in North American Reformed circles. Though he touches on many points in their theology, he lays his eyes mainly on their equivocating election and baptism, as well as their denial of the active obedience of Christ. He gives a biblical, theological and confessional defense of the traditional reformed view, contra FV. Whatever one thinks of FV, Venema clearly presents the case that its theology is not in accord with the historic reformed confessions.
Finally, in chapter 12, Venema gives a brief critique of the so-called New Perspective on Paul. His discussion is centered on N.T. Wright’s exegesis of Romans 5:12-21. Though not as detailed as his treatment of FV, he nonetheless gets to briefly examine Wright’s theological method and his approach to exegesis, and to refute his reformulation of historic Christian thought.
This book, no doubt, deserves to be on every theologian’s shelf, as it is a clear treatment of many contemporary issues. Venema carefully traces his course, not falling into the ditches on both sides of the road, as is often the case in contemporary discourse. His writing is scholarly, yet clear. It is in perpetual conversation with the historic Reformed confessions, and, most importantly, faithful to the Word of God.
In this volume, Cornelis P. Venema gives a clear response to a handful of debates and issues in Reformed theology, specifically in the North American context.
In chapter 1, Venema vindicates the language of “covenant of works” in the Westminster Confession. The main critique found in writers of the Reformed tradition is that this terminology misses the idea that the covenant of works, despite its nature, is still a gracious covenant (a “voluntary condescension,’ per WCF)
Venema gives credit to the critics that the language can lead us to believe that the merit of which we speak when we talk about Adam in his pre-fall state is based upon a principle of strict merit, a kind of one-to-one exchange between God and humanity with Adam as a representative. Although that would be one extreme, Venema likewise guards against the idea that Adam’s fulfillment of the law was not meritorious. Following John Murray, he opts for the idea that Adam would have merited the eternal communion by a covenantal merit, a merit not based on strict justice, but by God’s voluntary condescension in the covenant of works. In the end, according to Venema, the language of “covenant of works” can be understood properly only when it is paired with the other Westminsterian term for it, namely a “covenant of life” or “covenant of favor.” The covenant of works was a gracious covenant, although it did require the obedience of Adam for its promise to come to fruition.
In chapters 2-3, Venema provides a treatment of the idea that the Mosaic covenant was “in some sense” a republication of the prelapsarian covenant of works. Here, he is interacting directly with essays in the book “The Law Is Not of Faith.” He spends one chapter giving a charitable representation to the views advocated for in TLNF, and another refuting the various claims that are brought up.
Venema’s key point in refuting their arguments lies in the distinction between the law narrowly considered and the law broadly considered. The law was given together with the promise, and so it can only be considered in that context. Contrary to the contributors to TLNF, both the Apostle Paul and the writers of the Reformed orthodox period saw the law and the gospel as antithetical only as it regards justification. When a redeemed people is given the law, it is to function as a rule of gratitude and a way of life within the covenant into which they have been brought. Therefore, in sanctification, the law and the gospel work together and are functionally inseparable in God’s work for and in believers. Furthermore, the idea of “typological merit” does not hold up in a consistent framework, since, according to Geerhardus Vos, “the typological can communicate in its essence nothing different than the symbolized reality it portrays.” Another issue that Venema brings up is the fact that the law is certainly republished in form, but not in substance. This is another area where the writers in TLNF are shaky - they equate the moral law with the covenant of works.
In the end, theologians who hold to Republication base their view upon an accommodated reading of the sources, heavily influenced but the framework of Meredith Kline.
In chapters 4-8, Venema gives a careful presentation of the historic Reformed view of the relation between election and covenant, drawing heavily on the writings of Herman Bavinck. His main point is that, though election and covenant heavily overlap, there is dual aspect of the covenant, meaning not everyone who is part of the historical administration of the covenant of grace is necessarily elect. Venema is careful in making this distinction, since there have been attempts to either equate the two, or to separate them altogether.
This distinction likewise has implications for the reformed view of the salvation of children who die in infancy, a topic to which Venema dedicated two chapters, drawing on Article 1.17 of the Canons of Dort. Finally, Venema tops his discussion off with a chapter defending the classic theology behind the baptism of children of believers in light of this distinction.
In chapters 9-11, Venema deals with the Federal Vision, a fairly new controversy in North American Reformed circles. Though he touches on many points in their theology, he lays his eyes mainly on their equivocating election and baptism, as well as their denial of the active obedience of Christ. He gives a biblical, theological and confessional defense of the traditional reformed view, contra FV. Whatever one thinks of FV, Venema clearly presents the case that its theology is not in accord with the historic reformed confessions.
Finally, in chapter 12, Venema gives a brief critique of the so-called New Perspective on Paul. His discussion is centered on N.T. Wright’s exegesis of Romans 5:12-21. Though not as detailed as his treatment of FV, he nonetheless gets to briefly examine Wright’s theological method and his approach to exegesis, and to refute his reformulation of historic Christian thought.
This book, no doubt, deserves to be on every theologian’s shelf, as it is a clear treatment of many contemporary issues. Venema carefully traces his course, not falling into the ditches on both sides of the road, as is often the case in contemporary discourse. His writing is scholarly, yet clear. It is in perpetual conversation with the historic Reformed confessions, and, most importantly, faithful to the Word of God.
July 19, 2018
Highly academic, yet fascinating, collection of essays by Cornelis Venema - some older essays that were revised for this collection and some new ones. The book is divided into three general sections: 1) The Covenant of Works and The Covenant of Grace with essays on the concept of Republication inside the Mosaic Covenant, 2) Covenant and Election with essays on the election and salvation of believers young/infant children and one arguing for the traditional Reformed view of infant baptism, and 3) Covenant Theology in Recent Discussion in which Venema engages with the recent theories of the Federal Vision movement and N.T. Wright’s New Perspective on Paul. This book is for people who are familiar with the basics of Reformed doctrine and covenant theology (It was my fourth on the covenant theology topic and I still found it difficult at times) and who are willing to take the time to follow the arguments presented and read the footnotes.
Pros:
-Venema is a clear and organized writer - I was never confused on his position or reasoning even if I disagreed with his conclusions.
-He is committed to confessional Reformed covenant theology and is able to defend his positions well from a variety of historical documents and writings.
-I have never read such an amazingly clear defense of infant baptism (Chapter 8) - This chapter finally tied together a lot of the pieces I’ve been learning about this topic and absolutely convinced me of my position on the topic.
-Finally, his engagement with Federal Vision and the New Perspective on Paul would be helpful to anyone who encounters these movements in their life or reading - Venema’s comparison of the Federal Vision theology with traditional Reformed theology was particularly straightforward and helpful for me.
Cons:
-Venema clearly does not like Meredith Kline or the Escondido School of Theology - specifically in regards to his strong opposition to “strict justice” and merit in the Covenant of Works and any form of Republication in the Mosaic Covenant. His historical arguments against these positions seemed to actually support them sometimes which was also a little confusing.
-Most things he disagrees with he calls “modern” whether they are or not - for example, Federal Vision is actually modern versus Kline gave a new term to a theological concept that has existed for most of Reformed history.
-The N.T. Wright essay was confusing compared to the straightforwardness of the rest of the essays, but this may be because I was completely new to the topic of the New Perspective on Paul and couldn’t follow it as well.
Pros:
-Venema is a clear and organized writer - I was never confused on his position or reasoning even if I disagreed with his conclusions.
-He is committed to confessional Reformed covenant theology and is able to defend his positions well from a variety of historical documents and writings.
-I have never read such an amazingly clear defense of infant baptism (Chapter 8) - This chapter finally tied together a lot of the pieces I’ve been learning about this topic and absolutely convinced me of my position on the topic.
-Finally, his engagement with Federal Vision and the New Perspective on Paul would be helpful to anyone who encounters these movements in their life or reading - Venema’s comparison of the Federal Vision theology with traditional Reformed theology was particularly straightforward and helpful for me.
Cons:
-Venema clearly does not like Meredith Kline or the Escondido School of Theology - specifically in regards to his strong opposition to “strict justice” and merit in the Covenant of Works and any form of Republication in the Mosaic Covenant. His historical arguments against these positions seemed to actually support them sometimes which was also a little confusing.
-Most things he disagrees with he calls “modern” whether they are or not - for example, Federal Vision is actually modern versus Kline gave a new term to a theological concept that has existed for most of Reformed history.
-The N.T. Wright essay was confusing compared to the straightforwardness of the rest of the essays, but this may be because I was completely new to the topic of the New Perspective on Paul and couldn’t follow it as well.
April 9, 2024
It’s good! Pro tip: read the conclusion first, then dive in! (Pages 420-434)
August 20, 2019
If you're wanting a book that talks directly about covenant theology, nah, take a pass. If, however, you're wanting a book that talks around covenant theology, here ya go. Venema deals with many contemporary issues surrounding covenant theology today, particularly those within Presbyterian circles, such as the relation between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace, the relation between covenant and election, as well as the Federal Vision and the new perspective on Paul.
August 29, 2017
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
The doctrine of covenants is in many ways the heart of Reformed Theology, defining Reformed Christianity and marking the dividing line between it other forms of Protestantism. Which is not to say that after 400 years and change that we've managed to work out all the details. Even now controversies (of varying degrees of heat) over aspects of Covenant Theology keep blogs, twitter and theologians busy. This particular tome is a collection of essays by noted theologian and author, Cornelis P. Venema, on some of these issues. They're all slightly re-worked articles originally published in various journals, books, etc. but in one handy collection for those who haven't tracked them all down before.
Broken into three sections, the book covers the relationship between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace; the relation between Covenant and Election (particularly as applied to children of believers); and then "Covenant Theology in Recent Discussion," which focuses on the Federal Vision and N. T. Wright's view of justification.
In a nutshell -- I found Part 1 to be the most intriguing, Part 2 to be the most helpful, and Part 3 didn't do much at all for me. But that's me, and I can't imagine that my experience will be replicated. I'm not going to spend a lot of time summarizing his arguments -- I couldn't do a good job of that; it's beyond the scope of this blog; and it'd take far too much time to read -- he does a better job of it anyway (or just read Ferguson's foreward, which gives an excellent overview).
Part 1, "The Covenant of Works and The Covenant of Grace" focuses on the a couple of problems surrounding the concept of the "Covenant of Works" -- in chapter 1, he explores some criticisms of the concept, the history of its development and then defends it (at least in is Westminster Confessional form). Venema then moves on to look at the ways in which some contemporary Reformed theologians are seeing to find a "republication" of the Covenant of Works in the Mosaic covenant. He begins with building the case for Republication, drawn from some of the primary sources, and then critiques it. I won't say I've read everything on this topic in print, but I've read enough to get the issues, and this is probably the fairest job I've seen describing the position. It's also a pretty good critique, showing many of the problems inherent to it. This was very helpful to me, and I expect, for many.
Part 2 is wider in focus -- he devotes two chapters to looking at Herman Bavinck's understanding of Covenant, Election and the relationship between the two. Bavinck is becoming one of my favorite theologians and this study, pulling from many of his works, was useful focusing on these themes. Venema then spends two chapters on the teaching of the Canons of Dort about children of believers who die in infancy -- there's an overall pastoral tone to these chapters (and the Canons), with some good historical overviews of what lead to it and how the Canons have been used since their writing while dealing with grieving parents and others. These two chapters probably helped me more than any others in this book. Finally, leading from both of those, Venema applies the doctrine of the Covenant to the baptism of children. I read this in the original book it was published in, and it was one of the better chapters in that book -- it's still good now.
The third part dragged for me, I'll admit. Venema does his characteristic thorough job laying out the issues with both the so-called "Federal Vision" and N. T. Wright's ideas about justification as seen in his interpretation of Romans 5. I know better than to think that the issues surrounding the FV or NPP are dead, and I know that the issues are important enough that we need to keep exploring and expounding on them -- but man, I devoted so much time and energy in the early 2000s to the FV in particular that unless he had something new to say, I just wasn't going to get anything out of it. These chapters were a good overview and analysis, with some very good elements of critique. I do think that those who are newer to the topics, or haven't spent a lot of time on them will profit from Venema's work here.
What can I say about the writing? Venema's very dry, very careful. When it comes to some of these topics, passions can flare, rhetoric can overtake even the more sanctified writers, getting them to say things more casually than they ought, even recklessly. Veneama avoid that, going out of his way to attempt to be fair to his opponents, while making it clear where he stands. This can be annoying if you're looking for a quick answer to a controversy, but a great boon if you're trying to understand it. It's that care, that patience, that fairness that makes his critiques as effective. You don't get the impression that he's creating strawmen, or presenting the worst of his opponents, so the problems he points to are significant and deserving of your attention.
I know this book will not appeal to many -- if the subtitle "Essays on Election, Republication, and the Covenants" doesn't catch your interest, this book isn't likely to do much for you. But if your ears perk up to just one of those areas, this is a very helpful book, a sure guide through some of the hotspots of the contemporary Reformed Church.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from P&R Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for this post -- thanks to both for this.
---
The doctrine of covenants is in many ways the heart of Reformed Theology, defining Reformed Christianity and marking the dividing line between it other forms of Protestantism. Which is not to say that after 400 years and change that we've managed to work out all the details. Even now controversies (of varying degrees of heat) over aspects of Covenant Theology keep blogs, twitter and theologians busy. This particular tome is a collection of essays by noted theologian and author, Cornelis P. Venema, on some of these issues. They're all slightly re-worked articles originally published in various journals, books, etc. but in one handy collection for those who haven't tracked them all down before.
Broken into three sections, the book covers the relationship between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace; the relation between Covenant and Election (particularly as applied to children of believers); and then "Covenant Theology in Recent Discussion," which focuses on the Federal Vision and N. T. Wright's view of justification.
In a nutshell -- I found Part 1 to be the most intriguing, Part 2 to be the most helpful, and Part 3 didn't do much at all for me. But that's me, and I can't imagine that my experience will be replicated. I'm not going to spend a lot of time summarizing his arguments -- I couldn't do a good job of that; it's beyond the scope of this blog; and it'd take far too much time to read -- he does a better job of it anyway (or just read Ferguson's foreward, which gives an excellent overview).
Part 1, "The Covenant of Works and The Covenant of Grace" focuses on the a couple of problems surrounding the concept of the "Covenant of Works" -- in chapter 1, he explores some criticisms of the concept, the history of its development and then defends it (at least in is Westminster Confessional form). Venema then moves on to look at the ways in which some contemporary Reformed theologians are seeing to find a "republication" of the Covenant of Works in the Mosaic covenant. He begins with building the case for Republication, drawn from some of the primary sources, and then critiques it. I won't say I've read everything on this topic in print, but I've read enough to get the issues, and this is probably the fairest job I've seen describing the position. It's also a pretty good critique, showing many of the problems inherent to it. This was very helpful to me, and I expect, for many.
Part 2 is wider in focus -- he devotes two chapters to looking at Herman Bavinck's understanding of Covenant, Election and the relationship between the two. Bavinck is becoming one of my favorite theologians and this study, pulling from many of his works, was useful focusing on these themes. Venema then spends two chapters on the teaching of the Canons of Dort about children of believers who die in infancy -- there's an overall pastoral tone to these chapters (and the Canons), with some good historical overviews of what lead to it and how the Canons have been used since their writing while dealing with grieving parents and others. These two chapters probably helped me more than any others in this book. Finally, leading from both of those, Venema applies the doctrine of the Covenant to the baptism of children. I read this in the original book it was published in, and it was one of the better chapters in that book -- it's still good now.
The third part dragged for me, I'll admit. Venema does his characteristic thorough job laying out the issues with both the so-called "Federal Vision" and N. T. Wright's ideas about justification as seen in his interpretation of Romans 5. I know better than to think that the issues surrounding the FV or NPP are dead, and I know that the issues are important enough that we need to keep exploring and expounding on them -- but man, I devoted so much time and energy in the early 2000s to the FV in particular that unless he had something new to say, I just wasn't going to get anything out of it. These chapters were a good overview and analysis, with some very good elements of critique. I do think that those who are newer to the topics, or haven't spent a lot of time on them will profit from Venema's work here.
What can I say about the writing? Venema's very dry, very careful. When it comes to some of these topics, passions can flare, rhetoric can overtake even the more sanctified writers, getting them to say things more casually than they ought, even recklessly. Veneama avoid that, going out of his way to attempt to be fair to his opponents, while making it clear where he stands. This can be annoying if you're looking for a quick answer to a controversy, but a great boon if you're trying to understand it. It's that care, that patience, that fairness that makes his critiques as effective. You don't get the impression that he's creating strawmen, or presenting the worst of his opponents, so the problems he points to are significant and deserving of your attention.
I know this book will not appeal to many -- if the subtitle "Essays on Election, Republication, and the Covenants" doesn't catch your interest, this book isn't likely to do much for you. But if your ears perk up to just one of those areas, this is a very helpful book, a sure guide through some of the hotspots of the contemporary Reformed Church.
Disclaimer: I received this eARC from P&R Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for this post -- thanks to both for this.
October 15, 2017
Cornelis P. Venema is President and Professor of Doctrinal Studies at Mid-American Reformed Seminary. Venema has a PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary and is the author of several books, such as The Promise of the Future (Banner of Truth, 2000) and Getting the Gospel Right: An Assessment of the Reformation and ‘New Perspectives’ on Paul (Banner of Truth, 2006). He is also a co-editor and frequent contributor to The Outlook and the Mid-American Journal of Theology. Most recent, Venema has assembled together a number of useful essays summarizing and defending various aspects of Covenant Theology.
Christ and Covenant Theology: Essays on Election, Republication, and the Covenants is divided into three parts: (1) the covenant of works and the covenant of grace, (2) covenant and election, and (3) covenant theology in recent discussions. Part one offers an introduction to the covenant of works and the covenant of grace, as Venema argues alongside Westminster Confession of Faith and distinguishes between a pre-fall and post-fall covenant. For Venema, the distinction between these two covenants is vital to understanding God’s redemptive purpose in the person and work of Christ. Part two focuses more narrowly on the topic of election within the realm of covenant. More specifically, as election and covenant relate to the children of believers. Part three seeks to address the contemporary discussions concerning justification and election more broadly within the arena of covenant. Most of Venema’s interaction is with the “Federal Vision” folks, although he does provide a fascinating essay examining N. T. Wright’s interpretation of Romans 5:12-21 as it relates to covenant and justification.
Christ and Covenant Theology is a classic treasure trove of Reformed riches. Those familiar with Venema will appreciate his keen ability to evaluate and examine contemporary issues in view of the confessional Reformed tradition. Venema is both judicious and accessible, though a working understanding of the Reformed confessional tradition is assumed. Still, while readers will likely gravitate towards one of the three parts, it’s interesting to see how Venema naturally allows the whole to hang together. This demonstrates the functional consistency of Venema’s theological conviction and displays his deep familiarity with the Reformed tradition. There will be inevitable disagreement that arises for those in opposition to Reformed theology as articulated by the Westminster Confession of Faith. Nonetheless, most readers approaching this book should have a firm understanding of such differences prior to opening the initial pages. Additionally, it should be noted that most will agree that Venema provides some of the best, most reflective and persuasive material on the various topics intersecting with Covenant Theology.
Thus, agree with him or not, Christ and Covenant Theology: Essays on Election, Republication, and the Covenants by Cornelis P. Venema is nothing short of a must-read resource! It is a collection of essays that cannot be ignored.
Christ and Covenant Theology: Essays on Election, Republication, and the Covenants is divided into three parts: (1) the covenant of works and the covenant of grace, (2) covenant and election, and (3) covenant theology in recent discussions. Part one offers an introduction to the covenant of works and the covenant of grace, as Venema argues alongside Westminster Confession of Faith and distinguishes between a pre-fall and post-fall covenant. For Venema, the distinction between these two covenants is vital to understanding God’s redemptive purpose in the person and work of Christ. Part two focuses more narrowly on the topic of election within the realm of covenant. More specifically, as election and covenant relate to the children of believers. Part three seeks to address the contemporary discussions concerning justification and election more broadly within the arena of covenant. Most of Venema’s interaction is with the “Federal Vision” folks, although he does provide a fascinating essay examining N. T. Wright’s interpretation of Romans 5:12-21 as it relates to covenant and justification.
Christ and Covenant Theology is a classic treasure trove of Reformed riches. Those familiar with Venema will appreciate his keen ability to evaluate and examine contemporary issues in view of the confessional Reformed tradition. Venema is both judicious and accessible, though a working understanding of the Reformed confessional tradition is assumed. Still, while readers will likely gravitate towards one of the three parts, it’s interesting to see how Venema naturally allows the whole to hang together. This demonstrates the functional consistency of Venema’s theological conviction and displays his deep familiarity with the Reformed tradition. There will be inevitable disagreement that arises for those in opposition to Reformed theology as articulated by the Westminster Confession of Faith. Nonetheless, most readers approaching this book should have a firm understanding of such differences prior to opening the initial pages. Additionally, it should be noted that most will agree that Venema provides some of the best, most reflective and persuasive material on the various topics intersecting with Covenant Theology.
Thus, agree with him or not, Christ and Covenant Theology: Essays on Election, Republication, and the Covenants by Cornelis P. Venema is nothing short of a must-read resource! It is a collection of essays that cannot be ignored.
September 6, 2022
One of the best books explaining the historical Reformed teaching on the covenants and covenant theology. It is a series of essays and goes into the Federal Vision controversies and errors as well as the new OPC writings on Republication of the Mosaic Covenant.
I had missing pieces in my understanding and continual questions on how the covenants fit together and complement one another. Dr. Venema is one of the clearest writers on the subject that I have come across. He filled in the gaps and slowly, methodically, walks you through an understanding of covenant theology. It is from a high level and does not get into great detail about each covenant. However, he organizes them so that, when you do get into deep research of a particular covenant, you understand what you are learning and how it fits into the whole.
Excellent book. Thank you Dr. Venema for your work on this.
I had missing pieces in my understanding and continual questions on how the covenants fit together and complement one another. Dr. Venema is one of the clearest writers on the subject that I have come across. He filled in the gaps and slowly, methodically, walks you through an understanding of covenant theology. It is from a high level and does not get into great detail about each covenant. However, he organizes them so that, when you do get into deep research of a particular covenant, you understand what you are learning and how it fits into the whole.
Excellent book. Thank you Dr. Venema for your work on this.
February 28, 2025
Should be mandatory reading for anyone who holds the title “Reformed”. Venema presents a careful, scholarly rebuttal to the most significant modern deviations from confessional reformed theology regarding the doctrine of Covenant. One of the biggest strengths of this book is the patience with which Venema seeks to understand and then summarize the views of others before offering a critique. In an age of “straw man” arguments, it is safe to say that Venema never engages in this type of easy dismissal of others’ viewpoints. Buckle up, this is a long one but it’s worth the journey.
January 14, 2020
A collection of academic essays to defend various challenges against classical reformed covenant theology. Picked this up because I wanted to read about Klinian republication that is held by Horton, Scott Clark, Fesko and the faculties at Westminster Cali. The other essays on the theological synthesis of election and covenant theology, Bavinck's election and covenant theology, and a chapter devoted against Wright's NPP were all pretty good insights, though sometimes Dr. Venema may seem like he is belabouring some of his points, but I guess some of these were meant to be individual essays and now compiled into a single book.
May 3, 2020
Solid, tightly reasoned, though dry and not for the casual reader.
March 14, 2021
An excellent treatment of the issues of covenant, election, and justification. Anyone looking for an introduction into Covenant Theology must have this book on their shelves.
March 24, 2022
Excellent book handling a variety of issues with charity and balance, yet clearly and definitively drawing out a faithful understanding of God's covenants.
did-not-finish
February 7, 2018Couldn't get into this. The material on republication was surprisingly unimpressive, and I got bogged down in his long summary of Bavinck. Perhaps I'll go back and read the essays on the Federal Vision at some point.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews