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By Faith Alone: Answering the Challenges to the Doctrine of Justification
The Reformation swept across Europe with a God-glorifying gospel of grace. Now the doctrine of grace cherished and proclaimed by the Reformers is under renewed assault from an unexpected place—the evangelical church itself.
With the help of several theologians, Gary L. W. Johnson and Guy P. Waters trace the background and development of two seemingly disparate movements that have surfaced within the contemporary church-the New Perspective(s) on Paul and the Federal Vision-and how they corrupt the truth of salvation by faith alone. By regaining a focus on the doctrine of grace, pastors, seminarians, and future leaders can regain the cohesion, coherence, and direction to truly build the church to withstand the attacks of false and empty doctrines.
With the help of several theologians, Gary L. W. Johnson and Guy P. Waters trace the background and development of two seemingly disparate movements that have surfaced within the contemporary church-the New Perspective(s) on Paul and the Federal Vision-and how they corrupt the truth of salvation by faith alone. By regaining a focus on the doctrine of grace, pastors, seminarians, and future leaders can regain the cohesion, coherence, and direction to truly build the church to withstand the attacks of false and empty doctrines.
- GenresTheology
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2007
12 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
Guy Prentiss Waters
38 books24 followersGuy Prentiss Waters (PhD, Duke University) is James M. Baird Jr. Professor of New Testament and academic dean at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson. He is the author or editor of fifteen books and numerous chapters, articles, and reviews. He is a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 5, 2022
A very helpful collection of essays loosely organized around the issues at stake in Reformed disputes with the Federal Vision and the New Perspectives on Paul.
The first two take on N.T. Wright specifically, followed by more general defenses of imputation (a doctrine both FV and NPP clash with.) T. David Gordon's critique of the Federal Visionists from media ecology (almost cultural) perspective rather than a purely doctrinal perspective revealed the extent to which the Auburn emperors have no clothes while still demonstrating the reasons behind their incredible popularity among conservative evangelicals.
The volume concludes with more general essays on active obedience of Christ, the schema of covenants and where NPP/FV confuse distinctions, and the validity of the Reformed doctrine of the Covenant of Works With Adam.
The last essay on Mormonism and Catholicism trying to get in bed with evangelicals is not an obvious fit for this volume, but makes sense when you consider how NPP/FV bend critical doctrines. If evangelicals allow their self-definition to blur enough to fit in NPP/FV, then what bars Catholics and Mormons who claim to have been born of the Spirit and confess a love for Jesus from joining the camp? Are evangelicals okay with a definition so loose?
NB: On Goodreads, Douglas Wilson dismissed these nine essays by various scholarly authors on topics ranging from the active obedience of Christ to imputation with only two words: "Just poor." Let the reader understand.
The first two take on N.T. Wright specifically, followed by more general defenses of imputation (a doctrine both FV and NPP clash with.) T. David Gordon's critique of the Federal Visionists from media ecology (almost cultural) perspective rather than a purely doctrinal perspective revealed the extent to which the Auburn emperors have no clothes while still demonstrating the reasons behind their incredible popularity among conservative evangelicals.
The volume concludes with more general essays on active obedience of Christ, the schema of covenants and where NPP/FV confuse distinctions, and the validity of the Reformed doctrine of the Covenant of Works With Adam.
The last essay on Mormonism and Catholicism trying to get in bed with evangelicals is not an obvious fit for this volume, but makes sense when you consider how NPP/FV bend critical doctrines. If evangelicals allow their self-definition to blur enough to fit in NPP/FV, then what bars Catholics and Mormons who claim to have been born of the Spirit and confess a love for Jesus from joining the camp? Are evangelicals okay with a definition so loose?
NB: On Goodreads, Douglas Wilson dismissed these nine essays by various scholarly authors on topics ranging from the active obedience of Christ to imputation with only two words: "Just poor." Let the reader understand.
April 2, 2021
This was a helpful, scholarly introduction to many modern (published in 06) attacks on sola fide. I picked up the book to understand the New Perspective on Paul. The authors did a good job showing the flaws in the understanding of justification found in Wright, Dunn, Sanders, and their followers.
The section on the Federal Vision was also helpful, but the only modern theologian evangelicals seem to make space for in that camp these days is Doug Wilson and his involvement goes unaddressed.
White & Beinser's chapter may be a hidden gem on the relationship of the Abrahamic covenant and Mosaic in republication debates; they had several insights that shed serious light. Gordon chapter on Murray's covenant theology revisions was a needed rebuke.
The section on the Federal Vision was also helpful, but the only modern theologian evangelicals seem to make space for in that camp these days is Doug Wilson and his involvement goes unaddressed.
White & Beinser's chapter may be a hidden gem on the relationship of the Abrahamic covenant and Mosaic in republication debates; they had several insights that shed serious light. Gordon chapter on Murray's covenant theology revisions was a needed rebuke.
March 23, 2012
This is a thought-provoking series of theological essays engaging the contemporary challenges to the historic Reformed understanding of the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Any book of this sort, with multiple contributors, is bound to be somewhat uneven in quality.
Here is the table of contents, interspersed with my brief comments.
1. What did Saint Paul Really Say? N. T. Wright and the New Perspective(s) on Paul - Cornelis P. Venema
2. Observations on N. T. Wright's Biblical Theology with Special Consideration of the "Faithfulness of God" - T. David Gordon
These first two chapters engage the writings of N. T. Wright, who is probably the highest profile proponent of the New Perspective on Paul (and is also one of the most renowned contemporary Jesus scholars). Their critiques of Wright are insightful and should be seriously considered. Everything really does seem to fall on Wright's embrace of a certain way of reading Second Temple Judaism (as non-legalistic) and his interpretation of the phrase "dikaiosune theou" as "the covenant faithfulness of God" instead of "the righteousness of God." This second question is adequately challanged in the second chapter of this book, but readers should not neglect to read Wright for himself.
3. A Justification of Imputed Righteousness - Richard D. Phillips
4. The Foundational Term for Christian Salvation: Imputation - C. F. Allison
These two chapters address the recent controversies surrounding the doctrine of imputation. Having read Piper's defense of imputation in Counted Righteous in Christ, as well as Carson's essay in the volume on Justification edited by Husbands, I still found these chapters helpful and persuasive.
5. Reflections on Auburn Theology - T. David Gordon
This was a little less interesting to me, probably b/c I'm not Presbyterian.
6. To Obey is Better than Sacrifice: A Defense of the Active Obedience of Christ - David Van Drunen
As I recall, this was also a good essay, defending the necessity and imputation of the active obedience of Christ to believers
7. Covenant, Inheritance, and Typology: Understanding the Principles at Work in God's Covenants - R. F. White & E. C. Beisner
Of all the essays in this book, this one stands out as the most helpful and the one that will repay several re-readings in the future. The authors set out to show why the theological construct of covenant theology (as traditionally understood in Reformed theology) is biblically-faithful and warranted from the texts (even though the language is sometimes extra-biblical). Most helpful was their contrasting the two principles of inheritance, by either personal merit or representative merit, and then tracing these two principles through the various historical covenants. This is the best thing on covenant theology that I've read so far (though my reading in this area has not been very wide).
8. Why the Covenant of Works is a Necessary Doctrine: Revisiting the Objections to a Venerable Reformed Doctrine - John Bolt
As with the chapter 7, this was a very, very helpful treatment of covenant theology, specifically the covenant of works. Bolt is an excellent and lucid writer and I finished the essay wanting to read more of his material.
9. The Reformation, Today's Evangelicals, and Mormons: What Next? - Gary L. W. Johnson
This essay was good, but seemed a little bit displaced in this volume.
Overall, this is a good volume and worth reading for those engaged in the current debates over justification. However, if you are only going to read one book on the New Perspective on Paul, get Stephen Westerholm's Perspectives Old and New: The Lutheran Paul and His Critics. It is much more comprehensive and has been the most important book I've read on the issue.
Here is the table of contents, interspersed with my brief comments.
1. What did Saint Paul Really Say? N. T. Wright and the New Perspective(s) on Paul - Cornelis P. Venema
2. Observations on N. T. Wright's Biblical Theology with Special Consideration of the "Faithfulness of God" - T. David Gordon
These first two chapters engage the writings of N. T. Wright, who is probably the highest profile proponent of the New Perspective on Paul (and is also one of the most renowned contemporary Jesus scholars). Their critiques of Wright are insightful and should be seriously considered. Everything really does seem to fall on Wright's embrace of a certain way of reading Second Temple Judaism (as non-legalistic) and his interpretation of the phrase "dikaiosune theou" as "the covenant faithfulness of God" instead of "the righteousness of God." This second question is adequately challanged in the second chapter of this book, but readers should not neglect to read Wright for himself.
3. A Justification of Imputed Righteousness - Richard D. Phillips
4. The Foundational Term for Christian Salvation: Imputation - C. F. Allison
These two chapters address the recent controversies surrounding the doctrine of imputation. Having read Piper's defense of imputation in Counted Righteous in Christ, as well as Carson's essay in the volume on Justification edited by Husbands, I still found these chapters helpful and persuasive.
5. Reflections on Auburn Theology - T. David Gordon
This was a little less interesting to me, probably b/c I'm not Presbyterian.
6. To Obey is Better than Sacrifice: A Defense of the Active Obedience of Christ - David Van Drunen
As I recall, this was also a good essay, defending the necessity and imputation of the active obedience of Christ to believers
7. Covenant, Inheritance, and Typology: Understanding the Principles at Work in God's Covenants - R. F. White & E. C. Beisner
Of all the essays in this book, this one stands out as the most helpful and the one that will repay several re-readings in the future. The authors set out to show why the theological construct of covenant theology (as traditionally understood in Reformed theology) is biblically-faithful and warranted from the texts (even though the language is sometimes extra-biblical). Most helpful was their contrasting the two principles of inheritance, by either personal merit or representative merit, and then tracing these two principles through the various historical covenants. This is the best thing on covenant theology that I've read so far (though my reading in this area has not been very wide).
8. Why the Covenant of Works is a Necessary Doctrine: Revisiting the Objections to a Venerable Reformed Doctrine - John Bolt
As with the chapter 7, this was a very, very helpful treatment of covenant theology, specifically the covenant of works. Bolt is an excellent and lucid writer and I finished the essay wanting to read more of his material.
9. The Reformation, Today's Evangelicals, and Mormons: What Next? - Gary L. W. Johnson
This essay was good, but seemed a little bit displaced in this volume.
Overall, this is a good volume and worth reading for those engaged in the current debates over justification. However, if you are only going to read one book on the New Perspective on Paul, get Stephen Westerholm's Perspectives Old and New: The Lutheran Paul and His Critics. It is much more comprehensive and has been the most important book I've read on the issue.
June 26, 2009
This book is a response to attacks on the historic doctrine of justification launched by the New Perspective(s) on Paul and the Federal Vision (Auburn Theology). As is the nature of a book comprised of chapters written by several authors, the chapters differ in readability and style.
This is the first book I've read on this topic, and it was a rather difficult read. Some authors were definitely more difficult to follow and presupposed seminary-level theological knowledge. A few authors used theological terms and Latin phrases without defining them (i.e. posse peccare, posse non peccare and non posse peccare).
I think a pretty sound knowledge of Reformation theology is necessary in order to get the most out of this book.
This is the first book I've read on this topic, and it was a rather difficult read. Some authors were definitely more difficult to follow and presupposed seminary-level theological knowledge. A few authors used theological terms and Latin phrases without defining them (i.e. posse peccare, posse non peccare and non posse peccare).
I think a pretty sound knowledge of Reformation theology is necessary in order to get the most out of this book.
November 7, 2011
Overall the book was informative, but I found it a bit dry. The exception to this was chapter 9 titled "The Reformation, Today's Evangelicals, and Mormons: What Next?" by Gary L. W. Johnson. I liked the style of his writing and the information presented was excellent.
January 15, 2009
Just poor.
March 7, 2010
Atrocious. The true mark of success in critiquing someone is that the person criticized can actually recognize their views in your response. By that criteria this book fails miserably.
August 29, 2011
A great shutdown book against the Federal Vision excellent introductory material.
September 11, 2011
Waters makes some great points here, but ultimately talks past his opponents some and misses their points.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews