Justification, Volume 2

Justification, Volume 2
Author: Michael Horton
Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Total Pages: 528
Release: 2018-11-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310578396

The second of a two-volume project delving into the doctrine of justification. Michael Horton seeks not simply to recover a clear message of its role in modern Reformed theology, but also to bring a fresh discovery of the gospel in a time when contemporary debates around justification have reignited. The doctrine of justification stands at the center of our systematic reflection on the meaning of salvation and grace as well as our piety, mission, and life together. And yet, within mainline Protestant and evangelical theology, it's often taken for granted or left to gather dust in favor of modern concerns and self-renewal. Volume 2 embarks on the theologically constructive task of investigating the biblical doctrine of justification in light of contemporary exegesis. Taking up the topic from a variety of theological vantage points, Horton engages with contemporary debates in biblical, especially Pauline, scholarship. Part 1 draws out The Horizon of Justification from the Old Testament narratives of Adam and Israel. Part 2 defines The Achievement of Justification in the blood of Christ and seeks to lay the groundwork for understanding its extent. Part 3 focuses on The Gift of Righteousness, delving into a clear articulation of what justification means, its mechanism, and the role of works on the day of judgement. Part 4 proposes a way forward for Receiving Justification and understanding faith and justification within the broader framework of union with Christ. Engaging and thorough, Justification shows that the doctrine of justification finds its most ecumenically significant starting point and proper habitat in unity with Christ, where the greatest consensus, past and present, is to be found among Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant theologies.

Biblical Interpretation from the Church Fathers to the Reformation

Biblical Interpretation from the Church Fathers to the Reformation
Author: Karlfried Froehlich
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2024-10-28
Genre: History
ISBN: 1040244645

The history of biblical interpretation has attracted considerable attention in recent decades. This is particularly true in the field of medieval exegesis where much effort has been spent on making primary materials available and advancing their interpretation. One area of research in which even the most basic questions are still under debate is the phenomenon of the biblical Glossa Ordinaria, the standard Bible commentary used by Christian theologians from the twelfth century to the Reformation. Part I of the present collection unites the author's major contributions to Glossa studies - its origin, its false ascription to Walahfrid Strabo, its use among the preachers of the thirteenth and fourteenth century and the Reformers, both Catholic and Protestant, of the sixteenth. A central concern here is the fascinating history of the printed Gloss which began with the Strasbourg edition of 1480/81. Part II concentrates on the image of two central New Testament figures, the Apostles Peter and Paul, in biblical exegesis. The studies illuminate the pivotal role in the history of the church played by certain shifts in the understanding of Petrine texts, and trace conflicting tendencies in the interpretation of Paul down to the Reformation of the sixteenth century. Three of the thirteen essays have not been published before.

Philip Melanchthon and the Cappadocians

Philip Melanchthon and the Cappadocians
Author: H. Ashley Hall
Publisher: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2014-03-12
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3647550671

This work offers a comprehensive examination of how Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560) -- a great philologist, pedagogue, and theologian of the Reformation -- used Greek patristic sources throughout his extensive career. The Cappadocian Fathers (here identified as Gregory Thaumaturgus, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory Nazianzen, and Gregory of Nyssa) were received through the medieval period to be exemplary theologians. In the hands of Melanchthon, they become tools to articulate the Evangelical-Lutheran theological position on justification by grace through faith alone, the necessity of formal education for theologians in literature and the natural sciences, the freedom of the will under divine grace, exemplars for bishops and even princes, and (not least) as models of Attic Greek grammar and biblical exegesis for university students. The book is organized around Melanchthon's use of Cappadocian works against his opponents: Roman Catholic, the Radical Reformers, the Reformed, and in Intra-Lutheran controversies. The author places Melanchthon within the context of the patristic reception of his time. Moreover, an appendix offers a sketch of the "Cappadocian canon" of the sixteenth century, with notation of the particular sources for Melanchthon's knowledge and the references to these works in modern scholarly sources. While often accused by his critics (past and present) of being arbitrary in his selection of patristic authorities, too free with his quotations, and too anxious for theological harmony, this work shows Melanchthon "at work" to reveal the consistent manner and Evangelical-Lutheran method by which he used patristic material to proclaim "Christ and his benefits" throughout his multifaceted career.

The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Patristics

The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Patristics
Author: Ken Parry
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 546
Release: 2019-01-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1119517737

This comprehensive volume brings together a team of distinguished scholars to create a wide-ranging introduction to patristic authors and their contributions to not only theology and spirituality, but to philosophy, ecclesiology, linguistics, hagiography, liturgics, homiletics, iconology, and other fields. Challenges accepted definitions of patristics and the patristic period – in particular questioning the Western framework in which the field has traditionally been constructed Includes the work of authors who wrote in languages other than Latin and Greek, including those within the Coptic, Armenian, Syriac, and Arabic Christian traditions Examines the reception history of prominent as well as lesser-known figures, debating the role of each, and exploring why many have undergone periods of revived interest Offers synthetic accounts of a number of topics central to patristic studies, including scripture, scholasticism, and the Reformation Demonstrates the continuing role of these writings in enriching and inspiring our understanding of Christianity

The Reception and Interpretation of the Bible in Late Antiquity

The Reception and Interpretation of the Bible in Late Antiquity
Author: Lorenzo DiTommaso
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 639
Release: 2008
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9004167153

The volume is a Festschrift offered to Charles Kannengiesser on the occasion of his 80th birthday and honours him for his numerous scholarly accomplishments. Its twenty-five contributions discuss some of the major issues pertaining to the reception and interpretation of the Bible in late antique Christianity and Judaism. They focus on the ways in which communities and individuals understood the Bible and interpreted its traditions to address their historical, social, and theological requirements. Since the Bible was by far the most important book during these centuries, a discussion of its influence in such contexts will illuminate significant aspects of the formation of western civilisation.

Paul's 'Works of the Law' in the Perspective of Second Century Reception

Paul's 'Works of the Law' in the Perspective of Second Century Reception
Author: Matthew J. Thomas
Publisher: Mohr Siebeck
Total Pages: 285
Release: 2018-07-24
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 3161562755

Paul writes that we are justified by faith apart from 'works of the law', a disputed term that represents a fault line between 'old' and 'new' perspectives on Paul. Was the Apostle reacting against the Jews' good works done to earn salvation, or the Mosaic Law's practices that identified the Jewish people? Matthew J. Thomas examines how Paul's second century readers understood these points in conflict, how they relate to 'old' and 'new' perspectives, and what their collective witness suggests about the Apostle's own meaning. Surprisingly, these early witnesses align closely with the 'new' perspective, though their reasoning often differs from both viewpoints. They suggest that Paul opposes these works neither due to moralism, nor primarily for experiential or social reasons, but because the promised new law and covenant, which are transformative and universal in scope, have come in Christ.

Reading Certainty

Reading Certainty
Author: Ralph Keen
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 335
Release: 2022-11-28
Genre: History
ISBN: 9004527842

Susan Schreiner’s students and colleagues explore the themes of Scriptural exegesis, authority, and the certainty or doubt of salvation in the early modern era and beyond.

Augustine Beyond the Book

Augustine Beyond the Book
Author: Karla Pollmann
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 387
Release: 2012-05-11
Genre: History
ISBN: 9004222138

This interdisciplinary collection of essays investigates the processes by which Augustine of Hippo's writings were re-invented in other media, including the visual arts, drama and music. Thereby it highlights the crucial role of Augustine's readers in constructing his universal stature.

John Calvin on the Visions of Ezekiel

John Calvin on the Visions of Ezekiel
Author: Erik A. de Boer
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2019-01-03
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9047412214

John Calvin's sermons on Ezekiel, held between 1552 and 1554 in the church 'la Madeleine' in Geneva and now studied for the first time, offer intriguing material on his exposition of prophetic visions. The manuscripts disclose the reformer's preaching on the book as a whole, including the visions on the restoration of Israel, Gog and Magog, and the great temple vision. The first part of this study focuses on the history of patristic, medieval and 16th century exegesis of Ezekiel. The second part is a systematic theological analysis of the hermeneutical principles of Calvin's exposition of visionary revelation. Finally, the sermons on the visions of Ezek. 36-48, a unique specimen of literal historical exegesis with a christological perspective, are analysed.

The Search for Authority in Reformation Europe

The Search for Authority in Reformation Europe
Author: Elaine Fulton
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2016-03-03
Genre: History
ISBN: 1317016572

The 'problem of authority' was not an invention of the Protestant Reformation, but, as the essays contained in this volume demonstrate, its discussion, in ever greater complexity, was one of the ramifications (if not causes) of the deepening divisions within the Christian church in the sixteenth century. Any optimism that the principle of sola scriptura might provide a vehicle for unity and concord in the post-Reformation church was soon to be dented by a growing uncertainty and division, evident even in early evangelical writing and preaching. Representing a new approach to an important subject this volume of essays widens the understanding and interpretation of authority in the debates of the Reformation. The fruits of original and recent research, each essay builds with careful scholarship on solid historiographical foundations, ensuring that the content and ultimate conclusions do much to challenge long-standing assumptions about perceptions of authority in the aftermath of the Reformation. Rather than dealing with individual sources of authority in isolation, the volume examines the juxtapositions of and negotiations between elements of the authoritative synthesis, and thereby throws new light on the nature of authority in early-modern Europe as a whole. This volume is thus an ideal vehicle with which to bring high quality, new, and significant research into the public domain for the first time, whilst adding substantially to the existing corpus of Reformation scholarship.