Reformed Theology (Doing Theology)
Digital Logos Edition
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Overview
Learn the basics of the Reformed faith and its rich history from an expert and seasoned teacher. This book introduces Reformed theology by surveying the doctrinal concerns that have shaped its historical development. The book sketches the diversity of the Reformed tradition through the past five centuries even as it highlights the continuity with regard to certain theological emphases. In so doing, it accentuates that Reformed theology is marked by both formal (‘the always reforming church’) and material (‘the Reformed church’) interests. Furthermore, it attends to both revisionary and conservative trends within the Reformed tradition.
Reformed Theology covers eight traditional theological themes: Word of God, covenant, God and Christ, sin and grace, faith, worship, confessions and authority, and culture and eschatology. It engages a variety of Reformed confessional writings, as well as a number of individual theologians, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, Heinrich Bullinger, Martin Bucer, Theodore Beza, John Owen, Francis Turretin, Jonathan Edwards, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Charles Hodge, William T. Shedd, Heinrich Heppe, Herman Bavinck, Karl Barth, and Rienhold Niebuhr.
Get it while it’s on Pre-Pub: Heinrich Heppe’s Reformed Dogmatics.
Key Features
- Introduces Reformed theology by surveying the eight major theological themes that have shaped its historical development
- Sketches the unity and diversity of the Reformed tradition
- Analyzes recent trends within Reformed theology
Top Highlights
“The second covenant was instituted by the Father upon creating Adam and Eve, at which point God declared the terms of this ‘covenant of works.’” (Page 41)
“In response to sin and in keeping with the eternal inclination of God’s gracious will, the Father then put forward the ‘covenant of grace.’” (Page 42)
“Wrong thoughts about the right God may be more threatening than thoughts about the wrong god” (Page 14)
“‘federal theology’ insists that sin dissolves fellowship with God:” (Page 42)
“How does that community’s life together help or hinder their knowledge of God? Specifically, we will consider how authority is exercised in the church, and what role theological confessions fulfill in exercising that churchly authority. In all these ways, the Spirit guides the church into knowing and proclaiming truth. As with justification, so with Christian community: all is of grace.” (Page 135)
Praise for the Print Edition
Clear, calm and illuminating, this book offers a loving and generous commendation of the classical Reformed tradition of doctrine and spiritual practice.
—John Webster, chair of systematic theology, Department of Divinity and Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen, UK
Michael Allen's account of Reformed theology admirably joins clarity with precision, accessibility with gravity, and conviction with charity. Especially strong is the book's thorough attention to major Reformed figures like John Calvin and Karl Barth and major statements of Reformed faith like the Heidelberg Catechism and the Westminster Confession. While Allen does not shy away from full treatment of differences among Reformed theologians, his accent rests upon the distinctive ways in which Reformed theology incorporates and interprets the historic Christian message. The book is a splendid introduction for those who are in Reformed churches and an inviting invitation to dialogue with those who are not.
—Mark A. Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame
This is a splendid volume. Drawing deeply from the past while engaging a wide variety of contemporary voices, Reformed Theology nevertheless summarizes the richness of Reformed teaching with clarity and insight. Allen focuses on the main issues and beneath the superb brevity lies a deep reservoir of research.
—Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Theology, Westminster Seminary California
About R. Michael Allen
R. Michael Allen is associate professor of systematic and historical theology and the dean of students at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. He is eager to guide students to grow in their ability to retrieve theological riches from the past for the sake of renewing contemporary reflection, worship, and witness. In this vein, he is committed to Reformed catholicity as a confession and a posture for doing theology and approaching ministry today.
Prior to joining the faculty of Reformed Theological Seminary in 2015, Allen taught at Wheaton College and then at Knox Theological Seminary, where he held the D. James Kennedy Chair of Systematic Theology and served as dean of the faculty. He is the author of many books, including Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics: An Introduction and Reader and Theological Commentary: Evangelical Perspectives, and Justification and the Gospel: Understanding the Contexts and Controversies. He also serves as book review editor for the renowned International Journal of Systematic Theology and is a teaching elder in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
Sample Pages from the Print Edition
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