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35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Very Good Introduction to Calvinism, September 29, 2002
This review is from: The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel (Hardcover)
This work is a collaborative effort of the late James Montgomery Boice and his successor at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Philip Ryken. This is not a book that will make everyone happy because it deliberately intends to chasten contemporary evangelicalism on a number of fronts. But I felt that it was a very good introduction to Reformed theology that both seasoned theologians and amateurs to theological thought can profit from. The controversial nature of the book begins in the first sentence of the first chapter, when it announces that evangelicalism stands or falls with Calvinism, as B.B. Warfield once remarked. From this, the authors lament what they believe is the state of thorough worldliness that has established residency within the evangelical church, and their belief that a return to the core tenets of Reformed theology is the best and only effective antidote. From there, a solid introductory analysis of the 5 points of Calvinism is given. I found that these analyses were pretty thorough, yet very readable and understandable at an introductory level. In contrast to the rather elevated language of folks like Kuyper, Boettner, Machen, Warfield, and Hodge, Boice and Ryken bring the fundamentals of Reformed theology down to a layperson's level while still being unapologetic about these beliefs. In this analysis of the 5 points, the authors effectively take on some of the more common objections to Reformed theology that tend to surface, although again, because of the introductory nature of the book, the reader should not expect full orbed and exhaustive rebuttals here. The one rebuttal that I thought was especially insightful was where the authors, while responding to the objection that Reformed theology relies too much on the 'two wills of God' to harmonize their theology, point out that the free-will theists who tend to voice this objection engage in exactly the same thing by suggesting by default that in contrast to God's revealed will in the Bible, God's primary purpose (or secret will) is in preserving the supposed free will of man. Very insightful point. The authors also devote a great deal of time both to analyzing the fruits of Calvinism in history, as well as presenting a Calvinist life view that penetrates all aspects of life and civilization. On the latter point, the authors appear to pattern the Calvinist worldview heavily upon the views of Kuyper as articulated at Princeton over 100 years ago. While I found this section to be very good and very refreshing in many ways, it should be understood by the reader that Calvinism has not historically been, nor is currently monolithic in how it views the believer's attitude and involvement in politics, science, art, and other areas. Nonetheless, I found that Boice and Ryken offered some very good thoughts in this area. Overall, I highly commend this book to someone who is interested in studying and learning about the Reformed faith, especially those who are just beginning this journey. This book is very helpful for those who are new to theology, but is also quite useful to those with more experience in this area. A very good book.
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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good, Concise Introduction to Calvinism, December 2, 2005
This review is from: The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel (Hardcover)
First off, some introductory remarks. This is Boice's last work before his death in 2000 of cancer. He wrote the bulk of the material contained in this book. Ryken, one of Boice's assistant pastors, completed it upon his death, contributing a closing chapter as well as editing for style and actually writing the opening two chapters entirely from Boice's notes and resources. Boice himself had already drafted the middle chapters detailing the doctrines of grace.
This book is an excellent, excellent introduction to the doctrines of grace, widely known for better or for worse as Calvinism. It is also a very compelling work, one that should move the reader to desire further investigation at the very least and full commitment at the very best. It avoids what one of my good friends has termed "my Calvinism is better than your Calvinism," which would have caused me to march back to the bookstore and demand my money back. ;-)
This book does, however, make the implicit claim (erroneously, in my opinion) that Arminian theology leads to what Arthur Pink in The Sovereignty of God calls liberalism. More accurately, it insists that Arminian theology leads to a man-centered gospel, which in itself is a hallmark of liberalism. While you will find no disagreement from me if you were to assert that a significant majority of liberals (if not all) are Arminian in theology, you will get a major disagreement that Arminianism leads to liberalism. I have been taught by and worked under conservative, orthodox, non-Calvinist leaders who are extremely Godly men, and I am uncomfortable with the assertion that their gospel is man-centered, when nothing could be further from the truth.
However, the way this book presents the gospel leaves no doubt in my mind that any gospel that does not emphasize the sovereignty of God is sorely lacking. If none can be saved without God's help, then why insist that faith is a human work and not a gift of God? That is contradictory and unbilibcal.
The middle chapters are without question excellent introductions. Following the TULIP acrostic, the authors detail each point in such a way that you are given a clear understanding of what each point entails, without feeling the need to write a volume on each. While the TULIP acrostic is followed, the authors eschew the traditional terms (total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, perseverance of the saints) for a much gentler and more polite terminology: Radical Depravity, Unconditional Election, Particular Redemption, Efficacious Grace, and Persevering Grace. I believe the authors are wise to take this tack, as I agree the traditional terms are loaded weapons for both sides of the issue and softening terminology while retaining accuracy potentially fosters discussion.
Please be advised that in no way do they "water down" the doctrines by taking a softer stance in terminology. Indeed, many of the discussions in these chapters are hard for those who are unsure or whom do not subscribe to the doctrines of grace. They do not shy away from the issues surrounding them; however they leave the punching bags at home. For that I'm thankful. It actually made some discussions harder for me in some respects to have such a softer approach.
The authors close the book with an extremely helpful discussion on two issues: what a "true Calvinist" looks like, and how Calvinism should work in everyday life. A quote I will share from the eighth chapter: "[S]o many of those who have discovered the beauty of Reformed theology, as described in this book, are anything but beautiful themselves....They have a bad reputation, and sadly, perhaps some of it is deserved." The authors work diligently in this chapter to combat the rigid, unfeeling, unsympathetic Calvinism that seems to be rampant and growing in some circles, instead showing a Calvinism that genuinely seeks the mind of Christ. Indeed, I wholeheartedly agree with the authors' vision of what a "true Calvinist" should look like--one conformed to the image of Christ. Oh, would that both Calvinists and Arminians would seek to be conformed to Christ in all things instead of resorting to petty bickering! We'd get further in these discussions if only our ultimate goal was Christ and Him crucified.
I very much appreciated the final chapter, penned by Ryken, giving a practical look at what I'm going to term "applied Calvinism." He seeks to answer the question, "How does Calvinism work itself out in life?" His answer can be summed up in a single statement from the ninth and final chapter: "[T]he heart of Reformed theology is a passion for God's glory, not simply in redemption but in all of creation." This includes our work, our play, our disciplines such as art, finance, science, history, government, and so on. Ryken presents a compelling vision for Calvinist interaction with the world that can only be described as wholly Christian.
I remarked to a friend that this book is wonderful for someone investigating the doctrines because one does not have to chew on them, one can drink them. I now revise that statement. This book is not a milk-bottle, but is a bowl of stew or goulash, as opposed to a full-on steak dinner. It is intended for the layman, but assumes some basic level of theological knowledge. It is an excellent springboard for serious study of the doctrines of grace.
This book is highly recommended by me to anyone who wants to seriously begin to study what Calvinism is all about without the debate surrounding it.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Best Introductions To Calvinism, November 4, 2004
This review is from: The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel (Hardcover)
There is any number of books available today that serve as introductions to Calvinism or the doctrines of grace. While some of these leave much to be desired, many of them are excellent and do justice to the topic. One might ask, then, why someone would want to write (or read) yet another one, and that would be a fair question.
What attracted me to this title is that it was the final book written by one of our generation's great pastors and teachers, James Montgomery Boice. Having been diagnosed with cancer and knowing that he had merely a few months or weeks to live, he dedicated himself to hymn-writing and to writing this book. He lived for a mere forty two days after receiving his diagnosis, and though he was not able to see it to completion, he turned it over to his colleague Philip Ryken who completed it after Boice's death. In the foreward R.C. Sproul writes of Boice: "Here was a man who not only believed in the doctrines of grace but also loved those doctrines and had fire in his bones about propagating them. I knew Jim Boice for more than thirty years and never saw that fire diminish. His soul was held captive by the doctrines of grace. His ministry was an ongoing doxology to the doctrines of grace because they so clearly manifest the God of that grace...It is not surprising that the last literary work of James Boice would focus on his first love, the doctrines of grace." This book, then, contains the last words of an eminent pastor, theologian and teacher who dedicated his life to the very topic at hand. It would be foolish for us to disregard such a message.
The book begins with an examination of the current state of the evangelical world and traces some of the history of Calvinism and great Calvinists of the past. The reader is introduced to Arminianism and sees how the two systems of doctrine are at odds. We see how a rediscovery of the doctrines of grace is the antidote to the current sorry state of evangelicalism.
The author then moves to an in-depth examination of each of the five doctrines of grace. Eschewing the traditional TULIP acronym, Boice chooses instead to speak of Radical Depravity, Unconditional Election, Particular Redemption, Efficacious Grace and Persevering Grace. Each of the points receives a full examination, but one that is targeted at the layperson so that even a young person or someone with little theological background could easily understand. Each of the points is supported with Scripture and even the passages that seem to contradict the doctrines are examined and dealt with. As one would expect, the Arminian opposites of each doctrine are considered as well.
The final two chapters speak of rediscovering God's grace. Calvinism is not a system of doctrine that impacts only the mind. While it is based on theological distinctions, this theology should spur us to action. One who considers himself Calvinist but sees no reason to take the gospel to the world or to be involved in the betterment of society has not truly understood the words of God. The true Calvinist should be a leader in issues of evangelism and social justice.
This book provides a beautiful and captivating introduction to Calvinism. Combined with Boice's prior volume Whatever Happened To The Gospel of Grace one receives a solid introduction to the doctrines of grace and to the five solas of the Reformation. I recommend this book as heartily as I recommended Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace. Both are excellent studies and deserve to be read and appreciated.
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