Customer Reviews

The Genesis of Doctrine: A Study in the Foundation of Doctrinal Criticism

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The point of the work is to introduce the reader to the science of doctrinal criticism. Put another way, one has to understand doctrines by way of their genesis and historical development to appreciate fully their import and to offer an accurate analysis of any given doctrine. So, for instance, one should understand the cultural dynamics of the Swiss cantons during the late Middle Ages and Reformation era to appreciate fully how the Swiss Reformation differed not only in doctrinal emphases, but also in its approach to church life, from the Lutherans of northern Germany of the same time. McGrath offers interesting insights into the nature of the Protestant Reformation by pointing out that the Protestant Reformation could be considered the triumph of the Anti-Pelagian Augustine, whereas Roman Catholicism's rejection of the Protestant reading of the epistles of Paul in the name of tradition and unity was the triumph of the Anti-Donatist Augustine.

It's a matter of personal taste, but this is one of McGrath's more interesting books, though I would also recommend his exposition of Luther's theology of the cross and his work on Justification, "Iustitia Dei." "The Genesis of Doctrine" is informative, insightful and much of what McGrath recycles in later works is already found here.