Institutes of Elenctic Theology 3 vol. set [Hardcover]

Francois Turrettini (Author), Turretin (Author), James T. Dennison (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0875524567 | ISBN-13: 978-0875524566 | Publication Date: April 1997

Francis Turretin's 17th century classic contrasts Reformed understandings of Scripture with conflicting theological perspectives, particularly Roman Catholic, Arminian, and Socinian. Volume 3 treats the church, the sacraments, and last things.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 2311 pages
• Publisher: P & R Publishing (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875524567
• ISBN-13: 978-0875524566
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.6 x 5.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #219,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Serious Theologians and Christian Thinkers, November 10, 2000

By 

T. B. Vick "T.B.V." - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Institutes of Elenctic Theology 3 vol. set (Hardcover)

James T. Dennison has brought back one of the greatest theological works in church history. Francis Turretin was a 17th century theologian. He wrote in a scholastic style similar to those who proceeded him (i.e. Aquinas, etc.) However, unlike his predecessors, Turretin was part of the Reformed Church. Therefore, he covers such topics in this three volume set as the Reformed doctrine of predestination, sola fide, sola scriptura, etc. Moreover, Turretin covers many theological issues such as the attributes of God, original sin, angelology, the Trinity, the will of God, creation of man, responses to Molina and "scentia media," (middle knowledge) etc., all in great detail. Turretin is exhaustive in his writing. In fact, Turretin's work was required as a text for students of such great Princeton theologians as Charles Hodge and R.L. Dabney. If you are a serious theologian and love to study theology in depth then you should not be without this series. ...

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Demanding but rich and rewarding, November 5, 2004

By 

Tim R. Prussic "TPrussic" (Olympia, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Institutes of Elenctic Theology 3 vol. set (Hardcover)

Francis Turretin's Institutes of Elenctic Theology

This large 3 volume work is a gold mine of precise and careful thought. Turretin has been the object of odium in some (even Reformed) theological circles, but the one who takes time to read Turretin will find such sentiment to be unwarranted. Turretin was not a rationalist, merely rational. He was a seventeenth century Reformed pastor and theologian who clearly articulated Reformed doctrine in the midst of those who were opposing such doctrine. I have found Turretin to be biblical in his doctrine, delicate and precise in his thought, clear in his articulation, and powerful in his argumentation.

Turretin organized his Institutes into 20 topics (loci) that range from "Prolegomena" (that is, very necessary introductory considerations) to "The Last Things." Each topic (locus) is organized by specific questions. For example, locus 20 is divided into 13 questions. Question 2 reads, "Are the same bodies numerically which have died to be raised again? We affirm against the Socinians." Turretin raised this particual question because he wanted to defend the biblical doctrine of the bodily resurrection from an error that was being taught in his day. Turretin's theology is indeed elenctic (that is, polemic or argumentitive), for a great portion of his Institutes is written against the Roman Catholics, Arminians, Socinians, Anabaptists, and others. Turretin's Institutes is not merely a negative work (exposing the errors of unbiblical doctrine), but is positive. He builds up and defends biblical doctrine in every locus.

As for the edition, Dr. Dennison has blessed us all in editing and indexing the whole work. He has also provided a 19 page biography of Turretin, the message given at Turretin's funeral, and a short biography of George Giger (the translator). These volumes are sturdy and will last for decades.

As for the translation, this edition is a publication of George M. Giger's translation of the Institutes. Giger died in 1865 having produced this translation at the behest of Charles Hodge. The translation strikes me as unduly bulky and difficult at times, yet clear and quite understandable at others. There are other translations of particular loci, but one cannot find the entire work in English except in this translation.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Volume 3 of a Reformed SUMMA, October 24, 1999

By 

Phillip J. Rodgers (West Central GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Institutes of Elenctic Theology, Vol. 3: Eighteenth Through Twentieth Topics (Hardcover)

Francis Turretin (1623-1687) was a pastor and taught at the Academy of Geneva. This is the final volume of his magnificent and spirited defense of Reformed doctrine. This volume has indices to all 3 volumes and biographical information. It also includes the funeral message that Benedict Pictet preached at Turretin's funeral. In this volume Turretin covers: the Church, the Sacraments, and last things. To give you an idea of how thorough Turretin is, he takes 31 questions to discuss the sacraments. These books are excellent and highly recommended.