Samuel Renihan

This book perfectly accomplishes what it set out to do: fill the gap in describing the historical development of Particular Baptist theology. The author stays in this mode of providing historical narration, more specifically reporting what early Particular Baptists believed, rather than a polemic defending them, but you can feel his enthusiasm for the Particular Baptist beliefs throughout.

However, if you’re new to the Covenant Theology world as I am, this book is tough to get through. Renihan assumes you already know all about the arguments between Presbyterians & Particular Baptists regarding covenant theology & infant baptism. A few pages in I realized I was going to be lost, so I had to pause & read 2 other books on covenant theology just so I could resume this book. (The two I read were AW Pink’s Divine Covenants & Van Dorn’s Covenant Theology: A Reformed Baptist Primer.) Even after reading these, I feel like I’m listening in on a conversation with people who are totally in the know & I’m barely able to keep up. Here is a direct quote regarding John Owen’s views on covenant theology from page 206: “Though both covenants were founded on promises, the promises of the covenant of grace were ‘efficaciously assumptive,’ but not ‘remunerative. The promises of the covenant of works were remunerative, ‘respecting an antecedent obedience in us.’”

It’s an excellent book, I just felt it was a little overwhelming when you’re new to the Covenant Theology discussion. I think the more I learn about the topic, the more I will be able to come back later & enjoy this book in an even greater measure.… (altro)

this is a difficult subject, and Samuel Renihan seeks to address it, and it is a valuable contribution from his standpoint of theology and why he believes it to be important. However, this does not really clinch the question, and at some points his statements and arguments may not be all there is to say on this. Also in some places it is possible his hermeneutic may be flawed, and verses are quoted from Numbers and 1Samuel not necessarily doing full justice to their Biblical context, and some Biblical statements are being elevated over others that might suggest another conclusion. However, as I said this is a valuable contribution to the question and is to be respected for tackling what is a difficult subject, with a view to answering it in a theologically orthodox manner.… (altro)