Ryan Glomsrud

Modern Reformation's first book is a good and helpful one. It helps to sum up the current debate on justification in evangelical and confessional circles and calls for a recovery of a robust, reformational understanding of the life-giving doctrine. I sincerely hope many thoughtful Christians will read it.

The main place where I see room for improvement is in accessibility. Some essays are very clear and helpful from a not-too-technical standpoint. I found the section on Law and Faith to be particularly strong, especially Gordon's, Gathercole's, and VanDrunen's articles. Bridge's and Senkbeil's articles on the Christian life were quite helpful. Tamburello's contribution was rather interesting—I've never heard a Roman Catholic so constructively (though critically) engage Calvin. Sproul's article on Evangelicals and Catholics together will likely be of interest only to those who follow that debate, but it is helpful in crystalizing the differences between historically evangelical and Catholic views on justification. Horton's closing article calling the church to recover justification as the engine that drives our good works is well-argued.

Hunsinger's article on Edwards's (tragically wanting) view of justification was illuminating, but lacks in clarity—when I arrived at the punchline, I found it to be rather muted (I guess I was hoping for something a bit more critical, even controversial, to help foster debate among the many Edwards lovers of our day). Glomsrud's introductory essay was wonderfully insightful. He gave some great categories for thinking about evangelicalism today, calling the situation "post-dispensational." I thank him for helping to clarify my thinking, but found his essay to be a bit too technical—though I want to share his insights with many in my congregation, I could only share the article with a select few who could sink their teeth into it.

Horton's article on the justification debate between N.T. Wright and John Piper brilliantly shows the mono-covenantalism of both and helpfully reveals the importance of understanding the covenantal structure of Scripture. Rather than flatten out this structure by hammering the two covenants of works and grace into one, he draws from both Jewish and Roman Catholic biblical theologians to reveal the two kinds of covenant we find in Scripture. Piper is right about justification, but doesn't get why (covenant); Wright doesn't get justification AND (one could even argue, BECAUSE he) misses out on the covenants in all their fullness. I sincerely hope both men (especially Wright) will muster a response to Horton's critique; it will be a real shame and disservice to the church if it goes unanswered.

Modern Reformation has given the church a wonderful, varied meditation on the doctrine of justification by faith. I hope it will make its way into the hands of many thoughtful readers and contribute to a renewed understanding in the church of this extraordinarily important doctrine. For, without justification front and center, the church will cease to be the church.… (altro)