By
Steven J. Lawson / Reformation Trust Publishing
In
this second volume of the series, “A Long Line of Godly Men” Steven J. Lawson
walks the reader through almost 1500 years of history calling attention to the
development and defense of what later became known as the doctrines of grace.
If the reader is looking for sophisticated historical and theological analysis,
they will not find it here. What they will find, however, is something that is
greatly needed in the evangelical world today, namely a framework for
understanding their theology in the broader context of Church history. In
addition to his introductory and concluding material, Lawson examines the doctrines
of grace in the works of 23 influential Christian teachers between the years of
100 and 1564, including:
Clement
of Rome
Ignatius
of Antioch
Justin
Martyr
Irenaeus
of Lyon
Tertullian
of Carthage
Cyprian
of Carthage
Athanasius
of Alexandria
Basil
of Caesarea
Gregory of Nazianzus
Ambrose of Milan
Augustine of Hippo
Isidore of Seville
Gottschalk of Orbais
Anselm of Canterbury
Bernard of Clairvaux
Thomas Bradwardine
John Wycliffe
John Hus
Martin Luther
Ulrich Zwingli
William Tyndale
Heinrich Bullinger
John Calvin
Lawson
is able to demonstrate that although the emphasis and systemization of the
doctrines of grace during the Reformation was dramatic it did not simply appear
out of nowhere. He capably shows, with brief biological and historical sketches,
that the trajectories of Reformed thought were familiar to Christian teachers
in every age. The Reformers saw themselves as defenders of classic Christian
teaching but sadly, many who identify as Reformed today have little or no
familiarity with any pre-Reformation writers other than Augustine. Lawson does
this generation a service in providing an accessible account of this history.
The
historical and theological segmentation of the book make the book a bit
redundant but the advantage is that each of the segments can stand on their own
making it useful as a quick reference or to those who are only interested in
particular eras or teachers. The repetition gives it an almost devotional quality
as the same themes are introduced and reinforced in segment after segment. The
biggest drawback is that at times, Lawson seems to stretch a bit in his
analysis. Often quotations are given and applied to themes that were unlikely
to have been intended given the context of the original quote. In places, Lawson
admits this and does a fair job of pointing out that although the original writer
may not have always fully appreciated the consequences of their own ideas and
observations that the seeds of those conclusions were nevertheless present.
I
recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in early Church history and
especially the doctrines of grace. It should be required reading for anyone who
considers themselves “Reformed” and is unfamiliar with the development of these
doctrines prior to the Reformation outside of Augustine. While being an apology for Reformed history it
avoids the polemics of earlier works on the topic (Toplady, Gill, etc.). I
believe that many will find it interesting and informative.
*A copy of
this book was provided to me by the publisher at no cost in exchange for a
review. The review is not required to be positive and all opinions expressed
are my own.
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