Thursday, June 14, 2012

The Day Has Come: Our Evangelical Calvinism Book Is Released!


The book is finally here! This represents the collaboration of many contributors spanning from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States; an international effort. Myk Habets originally conceived of this project, and graciously asked me to join him in the editing and authoring of this most awesome volume (if I must say so myself)! Our book presents a mood of Calvinism, that at least for Myk and I can be said to be an mood given birth After Torrance (and then After Calvin, After Barth, so an so forth); and a mood that we hope is catching. The hope is, at least/at most, that Jesus Christ the Son of the Father by the Holy Spirit will be magnified through the effort exerted through the process of birthing this book. He will be most magnified if the readers of our book are pointed beyond themselves to the eternal Word, Jesus Christ! Our book, is not primarily a polemical work against classic Calvinism; but it does implicitly (and at points explicitly) offer a critique of the usual mode of Calvinism, and it does so constructively, by simply reminding her cousin that she indeed has a cousin. Evangelical Calvinism is rooted, methodologically, in Trinitarian Theology through a so called 'Christ-conditioned' shape. And so, by definition, EC emphasizes God as Love in life, and Grace in action. Unlike its classic cousin, EC believes the logic of grace that undergirds her articulation require that ALL humanity is represented (universally) in Jesus Christ; thus we limit the atonement to Jesus' humanity for us (the us being all of humanity who have ever lived). It is this that we think makes 'our' Calvinism, Evangelical or 'Good News'. If you are interested in reading more about Evangelical Calvinism, and how it is fleshed out through the personalities of Myk, myself and our authors; then you need to pick our just released book up and read it ... you will not be disappointed. Here are the ordering details (if you are interested in purchasing the book message me, and I can get you a discount 50% off of the retail price, not the web---I am only making this offer available to friends of the blog, Facebook friends, and of course close family and friends, my email is: growba@gmail.com):


Evangelical Calvinism 
Essays  Resourcing the Continuing Reformation of the Church.
Edited by Myk Habets and Bobby Grow

(click on the above title to go to the publishers website to order)
(or email me, and we can set up an order at a discounted price for friends of the blog). 


I wanted to especially, and publically, thank Myk Habets for his leadership on this project; and for allowing me to be a part of it, what a blessing! I also wanted to publically thank each and everyone of our authors, and endorsers; you all made this book what it is.

[I also want to say thank you to all of you who have pressed me here at the blog, your challenges and encouragement have all made their way into the book ;-) ... so thank you all.]

Here is the blurb from the back jacket of the book, and then the table of contents:

Blurb: In this exciting volume new and emerging voices join senior Reformed scholars in presenting a coherent and impassioned articulation of Calvinism for today’s world. Evangelical Calvinism represents a mood within current Reformed theology. The various contributors are in different ways articulating that mood, of which their very diversity is a significant element. In attempting to outline features of an Evangelical Calvinism a number of the contributors compare and contrast this approach with that of the Federal Calvinism that is currently dominant in North American Reformed theology, challenging the assumption that Federal Calvinism is the only possible expression of orthodox Reformed theology. This book does not, however, represent the arrival of a “new-Calvinism” or even a “neo-Calvinism,” if by those terms are meant a novel reading of the Reformed faith. An Evangelical Calvinism highlights a Calvinistic tradition that has developed particularly within Scotland, but is not unique to the Scots. The editors have picked up the baton passed on by John Calvin, Karl Barth, Thomas Torrance, and others, in order to offer the family of Reformed theologies a reinvigorated theological and spiritual ethos. This volume promises to set the agenda for Reformed-Calvinist discussion for some time to come.

Table of Contents:

Prologue: Union in Christ: A Declaration for the Church. Andrew Purves and Mark Achtemeier

Introduction

1: Theologia Reformata et Semper Reformanda. Towards a Definition of Evangelical Calvinism. Myk Habets and Bobby Grow

Part 1: Prolegomena – Historical Theology

2: The Phylogeny of Calvin’s Progeny: A Prolusion. Charles Partee

3: The Depth Dimension of Scripture: A Prolegomenon to Evangelical Calvinism. Adam Nigh

4: Analogia Fidei or Analogia Entis: Either Through Christ or Through Nature. Bobby Grow

5: The Christology of Vicarious Agency in the Scots Confession According to Karl Barth. Andrew Purves

Part 2: Systematic Theology

6: Pietas, Religio, and the God Who Is. Gannon Murphy

7: “There is no God behind the back of Jesus Christ:” Christologically Conditioned Election. Myk Habets

8: A Way Forward on the Question of the Transmission of Original Sin. Marcus Johnson

9: “The Highest Degree of Importance”: Union with Christ and Soteriology. Marcus Johnson

10: “Tha mi a’ toirt fainear dur gearan:” J. McLeod Campbell and P.T. Forsyth on the Extent of Christ’s Vicarious Ministry. Jason Goroncy

11: “Suffer the little children to come to me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Infant Salvation and the Destiny of the Severely Mentally Disabled. Myk Habets

Part 3: Applied Theology

12: Living as God’s Children: Calvin’s Institutes as Primer for Spiritual Formation. Julie Canlis

13: Idolaters at Providential Prayer: Calvin’s Praying Through the Divine Governance. John C McDowell

14: Worshiping like a Calvinist: Cruciform Existence. Scott Kirkland

Part 4

15: Theses on a Theme. Myk Habets and Bobby Grow

Epilogue: Post Reformation Lament. Myk Habets

Index

Bibliography

Solus Christus, Soli Deo Gloria!

20 comments:

  1. I don't think I have ever seen a book quite like this Bobby! What an outstanding publishing achievement. People will be reading this work late into the night, so riveting is the prose, so engageing is the argument, so transforming is the spirituality...

    hey - thank you for your involvement in the project too Bobby. Blessings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Myk,

      What you said! It is a gem, one that I don't think I've ever seen in its uniqueness of mixing devotion and dexterity of thought in a way that is all couched in Jesus. Good good stuff, a real page turner as it were ...

      Blessings, back.

      Delete
  2. This is so awesome, Bobby! Can't wait to get my hands on a copy!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great news! Am quite looking forward to reading it myself.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratuations Bobby and Myk! I'm very grateful to the Lord for both of you. I pray this book gets deep and wide exposure, and touches a lot of people's lives! :O))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Duane, thank you so much brother; I hope so too :-)!

      Delete
  5. This is great news! I can't wait to read it!

    Brian

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brian, thank you, I hope you like it :-)!

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  6. I am so excited for you my husband! You have worked so hard on this. You had to wade through cancer before starting work on it, but you rested in the LORD and HE carried you/us through that. I am happy for you! May the LORD bless you and this book and all who contributed to it!

    Your wife.

    Angela

    ReplyDelete
  7. I join the 'Anonymous' wife in congratulating you Bobby, and in bearing witness to God's sustaining life. Best, Jason.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Totally serious, congratulations! Foreward by JI Packer, no less!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Steve, thanks man! Foreward by someone even more stellar (as far as theological acumen and direction) as far as I'm concerned, the esteemed Alasdair Heron, faculty of the University of Erlangen ;-).

      Delete
  9. I'm looking forward to reading this as well, congrats Bobby

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Cody, I'll like to hear what you think once you do.

      Delete
  10. Congrats, Bobby! I’m looking forward to reading the book if for no other reason than your involvement in this project. Aside from that, I’m interested in understanding your theological postulates a bit better. May the LORD continue to bless and strengthen the work of your hands in His service…

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sam, thank you brother. I'll look forward to hearing what you think of it! Blessings.

      Delete
  11. Congrats,
    Even though I am a natural theology fan and a five point calvinist, I truly believe that truth which is true has nothing to fear from error, so I am grateful for being able to read a vigorously and passionately argued counter to my own position. I also have heard some good stuff about Torrance.

    Is this book going to come out in kindle format sometime in the future?

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.