R. Michael Allen

The Christ's Faith coheres with orthodox Christology and Reformation soteriology, and needs to be affirmed to properly confirm the true humanity of the incarnate Son. Without addressing the interpretation of the Pauline phrase pistis christou, this study offers a theological rationale for an exegetical possibility and enriches a dogmatic account of the humanity of the Christ. The coherence of the Christ's faith is shown in two ways. First, the objection of Thomas Aquinas is refuted by demonstrating that faith is fitting for the incarnate Son. Second, a theological ontology is offered which affirms divine perfection and transcendence in qualitative fashion, undergirding a Chalcedonian and Reformed Christology. Thus, the humanity of the Christ may be construed as a fallen human nature assumed by the person of the Word and sanctified by the Holy Spirit. The dogmatic location of The Christ's Faith is sketched by suggesting its (potential) function within three influential theological systems: Thomas Aquinas, federal theology, and Karl Barth. Furthermore, the soteriological role of the doctrine is demonstrated by showing the theological necessity of faith for valid obedience before God

"Seeking to move beyond current heated debates on justification, this accessible introduction offers a fresh, alternative approach to a central theological topic. Michael Allen locates justification within the wider context of the gospel, allowing for more thoughtful engagement with the Bible, historical theology, and the life of the church. Allen considers some of the liveliest recent debates as well as some overlooked connections within the wider orbit of Christian theology. He provides a historically informed, ecumenically minded defense of orthodox theology, analyzing what must be maintained and what should be reconfigured from the vantage point of systematic theology. The book exemplifies the practice of theological interpretation of Scripture and demonstrates justification's relevance for ongoing issues of faith and practice" -- Publisher description.

"This volume examines what it means to proceed in the path of wisdom by beginning with fear of God, that is, mindfulness always and everywhere of God's being and presence. Michael Allen describes the praxis of fearing the Lord, how that posture of contemplative pursuit marks the theological task and defines our theological method; in so doing it takes up the significant topics of divine revelation, theological exegesis, intellectual asceticism, and retrieval/ressourcement from a distinctly doctrinal perspective. In each of these conversations, doing theology in the presence of God functions as a consistent thread. God is not mere object but truly functions as subject in the process of theological growth, though God's presence and agency fund rather than negate creaturely theological responsibility. The Fear of the Lord: Essays on Theological Method explores some of the most central questions of contemporary theological method - revelation, Scripture, theological interpretation, retrieval, ascetics, scholasticism - by asking in each and every case what it means to think fundamentally of the perfect and present God involved and active in these spheres"

The doctrine of justification stands at the center of our systematic reflection on the meaning of salvation as well as our piety, mission, and life together. In his two-volume work on the doctrine of justification, Michael Horton seeks not simply to repeat noble doctrinal formulas and traditional proof texts, but to encounter the remarkable biblical justification texts in conversation with the provocative proposals that, despite a wide range of differences, have reignited the contemporary debates around justification. -- !c From publisher's description. Volume 1 engages in a descriptive task - an exercise in historical theology exploring the doctrine of justification from the patristic era to the Reformation. Broadening the scope, Horton explores patristic discussions of justification under the rubric of the "great exchange." He provides a map for contemporary discussions of justification, identifying and engaging his principal interlocutors: Origen, Chrysostom, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, John Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, Gabriel Biel, and the magisterial reformers. Observing the assimilation of justification to the doctrine of penance in medieval theology, especially via Peter Lombard, the work studies the transformations of the doctrine through Aquinas, Scotus and the nominalists leading up to the era of the Reformation and the Council of Trent. He concludes his first study by examining the hermeneutical and theological significance of the Reformers' understanding of the law and the gospel and the resultant covenantal scheme that became formative in Reformed theology. This then opens the door to the constructive task of volume 2 - to investigate the biblical doctrine of justification in light of contemporary exegesis. -- !c From publisher's description. Building on his historical-theological exploration of justification in volume 1, in this second volume Horton embarks upon a constructive task of investigating the biblical doctrine of justification in light of contemporary exegesis. Here he takes up the topic of justification from biblical-theological, exegetical, and systematic-theological vantage points, engaging significantly with contemporary debates in biblical, especially Pauline, scholarship. Horton shows that the doctrine of justification finds its most ecumenically-significant starting point and proper habitat in union with Christ, where the greatest consensus, past and present, is to be found among Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant theologies. At the same time, he proposes that the union with Christ motif achieves its clearest and most consistent articulation in forensic justification. The final chapter locates justification within the broader framework of union with Christ. -- !c From publisher's description.

Christian theology, classically defined, is faith's intellectual work of seeking understanding, not in order to prove its truth but to persuade those who hear it proclaimed. Theology done from within the Reformed tradition has long displayed this quality, and it continues to develop in response to our changing world. Reformed Theology: Identity and Ecumenicity is an excellent resource for readers interested in examining current trends and motifs in Reformed thought. Written by systematic theologians from around the world, this book explores the meaning of the Reformed tradition and its relevance for the contemporary church. The contributors highlight ways that Reformed theology can enrich the church ecumenical even as they seek to realize a more catholic Reformed community of inquiry.

"The book of Micah provides insight into the struggle of a prophet with his vocation in an extremely difficult time. The aggressive policies of Neo-Assyrian kings which involved large-scale destruction, deportation and resettlement upturned existing social structures everywhere. Kings of Judah like Ahaz and Hezekiah had to compromise with the enemy to retain their position. Micah denounced their overindulgence. Initially, the results of his efforts were disappointing and one may certainly say that Micah was a tragic figure who towards the end of his life felt he had been a failed prophet. It is no coincidence that in the Hebrew Bible Micah 3:12 occupies the middle of the whole book of the Twelve "Minor" Prophets. In this verse Micah courageously announced the destruction of the temple on Zion because of Jerusalem's sins - more than a hundred years before it actually happened. His contemporaries had ridiculed him because they did not believe God would ever allow the destruction of hi s holy abode. Whistleblowers are never popular and it is possible that Micah has had to pay with his life for his scathing criticism of the authorities. However, history proved him right and Micah's impressive sermons inspired later generations to complement them with consoling messages of forgiveness and hope. Prophecy, also prophecy outside Israel, was always open to future expansion. In this way the book of Micah became a cherished source of messianic expectations among both Jews and Christians. Modern research into the book of Micah denies him the authorship of more than half of the chapters attributed to him. On the basis of new textual and archaeological data from the entire Ancient Near East this commentary argues that much more can be regarded as actual fire-and-brimstone preaching of the historical prophet Micah. This conclusion was achieved among other things by collating more than a hundred Hebrew manuscripts of the book of Micah. The commentary devotes also much attention t o geology, climate, flora, fauna, agriculture and art. Fifty illustrations elucidate these realia." --provided by publisher, back cover.

Did the Protestant Reformers understand Paul correctly? Has the church today been unduly influenced by Reformation-era misreadings of the Pauline epistles? These questions - especially as they pertain to Martin Luther's interpretation of the Pauline doctrine of justification - have been at the forefront of much discussion within biblical studies and theology in light of the New Perspective on Paul. But that leads to another question: Have we understood the Reformers correctly? With that in mind, these essays seek to enable a more careful reading of the Reformers' exegesis of Pauline texts. Each chapter pairs a Reformer with a Pauline letter and then brings together a historical theologian and a biblical scholar to examine these Reformation-era readings of Paul. In doing so, this volume seeks a better understanding of the Reformers and the true meaning of the biblical text. --Publishers