Harrison Perkins

Uk-Trade Paper

1527111571

9781527111578

College Audience

8.5 in

5.4 in

English

384 Pages

Righteous by Design : Covenantal Merit and Adam's Original Integrity

2024

Christian Focus Publications

... a powerful argument that the covenant of nature was properly meritorious of eternal life. Perkins's study is a stellar orientation point for the ongoing discussion on the nature-supernatural relationship., ... Harrison Perkins tackles some difficult and nuanced questions over law and gospel, merit and mercy, and nature and grace. ... Particularly, his painstaking attention to nuances in medieval views on righteousness and merit, with their lasting implications, represents ground rarely covered by Reformed Protestants., . Harrison Perkins tackles some difficult and nuanced questions over law and gospel, merit and mercy, and nature and grace. . Particularly, his painstaking attention to nuances in medieval views on righteousness and merit, with their lasting implications, represents ground rarely covered by Reformed Protestants., ... an exemplary and much-needed work of constructive retrieval on the relationship between nature and grace., This is a deep and detailed study of God's covenantal relationship and promise to Adam, rich in exegetical, historical,and doctrinal insights and pastoral reflections. Fruitful reading for anyone interested in this fascinating topic!, . an exemplary and much-needed work of constructive retrieval on the relationship between nature and grace., . a powerful argument that the covenant of nature was properly meritorious of eternal life. Perkins's study is a stellar orientation point for the ongoing discussion on the nature-supernatural relationship.

Christian Theology / History

Religion

From the medieval period into modern Roman Catholicism, manu have belived that because orignal righteousness was superadded to our nature, personal righteousness could be restored by grace after the Fall in such a way as to allow us to merit everlasting life through works. By contrast, the Reformation tradition has held that sin has damaged our nature so thoroughly we can be saved by grace alone. Harrison Perkins exhibits a through historical investigation of medieval and counter-Reformation theology, exploring sources seldom treated in Reformed literature. He presents a theological case that original righteousness was natural to Adam before the Fall and that Adam could have merited everlasting life according to the covenant of works. Perkins argues for the Protestant law-gospel distinction through the lens of the imago Dei to highlight the sufficiency of Christ and his work., How Might We Obtain Everlasting Life? Although Protestants ought to have a ready answer about faith in Jesus Christ, the reasons explaining that answer run much deeper and relate to our status as God's image bearers. Important historical issues inform how we understand the precise relationship of work and grace. Throughout much of the medieval period and into modern Roman Catholicism, many believed that because original righteousness was superadded to our nature, personal righteousness could be restored by grace after the fall, allowing us to merit everlasting life by our own works.By contrast, the Reformation tradition has held that sin has damaged our nature so thoroughly that we could never merit salvation and must receive everlasting life by grace alone. Righteous by Design is, on one hand, a thorough historical investigation of medieval and counter-Reformation theology,exploring sources that have seldomly if at all been treated in Reformed literature. At the same time, it is also a theological case that original righteousness was natural to Adam before the Fall and that Adamcould have merited everlasting life according to the covenant of works. The payoff of this effort in theological retrieval is to underscore the majesty of grace in that sinners are right with God only on the basis of Christ'smerits. Thus, this book mounts a case for the Protestant law-gospel distinction through the lens of the imago Dei to highlight the sufficiency of Christ and his work.

Textbook

Christian Focus Publications

9781527111578