November 2007 - Protestant Reformed Churches in America

Protestant Reformed Theological Journal
And with regard to confessional
theologies (e.g., Reformed,
Lutheran, Anabaptist
etc.), we can perhaps view
these systems not as necessarily
conflictual [beware of
theologians who have a fondness
for inventing new words!
RC] but as complementary.
After all, it takes many systems
(nervous, digestive, reproductive,
cardiovascular,
etc.) working together to
maintain the health (salus) of
the body (p. 180).
Recommended, but with serious
reservations. ■
Justified in Christ: God’s Plan for
Us in Justification. Ed. K. Scott
Oliphint. Great Britain: Christian
Focus/Mentor, 2007. Pp. xxiv +
309. $18.99 (paper). [Reviewed by
Andy Lanning.]
Justified in Christ is a compilation
of eight essays written
by faculty members of Westminster
Theological Seminary
in Philadelphia. Also included
in the book are a lengthy introduction
by Sinclair B. Ferguson,
an extensive bibliography by
Alexander Finlayson, and a
complete reproduction of John
Murray’s essay “The Imputation
of Adam’s Sin.”
A book on the doctrine of
justification written by faculty
members of Westminster Theological
Seminary is of great interest
to Reformed and Presbyterian
churches. Westminster
116
Theological Seminary (WTS)
and the doctrine of justification
have a history. For 18 years
(1963-1981), Norman Shepherd
taught Systematic Theology at
WTS. For at least some of those
years, he taught the heresy of
justification by faith and works.
Although there was a lengthy
investigation of his teachings by
the faculty and board of WTS,
as well as by the Philadelphia
Presbytery of the Orthodox
Presbyterian Church, Norman
Shepherd was never disciplined
for his heretical teachings.
When he was finally dismissed
from WTS, the board issued a
statement in which they refused
to condemn his doctrine of justification
as outside the bounds
of the Westminster Standards.
WTS failed to root out heresy
concerning the most basic article
of the Reformed faith.*
Vol. 41, No. 1