November 2007 - Protestant Reformed Churches in America

Protestant Reformed Theological Journal
new essay, “Justification and nothing to do with the covenant
Violence: Reflections on Atonement
of grace. Instead, it is a highly
and Contemporary philosophical comparison of
Apologetics.” This article is an man’s knowledge of God
attempt to use the doctrine of through general revelation and
justification to stir up “true zeal the believer’s knowledge of
for social action” (p. 148). For God through saving faith. It is
Edgar, justification is the way man’s knowledge of God
to address feminists’ concerns through general revelation that
about the oppression of women, Oliphint calls “covenant faith.”
concerns about violence and An article with such a title had
ethnic cleansing, and other social
the potential of getting to the
concerns. To say the least, heart of the controversy over
it is disappointing to see a professor
justification. As it is, the article
of a Reformed seminary fails to address any key issues
setting an agenda of social action
in that controversy.
for the church, especially The rest of the articles,
when he uses the precious doctrine
however, at least address the
of justification to do so. controversy over justification.
Stranger yet is K. Scott From them one is able to determine
Oliphint’s article, “Covenant
what WTS teaches about
Faith.” The title indicates that justification today.
Oliphint will examine the role If Ferguson’s introduction
of faith in the covenant of grace, gave hope that the doctrine of
and relate the covenant to justification.
justification taught at WTS is
That would be a sound, the article by Peter
worthwhile article, especially Lillback, current president of
since Norman Shepherd and the WTS, takes that hope away.
Federal Vision take a particular Lillback’s essay, “Calvin’s Development
view of the covenant as their
of the Doctrine of
starting point. They begin with Forensic Justification: Calvin
a conditional covenant, in and the Early Lutherans on the
which faith and works are conditions
Relationship of Justification
to man’s staying in the and Renewal,” is a historical
covenant, and work from there investigation into the doctrine
to conditional justification, that of justification taught by Calvin
is, justification by faith and on the one hand and the early
works. But Oliphint’s essay has Lutherans on the other hand.
118
Vol. 41, No. 1