Book Review: The Binding of God, by Peter A. Lillback
Synopsis: Among Reformed Christians, there are few figures as respected as John Calvin, and few theological systems as revered as federal theology. Hence, it is not surprising that the question of Calvin’s influence on the development of federal theology has received considerable attention. In this extensive analysis of the covenant in Calvin’s thought, Peter A. Lillback interacts with a multitude of contradictory perspectives, and gives a compelling case for his argument that Calvin was indeed highly influential in developing an extensive, albeit at times inchoate, covenant theology.
Students of historic theology – in particular, Reformation theology – will welcome what certainly amounts to the definitive treatment of a certain, much-debated question, namely, What was Calvin’s role in the development of covenant theology? This precise question has been given much thought and speculation, but never before have the writings of Calvin been so thoroughly systematized with respect to their treatment of the Covenant of God. The result of this meticulous research has conclusively established the presence in Calvin’s thought of a true covenant theology of sorts; which is a thesis in opposition to many scholars who have previously treated the subject. Lillback’s conclusions will no doubt be refreshing to those who hold both Calvin and federal theology in high esteem.
The Binding of God is a valuable work in tracing the origins and history of covenant-theological thought from the days of the Medieval Schoolmen. Its penetrating analysis of “The Covenant Idea in Late Medieval Society and Theology,” “The Covenant in the Theology of Martin Luther,” and “The Emergence of the Covenant Idea in the Zurich and Strassburg Reformations” provides an indispensable context in which to examine the theology of John Calvin. But, while it is valuable in addressing the broad question of the origins of covenant theology, its true merit lies in the subsequent discussion of Calvin in particular. To this discussion, appropriately, he devotes the majority of space.
It has been argued that, because Calvin did not arrange his Institutes on a covenantal basis, and because certain vital elements of federal theology, such as the “Covenant of Works,” are not specifically discussed, that the covenant idea was therefore relatively unimportant in his thought, as opposed to the later heirs of the Reformation. Further, it has been contended that such elements of Calvin’s theology as an unflinching affirmation of predestination and reprobation actually stand in essential opposition the later federal schema. Against these propositions, Lillback appeals to the broad spectrum of Calvin’s writings to substantiate his thesis that, “the covenant was pivotal and presuppositional for Calvin’s theology,” and even that, “Calvin is the first of the early theologians to integrate the covenant concept extensively into his theological system.”
Lillback’s writing is academically substantive, well researched, and carefully reasoned. His interaction with conflicting contemporary treatments demonstrates more than a casual knowledge of the opposing viewpoints; and his interaction with Calvin himself demonstrates a level of familiarity which is virtually exhaustive. Anyone who enjoys the history of theology, especially as it touches John Calvin and the beginnings of Covenant Theology, would be well-advised to acquaint himself with this definitive work.
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