Meet The Puritans

New Book on Antinomianism

Posted on 02. Aug, 2012 by Mark Jones in Book Reviews

I just finished my first chapter for a new book on Antinomianism (and the research for the other chapters is pretty close to being finished). The chapter was a brief survey of the 16-18th centuries. My main aim was to give an overview of the various debates, beginning with Agricola and Luther and ending with the Marrow controversy in Scotland, as well as highlighting the type of rhetoric that was used in the debates. The remainder of the book will look at key questions that are pertinent to our present-day ecclesiastical climate, such as the use of rhetoric, the law-gospel distinction, the question of whether we can be more or less loved by God, “preaching Christ”, rewards for Christians, and the work of the Spirit in relation to Christ and his people.  My tentative thesis basically argues that the real issue in debates over antinomianism is Christology; and so each chapter will have a strong Christological focus in order to ascertain what constitutes “antinomian” theology.

This book is not going to be an academic work. I have a friend in Holland who I am sure will write a ground-breaking work on the Antinomian debates, but on an academic level. Mine will instead be aimed for educated laymen, students of theology, and ministers.

I noticed that Kevin DeYoung has a book coming out on holiness. I will be writing a review of that book when it comes out, so stay posted.

And, in case you are wondering, the book I have co-written with Joel Beeke, A Puritan Theology, will be out, we think, in late September / early October. The index is being compiled by John Muether as I write this. Also, for those who love Owen, the Ashgate Research Companion to John Owen’s Theology is also being indexed as I write this. I edited the volume with Kelly Kapic, but readers of Meetthepuritans should know that three of our contributors (well, Marty doesn’t say much, but I don’t think they have internet in Australia), Martin Foord, Danny Hyde, and Lee Gatiss, have all written pretty average essays for the book – kidding, they are great, even the part where Marty accuses Owen of being a Hyper-Calvinist.