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Justified in union with Christ

Having just thought about Calvin and union with Christ - here is Mike's second talk on justification.  We receive His righteousness in Jesus.

Do give some time to these talks.  It's a chance to be refreshed and liberated by gospel truth.

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0 thoughts on “Justified in union with Christ

  1. Bobby Grow

    For anyone interested a great book on developing Calvin's theology, and its core as Union with Christ</em<, is Charles Partee's book: The Theology of John Calvin. I'm just finishing it up, it's an excellent read . . . maybe something to complement Reeves' talk :-).

    Thanks, Glen!

  2. Bobby Grow

    I'm curious, Dave, you say "more conservative," are you saying that Partee isn't?

    I think Garcia has some good stuff on this issue. Another guy who I plan on reading next is,

    J. Todd Billings, his book: Calvin, Participation, and the Gift: The Activity of Believers in Union with Christ

    and Julie Canlis (here's an example of the kind of stuff she's worked on):

    http://theresurgence.com/julie_canlis_2007_calvins_institutes.pdf

    A guy named Thomas Wenger has coined a term, rhetorically, for the shift towards interpreting Calvin's theology through the unio mystica: New Calvin Perspective. He has an essay in the "Journal of Evangelical Theology Society" unfolding this. Federal schemes don't emphasize this interpretation, or old school, at least as central to understanding Calvin's theology --- they think it's an affront to the forensic framing that Federal theology emphasizes, and thus an affront to their heritage --- because if Calvin didn't frame things forensically then they've got issues (i.e. there isn't continuity between Calvin and the Calvinists, and exclusive claim . . . and we can't have that ;-).

  3. Bobby Grow

    Sorry Glen, I feel like I'm coming close to spamming --- it's just that my mind and reading have been on this stuff as of late --- for anyone interested there are plenty of "Calvinists" in the Scottish tradition who emphasized Union with Christ, a la Calvin, mediated through Knox, and developed by many like Hugh Binning, Robert Bruce, Jonathan Fraser of Brea, John McLeod Campbell, Robert Leighton, H. R. Mackintosh, T. F. Torrance, et al. I deal with these issues head on over at my blog --- if interested come on over and join the discussion.

  4. Dave K

    Ha! not in the least.

    I was merely placing them on a scale.. I am right that Garcia is 'more' conservative, aren't I?

    Funny, I thought that it was more likely that if anyone I was slighting Garcia, not Partee.

    Listening to those lectures I was continually struck that they could never be given in the church circles I hang out in... one reason was how conservative the OPC seems to me. But then one person's conservative is another's liberal. They were stimulating lectures although they do get technical about editions of Calvin's writings often.

    Having cleared up the confusion and mopped up any offence unintentionally caused, I would mention that I do find the forensic v. participatory/personal debates unhelpful. Are they really opposed to each other... I suspect most would say that they are not, but then people have arguments anyway. I would like us to emphasise both :-)

  5. Bobby Grow

    Ah, the clarity of the blog ;-) . . . thanks for clarifying, Dave.

    Yeah, the OPC is hyper 'conservative'; and yeah, you're right, the continuum of liberal and conservative is certainly a sliding scale.

    I think the union and forensic dichotomy may be unhelpful; but it's a fact that Federal theology emphasizes the forensice (given the Covenant of Works/Grace dialectic). I think this causes some of them to misread Calvin or overemphasize his forensic points and underemphasize his union --- when in fact Union with Christ seems to be key in understanding Calvin's theological framework (you should read Partee's book, if you haven't, it's good and then read Bruce Gordon's new book "Calvin" a bio --- excellent).

    I think we should see Incarnation and Atonement together, which presumes a Union with Christ approach, wherein God's person in Christ shapes and frames how we discuss the more forensic aspects of the atonement.

    Thanks Dave!

  6. Glen

    Hi all,

    Just back from a busy Sunday. Looks like you've all been busy too. Thanks for all the links. I'll try chasing some of them soon.

    Glen

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