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A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith

A NEW SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
By Robert L. Reymond
Nelson. 1,210 pages + xxxvi hc
ISBN 0 8499 1317 9

It is good to welcome a new and substantial reformed systematic theology. Dr. Reymond has been teaching Systematic Theology for over 20 years, and this book is essentially his classroom lectures in written form.

There are a number of distinctive and helpful features in this work. Reymond is conscious of our heritage of Christian theology, and makes frequent reference to the great creeds and confessions. For example, on the doctrine of Christ, he devotes 40 pages to a survey of the Christological debates of the early church, and another 25 to 'The Trinity in the Creeds'. However, he is also at pains to develop his arguments along biblical lines, so there are around 75 pages dealing with the New Testament's teaching of Christ's deity with exegesis of relevant texts and consideration of the emphases of the various Gospels and letters.

This is a modern systematic theology which engages with some of the contemporary debates such as eternal punishment, Pinnock's views in The Openness of God and the new Catechism of the Catholic Church.

However, there are places where this work seems a little unbalanced. The chapter on the names and nature of God is very strong on God being infinite, eternal and unchangeable, but the love of God is only mentioned as a subsection of his goodness (and that whole section is only two pages); if you blink, you miss it! There are only two to three pages on the person of the Holy Spirit, and another four on his work. Meanwhile, there are over 20 pages on the relative merits of infra- and supralapsarianism. I found his robust defence of eternal punishment a little hard-edged (this is surely a doctrine to be taught with tears in the eyes).

His determined arguments (over 30 pages of them) for infant baptism are also somewhat fierce when he repeatedly asserts that to deny baptism to the infants of believing parents is 'great sin'. On the whole debate on ministries of women, there is only a single footnote (!) which not only forbids the holding of office but strongly implies that they should be totally silent in all public meetings for worship; no positive role for women is even suggested. It is these sorts of imbalances for which reformed theology has been justly criticised in the past, so it is disappointing to see them all reappearing so predictably in a modern work.

I have been using Grudem's Systematic Theology (IVP) as my main text in teaching the 'Training for Ministry' programme, and despite his views on modern prophecy et al, I will continue to do so. His tone is warmer and more edifying. Grudem is also more readable, and much more accessible for church members who want to study theology for themselves. Reymond has written for pastors and serious students; I will keep this theology on my shelves for occasional reference.

Bill James
Leamington Spa