Iustitia Dei : A History of the Christian Doctrine of Justification

Rating:
Summary: Comphrensive presentation on the doctrine of justification
Review: Combined from two volumes of the first edition, this second edition not only give you a comprehensive and continuous historical development of the Christian doctrine of justification, McGrath adds two more articles on his responses to "New Perspective on Paul" in recent Pauline scholarship and the recent agreement of Catholic church and Lutheran church on the understanding of "Justification" in this second edition. If you are interested in understanding more the rich meaning and implication of this crucial doctrine to Christian life both from the side of Catholics and Protestants, this book definitely meet your needs. It helps me a lot in making sound judgment on the issue whether there's really no fundamental difference between Karl Barth and the council of Trent (in general between Protestant tradition and Catholic Church) on the teaching of Christian doctrine of justification by faith, as Hans Kung had calimed that over thirty years ago.

Rating:
Summary: Important and able survey of the doctrine of justification
Review: Mr. McGrath has does a fine job of bringing together a wealth of material to consider this most important doctrine in the corpus of Christian theology. His scholarship and grasp of the material are in evidence throughout, and while some may be put off by his frequent Latin and German referneces, the fact is, that many theological concepts are best expressed in their original languages. In other words, this is not a book that is popular in tone. However, the subject of justification is one of profundity.
His command of the historical context of how different views developed is very helpful. Even if you find the material tough going - it is worth it.

Rating:
Summary: Fine Historical Theology
Review: This is a fine piece of historical theology. McGrath begins with a linguistic analysis of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin terms for justification, the concepts to which they refer, and the attendant difficulties of translation. He then discusses the patristic understanding of justification, which while largely undeveloped (they were intensely focused on Christology at the time) established the parameters of discussion for the medievals. As McGrath insightfully points out in his final chapter of vol. 1, justification was universally recognized as an ontological transformation; the debates were over the mode of justification and were primarily dominated by Pelagianism vs. Augustinianism. On the surface, the latter seemed to have won hands down, but the reformers detected a creeping Pelagianism in the via moderna commonly called nominalism. Volume 1 sets the stage for the second volume, which covers the doctrine of justification from 1500 - the present. By and far, the most important chapter in the first volume is Section 12 - Predestination and Justification.

Vol. 2 begins with Luther's little Wittenburg revolution that took flight on anti-Pelagian wings and eventually built its nest in the tree of forensic solafideism. Next, McGrath examines the Reformed adoption of forensic justification and its integration with the covenant concept, all of which influenced the English Reformers and their Puritan countrymen. After a short chapter on John Henry Newman, the focus shifts to the German Enlightenment of Kant and Schleiermacher. The final two sections deal with Barth and with the contemporary development of the doctrine. I found both chapters insufficient. McGrath nowhere deals with Hans Kung's analysis of Barth, choosing instead to dismiss Barth as basically unconcerned with justification.

Overall, I was disappointed with the general lack of coherence in the work. It had no grand unifying theme, and seemed to leave the impression that the historic development of the doctrine was random and irrational.

Two warnings: first, your Latin had better be good before you attempt Vol. 1 and your German before vol.2; second, McGrath can sometimes be a real stylistic pain. I have rarely, if ever, encountered such an unbridled, prodigious and promiscuous use of the passive voice.

Rating:
Summary: Fine Historical Theology
Review: This is a fine piece of historical theology. McGrath begins with a linguistic analysis of the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin terms for justification, the concepts to which they refer, and the attendant difficulties of translation. He then discusses the patristic understanding of justification, which while largely undeveloped (they were intensely focused on Christology at the time) established the parameters of discussion for the medievals. As McGrath insightfully points out in his final chapter of vol. 1, justification was universally recognized as an ontological transformation; the debates were over the mode of justification and were primarily dominated by Pelagianism vs. Augustinianism. On the surface, the latter seemed to have won hands down, but the reformers detected a creeping Pelagianism in the via moderna commonly called nominalism. Volume 1 sets the stage for the second volume, which covers the doctrine of justification from 1500 - the present. By and far, the most important chapter in the first volume is Section 12 - Predestination and Justification.

Vol. 2 begins with Luther's little Wittenburg revolution that took flight on anti-Pelagian wings and eventually built its nest in the tree of forensic solafideism. Next, McGrath examines the Reformed adoption of forensic justification and its integration with the covenant concept, all of which influenced the English Reformers and their Puritan countrymen. After a short chapter on John Henry Newman, the focus shifts to the German Enlightenment of Kant and Schleiermacher. The final two sections deal with Barth and with the contemporary development of the doctrine. I found both chapters insufficient. McGrath nowhere deals with Hans Kung's analysis of Barth, choosing instead to dismiss Barth as basically unconcerned with justification.

Overall, I was disappointed with the general lack of coherence in the work. It had no grand unifying theme, and seemed to leave the impression that the historic development of the doctrine was random and irrational.

Two warnings: first, your Latin had better be good before you attempt Vol. 1 and your German before vol.2; second, McGrath can sometimes be a real stylistic pain. I have rarely, if ever, encountered such an unbridled, prodigious and promiscuous use of the passive voice.