Reformed" Is Not Enough: Recovering the Objectivity of the Covenant

Rating:
Summary: Right-Wing Evangelist Propaganda
Review: As a devout Christian, I must say that this is by far the worst book I have ever read about ANYTHING! It does nothing more than chastise those with different beliefs, which is, by far, the must distorted view of the Bible possible. Propaganda for people who do not think for themselves and do not understand the real meaning of the Bible.

Rating:
Summary: Westminster Lives!
Review: For far too long, the richness of the reformed faith has been smothered by those who would make us Baptists. As a PCA presbyterian, I believe (with only a few exceptions) that the Westminster Confession fo Faith is a true and accurate representaion of what the Bible says about providence, salvation, the Church, etc. This naturally includes the sacraments. In addressing this topic, our confession says that Baptism is "a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, of his ingrafting into Christ, of regeneration, of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God through Jesus Christ, to walk in newness of life."
The Confession clearly teaches that Baptism is more than just a symbol, but an actual means of grace. Without being superstitious about it, we believe that baptism saves (1 Pet. 3:21). We don't beleive that there is magic in the water, or that baptism works "ex opere operato", but we do believe it does something.
Given that, Wilson makes the case for the idea that a "Christian" can be cut off from Christ and lost for all eternity. Before he does so, however, he is very careful to affirm the 5 points of the Synod of Dordt, stressing that he still believes in unconditional election and in the perseverance of the saints. His point is that those who are part of the Church, but not elect from before the foundation of the world, are still genuine parts fo the church, covenentally attached to Christ, and are subsequently cast off for all eternity. In short, he makes a compelling case for the fifteenth chapter of John.
Wilson redefines the word "Christian" to include all those who have been baptized in the name of the triune God. This is far more consistent with Scripture, which uses the word Christian only 3 times, always in an objective sense. (Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, 1 Pt. 4:16).
His comparison of the word "Christian" to the word "husband" is brilliant. He draws the following parallel: If a husband is cheating on his wife, is he still a husband? Of course he is. In fact, that is what makes his actions so wrong! In discussing an adulterous husband, no one would say, "Well, at least he's married!", or "He isn't really married.". Being married is what makes his crime so disturbing. Likewise, if a person is covenentally attached to Christ through baptism, calling them a Christian simply describes the nature of the covenental relationship, not whether or not the person is being faithful. Someone who is adulterous in their relationship to Christ is still a "christian" in the objective sense. In fact, that is why their actions are so disturbing. If we say that Lesbian bishops are not "Christians", we have given up the means by which we may charge them as heretics.
Wilson's book made me think like few others have. A warning is in order, however: If you are a Baptist, Campbellite, etc., you will not agree with a word in this book. If you are a presbyterian who believes his own confession, you should agree wholeheartedly with nearly every word.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Defense of Roman Catholic Theology
Review: Let's see if I can quickly summarize Doug Wilson's theology as espoused in "Reformed is Not Enough." As another reviewer correctly noted, Doug Wilson believes that water baptism saves. He believes that water baptism makes a baby born-again (baptismal regeneration). He believes that Christians can lose their salvation. Wilson denies that Christians are justified by faith alone, but by baptism and works. And he doesn't believe that justification happens at one point in time (when God declares a sinner righteous in Christ), but that justification is a process.

If you think this stuff sounds more like Roman Catholic theology than biblical (aka Reformed) Christianity, you're right. Like Rome's Council of Trent in the 16th century, Wilson pronounces a curse on the heart of the gospel-justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. If you're a Roman Catholic, about the only thing you find missing from Wilson's book is a doctrine of purgatory.

Wilson uses many of the phrases and words of orthodoxy, but he changes their definitions so often that what he is talking about does not even resemble the glorious truths of the faith. His hyper-covenantalism is not only bizarre, it's dangerous. Wilson often talks about "corporate regeneration" and "corporate justification," but these new, invented concepts have no foundation in the Westminster confession or in the Bible. There is also this disturbing trend within Wilson's writing: while he could talk for days about the importance of infant baptism, things like the atoning work of Jesus on the cross or his imputed righteousness to believers just don't seem that interesting to him anymore. The Reformers put the person and work of Jesus Christ at the forefront of everything they wrote and said, but Wilson apparently believes these ideas are too "Baptistic" to warrant any sort of discussion.

Stay away from this book, and, instead, read a thorough critique of this trash in "Not Reformed at All" by Robbins. Although Doug Wilson has written a number of wonderful books in the past (especially on marriage and child-rearing), this work is the result of his downward spiral into heresy. It is no wonder that the leading Reformed theologians and pastors of our day have called Wilson (and John Barach, Steve Schlissel and Steve Wilkins) to repent of their heretical teaching. Don't believe the hype, Reformed is definitely enough.

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Summary: Tremendous Book on the Objectivity of the Covenant
Review: This is a great work that needs to be read by everyone who submits to the Westminster Confession. As the previous reviewer stated, for too long Presbyterians have comprised and essentially become Baptists. For instance, many of the Southern Presbyterians viewed our children just liked the rest of the unconverted! This is not traditional Reformed teaching, and I am glad to see Wilson (who is an ex-Baptist, by the way) counter this.

Wilson goes on to show that real apostasy happens in the covenant. This is a very controversial topic, but it is one that needs to be discussed. The analogy of the husband is amazing, and it goes to show how that baptized "Christians" who are in heresy or licentious living are adulterating the Covenant for which the were brought into! It is not that they never were *really* in the Covenant, but the fact that they were is what makes their actions so horrendous.

Wilson also does a great job to show that there is much more to "Covenant" than individual election. This is the view of Baptists and many Presbyterians, but is not historic Reformed teaching. We cannot see election, but we can see Covenant. This is why the Covenant is objective, and everyone who receives Trinitarian baptism is brought into the New Covenant and is objectively a Christian.

Some say that Wilson is denying the perseverance of the saints. This is not at all the case, however. He plainly states that it is by grace that we persevere. Many people are reading Wilson with a "Hermeneutics of Suspicion", and see what they want to see.

The appendix on the New Perspective is very short, so it didn't adequately deal with the topic, however, it wasn't intended to be an in depth response. It was intended to show that he is not an advocate of the New Perspective as the RPCUS erroneously contended.

Another aspect of the book that is excellent is his critique of the language of the "visible and invisible" church of the Westminster Confession. He opts for more Redemptive-Historical terminology with the "historic and the eschatological" church. This is more biblical theologically informed than the "visible and invisible church" terminology.

This is a terrific book, and needs to be read by everyone who loves the Reformed faith. We need to realize that the Reformed faith is not centered around TULIP, but around Covenant. Many contemporary "Reformed" have compromised historic Reformed teaching. Thank you Doug Wilson for showing us that.