Christ and the Decree, Repackaged Edition
Christology and Predestination in Reformed Theology from Calvin to Perkins
About
Back by demand, this seminal work on the relationship between Calvin and the Calvinists is once again available with a new contextualizing preface by the author. It offers a succinct introduction to the early development of Calvinism/Reformation thought.
The Author
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Richard A. Muller
Richard A. Muller (PhD, Duke University) is P. J. Zondervan Professor of Historical Theology Emeritus and senior fellow of the Junius Institute for Digital Reformation Research at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the author of...
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Reviews
"The third printing of Richard Muller's Christ and the Decree . . . is welcome and timely. It is welcome because it remains the sole single volume redressing modern historiography on the relationship between christology and predestination in Reformation and early post-Reformation Reformed theology. It is timely because while today Reformed theology is vigorously endorsed, it is so variously, often from perspectives that lack the theological and historical knowledge of the Reformed tradition possessed by Muller. . . . Muller has established himself as North America's leading scholar on post-Reformation Reformed dogmatics as well as a rigorous and formidable historical theologian. . . . In this book . . . one finds early versions of arguments that Muller would go on to develop and would become central to his work. And, as one should expect from Muller, they are meticulously made and supported by penetrating research into both primary and secondary sources. . . . Christ and the Decree is still a valuable source for the theology of predestination in early Reformed theology. It would be a great text for classes on Reformed theology, and could be used to supplement standard treatments of Reformed covenantal theology. . . . There is much insight into the character and development of Reformed theology to be found in this book."--James R. A. Merrick, Themelios
"[Muller] has undertaken a massive exposition of the teachings of Reformed theologians extending from Calvin through William Perkins . . . concerning predestination and Christology. . . . Anyone who wishes to refute Muller's conclusions will necessarily have to spend many long hours with the Latin tomes which constitute the basis for his thorough study. Meanwhile, those who interpret 'Calvin and Calvinism' would be well advised to give heed to Muller's conclusions."--James Leo Garrett Jr., Fides et Historia
"[Muller] has made an analysis of the thought of leading Reformed thinkers during the latter half of the sixteenth century, with regard to the relation of their thought concerning the person and work of Christ to predestination, and has come to what appear to be valid conclusions. . . . The book will certainly be effective in answering those who wish to turn Reformed theology into simply a system rationally deduced from the doctrine of predestination, for the author has shown that the doctrine is not the central or controlling factor in the system."--W. Stanford Reid, Sixteenth Century Journal
"Richard Muller does his homework. His is one of few books in recent memory to address seriously the systematic-theological issues inherent in the debate concerning the relationship of predestination and Christology in the thought of Calvin and his successors. This study is a welcome addition to the secondary sources in the field. Students--whether they finally agree or disagree with Professor Muller's views--will want to read thoroughly his carefully researched arguments. . . . One will . . . find a wealth of valuable research and trenchant observations in an area of Reformed thought which often is neglected, and even more often treated only with superficial scholarship. . . . This book is worthy of reflection and argument."--Michael Jinkins, Scottish Journal of Theology
"It is rare nowadays to read a scholarly analysis of the Reformation and post-Reformation literature which renders a faithful interpretation of the theology of the Reformers. Richard A. Muller's masterful study . . . provides a welcome breath of fresh air. . . . The author has achieved a notable contribution to the study of the doctrine of Christ in decretive theology."--Mark W. Karlberg, Westminster Theological Journal
"It is a witness to his work that Muller's conclusions remain pertinent to contemporary Reformed studies. . . . Muller's text is a worthy read and serves to illustrate the author's staggering insight in this area."--Nathan L. Paylor, Theological Book Review
"This reprinting is accompanied by a new preface from the author in which Muller provides his readers with insights as to how he would write the book differently today, including employing a different methodology, though his conclusions would be essentially the same. . . . This lucidly argued, densely end-noted volume should be quite helpful reading for anyone seeking to understand more clearly the development of Reformed orthodoxy and the debate over Calvin and the Calvinists."--Robert E. Sagers, Religious Studies Review
"Originally published in 1986, Muller's Christ and the Decree was released again in 1988 and again in 2008 highlighting the ongoing interest in this field of study and the importance of Muller's work. . . . Muller's work is meticulous, exhaustive, and dense. His project is focused and significant. . . . Muller's work has established some useful parameters in the study of doctrinal development, has unearthed a wealth of important information that must be taken into consideration when venturing into this field, and he has constructed a formidable argument against those . . . who wish to argue for radical discontinuity between the theology of the Reformers and Reformed orthodoxy. For this alone Muller's work proves itself to be absolutely essential for studies on Reformation theology."--Myk Habets, American Theological Inquiry