Stephen R Holmes

John Calvin is one of the most significant thinkers in Christian history. His name is still, 450 years after his death, attached to churches worldwide. Yet there have been remarkably few authoritative and accessible accounts of his thought. This book fills an important gap in present literature, presenting the first scholarly study of Calvin's theology for nearly thirty years. Bringing together the fruits of recent scholarship which has explored Calvin's intellectual context, this book offers a new reading of how Calvin set about the theological task and what he had to say. Attention is paid to Calvin's location in intellectual history, and to his reading; to his use of the Bible; to his theological method; and to his influence on the later tradition. At the heart of the work is a new summary of Calvin's theology, drawing out major themes and showing their inter-relations.

Christians have always believed in the triune God, but they haven't always understood or used the doctrine of the Trinity consistently.In order to form a coherent view of trinitarian theology, it's important for Christians to have a working knowledge of the two legitimate models for explaining this doctrine: Classical – presenting a traditional view of the Trinity, represented by the Baptist theologian Stephen R. Holmes and the Roman Catholic theologian Paul D. Molnar.Relational – presenting the promise and potential hazards of a relational doctrine, represented by the evangelical theologian Thomas H. McCall and the Baptist philosopher Paul S. Fiddes.In this volume of the Counterpoints series, leading contributors establish their models and approaches to the doctrine of the Trinity (or, the relationship between the threeness and oneness of the divine life). Each expert highlights the strengths of his view in order to argue how it best reflects the orthodox perspective. In order to facilitate a genuine debate and to make sure that the key issues are revealed, each contributor addresses the same questions regarding their trinitarian methodology, doctrine, and its implications.

John Calvin is one of the most significant thinkers in Christian history. His name is still, 450 years after his death, attached to churches worldwide. Yet there have been remarkably few authoritative and accessible accounts of his thought. This book fills an important gap in present literature, presenting the first scholarly study of Calvin's theology for nearly thirty years. Bringing together the fruits of recent scholarship which has explored Calvin's intellectual context, this book offers a new reading of how Calvin set about the theological task and what he had to say. Attention is paid to Calvin's location in intellectual history, and to his reading; to his use of the Bible; to his theological method; and to his influence on the later tradition. At the heart of the work is a new summary of Calvin's theology, drawing out major themes and showing their inter-relations.

In an age divided and skeptical, when the true Christian story is often unknown or deeply misunderstood, how do we even begin to share the news of Jesus? And how might preaching in a local church both equip God's people for their missional task and speak in a way that a weary world can hear and even rejoice in? The answer begins with seeing the Bible as a document developed in a missionary context for a missionary purpose. This book starts there. It begins by examining the Bible as a document of mission that needs to be interpreted through a missional lens. It then moves to offer a mission-shaped vision for preaching and the needed tools for contextualizing the gospel in our post-Christendom setting. You'll find short, accessible chapters with personal reflection questions as well as three group discussion sections, ideal for either a classroom setting, a preaching team in a local church, or a preacher's guild.

Christian Theology: The Classics is a vibrant introduction to the most important works of theology in the history of Christian thought. Exploring writings from the origins of Christianity to the present day, it examines some of the most influential theologians of all time, considering the context in which they were writing and the lasting significance of their work. Covering thirty-one theological classics such as:• Augustine of Hippo, On the Trinity• Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians• John Calvin, The Institutes of The Christian Religion• Jonathan Edwards, Religious Affections • St Thomas Aquinas, Summa TheologiaeWith a glossary and outlines of the key criticisms of each text, this book is the perfect starting point for anyone interested in Theology and the history of Christian thought.

Christian Theology: The Classics is a vibrant introduction to the most important works of theology in the history of Christian thought. Exploring writings from the origins of Christianity to the present day, it examines some of the most influential theologians of all time, considering the context in which they were writing and the lasting significance of their work. Covering thirty-one theological classics such as:• Augustine of Hippo, On the Trinity• Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians• John Calvin, The Institutes of The Christian Religion• Jonathan Edwards, Religious Affections • St Thomas Aquinas, Summa TheologiaeWith a glossary and outlines of the key criticisms of each text, this book is the perfect starting point for anyone interested in Theology and the history of Christian thought.

The doctrine of the Trinity was settled in the fourth century, and maintained, with only very minor disagreement or development, by all strands of the church--Western and Eastern, Protestant and Catholic--until the modern period. In the twentieth century, there arose a sense that the doctrine had been neglected and stood in need of recovery.In The Quest for the Trinity, Holmes takes us on a remarkable journey through 2,000 years of the Christian doctrine of God. We witness the church's discovery of the Trinity from the biblical testimony, its crucial patristic developments, and medieval and Reformation continuity. We are also confronted with the questioning of traditional dogma during the Enlightenment, and asked to consider anew the character of the modern Trinitarian revival.Holmes's controversial conclusion is that the explosion of theological work in recent decades claiming to recapture the heart of Christian theology in fact deeply misunderstands and misappropriates the traditional doctrine of the Trinity. Yet his aim is constructive: to grasp the wisdom of the past and, ultimately, to bring a clearer understanding of the meaning of the present.

In this book, Stephen Holmes explores the historical development and the key concepts of doing theology in the Baptist tradition. This book considers the distinctive ideas and expressions of Christian faith to be found in the historic Baptist churches. An outline of the history of the Baptist movement will be offered, from its British beginnings in Amsterdam in 1609, through its varied developments in Britain, Europe and North America, to its worldwide presence and diversity today, and its relationship to many other churches with apparently-similar practices (Pentecostal and 'new' churches, e.g.). Holmes draws the various threads together, noting the real diversities in the history of Baptist theology, but suggesting that in a vision of the present and urgent Lordship of Christ experienced in the local congregation, there is a thread that links most of these distinctives. "Doing Theology" introduces the major Christian traditions and their way of theological reflection. The volumes focus on the origins of a particular theological tradition, its foundations, key concepts, eminent thinkers and historical development. The series is aimed at readers who want to learn more about their own theological heritage and identity: theology undergraduates, students in ministerial training and church study groups.

In this book, Stephen Holmes explores the historical development and the key concepts of doing theology in the Baptist tradition. This book considers the distinctive ideas and expressions of Christian faith to be found in the historic Baptist churches. An outline of the history of the Baptist movement will be offered, from its British beginnings in Amsterdam in 1609, through its varied developments in Britain, Europe and North America, to its worldwide presence and diversity today, and its relationship to many other churches with apparently-similar practices (Pentecostal and 'new' churches, e.g.). Holmes draws the various threads together, noting the real diversities in the history of Baptist theology, but suggesting that in a vision of the present and urgent Lordship of Christ experienced in the local congregation, there is a thread that links most of these distinctives. "Doing Theology" introduces the major Christian traditions and their way of theological reflection. The volumes focus on the origins of a particular theological tradition, its foundations, key concepts, eminent thinkers and historical development. The series is aimed at readers who want to learn more about their own theological heritage and identity: theology undergraduates, students in ministerial training and church study groups.

Taking the late twentieth-century revival of the doctrine of the Trinity as a context, this book examines the development of that doctrine from the biblical text to the present day. The book traces and evaluates the exegetical and philosophical debates that led to the settling of the ecumenical doctrine of the Trinity in the fourth century, and then explores how this doctrine was developed, questioned and received through history.

Stephen Holmes has been described as one of the bright lights of the new generation of evangelical theologians. In this book he offers an accessible and enlightening account of the way the saving work of Jesus is presented in the Bible, and has been understood throughout Christian history. In particular, the book offers background to the current debates about penal substitutionary atonement by looking at that idea in biblical and historical perspective. Holmes argues that we can, and should, continue to talk of the cross in penal substitutionary terms, if we understand this as one of many complimentary descriptions of the salvation we find in Christ.