Supralapsarianism Reconsidered - (T&t Clark Studies in Systematic Theology) by Phillip A Hussey (Paperback)

About the Book

Revisits supralapsarianism through an interpretation and constructive retrieval of the theology of Jonathan Edwards, especially his account of Christ as the "sum of God's decrees."

Book Synopsis

Phillip A. Hussey examines the scholarship of Jonathan Edwards and interrogates the relationship between Christ and the decree within Reformed Theology; and reveals the contemporary theological significance of supralapsarian Christology.

In a late notebook entry, Jonathan Edwards offered a programmatic statement on the relation between Christ and predestination: "In that grand decree of predestination, or the sum of God's decrees...the appointment of Christ, or the decree respecting his person...must be considered first." This work unpacks the scope of Edwards's statement, both in terms of setting forth an interpretation of Edwards's own theology on the relation between Christ and the decree, as well as drawing out the larger insights of Edwards's reasoning for current theological reflection.

Review Quotes

I read this book by Phillip Hussey with great joy. Why? Because this book really practices theology. In a deep way it analyzes how infra- and supralapsarianism are structured with Turretini, Van Mastricht and Goodwin. It also becomes clear that they are not shrewd, but that there are great theological issues attached to each approach. Next, we see how it functions with Herman Bavinck and Karl Barth. From this framework, we explore what Jonathan Edwards can contribute to a contemporary supralapsarian interpretation of creation, Christology, redemption and visio beatifica. In a word: awesome.
W. van Vlastuin, Free University Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Strangely, for all of the work that has been done on the early eighteenth-century British-American theologian Jonathan Edwards, we have yet to be given a satisfactory assessment of his lapsarianism, his views of the eternal decrees. This study takes a significant step in providing an explanation of Edwards' formulations on this key topic, and doing so within the context of the Reformed tradition that Edwards inherited-and changed. Rather than making any normative judgments about whether or not Edwards was "true" to the Reformed tradition, this work focuses on the solutions that he proposed flowing from a vision that was God-centered, trinitarian and christological.
Kenneth P. Minkema, Yale University, USA

While many think of supralapsarianism as the most uncompromising and rigid form of Calvinism, Phillip Hussey's judicious retrieval of Jonathan Edwards makes clear why we cannot easily brush off supralapsarian theological accounts: for Edwards, the splendor of Christ is the integrative center of all theology and must, therefore, precede even the fall into sin. Supralapsarianism Reconsiderednot only traces in painstaking detail Edwards's own understanding of the divine decree but also situates it within the context of his Reformed predecessors and their critics. By consciously taking his position as a pupil before his teachers, Hussey models what it means to be a retrieval theologian.
Hans Boersma, Nashotah Theological Seminary, USA

About the Author

Phillip A. Hussey is Pastor of Christ Fellowship Church in Saint Louis, USA.