Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #919799 in Books
• Published on: 1997-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 280 pages

Customer Reviews

Solid Introductory Work on Central Protestant Doctrine
This book is written by a compilation of authors who successfully articulate and defend the Protestant doctrine of sola scriptura, and also successfully contrast this doctrine with the practical sola ecclesia of Roman Catholicism. Similar to Soli Deo Gloria's Justification by Faith Alone compilation, this book is a solid introduction that clearly and unmistakenly reveals that the theological and doctrinal differences between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism are real and substantive and should not be mindlessly thrown aside in the interests of achieving a unity without foundational meaning.

The reader of this book, once the book is read, is faced with a choice. Roman Catholicism has repeatedly made itself clear that it denies the unequal authority and sufficiency of Scripture over doctrine and salvation, in favor of a doctrine of Scripture plus 'Sacred Tradition' as being sufficient. However, it has long been clear that Roman Catholicism's 'Sacred Scripture plus Sacred Tradition' concept is really based on a more fundamental doctrine of sola ecclesia. This is the view that states that since both Scripture and Tradition have their origins in the church, both are ultimately subject to the authority of the church in terms of interpretation and dogmatics. And herein lies the central disagreement on this issue - is the Bible alone sufficient in providing humanity with the gospel message and the ability to embrace salvation, or is the Bible by itself insufficient and thus needs to be augmented by church tradition and ex cathedra pronouncements from Rome? This is the dividing line, and it's a very clear one. Has God preserved His Word in sufficient detail that people can properly interpret its contents without an official and earthly third party mediator between God and man, or has God destined the Roman Catholic Church to be the preserver of His Word and to be the final authority on correct Biblical interpretation upon which all believers should assent?

This book leaves no doubt that this fundamental difference between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism exists, that it is substantial, and that the answers we arrive at on these questions go a long way towards framing our theological outlook. I happen to strongly believe that the Protestant position is by far the more defendable position. The Roman Catholic arguments that Scripture doesn't teach the view of Scripture alone are very weak arguments that are contextually shallow, in my view. I thought that James White's chapter was the best part of the book, although Sproul's chapter is also very good. I'm aware that White is held in particular revulsion among many Roman Catholics, but his extensive citations of the early church fathers and their views continue to be tough for the modern Roman Catholic to deal with. White, as he has done multiple times before, shows quite convincingly that Roman Catholic doctrine is inconsistent over time, with many contemporary Catholic views on things such as what exactly is 'sacred tradition' not reconciling very well with the views of the early church. To me, this is quite clear that such inconsistency (or even an evolving perspective that is more sympathetic to Rome) casts serious doubt on the viability of the notion that the Roman Catholic Church alone has authority over Scripture and Tradition in such a way that it adequately reflects the unchanging character of God.

In summary, this is an introductory work, so I highly recommend this book for beginners who want to understand one of the central doctrines that separate Protestantism from Roman Catholicism, and why it matters. In an age of increasing ecumenism that has witnessed a number of mainline Protestant denominations jettisoning the doctrinal distinctives of the Reformation in order to achieve a supposed unity with a Church that hasn't moved an inch away from the doctrinal distinctives that created the Reformation in the first place, it would be a good thing for Christians either to familiarize or refamiliarize themselves with who's saying what, who believes what, and why such differences are hugely important in preserving the integrity of the faith.

A Must Have Reference Book
This book is a compilation of several authors. Those I am most familiar with are James White, R. C. Sproul, and John MacArthur.
For the most part, this book is very understandable. Sproul's chapter is a little more gray cell stretching, but the rest is relatively easy to follow.
I think this is a better book to have than a book on the same subject by a single author, because you get a broader perspective of adherants of this important teaching. The best part, too, is the final chapter, which focuses on why Sola Scriptura is so important, which is the transforming nature of Scripture.

A good collection and summary of several key points
A collection of essays on several issues regarding Sola Scriptura. Helpful and clarifies several issues. Not too technical. Contains relevant quotes from ancient Church History. Helps me want to keep the Bible as God's infallible guide for the Church (instead of the Church as the infallible guide to the Bible.)