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Composed under different circumstances by giants of the Reformed tradition--Theodore Beza (1519-1605), Amandus Polanus (1561-1610), and Francis Turretin (1623-1687)--these texts represent three classical treatments of the same doctrine, each in its own genre. Beza's
Defense of Justification by Faith Alone is polemical and in response to ecclesiastical controversy. Polanus's
Free Justification of Man the Sinner before God is systematic and the fruit of logical argumentation based on Scripture. Turretin's
Harmony of Paul and James on the Article of Justification is exegetical and in the form of an academic disputation. Each text explores aspects of justification from a different angle. Together, they touch on a host of important theological concerns: the nature of faith, good works, sanctification, union with Christ, the Holy Spirit, hermeneutics, the unity of Scripture, and more.
Thanks to the translation efforts of Casey Carmichael, these three important pieces are made accessible to English readers for the first time. Readers will also benefit from Zachary Purvis's introductory essay, which places each of the writings within its historical context. Here is a fine contribution for understanding the classical Protestant insistence on justification by faith alone.
About the author
Theodore Beza (1519-1605) was an influential French Protestant pastor and successor of John Calvin at the Geneva Academy. His writings were essential for carrying on Calvin's legacy and defending a burgeoning Protestantism from the Roman Catholic church.
Amandus Polanus (1561-1610) was an influential German Reformed theologian. He studied at the University of Geneva under Theodore Bez and at the Universities of Heidelberg and Basel. As an early Reformed dogmatician, Polanus was one of the most significant figures in the Reformed tradition prior to the Synod of Dort.
Francis Turretin (1623-87) has been called "the best expounder of the doctrine of the Reformed Church" (Samuel Alexander), "a marvelous synthesizer" (Roger Nicole), and "a towering figure among the Genevan Reformers (Leon Morris). His
Institutes of Elenctic Theology, first published in 1679-85, was the fruit of some thirty years of teaching at the Academy of Geneva.
