A terrific book, the kind that lights my fire, encompassing seventeenth century issues furthering the cause of the Reformation. Controversies there were aplenty, some crossing confessional boundaries, others not so much.

Drawn Into Controversie: Reformed Theological Diversity and Debates Within Seventeenth-Century British Puritanism. Edited A. G. Haykin and Mark Jones (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2011)

A terrific book, the kind that lights my fire, encompassing seventeenth century issues furthering the cause of the Reformation. Controversies there were aplenty, some crossing confessional boundaries, others not so much.

Included in the volume are chapters by Richard Muller (Calvin Theological Seminary) which covers seventeenth century with his customary thoroughness. Alan Strange (Mid-America Reformed Seminary) takes up an issue that, as it happens, spills into current debates on the New Perspective on Paul, viz., the Imputation of the Active Obedience of Christ and its inclusion/non-inclusion in the Westminster Confession; Crawford Gribben (Trinity College Dublin), whose recent books on Puritan millenarianism have been ground-breaking, continues the debate here; John Fesko (Westminster Seminary California) writes on the lapsarian Diversity at the Synod of Dordt; Jonathan Moore writes on the doctrine of Limited Atonement, furthering his contribution in his earlier work on John Preston by focusing on John Owen and John Davenant; Hunter Powell writes on Presbyterian debates on ecclesiology; Mark Jones takes up the issue of covenant theology, including the vexed issue of the Mosaic covenant and its relationship to a covenant of grace or works; Carl Trueman (Westminster Seminary) furthers his own contribution on the necessity of the Atonement (see his volumes on John Owen, The Claims of Truth, and John Owen: Reformed Catholic, Renaissance Man); Robert Mckelvey (Potchefstroom) writes on Eternal Justification; Joel Beeke (Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary) continues his own contribution to Assurance; Mark Herzer (Potchefstroom) examines what exactly was offered to Adam as a reward, including contributions from Thomas Goodwin, Francis Turretin; and Michael Haykin with Jeffrey Robinson (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) include a fascinating discussion on Particular Baptist Debates on Communion and Hymn-Singing.

The draw-back for this gem? The price. But, for less than a night out with Carl Trueman, you have a volume to which you can turn again and again. Definitely for seventeenth century nerds.

Derek Thomas is Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, S.C., and is a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary. This article first appeared on the Reformation 21 blog and is used with permission.