Southwestern Journal of Theology
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 62, No. 1 – Fall 2019
Managing Editor: W. Madison Grace II
By Thomas H. McCall. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019. 442 pages. Hardcover, $40.00
In Against God and Nature, Trinity Evangelical Divinity professor Thomas H. McCall contributes a systematic overview of the doctrine of sin to Crossway’s Foundations of Evangelical Theology series. This volume presents an Evangelical approach to hamartiology that is sensitive to biblical, historical, philosophical, and cultural considerations. Editor John S. Feinberg begins the volume with the reflection that one must reintroduce each generation to Scripture’s timeless truths (14). When one considers the biblical truths in need of a faithful contemporary witness and presentation, few truths are as neglected and disdained as the doctrine of sin. McCall defines sin as “whatever is opposed to God’s will, as that will reflects God’s holy character and as that will is expressed by God’s commands” (21). He elaborates, “sin is fundamentally opposed to nature and reason, and it is ultimately opposed to God” (21).
McCall’s work is an impressive contribution to the field of hamartiology. McCall demonstrates his competencies as a systematician as he effortlessly weaves between exegeting the semantic nuances of Hebrew and Greek words and reflecting upon the contributions of reformation, modern, and Barthian theologians.
His work begins with a biblical analysis of hamartiology. He analyzes the key original words for a systematic understanding of sin and surveys the canonical witness to the doctrine. One finds his biblical theology of hamartiology particularly helpful. He draws insights from each stage of redemptive history and identifies relevant threads throughout Scripture. Preachers and scholars will benefit from his presentation of three metaphors for sin: the royal-legal metaphor (102–05), the familial metaphor (105–07), and the nuptial metaphor (108–11).
He transitions from biblical analysis to systematic argumentation. He subdivides hamartiology into sections on the origins of sin, original sin, the sin nature, the results of sin, and the relationship between sin and grace. McCall approaches sin from a classical Arminian perspective. He challenges readers to consider the diversity of approaches to hamartiology within the Reformed tradition. McCall critiques common Reformed positions, such as Jonathan Edward’s occasionalism (347–48), Federalist views of original sin (165), and compatibilism (186). He argues that Reformed positions on the relationship between God’s sovereignty, sin, and culpability fail to account for God’s goodness (128, 142) as well as human free-will (128, 289) and responsibility for original sin (165). Also, he criticizes perspectives on God’s sovereignty which insinuate that God is the author and cause of sin (131).
McCall exposes readers to relevant arguments across the theological spectrum. His engagement with various disciplines—from new perspective scholars to Augustine and Barth—demonstrates a healthy interaction with relevant scholarship. Readers will enjoy his section on individual and systemic sins (258–70). He appraises Marxist approaches to social sins while retaining biblical teaching on structural elements of sin’s universal impact. This section contributes to current discussions on social justice and systemic sins as theologians debate the utility of assigning corporate guilt to demographics for social injustices.
This volume deserves to receive a wide readership. McCall presents a thorough analysis of the doctrine of sin for a contemporary audience. Scholars will benefit from his careful interactions with primary sources and Scripture’s classicus locus texts for hamartiology. Students will meet the main contributors to debates and discussions from church history while gaining a foothold for understanding the contours of this doctrine.
McCall’s work instructs students on the importance of understanding the nuances of theological positions. While it is tempting to fit ideas and theologians—such as Pelagianism, Ariminianism, and Calvinism—within neat taxonomies, closer inspection always reveals subtle differences and unexpected associations between competing views. McCall calls readers to discard conventional sketches of different positions in order to inspect the actual represented positions of leading thinkers. For example, he criticizes attempts to label federalism as “the Reformed View, for some Reformed theologians criticize and reject it, while some decidedly non-Reformed theologians accept and defend it” (163). This anecdote reminds educators that theological pedagogy must include the consideration of original sources rather than relying upon secondhand summaries of positions.
At the same time, some readers will challenge McCall with a selective representation of the Reformed position on various doctrines. When he presents and critiques Reformed positions, McCall interacts with esoteric sources. As an example, he neglects the Westminster Confession of Faith as he presents Reformed theological statements that distance God’s providential will from sin (131). He is also critical of attempts to locate Reformed thought strictly through Jonathan Edwards as opposed to Wesley (24–27).
As a notoriously difficult doctrine to define and present, Thomas McCall’s contribution to hamartiology will aid pastors and theologians as they reflect upon the nature of sin. McCall reminds readers that one does not engage with the doctrine of sin for intellectual purposes alone. The doctrine of sin corresponds with the reality of brokenness within the world. As theologians present this doctrine, they help individuals understand the etiology of the dysphoria they experience as sinners in a fallen creation. Hamartiology points one towards soteriology as the study of sin “awakens … within us the hope for something better. Things are not right, and we will find within us a longing that things will be made right” (204). The doctrine of sin “leaves us longing for something better, and it points us beyond itself to the Holy One who promises and provides salvation” (380).
