John Calvin’s Soteriology: On the Multifaceted ‘Sum’ of the Gospel

John Calvin’s Soteriology: On the Multifaceted ‘Sum’ of the Gospel

This article explores John Calvin’s soteriology through examining his multivalent and yet succinct ‘sum’ of the gospel: the double grace of justification and sanctification received in union with Christ. The essay begins with a description of the scope and range of this teaching in Calvin, its biblical, patristic and Reformational sources, and its application to a wide range of doctrinal loci. After this, particular features of Calvin’s account are highlighted as promising for contemporary retrieval. The essay concludes with historiographic reflections that intersect with ongoing disputes in interpreting Calvin’s teaching on union with Christ and the double grace.

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J. Todd Billings, “John Calvin’s Soteriology: On the  Multifaceted ‘Sum’ of the Gospel,” International Journal of Systematic Theology, Volume 11, Number 4 October 2009, 428-447.