Rediscovering the Joy of Predestination and the Comfort of Election
A Reappraisal of Romans 8–11 and Ephesians 1 in Their First-Century Context
- Biblical Studies & Commentaries
- Theology
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Published: 2025
FritzSearch.com earns a commission on purchases made through Bookshop.org links.
Publisher's Description
In the New Testament, predestination and election are reasons for great joy and comfort, but sadly, as doctrines, they have become the cause of sadness and despair. Did the New Testament authors not appreciate the full implications of what they were writing, or have readers of the New Testament misunderstood the texts? In Mark Warren's view, it is very much the latter. This volume aims to strip away the depressing fog that has beset the doctrines of predestination and election over the centuries to allow the reader to rediscover what made the New Testament authors so passionate and excited by them.
Endorsements (4)
“This book is based on a careful reappraisal of two key Pauline passages relating to predestination and election. Historically informed, exegetically grounded, and pastorally sensitive, it addresses a live debate with practical ramifications for Christian life and practice. Warren composes a compelling case for his contention that Paul, unlike Augustine, did not conflate predestination and election.”
“In Rediscovering the Joy of Predestination and the Comfort of Election, M. C. Warren showcases the value of re-examining calcified doctrinal labels with a fresh hearing of Scripture. Theologians, pastors, and laypersons alike will find here an able map and renewed perspective to consider this heartland of the Reformed tradition. In so doing, they are likely to find not just stimulation for the mind, but nourishment for their own ministry and journey of faith.”
“When many contemporary Christians hear the words ‘predestination’ and ‘election,’ they experience neither ‘joy’ nor ‘comfort.’ Rather, they are filled with anxiety and uncertainty about the character and conduct of God. In this timely, thoroughgoing treatment of pertinent texts from Romans and Ephesians, M. C. Warren clearly and compellingly demonstrates that Jesus Christ is the chosen one (i.e., predestined one) of God and that all who embrace God’s amazing grace through Christ constitute the chosen ones (i.e., the ‘elect’). It is my hope and prayer that Warren’s reappraisal of relevant Pauline passages will result in a revision of all-too common, though no less mistaken, notions of predestination and election in Paul.”
“When a point of New Testament theology becomes a source of distress and anxiety for the people of God, it likely indicates something important has been misunderstood. Mark Warren’s careful, historically aware reconsideration of the Bible’s teaching on predestination and election offers to lead us back towards a saner, more balanced—and more Biblical—appreciation of the rich New Testament teaching.”
See something wrong on this page? Report a problem