The Marrow of Modern Divinity

An attractively laid out edition of the Christian classic with explanatory notes from well–known puritan Thomas Boston An intriguing book, quite unlike any other The Marrow of Modern Divinity defies pigeon–holing. It was written in the 1600s by an author of whom we know little, yet it proved to be a critically important and controversial theological text.   Penned as dialogue between a minister (Evangelista), a young Christian (Neophytus), a legalist (Nomista) who believes Christianity is a set of rules to be obeyed and Antinomista who thinks it’s okay to sin because God will forgive him anyway, it makes for a wonderfully insightful book that remains tremendously relevant for our world today.   This newly laid out and eagerly awaited edition includes explanatory notes by the famous puritan Thomas Boston, an introduction by Philip Ryken and an historical introduction by William Vandoodewaard.    

Review :
Anyone who comes to grips with the issues raised in The Marrow of Modern Divinity will almost certainly grow by leaps and bounds in understanding three things: the grace of God, the Christian life, and the very nature of the gospel itself. I personally owe it a huge debt. The Marrow emphasizes biblical, evangelical doctrines such as the sovereignty of God in the covenant of grace, the free offer of the gospel, assurance in Christ as the essence of faith, and sanctification by grace rather than by the law. "The Marrow of Modern Divinity is one of the most important theological texts of all time" Thomas Boston's annotated edition of The Marrow of Modern Divinity is one of the most important texts in the history of Reformed discussions of justification, assurance and ethics. It has a controversial history - as the notes provided by Boston indicate - but that is because the matters on which it touches are so central to understanding both the gospel and the Christian life. This is a book which repays the time spent studying it. "This truly evangelical volume is remarkably well done. This would be a great gift for your pastor and, if he takes it to heart and it changes his preaching, it could be a great gift to the whole congregation!" "The Marrow addresses issues which are vital for evangelism and for the health and vitality of the Christianity and the church." The Marrow of Modern Divinity, written by Edward Fisher (whose identity is obscure) and published in the mid-seventeenth century, was systematic theology in a popular format. Featuring discussions among four people -- Nomista, a legalist; Antinomista, an antinomian; Neophytus, a young Christian; and Evangelista, a Christian minister -- it distilled in palatable form complex issues in law and grace that drive toward Christian maturity. A century later, Thomas Boston, that most prolific of Scottish pastor-theologians, so prized the work that he published a new edition, complete with his own notes. This new edition by Christian Focus preserves all of this material, but in a new layout with wide margins and clean type, making it a joy to read. What can a London barber-surgeon and "amateur" theologian tell us about theology? A lot. This book is famous for the controversy it sparked in Scotland in the eighteenth century, but it has a hidden prehistory that goes back to the early seventeenth century. Essential reading for us today if we wish to understand the Antinomian and Neonomian debates of those eras and how these debates, even today, never seem to go away.