Oliver D. Crisp, An American Augustinian: Sin and Salvation in the Dogmatic Theology of William G. T. Shedd

Paternoster, 2007, 183 pgs.

Summary: Oliver D. Crisp, a former student of Paul Helm and now professor at Fuller Seminary, has written a philosophical/theological consideration and critique of Shedd’s views on salvation and sin. The book is especially focused on his Augustinian realism as it relates to ensoulment, the atonement, and salvation.

Shedd was a convinced realist of the Augustinian school rather than a federalist like many other Reformed theologians. Thus, he understood 1 Corinthians 15:22 “in Adam all die” to mean that all of humanity was in some real way in Adam at the fall. He defends this view on the ground that to be human is to be related to Adam in both body and soul. Shedd’s convictions led him to all sorts of interesting outcomes within the general framework of Reformed orthodoxy.

Crisp’s main concern is to bridge Shedd’s work to the contemporary philosophical/theological conversation by teasing out the possible logical contradictions, creating modern defenses of Shedd’s thought, and suggesting avenues of use in a modern context. Crisp is sympathetic to many of Shedd’s theological outcomes and has done yeoman’s work in turning up the weakness in his arguments and bolstering some of the best of Shedd’s insights.

Benefits/Detriments: If one has read Shedd’s main works and stands firmly within the posture of faith seeking understanding, this book is a helpful and thoughtful critique and provides a good example of a modern contextualizing of historic theology. Recommended highly, but read Shedd first.