The Doctrine of Justification by James Buchanan

This book review over James Buchanan’s classical work, The Doctrine of Justification was done by Dr. Gerald Bilkes of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There Dr. Bilkes is Assistant Professor of Old and New Testament, as well as Academic Dean for most students. His Ph.D. (2002) is from Princeton Theological Seminary; his dissertation examined the Ezra-Nehemiah corpus.

The relevance of Buchanan to the present day controversy on justification is chiefly in four areas: biblical, historical,theological, and experiential. Buchanan is a very careful and insightful interpreter of both the Old and New Testaments. This section alone is worth the whole of the book. Next, however, Buchanan gives an extremely illuminating treatment of the history of the doctrine of justification, including its corruption by Catholicism, Socinianism, Neo-nominianism, and other movements. Not only does Buchanan offer surveys of these views, but argues against them as well. Since our age suffers from considerable historical amnesia, including and particularly in the area of theology, Buchanan’s treatment of the history of theological controversy is refreshing and illuminating. It shows that most of the arguments in the recent controversy have been both made and contested before. There is no doubt, however, that the strongest part of Buchanan’s book on the doctrine of Justification lies in its theological contribution. Buchanan shows the inextricability of the doctrine of justification to the doctrine of God, his holiness and justice, the spirituality and inflexibility of the moral law, the grand and crucial doctrine of Christ’s satisfactory and propitiatory atonement, and the sovereignty of grace. Each one of these doctrines is worthy of careful treatment, and is connected to the others, and the doctrine of justification. Buchanan shows that if any falls, so do the others, especially, the doctrine of justification.

For the life of faith, Buchanan is a real treat. It is warm in what it has to offer the believer. Is it not precisely the personal and experiential relevance of the doctrine of justification that makes it so extremely precious to believers? Throughout this book, the godly will find justification not only a doctrine consonant with the Bible, vindicated throughout history, theologically integral, but also experientially vital.

If you would like to purchase this book, you can do so at Reformation Heritage Books.