God’s glory in Salvation through Judgment: A Biblical Theology is written by Dr. James M. Hamilton Jr., Associate Professor of Biblical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The purpose of this book is to do for biblical theology what Kevin Vanhoozer has done for hermeneutics and David Wells has done for evangelical theology (page 38).
Dr. Hamilton begins the book by asking, “Can the Center Hold?, by exploring how others have treated the topic of the metanarrative of the Bible. The part in this chapter one, I appreciate the most is how he handles the various options regarding the metanarrative of the Bible, and yet he still makes the time to recognize that these options have contributed to his own understanding of the metanarrative of the Bible. The author does not just stop at what others have contributed though, but advances the discussion in my opinion in a significant way.
The book then protrudes out to look at God’s glory in Salvation through Judgment in the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, the Gospels, Acts, the Letters of the New Testament and Revelation. The second to last chapter looks at objections to the centrality of God’s Glory in salvation through judgment, and concludes by looking at how God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment in Ministry Today.
Having read Dr. Wells series on evangelical theology and Dr. Vanhoozer’s book, and now Dr. Hamilton’s, I can say with confidence that Dr. Hamilton’s book accomplishes what it seeks to do and then some. The part that I appreciate the most about this book is not only is it biblical but it is also practical. At the end of each section, Dr. Hamilton offers a “theology of” each book of the Bible as well as the major divisions of the Bible (Torah, Prophets, Writings, Gospels, Acts, Letters of the New Testament, and Revelation).
The most interesting part of this book was the last chapter titled God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment in Ministry Today where Dr. Hamilton applies his biblical theology to Church Ministry, Evangelism, Discipleship, Corrective Church Discipline, Personal Spiritual Discipline and concludes the book.
God’s Glory in Salvation Through Judgment is an academic book that is not overly academic. By that, I mean this book has all the footnotes and references you would expect from a world-class scholar, but it is not boring. Dr. Hamilton has written a masterpiece a book that should be read by laymen, Pastors, seminary students, missionaries, Sunday school teachers, Bible College and Seminary Professors. I encourage you to read this book and learn from Dr. Hamilton on this vital topic.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Crossway book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.