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Two Book Reviews (Justification by Faith Alone)

Introduction

The five solas of the Reformation were:
  1. Faith alone
  2. Grace alone
  3. Christ alone
  4. Scripture alone
  5. God's glory alone
Both of these books focus on Faith Alone, otherwise known as justification by faith alone. This is an essential doctrine in the Christian faith, and both of these books define and defend it very well. 

The God Who Justifies - James White

This is a big book. 374 pages to be precise! In the first half we have a very detailed explanation of how the doctrine of justification by faith alone works, and in the second half we have a very thorough exegesis of several central passages on justification from the New Testament.

I found it an excellent introduction to the doctrine of justification by faith alone. It doesn't really compare the Protestant view to the Roman Catholic one, unlike Faith Alone. It wasn't too heavy or hard to understand. White has a way of explaining complex theological matters in a simple fashion, and that is evident throughout this book.

Faith Alone - RC Sproul

RC is my favourite author/theologian. James White is great at making complex matters easy to understand, but RC is even better. I found this book a very easy read. The central point is to compare and contrast the Protestant view with the Roman Catholic view of Justification and show from Scripture that the Protestant view of Justification by Faith ALONE is the correct one.

It's classic RC. It's a very easy and incredibly enjoyable read. It isn't that long at all either!

Conclusion

Both of these books are excellent in their own right. I don't think it's right to compare them because they are seeking to do different things. The God Who Justifies seeks to provide a comprehensive study of the doctrine, and this has certainly been achieved. Faith Alone seeks to explain the doctrine, then compare it with the Roman Catholic view and explain why the Protestant view is the Scriptural one. 

I thoroughly enjoyed both of them and would highly recommend them both! 

I hope to continue to review the books I'm reading on here. Next up is Devoted to God by Sinclair Ferguson.

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