A Theology of Lordship, Four-Volume Set

“'Magisterial?' Yes. 'Close to indespensable'? Yes again. Would John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Abraham Kuyper, and B.B. Warfield, Reformed theology's fabulous four (in my book anyway), enthuse about this volume as I have done? Pretty much, I think.”

“A monumental contribution to the doctrine of God, focusing particularly on how human knowledge of God comes to be, how it grows and is refined and reformed, and how it is to be thought about in connection with the God who gives us knowledge. The epistemological stance developed here has extensive implications for general epistemology—how human beings know anything at all.”

“One of the most comprehensive, insightful, biblically grounded, and edifying treatments of Christian epistemology ever written. Although published nearly forty years ago, it remains a book that I regularly consult and recommend to my students. If you don’t already own a copy, you will not regret adding this newly typeset edition to your library and feasting on its content.”

“This book is Frame at his best: thoughtful, biblical, creative, and willing to think in ways that challenge. I have used it in a course on epistemology and will continue to utilize this work. I love it.”

“This fourth volume in John Frame’s Lordship series is the best of them—and that is high praise. Frame thinks through what Scripture is, what authority means, and how to understand inspiration, canon, and a host of other categories intrinsic to any responsible treatment of revelation, especially the revelation provided by holy Scripture. Frame’s style is highly personal, occasionally sliding all the way to an almost stream-of-consciousness set of associations, but his reflections are invariably so fresh (even when he is articulating old truths) and so thought-provoking (not least where one wants to demur or introduce a caveat) that this reader, at least, overlooks the style. This book works hard at developing its theology, the theology of the Word of God, out of Scripture itself—and without descending to vicious circularity. This is an important book, and those who write on this subject in the near future without wrestling with Frame will merely testify to their own narrowness.”

“We all need to read John Frame. At different times he provokes, informs, irritates, illuminates, and excites. He is—thankfully!—not easily categorized, and therefore he must be wrestled with and not simply embraced or dismissed. This is the case here. Frame approaches issues in a fresh and stimulating way, anchored in classic Reformed orthodoxy, but often asking unexpected questions or giving surprising analysis and reaction. Supporters and opponents should read this volume, as it proves to be a truly significant addition to literature on the Word of God.”

“It is a rare event when evangelical theologians publish primary rather than secondary texts, but Frame has done it with this work, a constructive proposal that is as creative as it is conservative, ‘something close to biblicism’ concerning the Bible itself. This book is a fitting capstone for not only his Theology of Lordship but his whole career. It demands not only our admiration but, more importantly, our attention. Those who do take up and read will come away with an expanded and enhanced vision of biblical authority and a renewed confidence in Scripture as the compelling personal communication of the triune Lord.”

“Frame sets forth God’s commandments as broad and deep, as sweetly adaptable to the varieties of human experience. He shows how the person, promises, and actions of our redeemer God are always intrinsic to our wisdom, faith, and love. He sets forth a vision for the Christian life that, in fact, glorifies the God of glory.”

“This wide-ranging work on ethics reflects all the characteristics we have come to expect from John Frame: passion for clarity and lucid explanations; boldness in addressing relevant and controversial topics; refusal to capitulate to ideologies, whether Left or Right; commitment to the highest standards of scholarship; and, most importantly, zealous fidelity to Scripture as the infallible source of ethical norms. Frame’s theological program, nourished in an irenic spirit, is a treasure to the church of Jesus Christ.”

“Without a doubt, John Frame is one of the greatest teachers of ethics in the world. His magnificent work on the Christian life fully endorses the authority of Scripture and practically addresses the need to consider the situations and people involved in ethical decisions. I strongly recommend this book as a text for serious students of ethics and for every layperson who wants to know how to make decisions pleasing to God.”

“This book is a landmark in its field because of its soundness and thoroughness. It is noteworthy for its careful attention to the biblical basis for ethical instruction, its use of the Bible in its details, its attention to the similarities and differences in comparison with non-Christian ethical systems, its discussion of a wide range of issues, and its sensitivity to the multidimensional demands of the Christian life.”

“Frame stands in the great Reformed tradition of Calvin and Charnock, Hodge and Bavinck, yet in his treatment of the doctrine of God he surpasses them all with an amazing breadth of knowledge and depth of understanding. In every section Frame brings fresh insight to old doctrines.”

“Frame’s work is an intellectual treat, rigorous in analysis, exhaustive in exposition, and cogent in argument. It has listened reverently to all the great voices of the past, yet it chooses its own innovative framework, forms its own independent conclusions, and participates fully in all the major theological discourses of the present. . . . An indispensable tool for preachers and academic theologians.”

“This book masterfully expounds and defends the biblical doctrine of God. Its adherence to a scriptural worldview gives it power, freshness, and creativity that provide deep roots for the future of systematic theology.”

“Biblical and pastoral, profound and clear. . . . Seeks fresh ways to address open theism, process theology, feminism, and other contemporary issues in light of the triune God.”