Evening Prayer

McNiell, John Thomas. The History and Character of Calvinism. New York: Oxford University Press, 1962. Dr. McNeill speaks of the consolidation of the Zurichers and Genevans on the Eucharistic Presence, a position that Dr. Cranmer would later take, we would add (198). No Anglo-Luthero-Roman "bone-crunchy, munching," carnal, Capernaitic or cannibalistic views there. Greg Allison’s “Historical Theology:” Prof. Allison does an excellent job on the “multi-faceted” (his word) atonement. He uses Luther, Calvin, the Formula of Concord, the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism. However, he grossly uses the term “theory” for the description of the atonement—three times he uses that malodorous word--a bad fart with a high hang time in an elevator. After that’s cleared out, Prof. Allison handily deals with Socinianism, their denial of divine justice, and the move to Abelardianism (401). The Socinian odors are vented when Sharon Baker lifts her tail in the PTJ’s journal of 2007. Same arguments as Socinus. Unsurprising, since PTS and the PCUSA, by their own admission, have no doctrinal core. Edward Cairns’s “Christianity Through the Centuries:” Prof. Cairns gives some of the backdrop to Luther and the German Reformation, including the heft discontent of Germany being fiscally shaken-down, a sign of false teachers, teaching for hire (312). He structures Luther and Lutheranism from its beginnings to 1555. Millard Erickson’s “Christian Theology:” Prof. Erickson gives a quick and workable citation of texts and commentary on them regarding the deity of Jesus and the Holy Spirit (327). Justo Gonzalez’s “History of Christianity: Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation:” Part III: Medieval Christianity—9 chapters, 177 pages. Prof. Gonzalez gives a quick wrap on the Visigoth kingdom, Spain, and the conquering Muslim Moors. Also, he gives a quick wrap on the Burgundians and Franks in France (272). The Roman Empire as it once was known is no more.