Book Review: “Salvation Belongs to the Lord: An Introduction to Systematic Theology” By John M. Frame, P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg, NJ, 2006, 332 pp.

Overview—Give a brief overview of the book, including its theme, perspective and approach.

John Frame puts the cookies on the bottom shelf in this warmly written, yet scholarly informed introduction. Systematic Theology can be scary just to pronounce, so Frame takes the reader by the hand and skillfully guides him through the gamut of theological issues from who God is to how we should live before Him. He comes from a Reformed Theology perspective and usually lands within party lines, but is even handed and congenial with positions with which he disagrees. He approaches his material as an academician with the heart of a pastor.

Critique—Offer a brief critique of the book, including elements of strength and weakness.

In "Salvation Belongs to the Lord" Frame not only gives us an introduction to systematic theology, he gives us an introduction to John Frame. And whereas one can easily get lost in his more technical works, here he makes sure he doesn't lose anyone. His tri-perspectival approach is unique and eventually compelling. He explains the Normative, Situational, and Existential perspectives clearly and then points out "triads" that he sees that fit with these categories. And Frame sees these triads everywhere! Many will see a weakness here, in that his approach might become a procrustean bed where all truth must come in sets of three. Yet he has the humility and humor to call himself out for this (p.73)!

Because of the broadness of his subject matter, I found myself often wanting more from Frame, but that is the limitation of an introduction. Thankfully Frame's body of work is voluminous enough to drown in, so digging deeper should not be a problem. And his bibliographic references provide many more avenues of investigation.

Application—Offer some specific application to your own ministry— demonstrating the value and relevance of the material in this book.

Though some may think a practical systematic theology to be an oxymoron, that is far from the case here. Frames discussion of the doctrine of Adoption was particularly insightful in helping one to live before God as a son (or daughter) rather than just a servant. I plan to pass this section along to those struggling in their relationship with the Lord. And in spite of the seeming abstractness of his tri-perspectival approach, I found myself thinking more and more in those categories and appreciating not only it's pedagological value, but also the balance and completeness such a framework brings to church ministry. That will have to be fleshed out! And his section on the nature and task of the church has confirmed and renewed by vision for local church ministry.

Best Quote—Be sure to include the page number where the quote can be found.

p.80 "Reformed theologians generally have been averse to talking about inner subjectivity, about feelings and inner thought processes. But I think Reformed theology needs to give more attention to the subjective side of theology… It isn't just feelings …but it takes account of feelings, for thoughts and feelings influence one another all the time."