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| This drives Boisclair mad with rage. |
A free copy of The Path To Understanding Justification is linked here.
Rev. David R. Boisclair (Drboisclair) Advanced Member Username: Drboisclair Post Number: 644 Registered: 1-2002 |
I was recently disappointed by a review of Gregory Jackson's new book, "The Path to Understanding Justification," written by David Becker. It appeared on page 19 of the July 8th edition of "Christian News." Mr. Becker recommends the book despite its glaring shortcomings. Well, Rev. Jack Cascione has stepped into the breach and provided a BIBLICAL response to a very unbiblical book. I would add to the criticism the observation that Jackson does not offer his readers a positive presentation of the doctrine of Justification, but launches into his polemic against the biblical doctrine of Objective or General Justification. That polemic is as faulty as Rev. Cascione has pointed out and more. Jackson makes the assumption that the concept of Justification cannot be understood in any other way than coupled with faith; hence, he views any articulation of Justification that is not coupled with faith as a rejection of the doctrine of justification by faith. He thinks, then, that all he has to do is to reiterate scriptural and confessional statements on justification by faith to refute the entire body of doctrine of the LCMS and WELS for example. He does not give theologians of the LCMS or WELS the benefit of stating their ENTIRE body of doctrine before passing judgment on them. He considers them apostate Universalists. Even ELDoNA, which embraced the anti-Objective Justification band wagon 6 years ago, does not regard the LCMS or WELS as apostate. As Jackson's theology stands he makes faith the sine qua non of God's forgiveness: no faith, no forgiveness. Rev. Cascione's critique points out that God's forgiveness must come before faith in order for faith to be engendered by the Holy Spirit. Jackson's doctrine is a new form of Fideism. Jackson alleges that since the Saxon Lutherans' fallen leader Martin Stephan attended Halle University in Germany that he was eo ipso a pure Pietist. That is as convincing as to say that since Dr. Gregory Jackson got his PhD from Notre Dame University that he is a pure Romanist. What is most offensive to me is Jackson's slander of C.F.W. Walther. On his website he pictures him with a miter on his head and labels him a pope. How despicable. I encourage everyone to read Rev. Cascione's exposé as it shows the emperor Jackson, who thinks he has new clothes, that he has no clothes at all. |
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| Luther a Fideist? no a SolaFideist, you numbskulls. |
Kindle 99 cent version of The Path To Understanding Justification.
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Your latest posts
remind me of something John Morris wrote about the early days of
American Lutheranism. It seems that Cascione and company have
fallen back into that track. Here’s what Dr. Morris wrote:
“…Even after the
Seminary was established at Gettysburg, systematic and
sustained, but covert, attack upon the Symbolical Books was
made. The result was that the books were not regarded with
favor by many of the ministers and students, and very many did
not accept the doctrine of the sacraments as taught in the
Lutheran Church.
“This continued to
be the state of affairs for many years. There were some that
were true Lutherans despite these adverse circumstances.
Strange to say, not a few underwent a sort of reacting
process, and absolutely were converted to the true church
doctrine by the very agency diligently employed to deter them
from it. These men did not venture to be demonstrative, but so
soon as they became free from the painful shackles by which
they were fettered, they professed the true doctrine.
“A large number,
however, were Zwinglians (not even Calvinists) on the
sacraments. That is, they were not Lutherans, and were
satisfied with opposing the doctrines of the Church without
bothering themselves about any school of theology.
Read “Justification
by Faith” for “Sacraments” in the above, and everything he
observed applies today.
