Institutes of Elenctic Theology: 3 Volumes [Hardcover]

James T. Dennison has brought back one of the greatest theological works in church history. Francis Turretin was a 17th century theologian. He wrote in a scholastic style similar to those who proceeded him (i.e. Aquinas, etc.) However, unlike his predecessors, Turretin was part of the Reformed Church. Therefore, he covers such topics in this three volume set as the Reformed doctrine of predestination, sola fide, sola scriptura, etc. Moreover, Turretin covers many theological issues such as the attributes of God, original sin, angelology, the Trinity, the will of God, creation of man, responses to Molina and "scentia media," (middle knowledge) etc., all in great detail. Turretin is exhaustive in his writing. In fact, Turretin's work was required as a text for students of such great Princeton theologians as Charles Hodge and R.L. Dabney. If you are a serious theologian and love to study theology in depth then you should not be without this series. ...

Francis Turretin's Institutes of Elenctic Theology

This large 3 volume work is a gold mine of precise and careful thought. Turretin has been the object of odium in some (even Reformed) theological circles, but the one who takes time to read Turretin will find such sentiment to be unwarranted. Turretin was not a rationalist, merely rational. He was a seventeenth century Reformed pastor and theologian who clearly articulated Reformed doctrine in the midst of those who were opposing such doctrine. I have found Turretin to be biblical in his doctrine, delicate and precise in his thought, clear in his articulation, and powerful in his argumentation.

Turretin organized his Institutes into 20 topics (loci) that range from "Prolegomena" (that is, very necessary introductory considerations) to "The Last Things." Each topic (locus) is organized by specific questions. For example, locus 20 is divided into 13 questions. Question 2 reads, "Are the same bodies numerically which have died to be raised again? We affirm against the Socinians." Turretin raised this particual question because he wanted to defend the biblical doctrine of the bodily resurrection from an error that was being taught in his day. Turretin's theology is indeed elenctic (that is, polemic or argumentitive), for a great portion of his Institutes is written against the Roman Catholics, Arminians, Socinians, Anabaptists, and others. Turretin's Institutes is not merely a negative work (exposing the errors of unbiblical doctrine), but is positive. He builds up and defends biblical doctrine in every locus.

As for the edition, Dr. Dennison has blessed us all in editing and indexing the whole work. He has also provided a 19 page biography of Turretin, the message given at Turretin's funeral, and a short biography of George Giger (the translator). These volumes are sturdy and will last for decades.

As for the translation, this edition is a publication of George M. Giger's translation of the Institutes. Giger died in 1865 having produced this translation at the behest of Charles Hodge. The translation strikes me as unduly bulky and difficult at times, yet clear and quite understandable at others. There are other translations of particular loci, but one cannot find the entire work in English except in this translation.

I really loved it! Wasn't by grace that Turretin was called "the best systematizer of the reformed doctrine in the world! This is a wonderful set, with a good translation, well arranged, theologically sound and deep but devotional/experimental as well. A great addition to the library of the serious students of the God's Word! If you are an overseas customer, Amazon.com has the best price (already including shipping costs)on this set on anywhere of the Internet!May God raise up more theologians as Turretin in our age!