Truth in All Its Glory: Commending the Reformed Faith

William Edgar's, Truth in All It's Glory, is a proficient and satisfying introduction to the Reformed faith. Tripartite in structure, we begin with the background to and the fundamental concerns of Reformed theology. Here we learn of Reformed theology's origins and its worldwide impact (pp.13-93). After this historical portion, we find a discussion of some of the major teachings of Reformed theology. Here, Reformed theology's doctrine of God, of revelation, of creation and fall, of covenants, of Christ and of the application of redemption are each summarized (pp.97-214). This doctrinal portion then gives way to a more practical portion, in which we are introduced to some of Reformed theology's distinctive emphases in connection with the church and the believer's calling in the wider world (pp.217-273). As a part of his commendation of Reformed theology, Edgar goes beyond his announced foci and concludes by suggesting several areas that adherents of Reformed theology will need to give more attention to. He also leaves us with a bibliography for further reading, and indices which serve to remind us of Reformed theology's biblical underpinnings as well as making it easy to search out particular themes and topics. While it is fair to say this volume contains little that is new, yet it must be pointed out that its warm, honest and sensitive tone is something not always common to expositions of Reformed theology. Written specifically as a commendation of the Reformed faith, the author's tone is important and ought not to be passed over without comment. As professor of apologetics and as an astute cultural critic, Edgar writes in a winsome and informed manner. Caricatures are shed, Reformed involvement in social evils are admitted and addressed, and commentary relevant to groups traditionally at odds with the reformed theological outlook (chiefly Catholics and Arminians) are always tempered and fair. Truth in All It's Glory exults in the richness and consistency of the Reformed faith, yet it never becomes triumphalistic or exaggerated in its claims. As a result, I predict it will prove valuable beyond those already within the Reformed camp. In terms of particular strengths and weaknesses, several points can be made. First and bearing in mind its intended purpose, the strengths of the book include the following: * Edgar's overview of the history of the Reformed faith not only provides us with an accessible and positively stated account of the origins of Reformed theology, but it also roots Reformed theology in scripture and in the creeds and confessions of the church prior to the sixteenth century. Not only does this circumvent the charge the Reformed theology is a relative novelty, but it also pushes those of us within the Reformed tradition to consider the contributions of those living and theologizing prior to Luther and Calvin. * In a similar vein, Edgar's setting of the Reformed faith in its larger context helpfully connects Calvinism to wor