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A Mirror for God and for Us: Christology and Exegesis in Calvin's Doctrine of Election
Author(s) -
GIBSON DAVID
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
international journal of systematic theology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.149
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 1468-2400
pISSN - 1463-1652
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-2400.2009.00467.x
Subject(s) - exegesis , doctrine , christology , philosophy , theology , object (grammar) , subject (documents) , reading (process) , literature , art , computer science , linguistics , library science
Abstract Although John Calvin's doctrine of election is often criticized, it remains seriously under‐described in both content and form. By attending to one strand of its content (Christ and election), and one persistently unappreciated aspect of its form (exegesis), this article attempts a substantial construal of the doctrine in Calvin's theology. It aims to show that, for Calvin, Christ is the subject of election in that he is its author, and Christ is the object of election in that he mediates both election itself and the salvation which flows from election. The focus on Calvin's exegesis of election and Christology establishes contact points with some important theological concerns: Karl Barth's reading of Calvin; election and the extra Calvinisticum ; and ‘christocentrism’ in Calvin's theology.