Terrific new book by Jason Goroncy on Holiness in the Theology of P. T. Forsyth. Post 1



Jason Goroncy's new book, Hallowed Be Thy Name: The Sanctification of All in the Soteriology of P. T. Forsyth (London: T. & T. Clark, 2013) is outstanding. Not only does it display an unusually wide and deep knowledge of its subject matter and a discerning and well-conceived engagement with it but it is also unusually well written. The book is a reworking of Goroncy's PhD (from the University of St Andrews) but it does not read like many PhDs. Rather it reads like a book penned later in the career of a seasoned author. To some extent this is assisted by Forsyth's own beautiful rhetorical style (Forsyth's written and preached theology was smooth and passionate and intellectually stimulating) but Goroncy's own writing is full of great turns of phrase that fire the imagination as well as the intellect.

In a nutshell, the book examines the theology of the Congregational minister P. T. Forsyth through the lens of sanctification. The hallowing of God's name, argues Goroncy, is the very core of Forsyth's thought.

Chapter 1 offers some orientations to Forsyth as a theologian (a "positive" theologian, a "biblical" theologian, a "systematic" theologian, a "cross-centered" theologian) and to his rhetorical style. Then things really kick off with some serious theology!

In posts over the next few days I will give a glimpse into different chapters in the book.

Comments

Keen Reader said…
And a positive snip at a mere 70 pounds / $130 !
Robin Parry said…
I agree that the price is very unfortunate.

:-(

This is a book for libraries rather than for individual buyers. Hopefully a paperback version will become available at some point
Robin Parry said…
Jason himself has told me that "There is a cheaper version in e-book format (for those who can tolerate reading a 300-page theology book on an e-reader), and Bloomsbury/T&T Clark seem to follow up books in this series with a PB after about 12-15 months. The PB prices are currently set around £18-20, so much more doable."

So there is good news!
Keen Reader said…
Yes, let's face it, at that price, this book, no matter how brilliant the content may be, is destined for (some) institutional libraries and that's about it. I can't imagine many ministers and pastors, never mind parishioners, buying a copy at that price. [Of course, any author who goes with T&T Clark as publisher will know their pricing policies beforehand.]

Sadly, by the time the softcover appears in a year or year and a half's time, the 'buzz' about the book will be long gone.

In my view, there's no reason why T&T Clark couldn't put this book and other hardcovers out at normal retail prices. Some other theological publishers do.

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