The Salvation of Jeffrey Lapin by Summer Kinard

He then confirms the Catholic reading of Scripture with quotations from Church leaders of the late-first and early-second century. In his first chapter he lays out the plan of salvation as it appears in the pages of the New Testament: Repentance, Faith, Baptism (and if one should later fall into mortal sin, Confession). I was impressed by how he consistently cut through differences in terminology between Catholicism and different streams of Protestant thought (especially Lutheranism) to reveal our areas of agreement. The bulk of the book, though, is Akin’s clear, scriptural exposition of Catholic belief.

Two of Pope Benedict XVI’s audiences (2008) treating St.

Dominus Iesus (2000), the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith’s declaration on the centrality of Jesus Christ and His Church to human salvation.Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (1999) by the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation.The Catechism of the Catholic Church‘s statements on Grace and Justification (1992).The Letter of the Holy Office on Salvation Outside the Church (1949), correcting the controversial claims made by Fr.The Council of Trent’s Decree Concerning Justification (1547), the Church’s most extensive, dogmatic treatment of the subject.The final portion of the book consists of bonus material that, taken by itself, makes The Drama of Salvation a veritable source book of Catholic teaching on this subject: What I considered the core of The Salvation Controversy – Akin’s Scriptural illustration of the past, present, and future aspects of justification, and his analysis Paul’s statement that we are saved by faith apart from works of the law (Torah) – is here, but integrated into a much more comprehensive presentation of Catholic belief regarding how we are saved. I considered it the clearest expression of Catholic soteriology to date, so I was incredibly curious to see how Akin had developed his presentation in the fourteen year interim.

I first learned of this book when, I kid you not, I had just finished footnoting Akin’s The Salvation Controversy (2001) several times in a new book of my own. I use the word “definitive” quite sparingly, but it is absolutely fitting when applied to Jimmy Akin’s The Drama of Salvation: How God Rescues You From Your Sins and Brings You to Eternal Life(Catholic Answers Press, 2015).

The Salvation of Jeffrey Lapin by Summer Kinard