# Wanted: Covenant Theology Intro/Overview Book Recommendations



## S. Alexander Johnson (Mar 14, 2019)

I'm looking at starting a reformed Bible study in St. Cloud, MN (central MN) that may turn into a PCA church plant. I'm considering studying covenant theology and I would like some book recommendations on the topic that overview all the covenants of Scripture that is accessible to lay people. 

Thank you!

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## Reformed Covenanter (Mar 14, 2019)

The book that I would most like to recommend is Thomas Boston's _A View of the Covenant of Grace_. That one might not be accessible enough for your Bible study group, however. You might want to try Jonty Rhodes' _Raiding the Lost Ark_.

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## Regi Addictissimus (Mar 14, 2019)

You would be hard-pressed to find a better introduction than Jonty Rhode's Covenants Made Simple.

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## S. Alexander Johnson (Mar 14, 2019)

Has anyone read Sacred Bond by Brown and Keele? If so, would you recommend it?


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## Contra_Mundum (Mar 14, 2019)

S. Alexander Johnson said:


> Has anyone read Sacred Bond by Brown and Keele? If so, would you recommend it?


I have. It does a fairly good job. You could certainly do worse, and perhaps not much better for that level of presentation--a Bible study and Sunday School approach.

It is a 21st Century approach. It does not show the greater part of any debt to a classic-formulation. It relies on a Klinean framework for explaining connections between the covenant-expressions in the OT. I wish it did more to unify the post-fall covenant-motif in connection to the Covenant of Grace. I'm not saying that it is absent, but that there is an emphasis on the temporality of the Mosaic/Siniatic covenant; and that can overwhelm the continuity of the Covenant of Grace theme that is essential to classic covenant theology. The opposite argument is: that there was insufficient attention given to the deficiencies of the Mosaic covenant for about 100yrs (from the late 19th-late 20th Centuries); making it necessary to draw those out noticeably in our era.

If you lead this course of instruction, whatever book you choose (and S.B. would be suitable, I mean no otherwise) I trust you will take advantage of the full range of classical resources, such as Boston previously mentioned, and Witsius' _Economy of the Covenants._ The OPC's 2016 GA report on Republication https://opc.org/GA/republication.html helps put Kline's CT contributions in a historic and theological context, and can aid in preventing misreading of that language in S.B.

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## Shanny01 (Mar 14, 2019)

S. Alexander Johnson said:


> I'm looking at starting a reformed Bible study in St. Cloud, MN (central MN) that may turn into a PCA church plant. I'm considering studying covenant theology and I would like some book recommendations on the topic that overview all the covenants of Scripture that is accessible to lay people.
> 
> Thank you!


If you don't mind me asking what church do you attend up there? I attended college and lived there from 2015 to 2018.


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## Reformed Covenanter (Mar 14, 2019)

Some of the sources cited in the Covenant Theology section of my historical theology blog may be of interest, but these could be too specialist. Part of the problem with being asked to recommend one book on CT is the difference of approaches among covenant theologians. I favour seeing the CoG and CoR as two ways of looking at the same covenant, not two covenants. Moreover, I believe that the CoW was republished at Sinai for pedagogical purposes. Others disagree with these views, but without going against the Westminster Confession.

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## S. Alexander Johnson (Mar 14, 2019)

Shanny01 said:


> If you don't mind me asking what church do you attend up there? I attended college and lived there from 2015 to 2018.


First Presbyterian Church of Hinckley.


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## S. Alexander Johnson (Mar 14, 2019)

Shanny01 said:


> If you don't mind me asking what church do you attend up there? I attended college and lived there from 2015 to 2018.


I see you've been connected with Redeeming Cross and Pastor Luke! I love that brother! I have a handful of friends who attend there.


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## Shanny01 (Mar 14, 2019)

S. Alexander Johnson said:


> I see you've been connected with Redeeming Cross and Pastor Luke! I love that brother! I have a handful of friends who attend there.


He and the church have been a blessing to myself. Part of the reason I moved to Minneapolis was to find a 1689 church and the Lord did not disappoint. Without wanting to derail the thread further I do hope and pray that you're able to establish a reformed witness up there because it's just littered with Romanism and shallow evangelicalism with few exceptions.

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## Stephen L Smith (Mar 14, 2019)

Dr McMahon's Covenant Theology made easy

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## KMK (Mar 14, 2019)

Reformed Covenanter said:


> The book that I would most like to recommend is Thomas Boston's _A View of the Covenant of Grace_.



Agreed!


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## littlepeople (Mar 14, 2019)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007UJEB40/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

*A Simple Overview of Covenant Theology Kindle Edition*
by C. Matthew McMahon (Author)

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## JTB.SDG (Mar 14, 2019)

Not to self promote, but I've been working on a fairly in-depth study for the last few years; you can find it here: www.ruinandredemption.com. The covenant with David will be finished Lord willing in the next month or two.

The classic of course is O Palmer Robertson's work. Ligon Duncan has very good materials as well, but they are more in manuscript form than study form. I echo the recommendation for Jonty Rhodes little book for an extremely helpful overview.

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## BottleOfTears (Mar 15, 2019)

Reformed Covenanter said:


> You might want to try Jonty Rhodes' _Raiding the Lost Ark_.





Reformed Bookworm said:


> You would be hard-pressed to find a better introduction than Jonty Rhode's Covenants Made Simple.


For clarification, this is the same book it's just the UK title (published by IVP) and the US title (published by P&R) respectively. 

I also highly recommend it, it's surprising how much content he squishes into such a readable book.

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## Regi Addictissimus (Mar 15, 2019)

BottleOfTears said:


> For clarification, this is the same book it's just the UK title (published by IVP) and the US title (published by P&R) respectively



I completely missed that he recommended it before I did. Thanks for pointing that out.


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## Bill Duncan (Mar 15, 2019)

"Introducing Covenant Theology" Michael Horton

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## R. Scott Clark (Mar 15, 2019)

Hi,

Here are some resources.

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## Stephen L Smith (Mar 29, 2019)

JTB.SDG said:


> The covenant with David will be finished Lord willing in the next month or two.


Excuse some extra feedback Jon, but are you able to finalise and post your 'introduction to Covenant Theology'? I think this will set the scene for the rest of the study, and from what I have seen of your draft ties nicely in many covenantal concepts. Its just that I think this would provide the foundation for the rest of the study especially for those new to the subject.


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## JTB.SDG (Mar 29, 2019)

Stephen L Smith said:


> Excuse some extra feedback Jon, but are you able to finalise and post your 'introduction to Covenant Theology'? I think this will set the scene for the rest of the study, and from what I have seen of your draft ties nicely in many covenantal concepts. Its just that I think this would provide the foundation for the rest of the study especially for those new to the subject.


Stephen, the holdup is that my priority is to train the pastors here, and we've already done that lesson. I need to finish the last two to complete the training for them as quickly as I can. After that I'll go back and finalize the first lesson.

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