A New History of Redemption

“This is a book with a bold agenda—to complete and extend an unfinished masterpiece by America’s greatest theologian. In these pages Jonathan Edwards comes alive in a new way, and we see how the drama of redemption informs all that he wrote—his history, theology, and exegesis. At once scholarly and edifying, this is a tour de force!”—Timothy George, distinguished professor, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

“Gerald McDermott is well known as a Jonathan Edwards scholar. Now he has stepped into the role of updating the great theologian’s work by offering his own account of the history of redemption. But this is no mere rehash of Edwards. Instead, McDermott works to bring out the astounding beauty of redemption (a much-neglected category in Protestantism) for a new generation. A very encouraging volume.”—Carl R. Trueman, professor of biblical and religious studies, Grove City College

“Audacious, sweeping, magisterial, and highly distinctive—at a moment in history when understanding the global is essential, McDermott gives us both a deep history and a wide-ranging global view of God’s restoration of the world that expands our minds and enriches our faith. Fascinating reading.”—Os Guinness, author of Magna Carta for Humanity

“Gerald McDermott celebrates and builds on Jonathan Edwards’s great vision of the history of salvation. McDermott’s voice carefully unites the Reformed tradition with key Roman Catholic theologians to write an ecumenically compelling theology of God’s redemption, from before creation to the end of time. He pays special attention to ‘Israel’ (both Jews who follow Jesus and those who do not) and to Israel’s enduring role in salvation history. A genuine contribution to theology, ecclesiology, and Christian-Jewish relations. A compelling and challenging book.”—Gavin D’Costa, professor, Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Rome

“In A New History of Redemption, Gerald McDermott proves once again that he is one of the most well-grounded yet exciting and thought-provoking Christian theologians of our day. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Christianity, the New Testament, or contemporary theology. From now on, serious Christian theology should take this formidable book into account.”—Rabbi Eugene Korn, Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation, Jerusalem

“Following the promptings of Jonathan Edwards, Gerald McDermott has written an admirably ambitious and theologically astute account of God’s redemptive plan, from the inner counsels of God before creation to the consummation of all things in the age to come. A New History of Redemption brings readers into the fullness of the historical career of the gospel.”—R. R. Reno, editor, First Things

“Taking his cue from Jonathan Edwards’s uncompleted History of the Work of Redemption, Gerald McDermott has written an ambitious and far-reaching treatment of God’s work of redemption, bookended by creation and the eschaton and covering the entire course of history between. Treating doctrinal matters as they are foregrounded by God’s direction of history and considering other religions as they arise, McDermott highlights how the Church’s growth in its understanding and expression of God’s truth are integral elements of the story. A New History of Redemption is a rare work that communicates the comprehensive scope and providential impulse of redemption not merely in the biblical narratives but through the present day.”—Alastair Roberts, adjunct senior fellow, Theopolis Institute

“Christianity is at bottom a religion of redemption, in which the working of God’s will is revealed, and the fallen world restored, through his deeds and presence in the passages of history. In this marvelous and remarkably accessible work, the distinguished theologian Gerald McDermott traces that working, seeking to recover and build on the work that Jonathan Edwards so nobly advanced in his own unfinished History of the Work of Redemption, the story of how man came to say yes to God’s eternal invitation. The writing even has some of the flavor of Edwards’s: rigorous and crisp in its argumentation, but lavish and loving in its evocations. This is a book for every kind of reader.”—Wilfred McClay, professor of history, Hillsdale College

“Faith in the God of Israel means that our lives are part of a grand narrative, a story that begins in Eden and ends with the eschaton. How we understand that story shapes every aspect of our walk with God. The task of the theologian is to explain this narrative in a way that points to the true will of God. The supersessionist misunderstanding of God’s narrative set Christians on a path of falsehood for centuries. In our times, brave theologians, among whom Gerald McDermott is a trailblazing leader, are working to correct critical theological errors passed down to today’s Christians, errors that continue to be contradicted by the events of the current era of history. A New History of Redemption is nothing less than a retelling of God’s grand narrative with an eye to correcting these errors. Any honest reconciliation between the Jewish and Christian faith communities demands that we reassess the inherited theological positions that each of our faiths holds regarding the other. This book represents a major step in that direction.”—Rabbi Pesach Wolicki, executive director, Ohr Torah Stone’s Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation, Jerusalem