The Great Divide: A Lutheran Evaluation of Reformed Theology

The Great Divide: A Lutheran Evaluation of Reformed Theology by Jordan B. Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Overall, this is a tremendous work and will serve as a resource to reference time and again. I struggled at times with the argumentation: more than one straw man was triumphantly knocked down and far too many either/ors were forced on the reader. Add to that the double standard of what at least seemed like an "If it supports my position, good and necessary consequence is acceptable; if it confronts my position, good and necessary consequence cannot be claimed and an explicit Scriptural reference is required." My biggest gripe is the constant appeal to the "plain reading" of the text. In too many discussions, "plain reading" merely means "the reading that I prefer," and is used as a shortcut to rhetorical success while not really adding anything to the debate. For the most part, the uses of "plain reading" in this text don't rise above that limitation.

However, if it sounds like I hated the book that is only because I wanted to get absolutely everything I didn't love out early. Because beyond my admittedly limited griefs listed above, Cooper has done a great service for interested readers. The early chapters were good (if ultimately unconvincing...), but the later chapters shine brightest. His chapters on the sacraments are super helpful and the chapters on justification and sanctification are tremendous, even if some parts were repetitive in light of earlier chapters (I believe there are multiple multiple-paragraph introductions to covenant theology which admittedly might make the individual chapters more self-contained but actually make it somewhat tedious when reading through from beginning to end).

Cooper has provided a greater view of Lutheran theology and practice to Reformed folks and an *overall* fair and accurate representation of Reformed theology to Lutheran folks. Not an easy feat, but it is greatly appreciated.

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