A Companion to the Mercersburg Theology

This volume tells the story of a mid-nineteenth-century theological movement emanating from the small German Reformed Seminary in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, where John Williamson Nevin and Philip Schaff taught. There they explored themes--such as the centrality of the incarnation for theology, the importance of the church as the body of Christ and the sphere of salvation, liturgical and sacramental worship, and the organic historical development of the church and its doctrines--that continue to resonate today with many who seek a deeper and more historically informed expression of the Christian faith that is both evangelical and catholic.In their own day, the theologians at Mercersburg received scant attention. Over the last fifty years, with the assistance of insightful works like this Companion, that situation has been reversed--which has meant both better history and deeper theology. This particular volume is an ideal introduction to Nevin, Schaff, and company, even as it should also stimulate wider appropriation of these important voices from the past.--Mark Noll, University of Notre Dame, author, America's God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham LincolnThe Mercersburg theologians, seeking a church that would be at once catholic, evangelical, and reformed, remain relevant today for their recovery of biblical, patristic, and Reformation themes, unified by then-new currents in German thought. These essays on Christology, ably edited by William Evans, give us insight into the heart of their theology.--Eugene TeSelle, Vanderbilt UniversityThis masterful introduction is a most welcome addition to the growing body of literature on Mercersburg Theology. Evans presents its key figures and themes with a perceptive eye to their relevance to both historical and contemporary theological concerns. Both beginners and specialists will find much to appreciate here.--Anne T. Thayer, Lancaster Theological SeminaryThe Reformed Catholicism of the nineteenth century Mercersburg Theology has found in William B. Evans an outstanding exegete. He provides deft commentary and careful exposition as he commends its ongoing importance for the life of the church. If you want a single short introduction to this important and influential group of American and German theologians, look no further. Evans has done the job with panache.--Oliver D. Crisp, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Professorial Fellow, University of St AndrewsEvans's Companion is a gem of exposition, carefully balancing biography, intellectual history, and theological evaluation. I enthusiastically recommend it and regard it as now the standard introduction to the Mercersburg Theology. Students get a clear sense of Mercersburg's location in the Reformed theological world, and experienced scholars can benefit from its references to the latest scholarship (particularly the texts in Wipf & Stock's Mercersburg Theology Study Series).--David Layman, York College of PennsylvaniaWilliam B. Evans is the Eunice Witherspoon Bell Younts and Willie Camp Younts Professor of Bible and Religion at Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina. He is the author of Imputation and Impartation (Wipf & Stock, 2008), and What Is the Incarnation? (2013).