Calvin’s Doctrine of the Work of Christ

The revival of interest in the Protestant Reformation in the mid-twentieth century was marked by several studies of John Calvin. J.F. Jansen, however, noted that these had shed new light on almost every aspect of his thought except that which lies at the heart of his theology - the doctrine of Christ’s work.

In Calvin’s Doctrine of the Work of Christ, Jansen corrects this omission, providing a fresh study of Calvin’s work in this area with special reference to his exegetical writings. Besides critiquing Calvin’s development of the doctrine, he also examines the traditional theological formula of the three offices of Christ as prophet, priest and king. Reacting against the return to this formula by contemporary theologians such as Emil Brunner, he shows that an alternative conception of Christ’s work is possible.