{Book Review} God and Adam: Reformed Theology and the Creation Covenant

Rowland Ward is the author of God and Adam: Reformed Theology and the Creation Covenant. The publisher of this book is Tulip Publishing. 

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God and Adam: Reformed Theology and the Creation Covenant

Ward has produced yet another great work for the church to benefit from! For anybody that is interested in covenant theology, Ward is indeed your friend. This book, dealing with what is commonly referred to as the covenant of works (though it is known by other names such as covenant of creation), is hands-down one of the best books I have read on the covenant of works specifically, and even covenant theology in general (as a matter of fact, chapter two of this book is perhaps the best summary of covenant theology that I have read). Ward has the uncanny ability to write in such a way that makes the complex very understandable. That’s what I love most about this book. It’s one that I can recommend to any Christian that wants to learn more about this great topic. 

There is so much good in this book that I want to mention, but since this is just a review and not a book summary, I want to highlight two wonderful aspects of this book.

First, the topics that are covered. This book consists of four parts and 25 chapters. Some of these chapters are very short and to the point. Others take up more time. But Ward covers a whole lot of terrain in this book. He discusses covenant theology in general, the covenant of works in particular, historical accounts of the development of covenant theology, and exposition of the covenant of works from God’s Word (this includes chapters on really good questions about the covenant of works, such as, Is this covenant set aside now? What’s the relationship between the covenant of works and Moses? What’s the significance of the tree in paradise? And many more really good questions that are worth pondering), and a historical survey of covenant theology from 1701-2000. The material is top notch, and his writing style is fantastic in that, again, he makes everything he says so understandable to the reader! The scholar and the new Christian will both enjoy this work! 

Second, Ward’s historical references are out of this world! He is constantly quoting the Reformers, Puritans, and other covenant theologians. In other words, he is providing his readers with primary source material so that we can see how covenant theology has been approached and dealt with through the centuries! I’ve never seen a book under 300 pages with so much primary source material as this book! The chapter on the relationship between the covenant of works and the Mosaic Covenant was masterful, and part of that reason was because he quoted so many different Puritans on this topic, showing the vast disagreement on the nature of this relationship. This is such a complex topic, and he handled it so wisely.

For these reasons, this is one of the best books I’ve read on covenant theology, and I simply can’t recommend it highly enough. Tolle lege, take up and read! 

Disclaimer: My thanks to Tulip Publishing for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.