Salvation, according to Christian theology, has two moments: In and Christ Jesus. "A preposition followed by a proper name" (as A.T. Pierson said) is the key to the fullness of what salvation is. Nobody can do full justice to the doctrine of union with Christ, but the most significant treatments…| Fred Sanders
This is an excerpt from my 2025 book Union with Christ and the Life of Faith, in which I hand over the microphone to Walter Marshall for a few pages.…| Fred Sanders
This is an excerpt from my 2025 book Union with Christ and the Life of Faith, in which I hand over the microphone to Walter Marshall for a few pages. In the pages leading up to this section, I argued for the tightest possible connection between the way believers are…| Fred Sanders
Milton’s early work At a Solemn Music (or Musick) is a remarkable piece of poetry about poetry. Or more precisely, it’s about the joining of voice and verse, or sound…| Fred Sanders
The Reformation movement of Bible translation was not a side project alongside all the preaching, theologizing, church order, politics, and whatnot. It was more or less the main event. Especially…| Fred Sanders
I recently had a chance to linger over the opening pages of Gregory of Nyssa’s Catechetical Discourse, and I’m struck by his nimble presentation of trinitarian theology. Let me try…| Fred Sanders
Early in the spring term of 2025, I tried following a footnote in a 17th-century Protestant theologian (can’t remember who) that pointed to some wonderfully clear trinitarian theology supposedly by…| Fred Sanders
In my chapter on eternal generation in On Classical Trinitarianism: Retrieving the Nicene Doctrine of the Triune God (IVP Academic, 2024), I draw attention to something I’ve since started calling…| Fred Sanders
We have a record of John Preston’s systematic theology, preserved in the form of lecture notes in a student’s hand in one single, unpublished manuscript (Emmanuel College MS III:1: “A…| Fred Sanders
In Gregory of Nazianzus’ fourth Theological Oration (Orat. 30), he takes up a number of Scriptural texts that Arians thought were “grand, irresistible arguments” (30.4) of their doctrine of a…| Fred Sanders
Christians are supposed to develop spiritual strength. It’s not just that they’re empowered by God from outside and above themselves (though that’s absolutely true, praise God!), and it’s not just…| Fred Sanders
A systematic theologian who studies and teaches across the entire range of classic Christian doctrine, but with a special focus on the doctrine of the Trinity| Fred Sanders
Pardon the Latin, but I want to make an observation about that particular Latin phrase, and I can't figure out how to say it briefly in English. There's a very old prayer that praises God as beata et benedicta et gloriosa Trinitas. If you've heard the prayer anywhere, it's probably…| Fred Sanders
I've been sharing brief interviews with the theologians who will be presenting papers at Los Angeles Theology Conference 2025 (Mar 12-14, registration here). I really enjoyed Fellipe do Vale's answers to these questions, and am looking forward to his paper in which he works out an applied soteriology that goes…| Fred Sanders
Jacqui Service's LATC parallel paper is a perfect example of a conference paper in which a scholar extends and explains a recent book. Dr. Service's summer 2024 book on the Trinity still seems brand new, and her proposal for how to talk about the God-world relation in redemption has not…| Fred Sanders
Dr. Sherelle Ducksworth is a theologian at Clamp Divinity School of Anderson University. She will be presenting one of the twelve parallel papers at LATC 2025, March 12-14 at Biola University. Here's a quick interview with Dr. Ducksworth about her paper. Q: LATC 2025's theme is Receiving Redemption, and it…| Fred Sanders
I'm eagerly looking forward to this paper at the 2025 L.A. Theology Conference (register here!). Tom Dove is working on the doctrine of conversion, and this paper is a great opportunity to hear some of his analysis of this important doctrine. Here's our interview: Q: LATC 2025's theme is Receiving…| Fred Sanders
Los Angeles Theology Conference is officially not an interdisciplinary conference. An important part of our brand has always been sharply focusing on the discipline of theology, and on topics that are immediately recognizable as doctrinal. Even our participants who are trained in philosophy, biblical studies, and history—and we've had lots…| Fred Sanders
The first plenary address at LATC 2025 (register now!) will be a wide-ranging introduction to the theology of receiving salvation. This talk, on Wednesday evening, will be by Andrew Davison, Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford. It will be open to the public at no charge, though you do need…| Fred Sanders
Cambria Kaltwasser will be at LATC 2025 in March presenting a paper that uses friendship as a theological category for thinking about the dynamics of salvation. Her work will feature one of the closest engagements with the thought of Karl Barth at the conference, which will add a lot to…| Fred Sanders
With the 2025 Los Angeles Theology Conference coming up in March, I’m posting mini-interviews with some of our speakers, asking them to share about what they’ll be presenting at the conference. We’re excited to have Todd Billings with us this year. Here’s what he’ll be speaking about: Q: LATC 2025's theme is…| Fred Sanders
With the 2025 Los Angeles Theology Conference coming up in March, I'm posting mini-interviews with some of our speakers, asking them to share about what they'll be presenting at the conference. We're excited to have Frederick Bauerschmidt with us this year. Here's what he'll be speaking about: Q: LATC 2025's…| Fred Sanders
I had a chat via email with Julie Canlis about what she'll be presenting at the Los Angeles Theology Conference (March 12-14 at Biola). Click through to see the list of all 16 presentations, and join us in March if you can. It's going to be a significant conversation among…| Fred Sanders
