Review of Roman Catholic Theology and Practice: An Evangelical Assessment by Gregg Allison

Reviewing Gregg Allison’s book Roman Catholic Theology and Practice: An Evangelical Assessment, Leonardo states “Allison is to be commended for his biblical depth, theological acuteness, historical alertness, and systemic awareness” in a major work that “provides a theological framework that accounts for the complexity of the Roman Catholic system and its dynamic unity.”

The doctrine of regeneration belongs to the core of the biblical view of salvation and is a term that is shared by all Christian traditions in their respective accounts on what it means to be saved. To be regenerated by God is the act by which God himself re-creates life in an otherwise spiritually dead person. Regeneration is, therefore, the entry point of a saved life. Surveying the biblical evidence, J. I. Packer summarizes it this way: Regeneration “means rebirth (palingenesia): it speaks of a creative renovation wrought by the power of God.” On the surface, the theological meaning of the word is pretty clear and all Christian traditions acknowledge it. However, the difference between them is not so much in the word itself, but the theological “worlds” in which they implant the word in order to make sense of it. Read the full interview on the Credo Magazine website.