A Mind-Expanding Study of a Mind-Expanding Prophetic Book

gospel—one that is comprehensive in scope and demands responsibility. Various terms have been introduced to communicate the idea of being joined to Christ, from ‘attachment’ to ‘solidarity.’ Snodgrass, in view of biblical teaching and its history in the church, proposes that the best way to describe this concept is participation with God. In Chapter One, Snodgrass presents his thesis for the book, reflecting on the church’s inadequate teaching and making the case that New Testament faith (pistis) is tied to a disciple’s allegiance and being in Christ. He advises the reader that the gospel is much more than a decision, but an ‘ongoing process of life with God’ (p. 11). In Chapter Two, Snodgrass indicates that salvation as participation has always been the teaching of the church, giving a survey of thinkers from Clement to Kirkegaard. Then, Chapter Three examines the concept of participation and its implications for the follower of Christ. Here, Snodgrass demonstrates that participation in Christ leads to justification and righteousness, in participation involves a location—an environment in which people live, and is necessarily active rather than passive. Next, Snodgrass surveys how the gospel of participation is taught in the Old Testament, especially through the covenants. Taking the reader through selections in the Pentateuch, Psalms, Jeremiah, the Twelve, and especially Isaiah, Snodgrass justifies his assertion that the good news in the Old Testament is always tied to God’s participation with people and their participation with him. In Chapters Five, Six, and Seven, Snodgrass takes the reader through participation language in the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John and 1 John, and the Book of Acts. He designates Jesus’s reading from Isaiah 61 in Luke 4:16-21 as a summary of the gospel taught by Jesus, including the present state of deliverance and the promise of the Spirit. Eternal life is movement into participation with Christ, which involves repentance and ethical transformation. In these chapters, Snodgrass shows how participation is the key to reconciling divine sovereignty and human responsibility. In Chapters Eight and Nine, Snodgrass turns the reader’s attention to Paul’s letters, answering the question ‘How does salvation work, and for what purpose?’ He shows how participation is more comprehensive in describing salvation in Paul’s letters than are the concepts of justification and substitution. Focusing on four key texts: 2 Corinthians 5:14–6:4, Ephesians 2:410, Romans 6:1-14, and 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, Snodgrass shows how salvation and ethics are intimately tied in all of Paul’s letters. In Chapter Ten, Snodgrass again shows how texts in Hebrews and 1 and Peter describe Christians as sharers in the divine nature. Finally, Chapter Eleven addresses the question ‘So What?’ as Snodgrass urges the church to recover the teaching of human responsibility, commitment to action, and the connection between faith and ethics. While Snodgrass’s volume is brief, it is relatively dense. He relies on the biblical languages (which he transliterates) and appeals to theological concepts (which he explains). He displays a strong, comprehensive grasp of the soteriological discussions throughout Christian history. He persuasively argues that much of the modern church has focused on justification and the free nature of conversion, to the detriment of a fuller gospel of participation. Snodgrass adeptly navigates the debates about free grace and lordship salvation, divine sovereignty and human responsibility, atonement, and justification to present this case for the gospel of participation. This volume shows academic rigor, but is an accessible read for the informed layperson. While some may quibble that Snodgrass appears to present the American church as normative, his focus on the biblical text points to applicability in any culture. This is a worthy read, not just for scholars and pastors, but for any serious churchgoer.