Review: "Sola: How the Five Solas Are Still Reforming the Church" (manuscript)

 

            Sola:  How the Five Solas Are Still Reforming the Church, edited by Jason K. Allen, is a collection of five essays on the five solas, why they are biblical, and how they should affect the twenty-first century church.

            Allen makes the point that the Reformers did not put forth a systematic explanation of the solas, though the themes of them can be found in their work – and it is the addition of the word sola – alone – that separates Protestant churches from the Roman Catholic Church.

            The five solas are:

            Scripture alone – all we need to know for salvation and life is taught in the Scripture and no other documents or persons are needed or can add to the truth of what the Scripture says.

            Grace alone – salvation is not merited by anything we do or don’t do but is gifted only by the Sovereign Grace of God.

            Faith alone – the only means of receiving salvation is through faith.

            Christ alone – no one and nothing adds or assists Christ’s work of salvation.

            Glory to God alone – salvation and everything that occurs is all to the glory of God alone.

            I won’t enumerate the practical applications of the solas but leave that to your reading.  Suffice it to say that the applications are appropriate and well worth adopting.  Any biblical church will teach the solas and apply them in the ministry of the church.

            This is an excellent introduction to the solas, and I highly recommend it for personal or group study.

            [This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]