Guy Prentiss Waters, The Federal Vision and Covenant Theology (Phillipsburg: P&R, 2006). $15.74.

Reviewed by Shane Lems

If you have wondered about the Federal Vision, wrestled over some of their teachings, or need a source to help you study what they are saying, this book is for you. In it, Dr. Waters is straightforward and clear; he is also fair to those he disagrees with. He clearly notes who he is evaluating by name and quotes them often. His sources are abundant; the endnotes comprise about 50 pages. There is even a select and annotated bibliography at the end.

One very helpful aspect of this book is its structure. Waters first shows how the FV defines covenant; in the rest of the chapters he explains how the FV describes justification, election, assurance/perseverance/apostasy, and the sacraments. Each chapter deals with the central figures of the FV. Waters explains one man’s position, cites him extensively, then evaluates and critiques that position. He does this for each man in turn and every chapter is laid out in this way. Therefore, if one simply wants to see what one or two FV figures say about a certain topic, it is easy to find and read.

The first chapter is a general introduction to the FV, including its history and main players. The second chapter deals with covenant theology, or how the FV flattens out biblical covenants into a single covenant. In the third chapter, Waters shows how the FV relates covenant to justification (including how they agree with some parts of the New Perspective on Paul). The fourth chapter is where Waters explains how the FV views election through the eyes of the covenant, stemming from Norman Shepherd. Assurance, perseverance, and apostasy are covered in the fifth chapter, including how the FV disagrees with much of Joel Beeke’s work on assurance of salvation. In the sixth chapter, Waters talks about Leithart’s view of the sacraments, which goes into the seventh chapter where he explains other and similar FV views of the sacraments. The final chapter is a broad examination of some other troublesome spots in the FV, along with a final critique.

Waters lists and explains the many ways which the FV revises or simply differs from Reformed orthodoxy. For example, he shows how they define and explain covenant and how they reject the covenant of works. He also shows how they equivocate or fudge several definitions, from election to covenant to the law/gospel distinction to baptism to visible/invisible church distinctions. There is an extensive index in the back of the book to help the reader find certain topics, as well as a Scripture index.

I did wish the last chapter was more detailed. In it, waters shows how the FV misuses Reformed language, as well as logic. He also briefly explains their “flat hermeneutic,” which “strains the NT through the OT.” Waters also touches upon the strong theonomic tendencies in the FV. These sections are brilliant, but very short; books could and should be written on them. On a specific note, he could have mentioned how the FV rejects the historic, confessional use of metonymy (in Calvin’s terms) when discussing the sacraments (see HC Q/A 78 and WCF 27.2 for example). Also, it is quite annoying to flip back and forth between the pages and the endnotes – footnotes would have been better.

In summary, this book is excellent. I plead with all confessional Reformed and Presbyterian pastors, elders, and laypeople to read this book. The FV uses biblical language and Reformed terminology, so we need to be equipped to meet them biblically, confessionally, hermeneutically, and even linguistically to show people in our churches the daunting errors the FV advocates. Waters’ book is one tool to help us stand squarely on the shoulders of our Reformed forefathers.