Beyond the Salvation Wars
Why Both Protestants and Catholics Must Reimagine How We Are Saved
by Matthew W. Bates
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Pub Date 11 Mar 2025 | Archive Date 4 Apr 2025
Baker Academic & Brazos Press | Brazos Press
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Description
Bates offers a new model, encouraging Protestants and Catholics toward long-term unity. But his proposal contains strong medicine: it doesn't sugarcoat current Protestant and Catholic errors but diagnoses with precision for the future health of the church.
By using accessible writing and stories, Bates shows what Scripture teaches about baptism, election, regeneration, assurance, and justification. A companion to his previous book, Gospel Allegiance: What Faith in Jesus Misses for Salvation in Christ, this book will appeal to those who want to discover core truths about how we are saved--for their personal journey as well as for final Christian unity. A discussion guide with questions for classes and groups will be available.
Advance Praise
“It is easy to critique other people’s theologies, but are we also willing to carefully examine and critique our own? This book brings the central belief about the kingship of the crucified and risen Jesus to the center of the salvation wars, and it invites us to reconsider justification, works, baptism, election, and more. Bates is an equal opportunity offender, but all for the good purpose of turning us back to Scripture to reconsider the true gospel and our allegiance to the king.”—Nijay K. Gupta, Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary
“Matthew Bates offers a courageous proposal for a rapprochement between Catholics and Protestants on what it means to be saved. He looks for a way forward amid differences on election, baptism, justification, and assurance. A bold proposal for healing a rift in the church that is now nearly five hundred years old! At the very least, a great way to start conversations between Protestants and Catholics on finding a way forward toward unity.”—Michael F. Bird, deputy principal, Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia
“This discussion of King Jesus theology is a foundation for future disciple-making conversations. It is a bold theological proposal that challenges both Protestants and Catholics. It reflects the best current scholarship on the gospel, faith, baptism, and embodied obedience. I commend it as a must-read for scholars, Bible students, and disciple-making leaders.”—Bobby Harrington, pastor, author, and CEO of renew.org and discipleship.org
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781540961730 |
| PRICE | US$21.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 288 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 1281795
Another strong entry in Bates' catalogue of books about the Gospel, salvation, and allegiance. The discussion between protestant and catholic views is especially helpful
(I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
William D, Reviewer
Matthew Bates does it again! Beyond The Salvation Wars: Why Both Protestants and Catholics Must Reimagine How We Are Saved is a welcomed addition to Bates’s collection of vitally important work for the church and the Kingdom. In a very practical and approachable way, Bates unpacks some of the most difficult and divisive arguments concerning salvation, justification, baptism, and more. Having read Gospel Allegiance, Why the Gospel?, The Gospel Precisely, and Salvation by Allegiance Alone I opened this book expecting to simply rehash some of the previously explored material, but I was pleasantly surprised with Bate’s new angle and approach to fully exploring these long-debated issues with a focus, not toward further division, but toward unity. Get a pen, notepad, and fresh highlighter ready, because this is a book you’ll return to again and again as a wonderful source for understanding salvation according to Scripture. I highly recommend this book!
Douglas L, Reviewer
Matthew Bates is a New Testament scholar to whom I pay very careful attention. His writing is deeply reasoned, biblical, and challenging, and this book is no exception. No one is safe here. While broadly supportive and honoring of both sides of the divide, Protestants and Catholics alike will feel the heat of his critique!
Twenty years ago, Bates' thesis would have sparked an agitated and unhelpful exchange. However, I believe the current environment is much more open. I also think there are far fewer hardened Piper, MacArthur, and "Young, Restless, and Reformed" enthusiasts on the Protestant side who would strongly object to Bates' arguments.
The author provides a helpful summary of his previous work on faith as allegiance and an explication of the Gospel. He then uses this context to examine how Protestants and Catholics view the Gospel and salvation. I recommend this book to everyone interested in the theology of salvation. It is deep water so approach with an open heart and engaged mind!
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