Christ, Baptism and the Lord's Supper: Recovering the Sacraments for Evangelical Worship

Vander Zee, a Christian Reformed pastor in Indiana has produced a fine introduction to the sacraments. Vander Zee issued a challenge which caused me to sit up straight as I read it, "...I firmly believe that there is a discernable thread of common understanding in the New Testament that flows, in turn, into the life and practices of the early church. I also beleive that all of the us, Catholics and Protestants, Baptists and Reformed, do in fact share 'one Lord, one faith, one baptism,' as Paul says in Ephesians 4.5. We all need to set aside our underlined proof texts, our favorite theologians (tho he does rely heavily upon Calvin but not exclusively by any means), and try to meet together in that biblical center from which all our understandings come, and where they can still converge." (p78)In the preface VZ addresses the correlation between a deficiency in the sacraments and its inevitable impact upon ecclesiology. Following Philip Lee (Against the Protestant Gnostics) he questions the dualism or at worst gnostic tendencies of protestantism which tends to elevate the spiritual and denigrate the material and the body. What struck me was the very physicality of the sacraments.At its heart, VZ locates the sacraments in their proper place deriving their "meaning from Christ and that is is Christ who through them, by the Holy Spirit, unites us to himself." (p.11)

Vander Zee offers a well written, resourceful and convincing book on the rightful and important place of baptism and the Lord's Supper in contemporary worship and Christian lives. He helpfully defines the sacraments and provides historical viewpoints, background and the theology behind them. He focuses on Baptism and the Lord's Supper and explains their significance and their cohesion with the Lord and the Word. He continuously refers to Scripture, the early church Fathers and the reformers to show the place of the sacraments in church tradition. He relies heavily on Calvin but also includes references to Luther and others. He shows that patterns of church worship or teaching that do not give sacraments their rightful place is innovative and not at all in line with orthodox, traditional Spirit-inspired Christianity. Vander Zee calls his understanding of the sacraments "thoroughly biblical, Reformed and evangelical."This is an excellent introduction and full account of the sacraments. I recommend it for all readers.Craig Stephans, author of  Shakespeare On Spirituality: Life-Changing Wisdom from Shakespeare's Plays

A worthwhile purchase for all serious minded Christians regarding historical use of Liturgy.

VanderZee's work is important and presents the best resource that I've encountered (so far) on how the Reformed tradition understands the Christian mandates of Baptism and the Lord's Table.

This is one of the best books that I have read about the Lord's Supper. A lot of good insights

This book was recommended to me by an Anglican deacon (now priest) and I am very impressed by it. In fact, I believe it to present the best theology of the sacraments I have read thus far.Leonard Vander Zee admittedly comes from a Reformed perspective and so he favours infant baptism and relies heavily upon the use of John Calvin in his understanding of the sacraments, particularly the Lord's Supper. However, he also draws upon other thinkers, such as the Church fathers (noting Calvin's own debt to the Eastern fathers in his understanding of communion as heavenly participation, where believers are "lifted up" by the Spirit in divine worship of Christ), Catholic theologians, the Reformers and particularly among modern theologians, T.F. Torrance. Despite his own theological loyalties, Vander Zee is diligently respectful of other traditions, clearly explaining the reasons why Roman Catholics believe in transubstantiation (his contrast of Platonic vs. Aristotelian thinking is extremely helpful) and why many evangelicals hold to believer's baptism as well as laying out a understanding of the sacraments he believes is biblically and theologically faithful (e.g. for instance, he cites Calvin's concern regarding the "real presence" of the Eucharist that it did not properly honour Jesus' humanity if his physical presence is scattered all over time and space while his physical body ascended only once - as we await his return). While Vander Zee disagrees with certain traditions and thinkers, he notes that in many cases they altered course with the best of intentions (e.g. the use of grape juice to replace wine in the Lord's Supper for fears of intoxication).Vander Zee structures the book by lamenting how the practice of the sacraments among evangelicals have languished (chiding churches for serving communion only once in a blue moon) and by setting up Jesus Christ as the ultimate sacrament. He spends the rest of the book discussing baptism and the Lord's Supper, starting with their Biblical background and then explaining practice and any changes to the practice that have since occurred.This book certainly provides food for thought!

This is the best resource I have found thus far that brings biblical theology, systematic theology, historical theology and pastoral theology to bear upon the question of sacraments. The author is a skilled writer and develops his argument clearly and winsomely and positions it in its contemporary context. Being a pastor himself, he does not hesitate to include personal testimonies regarding the sacraments. Though his arguments are from a Reformed standpoint, he demonstrates a keen insight into the differing views. He also attempts to forge a way forward for ecumenical dialogue and acceptance, if not unity. Indeed, he shows us how to understand, articulate and hold the Reformed view on the sacraments humbly and in an informed way. Most importantly, Van Der Zee attempts, and ably so, to help the church recover the significance, restore the frequency and revitalize the experience of the sacraments. Must read not only for all Christian ministers and elders but also valuable for the entire church.