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Reviewed by:
  • The Theology of John Duns Scotus, Studies in Reformed Theology Series by Antonie Vos
  • William Crozier (bio)
Antonie Vos, The Theology of John Duns Scotus, Studies in Reformed Theology Series, Vol. 34 (Leiden-Boston: Brill, 2018). Pp. viii- 455. Paperback. ISBN: 978-90-04-35737-2

As even a cursory glance at the available secondary literature on John Duns Scotus reveals, when compared to the thought of other scholastics such as Aquinas and Bonaventure, there exists a notable dearth of introductory and advanced literature on the thought of the Subtle Doctor. Apart from the early studies of C. R. S. Harris and Efrem Bettoni published during the 1920's and 50's, up until the last few decades the English-speaking student has had little material to choose from when seeking to gain a foothold within the Scotist tradition. Coupled with the notable lack of any substantial English translations of Scotus's own works – most notably his Ordinatio, Lectura, and Reportatio Parisiensis –, this dearth of an up-to-date corpus of secondary literature which has characterised much of Scotus studies during the last century surely explains some of the illiteracy and misunderstandings concerning Scotist theology and philosophy which have taken root within recent theological conversations.

Over the last twenty years, however, a slow but steady stream of English studies have emerged on Scotus's thought, helping to generate a new wave of interest in the Subtle Doctor. One need only think of the important, though often challenging, contributions made to Scotus studies by Richard Cross; particularly, the latter's well received Duns Scotus on God (2005) and his more recent: The Theory of Cognition According to Duns Scotus (2014). Beyond this, recent literature aimed more at introducing a new generation students to Scotus, has included several important offerings by Mary Beth Ingham; namely, her The Philosophical Vision of John Duns Scotus (2004) and Scotus for Dunces (2003). This is to say nothing of the much-anticipated translation of Etienne Gilson's influential Jean Duns Scot: as part of the Illuminating Modernity Series which will be available to the scholarly community by the time this review is in print. To this list of recent works, however, must now be added one further and highly important study: Antonie Vos' The Theology of John Duns Scotus (Leiden-Boston: [End Page 281] Brill, 2018) published as part of the Studies in Reformed Theology series.

A valuable, highly insightful study which has much to offer both established academics and students alike, Vos's work follows on from his earlier The Philosophy of Duns Scotus (Leiden: Brill, 2006) and is designed to offer a systematic and readily accessible introduction into the main areas of the Subtle Doctor's theology. Taking full advantage of the recently completed critical editions of Scotus' Ordinatio and Lectura, Vos's book touches upon the majority of key areas within the Scotist synthesis. After an informative introductory chapter which contains a by no means insignificant number of perceptive observations on the dating of several of Scotus' works, and the importance which this has for our understanding of his theological development, Vos proceeds to consider in the following chapters eight pivotal areas of Duns' theology. Namely, his doctrines of the Trinity, Incarnation, creation, ethics, justification, predestination, and sacraments. Finally, he summarizes his findings in each of these areas with a systematic analysis of how each offers us the prospect of a 'theology in a new key' – one which Vos believes holds much potential not only for contemporary systematic theology, but also and perhaps more crucially, dialogue between the Catholic and Reformed traditions.

As the principle member of the Scotus Research Group at Leuven's Evangelical Theological Faculty, Vos' own background within the Dutch Reformed tradition, and his explicit desire to bring Scotus into conversation with the Reformers, both Lutheran and Calvinist, is undoubtedly one of the most interesting and appealing features of his work. Vos' familiarity with Reformed theology, allows him to highlight those areas of the Scotist synthesis which, despite their overtly 'scholastic' framework, nonetheless speak to the concerns of the Reformed tradition, particularly with regards to the Catholic understanding of grace and God's causal agency within the sacraments...

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