In Calvin and the Reformed Tradition, Richard Muller builds on and reinforces his argument in previous publications that the Reformed tradition was a complex, diverse, and variegated movement which did not develop solely in relationship to the thought of John Calvin. The specific contribution of this volume is its focus on the development of four doctrines particularly associated with Reformed soteriology: the extent of the atonement, the order of salvation, union with Christ, and assurance of salvation. While he more frequently and substantially refutes the “Calvin against the Calvinists” master narrative, Muller also establishes that the notion of a uniform Reformed tradition in continuity with Calvin is equally flawed. In clarifying what has been dubbed the “Muller thesis,” he emphasizes that the ongoing “reappraisal” of the Reformed tradition argues that any continuity between the reformers and the Reformed was accompanied by change and development which resulted in breadth and diversity. Therefore, there cannot be “a single all-embracing thesis” (34).

The first two chapters of this work establish the current state of the conversations and the methodological approach throughout each essay. Here Muller contends for the use of the term “Reformed” rather than “Calvinist” in order to avoid the incorrect view that Reformed thought should be compared to Calvin alone. He also points out inevitable problems in the use of the term “Calvinist” that result either in Calvin being the only Calvinist or in a specific anachronistic reduction of Reformed thought (such as TULIP or predestination). These chapters reiterate that the Reformed tradition was diverse from its beginning, that it drew from numerous prior voices, and that it developed in different ways based on different contexts, debates, and dialogues.

The meat of the book is found in the six chapters where Muller utilizes his comparative methodology to make detailed analysis and argumentation on doctrines related to the extent of the atonement (chapters 3, 4, and 5) and the application of the atonement (chapters 6, 7, and 8). In each chapter he identifies the continuity, change, and development on these topics as they were articulated by Calvin, some of Calvin's predecessors and contemporaries, and some later Reformed theologians. To bring clarity to each topic, Muller sets each discussion in its historical context; provides a framework to consider the actual issues relevant to the specific doctrine; and specifies the language that Calvin used in comparison to the language which developed later (for example, “limited atonement,” “hypothetical universalism,” “practical syllogism”, and TULIP). He utilizes a variety of primary sources, including various editions of the Institutes, other theological works, sermons (including an “as yet unrecovered sermon” on Ezekiel 18:23), and commentaries by Calvin, as well as these types of works, catechisms, confessions, and correspondence by numerous other theologians, such as Vermigli, Laski, Viret, Bullinger, Beza, Hyperius, Ursinus, Zanchi, Du Moulin, Davenant, Olevianus, Perkins, and many others. He pays special attention to the type of literature in which views were expressed to highlight that the choice of topics, level of detail, kinds of arguments, and order of topics differed in works intended for popular or academic audiences. At the end of each chapter, Muller offers a conclusion that summarizes his investigation and analysis.

Specifically on the extent of the atonement, Muller compares the teachings of Moïse Amyraut, Pierre Du Moulin, and John Davenant with Calvin to show the diversity and development of “hypothetical universalism” in the changing contexts of debates in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. He concludes that Amyraut was incorrect in his claim to follow Calvin on this issue, and yet at the same time demonstrates that both Du Moulin and Davenant expressed differing forms of hypothetical universalism. These conclusions affirm that Calvin's exegesis cannot be used as the foundation for either hypothetical universalism or a definitively particularistic view. Similarly, in the final three chapters, Muller compares how Calvin and many other commentators exegeted specific biblical texts relevant to the doctrines of union with Christ, the causality of salvation, and the assurance of salvation, especially Romans 8:1 and 8:28–30 (later called the “Golden Chain”). He establishes that union with Christ was never understood in opposition to an order of salvation, and that while there were varying emphases on good works for assurance of salvation, the formulation of a practical syllogism was never separated from looking to Christ.

Muller convincingly substantiates the complexity and development of these doctrines in the Reformed tradition, refuting any simple narrative about Calvin and Reformed orthodoxy. The carefulness and clarity in this work presents an outstanding example of historical research. However, the degree of contempt expressed in his critique of other scholars, such as Julie Canlis, Charles Partee, Brian Armstrong, Basil Hall, and others, seems unnecessary for the very reason that his work is so convincing. This is the primary drawback. While there are several editorial and typographical mistakes in one of the chapters, and it is odd that only some (seemingly random) sections provide the Latin in footnotes, these deficiencies do not compare to the fervor with which Muller castigates those with whom he disagrees. Similarly, although there is a significant degree of repetition (which Muller notes is inevitable), this is understandable given the nature of a collection of essays, and makes it possible to utilize individual chapters.

The big question that Muller leaves unaddressed is what one can do with these historical conclusions for theology today. In his quest to avoid the dogmatic readings and theological generalizations evident in his opponents (and as he admits, in one of his own previous books), he insists on a separation between the work of a historian and a theologian. This does not help one address, for example, how the development of this complex Reformed tradition speaks to Baptists today who self-identify as “Reformed” or “Calvinist.”

Without a doubt, Calvin and the Reformed Tradition must be consulted by anyone seriously studying John Calvin, his legacy, or the Reformation and Post-Reformation eras. For those who have read previous works by Muller, the overall arguments, methodology, and conclusions will not be new. For those unfamiliar with the current scholarly conversations or even some of the theological nuances on these doctrines, it would be difficult to utilize this book in any kind of introductory setting. However, this book adds a substantial depth to the overall reappraisal of the Reformed tradition with its focus on these specific doctrines, and it offers strong, clarifying essays that have significant value for the study of these doctrines as well.