Review: Conceived By The Holy Spirit: The Virgin Birth In Scripture and Theology By Rhyne R. Putman

by on February 12, 2026 | Comment

Christ is the heart of the Christian faith. God the Son became incarnate. In assuming a true human nature, God the Son is the man Jesus Christ. His work for our salvation is all-encompassing of every moment of his incarnation. Reformed churches have thought long and hard about the nature of his work as our mediator. The church holistically has given great reflection to the dynamics of God the Son assuming our nature, which has been encapsulated in ecumenical statements such as the Definition of Chalcedon. Even with this reflection on the Son’s incarnation as a key feature of Christian doctrine, one facet of how the Son became incarnate has occupied a special place in ongoing discussion—namely, Christ’s virgin birth.

Rhyne Putman has written a recent and comprehensive treatment of Christ’s virgin birth. This book is packed with insight and helpful material focused on a topic that is important but often lacks discussion that is both interesting and orthodox. Classic works on this topic, such as J. Gresham Machen’s contribution, still have their place. More can certainly be said than this book addresses. Nevertheless, this volume should be a first stop for this topic.

Putman’s theological precision shows in his making the issue most in focus for this discussion, Christ’s virgin conception. When compared with virgin birth, the phrase virgin conception highlights the more specific issue that the Holy Spirit was the agent of conceiving Christ, according to his human nature, in Mary’s womb while she was still a virgin. The term virgin birth, then, rightly maintains her virgin status until after Christ was born. The focus on conception, however, helpfully draws attention to a more precise question, especially as we need to address it today in light of modern scientific understandings of conception and birth.

This book is wider ranging than simply what Scripture teaches about the virgin conception. The first part of the book examines Scripture passages categorized under various headings as they pertain to the birth narratives. In this respect, Putman explores the whole range of the birth narratives, including preceding and subsequent events to Christ’s conception and birth.

This range of focus could cut both ways for this book’s topic. On the one hand, the biblical-theological approach of working through each passage in the birth narratives results in a seeming lack of focus. It is hard to discern how each chapter furthers any specific thesis. It becomes inductively descriptive rather than argumentative, as we expect in typical monographs.

On the other hand, this book is a one-stop-shop resource for the birth narratives. Putman expertly addresses issues like how the differing accounts in Matthew and Luke hang together without contradiction even though they are not identical. He tackles matters like how to understand Paul’s relative lack of comment about the virgin birth. He gives good explanation about events like Joseph and Mary taking Jesus to Egypt. This book may not rigorously focus on one argument, but it will be essential and highly useful for those who want to do a sermon series on the birth narratives or related topics.

Putman is also good at interpreting these events in light of the whole canon and with a good grasp of typology. He recognizes Christ’s arrival as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and highlights many of these connections about how Christ’s coming was—from the standpoint of Scripture rightly interpreted—the expected high point of the biblical storyline.

I was not clear where he landed in interpreting Isaiah 7:14, which foretold that a virgin would conceive. He outlined the two acceptable views: (1) Isaiah was speaking directly and exclusively about Christ’s virgin conception; and (2) Isaiah foretold the conception of a son in more normal ways in Ahaz’s time who would then have escalated fulfillment in Christ’s virgin birth. Although describing a view at length in fair ways does not amount to endorsement, my impression is that he favored the second view. I am not convinced that the second interpretation is as viable as Putman suggests.

As useful as the exegetical chapters are, the book really picks up speed in the second part regarding theological synthesis. Putman engaged historical issues by quoting from ancient writers throughout his exegetical work. In the theological section, he dives deeper into the historical issues behind the formulation of Christ’s two natures in relation to the virgin birth.

One of Putman’s strengths is answering objections to his position. He responds to liberal rejections of the traditional doctrine of the virgin birth. He also—especially in an appendix—addresses the differences between Protestant and Roman Catholic views of Mary in connection with Christ’s virgin birth. These chapters are each a solid exploration of the virgin birth in the context of classical Christology as well as the implications of the virgin birth.

Overall, this is a useful, engaging, and profitable book. It is a great reference work for considering the passages in the biblical-theological section. It also serves as a good theological treatment of a classic and essential doctrine.

©Harrison Perkins. All Rights Reserved.

Rhyne R. Putman, Conceived by the Holy Spirit: The Virgin Birth in Scripture and Theology (B&H Publishing, 2024).

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