In this episode, Camden Bucey and Marcus Mininger reflect together on Resurrection and Redemption by Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.—a work that has profoundly shaped Reformed biblical theology over the past half century. Rather than offering a technical review, the conversation unfolds as a guided meditation on the book's central claim: that Christ's resurrection is not a theological afterthought but the controlling center of Paul's soteriology and eschatology. Gaffin's careful exegesis helps readers see how redemption is inseparable from resurrection life in union with the risen Christ.
This discussion is part of Reformed Forum's broader effort to offer conversational commentaries on formative Reformed texts—books that have formed us as pastors and theologians. Bucey and Mininger highlight why Resurrection and Redemption remains so enduringly fruitful: it teaches the church to think biblically about salvation, not as a static transaction, but as participation in the resurrected life of Christ. The result is theology that serves the pulpit, strengthens assurance, and orients the Christian life toward the hope of glory already secured in the risen Lord.
ChaptersThis is the sixth lesson in Dr. James Cassidy's Reformed Academy course, The Doctrine of the Church. This lesson covers the following topics:
00:00 The Structure of Church Government: Preliminary Considerations
11:32 The Elders: Preliminary Considerations
15:40 Presbuteroi
28:08 How Many Offices?
34:05 Overseers (Episkopos)
37:03 The Deacons
Register for this free on-demand course on our website to track your progress and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to dozens of additional video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedacademy.org/course/do...
Your donations help us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you worldwide: https://reformedforum.org/donate/
#church #reformed #presbyterian #ecclesiology #reformedtheology
Dr. C. N. Willborn, pastor of Covenant PCA in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, speaks about the life, ministry, and enduring theological legacy of John Lafayette Girardeau—a figure often hidden in the shadow of Thornwell and Dabney, yet towering in pastoral warmth, covenant theology, and confessional clarity. Girardeau emerges as a remarkably gifted scholar, a pastor deeply loved by both enslaved and free Black congregants, and a theologian who married doctrinal precision with heartfelt pastoral care. Through stories of his early intellectual formation, his ministry at Zion Presbyterian Church, his courageous stand against segregation in 1874, and his role in shaping debates on adoption, the will, worship, and evolution controversies, listeners gain a moving portrait of a man captivated by Christ and devoted to the communion of the saints.
This episode invites us to look beyond caricatures of Southern Presbyterianism and see a pastor who was shaped by his Huguenot and Scottish heritage, attentive to the spiritual well-being of the marginalized, and unwavering in his conviction that the church must be governed by Scripture and formed by a robust federal theology. Girardeau's story not only expands our understanding of American Presbyterian history—it encourages believers today to pursue ministry marked by doctrinal fidelity, Christ-centered preaching, and sacrificial love.
ChaptersThis is Christ the Center episode 940 (https://www.reformedforum.org/ctc940)
This is the fifth lesson in Dr. James Cassidy's Reformed Academy course, The Doctrine of the Church. This lesson covers the following topics:
00:00 Church Power is Suasive, not Coercive
15:21 Church Power is Service, not Domination
19:01 Church Power is Spiritual, not Carnal
23:00 Church Power is Ministerial, not Magisterial
26:17 Church Power is Declarative, not Legislative
28:18 Church Power is Derived, not Original
30:40 The Spirituality of the Church
Register for this free on-demand course on our website to track your progress and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to dozens of additional video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedacademy.org/course/do...
Your donations help us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you worldwide: https://reformedforum.org/donate/ #church #reformed #presbyterian #ecclesiology #reformedtheology
As Christ the Center closes out another year of weekly theological conversation, this special episode reflects on God's faithfulness throughout 2025 by revisiting the most-watched and most-listened-to episodes of the year. Drawing from YouTube engagement, Camden Bucey highlights ten conversations that resonated deeply with listeners—spanning biblical exegesis, redemptive-historical interpretation, Trinitarian theology, apologetics, and pastoral formation. Together, these clips showcase the breadth of Reformed Forum's work: rigorous scholarship, confessional clarity, and a steady commitment to Christ-centered interpretation of Scripture.
The episode also celebrates significant ministry milestones: thousands of students served through Reformed Academy, international reading cohorts across six continents, new books published, and the largest theology conference in Reformed Forum's history. Framed by the theme "Growing Together into Christ" (Ephesians 4:15–16), this highlights episode not only looks back with gratitude but looks forward with confidence—inviting listeners to partner in the ongoing work of theological education for the church worldwide.
ChaptersParticipants: Bill Dennison, Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Danny Olinger, David Saxton, Greg Beale, J. Brandon Burks, Jim Cassidy, Lane G. Tipton, Marcus Mininger, Robert Letham
This is Christ the Center episode 939 (https://www.reformedforum.org/ctc939)
This is the fourth lesson in Dr. James Cassidy's Reformed Academy course, The Doctrine of the Church. This lesson covers the following topics:
00:00 Christ, the Only Head of the Church
10:16 The Keys of the Kingdom: Preliminary Considerations
17:24 The Keys of the Kingdom: The View of Rome
19:50 The Keys of the Kingdom: The Reformed View
Register for this free on-demand course on our website to track your progress and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to dozens of additional video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedacademy.org/course/do...
Your donations help us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you worldwide: https://reformedforum.org/donate/
#church #reformed #presbyterian #ecclesiology #reformedtheology
In this conversation from Austin, Jim Cassidy, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey reflect on the abiding value of the Westminster Shorter Catechism as a tool for cultivating a God-centered, covenantally rich, and confessionally rooted Christian life. The discussion highlights Jim's new book, Introducing the Faith: A Study of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which serves as a written complement to his two free Reformed Academy courses through which he teaches the Shorter Catechism (Questions 1–38 and Questions 39–106). Together, the hosts trace their own histories with the Standards, demonstrating how catechesis shapes believers in the chief end of man—to glorify and enjoy God forever. They also explore how the catechism's covenant theology anchors the church in biblical teaching, safeguarding the glory of God amid contemporary pressures.
The discussion turns to the weighty task of confessional subscription—its history, responsibilities, and the risks of revision. With pastoral clarity and historical attentiveness, the hosts encourage churches and teachers to handle their confessions with both gratitude and vigilance. The episode concludes with a look at the ongoing mission of Reformed Academy and the resources being developed to strengthen the church in catechesis and confessional fidelity.
ChaptersParticipants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy, Lane G. Tipton
This is the third lesson in Dr. James Cassidy's Reformed Academy course, The Doctrine of the Church. This lesson covers the following topics:
00:00 The Attributes of the Church: The Church as Catholic
05:18 The Attributes of the Church: The Church as Apostolic
12:53 The Marks of the Church: The Faithful Proclamation of the Word
18:46 The Marks of the Church: The Correct Administration of the Sacraments
22:06 The Marks of the Church: The Exercise of Church Discipline
Register for this free on-demand course on our website to track your progress and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to dozens of additional video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedacademy.org/course/do...
Your donations help us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you worldwide: https://reformedforum.org/donate/
#church #reformed #presbyterian #ecclesiology #reformedtheology
In this installment of Vos Group, Camden Bucey and Lane Tipton explore pages 392–395 of Geerhardus Vos's Biblical Theology and his rich, God-centered understanding of righteousness within the kingdom of God. They emphasize that true righteousness is never a human-centered moral construct but is rooted entirely in the character, will, and sovereign rule of the triune God. Vos contrasts biblical righteousness with pagan and modern distortions that treat ethics as merely horizontal or civic. Instead, righteousness is what agrees with, pleases, and exists for God—meaning believers live every moment coram Deo, before His face, in covenant fellowship.
The episode also unpacks how righteousness relates organically to the coming of God's kingdom: it is concurrent with God's reign, a gift worked by the Spirit, and graciously rewarded for Christ's sake. Camden and Lane draw out the pastoral comfort that Christ—who possesses unlimited dominion—reigns not only from heaven but also within the hearts of His people. This kingdom reality transforms daily obedience into worship, participation in God's redemptive purposes, and hopeful anticipation of our final inheritance in Him.
ChaptersParticipants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton