Danny Olinger, John Muether, Darryl Hart, and Camden Bucey explore the life and legacy of J. Gresham Machen, discussing Richard E. Burnett’s provocative book, Machen’s Hope: The Transformation of a Modernist in the New Princeton. Burnett seeks to reframe Machen as both modern and orthodox, portraying him as a “conservative modernist” who employed modern intellectual methods while remaining firmly committed to Reformed theology. This episode critically examines Burnett’s thesis and evaluates its contribution to understanding Machen’s theological and historical significance.

While Burnett rightly highlights Machen’s struggles in Germany and at Princeton, the panel critiques his use of terms like “modern” and “modernist,” noting they often diverge from Machen’s own vocabulary and theological focus. They emphasize that even the younger Machen remained theologically orthodox and discerning of heterodoxy, as seen in his critiques of figures like his professor Wilhelm Herrmann.

Furthermore, the panel questions Burnett’s emphasis on Machen’s early crises over his later, defining contributions—such as founding Westminster Seminary and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church—arguing that this framing risks downplaying Machen’s lifelong theological battle against liberalism, which he saw as denying God’s direct intervention in history and thus undermining the gospel.

This episode sheds light on Machen’s enduring legacy and his vital contributions to Reformed orthodoxy. Overall, the panelists contend that Machen’s hope was centered on God’s supernatural action in history, a hope Machen famously summarized in his final words: “So thankful for active obedience of Christ. No hope without it.”

Links

• D. G. Hart, Defending the Faith: J. Gresham Machen and the Crisis of Conservative Protestantism in Modern America
• Ned B. Stonehouse, J. Gresham Machen: A Biographical Memoir
• The Presbyterian Conflict
• D. G. Hart and John Muether, Fighting the Good Fight: A Brief History of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church
• Richard E. Burnett, Machen’s Hope: The Transformation of a Modernist in the New Princeton

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:05:00 Machen’s Significance
• 00:25:13 Machen’s Family Background
• 00:41:44 Machen at Marburg
• 00:48:31 Machen, Vos, and History
• 00:54:54 Machen’s Mentors
• 01:05:28 Assessing Machen
• 01:20:53 Conclusion

This is the eighth lesson in Rev. Robert Arendale’s Reformed Academy course, The Life of Abraham (Genesis 12–25). This lesson covers the following topics:

0:00 Abraham Walking by Faith

3:47 Abraham's Test

13:12 God's Provision of Grace

Register for this free on-demand course on our website to download supplemental materials, track your progress, and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to twenty-two additional five-hour video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedforum.org/courses/the-life-of-abraham-genesis-12-25/

Your donations enable us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you all across the world: https://reformedforum.org/donate/

#Genesis #Bible #reformedtheology

Join Camden Bucey and Ryan Noha as they welcome Dr. Daniel Ragusa, pastor of Messiah Reformed Fellowship in Manhattan, to discuss his new book, Fullness of Joy: A Biblical Theology of God With Us, published by Reformed Forum. In this engaging conversation, Dr. Ragusa dives into the biblical theme of Emmanuel, tracing the promise of “God with us” from Genesis to Revelation, showing how this theme unfolds through the covenantal storyline of Scripture and culminates in Jesus Christ. The book’s ten chapters correspond to a video course now freely available through Reformed Academy, making it ideal for church groups, Bible studies, or personal devotion.

Explore how Dr. Ragusa uses biblical theology to reveal the coherence of Scripture and God’s redemptive plan for His people. From the Garden of Eden, through the patriarchs, tabernacle, and temple, to the final new creation, this episode unpacks how each stage of redemptive history points to Christ, inviting us to find true joy in fellowship with God. Perfect for believers wanting to deepen their understanding of Scripture’s unity and its application to the Christian life, this conversation offers accessible yet profound insights that are as useful for laypeople as they are for church leaders.

Tune in to discover the richness of God’s redemptive historical work and be encouraged to “behold Christ on every page” of the Bible.

Chapters

• 0:07 Introduction
• 14:16 Tracing the Theme of God with Us throughout the Scriptures
• 20:33 True God and True and Righteous Man
• 27:47 Eschatology and Fellowship with God
• 36:18 Deep Biblical Truths for Everyone
• 39:43 Christ Progressively Revealed in All of Scripture
• 46:38 The Tabernacle and Temple
• 54:58 Christ’s Resurrection and the Sending of the Spirit
• 1:02:06 The New Heavens and New Earth
• 1:10:31 Supporting Course Materials
• 1:13:11 Conclusion

This is the seventh lesson in Rev. Robert Arendale’s Reformed Academy course, The Life of Abraham (Genesis 12–25). This lesson covers the following topics:

0:00 A Thematic Survey of Genesis 20

4:36 The Birth of the Promised Seed

13:50 The Protection of the Promised Seed

Register for this free on-demand course on our website to download supplemental materials, track your progress, and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to twenty-two additional five-hour video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedforum.org/courses/the-life-of-abraham-genesis-12-25/

Your donations enable us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you all across the world: https://reformedforum.org/donate/

#Genesis #Bible #reformedtheology

In this episode of Christ the Center, we continue our Vos Group series with an in-depth discussion on Geerhardus Vos’s Biblical Theology, focusing on Jesus’ use of parables and allegories on pages 352–355. Camden Bucey and Lane Tipton explore the unique role of parables in Jesus’ teaching, emphasizing the contrast between parables and allegories and unpacking their function, purpose, and the theological depth within each form.

They also discuss the eschatological significance of the natural-spiritual parallel Vos identifies, highlighting how Jesus’ parables point to a heavenly reality beyond earthly expectations. The conversation also touches on the implications for Christian eschatology and the proper focus of hope within reformed thought.

Join us as we explore the richness of Vos’s thought and its relevance for understanding Jesus’ mission and message. Listen now to deepen your grasp of the parabolic teaching method and its place in Reformed theology, and catch up on past Vos Group episodes.

This week on Theology Simply Profound, Rob and Bob discuss Louis Berkhof’s little book, Summary of Christian Doctrine. On today’s episode, we come to the last section of the Summary, "The Doctrine of the Last Things." Rob and Bob begin to a discuss chapter XXVIII, “Physical Death and the Intermediate State.” What is physical death? Why is there death? What is death for believers?

This is the sixth lesson in Rev. Robert Arendale’s Reformed Academy course, The Life of Abraham (Genesis 12–25). This lesson covers the following topics:

0:00 Abraham's Communion with God

10:25 Abraham's Prayer to God

17:56 God's Judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah

Register for this free on-demand course on our website to download supplemental materials, track your progress, and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to twenty-two additional five-hour video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedforum.org/courses/the-life-of-abraham-genesis-12-25/

Your donations enable us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you all across the world: https://reformedforum.org/donate/

#Genesis #Bible #reformedtheology

In this episode of Christ the Center, Camden Bucey welcomes Dr. Craig Ott, professor of Mission and Intercultural Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, for an in-depth discussion on the intersection of global missions, cultural engagement, and theological education. Dr. Ott shares his experiences in church planting across Germany, his insights on missions in Eastern Europe, and the complexities of online theological education. Reflecting on his recent article, “Culture and Online Theological Education: The Democratization of Education or a New Imperialism?“, Dr. Ott explores the opportunities and challenges presented by digital learning platforms, especially in a global context.

The conversation covers topics such as the cultural implications of digital education, the need for contextualized theological training, and the importance of empowering local churches to adapt sound doctrine within their unique cultural settings. Dr. Ott also discusses broader trends in global missions and the impact of diaspora communities.

Listeners interested in missions, intercultural studies, and online theological education will find this episode both insightful and thought-provoking, offering practical wisdom on how the Reformed tradition can effectively engage with the global church.

Links

• Craig Ott, Teaching and Learning across Cultures (Baker Academic)

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:04:01 Dr. Craig Ott’s Background and Experience in Missions
• 00:14:43 The Influence of Digital Cultures
• 00:26:52 Media Ecology, and the Benefits and Detriments of Online Education
• 00:45:04 Cohort Models
• 00:52:45 Diversity in the Body of Christ
• 01:01:33 Current Challenges and Encouraging Aspects of Contemporary Missions
• 01:10:17 Conclusion

This is the fifth lesson in Rev. Robert Arendale’s Reformed Academy course, The Life of Abraham (Genesis 12–25). This lesson covers the following topics:

0:00 Sin's Consequences and God's Compassion

6:10 The Covenantal Context of Genesis

17 9:51 Why does God Give the Sign of the Covenant to Abraham?

13:00 What does the Sign of Circumcision Have in View? 1

6:12 To Whom Is Circumcision to Be Administered?

Register for this free on-demand course on our website to download supplemental materials, track your progress, and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to twenty-two additional five-hour video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedforum.org/courses/the-life-of-abraham-genesis-12-25/

Your donations enable us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you all across the world: https://reformedforum.org/donate/

#Genesis #Bible #reformedtheology

In pp. 77–79 of The Defense of the Faith (first edition), Cornelius Van Til addresses the fundamental differences between Christian and non-Christian perspectives on ethics, particularly focusing on the role of the will of God as foundational to ethical systems. Van Til begins by asserting that God’s will is absolute and self-determinative. God is eternally good, not becoming good through a process, but being so by his very nature. Unlike humans, God does not have to achieve goodness; it is intrinsic to his eternal character. Therefore, God is both absolutely necessary and absolutely free.

Van Til introduces a key distinction between Christian and non-Christian viewpoints. Christians uphold the concept of an absolutely self-determinative God, who is the necessary presupposition for all human activity. Non-Christian ethics, however, assume that if the Christian God were real, he would stifle ethical activity. This is because non-theistic views perceive God and man as having wills conditioned by an environment, implying that God must also achieve goodness through a process.

Van Til critiques Platonic philosophy, noting that Plato’s conception of “the Good” was ultimate, but his god was not. For Plato, “the Good” was abstract and separated from a fully personal God, leaving the ultimate reality as dependent on the element of Chance. Thus, even if Plato spoke of the Good, it was not self-determined or sovereign in the Christian sense. Modern idealist philosophers tried to build on Platonic thought by proposing an “absolutely self-determinative Experience,” but ultimately failed, according to Van Til, because they made God dependent on the space-time universe, blending time and eternity. As a result, God became dependent on external processes rather than being sovereign over them.

The core ethical difference between Christianity and non-Christian systems is the acceptance or rejection of an ultimately self-determinative God. Van Til argues that without the presupposition of God as absolute, there can be no coherent or purposeful human experience, including ethics. The absolute sovereignty of God is not a hindrance to human responsibility but rather its foundation.

Van Til makes a point to distinguish Christian doctrine from philosophical determinism. While both affirm necessity, philosophical determinism is impersonal, suggesting that everything is determined by blind, impersonal forces. Christianity, in contrast, asserts that the ultimate reality is personal; God’s sovereign will underlies the possibility of genuine human freedom and responsibility.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:05:31 Ethics and the Christian Philosophy of Reality
• 00:11:45 The Christian Conception of God
• 00:18:02 The Absolute Contrast between Christian and Non-Christian Ethics
• 00:29:48 Contrasts with Platonism
• 00:47:18 Contrast with Idealism
• 00:52:10 The Central Ethical Distinction
• 00:55:22 Contrast with Philosophical Determinism
• 01:05:11 Conclusion

This week on Theology Simply Profound, Rob and Bob discuss Louis Berkhof’s little book, Summary of Christian Doctrine. On today’s episode, we continue our discussion of chapter XXVII, “The Lord’s Supper.” We talk about a variety of different matters, including where the body of Christ is currently and where Jesus is during the celebration of the Lord's Supper.