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Reformed Media Review

Reformed Theological Resources

  • John Carrick — Jonathan Edwards and the Immediacy of God

    Jeff Waddington reviews Jonathan Edwards and the Immediacy of God by John Carrick.

    Jonathan Edwards is one of the outstanding figures in the history of the Christian church—he was, quite simply, a man of towering intellect and towering spirituality. But it has been noted, even by his friends and admirers, that his thought is also marked at times by certain idiosyncrasies which inevitably introduce certain complexities into his philosophical-theological system.

    This study contends that the theme of divine immediacy is the controlling theme and the correlating principle within Edwards’s thought. It analyzes the theme of divine immediacy in the thought of Jonathan Edwards under four major heads: creation, the will, ecclesiology, and spiritual experience. Indeed, Dr. Carrick claims that the theme of the immediacy of God is the Ariadne’s thread, which runs with consistency through the multiple aspects of Edwards’s philosophical, theological, ecclesiological, experiential, and homiletical interests.

    But sometimes a man’s strength is also his weakness, and it would appear that Edwards’s profound commitment to the concept and the reality of the immediacy of God entails significant problems for his entire philosophical-theological system. Edwards’s concept of divine immediacy finds its supreme expression, surely, in his doctrine of continuous creation; but is it not the case that this doctrine of continuous creation is in conflict with his determinism, that its tendency is to destroy the moral responsibility of man, and that it makes God both the author and the actor of sin? In short, is it not the case that Edwards’s Ariadne’s thread is, in fact, also his Achilles’ heel?

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction
    00:45 Jonathan Edwards and the Immediacy of God
    04:32 Occasionalism and Continuous Creationism
    10:30 The Context of Edwards’ Theology
    13:52 The Ariadnes Thread of Edwards’ Thought
    17:33 Conclusion

    Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington

    10 November 2021, 5:00 am
  • Cornelis Pronk — A Goodly Heritage

    Jeff Waddington reviews A Goodly Heritage: The Secession of 1834 by Cornelis Pronk.

    In A Goodly Heritage, Cornelis Pronk surveys the history of the Secession of 1834, beginning with the events leading up to this important spiritual movement and subsequently following its long journey through the Netherlands and North America until 1892. He then focuses on a small minority that decided to continue as the original Christian Reformed Church, considering its growth and how it formulated theological positions in relation to several other Reformed denominations. Throughout, special attention is given to the doctrines of covenant, baptism, and the Holy Spirit’s ministry in applying salvation. This work not only explains the concerns of De Cock and other fathers of the Secession. It presses beyond the early years of the reform movement to present a larger picture of the developments of Secession theology and the contributions made by its main representatives.

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction
    00:29 Cornelis Pronk, A Goodly Heritage
    01:41 The Secession of 1834
    10:17 Identifying the True Church
    12:33 Dutch Pietism
    13:39 Dutch Settlement in Pella, Iowa
    14:58 Summary and Conclusion

    Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington

    2 November 2021, 5:07 pm
  • Therefore the Truth I Speak: Scottish Theology, 1500–1700

    Jim Cassidy discusses Therefore the Truth I Speak: Scottish Theology, 1500–1700 by Donald Macleod.

    The Scottish church was forever altered by the arrival of the Reformation in the sixteenth century. Its legacy endured, and provoked a flurry of theological re–examinations which form the foundation for much of our modern understanding of Reformed Theology. In this informed and accessible historical study, Donald MacLeod, one of Scotland’s current leading theologians, looks to the past to assess the impact of prominent theologians of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, always with an eye to demonstrating how their writings speak to contemporary challenges facing the Church today.

    Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

    1 July 2021, 4:00 am
  • Discussing Foundations of Covenant Theology

    Lane Tipton speaks about his new book, Foundations of Covenant Theology, available now through Reformed Forum.

    Drawing from Genesis 1:1 and subsequent biblical revelation, Lane Tipton argues that before creating the visible world, the immutable triune God created a heavenly temple dwelling, filled that heavenly dwelling with the unchanging glory of his Spirit, and sanctified that heavenly dwelling as the realm of everlasting Sabbath rest.

    Adam, as the created image of God and federal head of his posterity, could have advanced through perfect covenantal obedience beyond probation on the mountain of God in earthly Eden into the heavenly dwelling of God in Sabbath rest. This God-centered and heaven-focused theological backdrop enriches our understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ, as the second and last Adam in the covenant of grace, who in his humiliation and exaltation has opened the gates of heavenly paradise for his church.

    Copies are available now.

    Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

    24 June 2021, 4:00 am
  • The Auburn Betrayal

    Camden Bucey speaks about Murray Forst Thompson’s tract, The Auburn Betrayal, which provides historical and theological context for the Auburn Affirmation, an important document in early twentieth-century American Presbyterianism. The tract was published in 1941 by the Committee on Christian Education for the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.

    Participants: Camden Bucey

    10 June 2021, 4:00 am
  • On Our Radar [19 May 21]

    Participants: Camden Bucey, Ryan Noha

    19 May 2021, 4:00 am
  • On Our Radar [12 May 21]

    Participants: Camden Bucey, Ryan Noha

    12 May 2021, 4:00 am
  • Loetscher, The Broadening Church: A Study of Theological Issues in the Presbyterian Church Since 1869

    Camden Bucey and Lane Tipton discuss Lefferts A. Loetscher, The Broadening Church: A Study of Theological Issues in the Presbyterian Church Since 1869 (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1954). This book is indispensable as a thoughtful and well-researched rationale for the reorganization of Princeton Seminary in 1929. It is a history told from the perspective of the mediating conservatives, who viewed Machen and other fundamentalists as “extreme conservatives.”

    From the Publisher:

    The far-reaching social and intellectual changes in the United States since the Civil War have had a definite effect upon the religious thought of American churches. In this volume, a distinguished scholar and theologian has undertaken an inductive study of theological issues in one of the major denominations, the Presbyterian church in the United States of America. Since this church was in the thick of the social and intellectual ferment that changed the living and thinking habits of Americans, much that transpired in it finds broad parallels in other leading American churches. Thus, the story of the Presbyterian church is, in essence, a kind of theological barometer of American history. Avoiding sweeping generalizations, Lefferts A. Loetscher briefly traces the history of the Presbyterian church from its founding by New England Puritans on Long Island in the 1640s to the disruption of 1837 and the “wedding day” of Old School and New School Presbyterians in 1870, following the reunion of 1869. From this point, he examines in detail the development of the church, analyzing the controversies that occurred over the years, interpreting the various theological issues that led to disputes.

    Lefferts A. Loetscher was Professor Emeritus of American Church History at Princeton University. He is the author of A Brief History of the Presbyterians.

    Links

    Participants: Camden Bucey, Lane G. Tipton

    6 May 2021, 6:17 pm
  • Scott Swain, The Trinity

    Jim Cassidy reviews Scott Swain, The Trinity: An Introduction (Crossway)

    From the Publisher

    The Trinity is one of the most essential doctrines of the Christian faith.

    The eternal God existing as three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Spirit—can be difficult to comprehend. While Christians often struggle to find the right words to describe this union, the Bible gives clarity concerning the triune God’s being and activity in nature (creation), grace (redemption), and glory (reward). In this concise volume, theologian Scott Swain examines the doctrine of the Trinity, presenting its biblical foundations, systematic-theological structure, and practical relevance for the church today.

    Scott R. Swain (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) serves as president and James Woodrow Hassell Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. He is the author or editor of several books, including The God of the Gospel and Retrieving Eternal Generation. Scott and his wife, Leigh, reside in Orlando, Florida, with their four children. Swain is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America.

    Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

    29 April 2021, 4:00 am
  • Gerald Bray, The Attributes of God

    Jim Cassidy reviews Gerald Bray, The Attributes of God: An Introduction (Crossway)

    From the Publisher

    How can we (created beings) know God (the Creator)?

    Throughout history, the church has recognized the importance of studying and understanding God’s attributes. As the Creator of all things, God is unique and cannot be compared to any of his creatures, so to know him, believers turn to the pages of Scripture. In The Attributes of God, renowned theologian Gerald Bray leads us on an exploration of God’s being, his essential attributes, his relational attributes, and the relevance of his attributes to our thinking, lives, and worship. As we better understand God’s attributes, we will learn to delight in who God is and how he has made himself known to us in Scripture.

    Gerald Bray (DLitt, University of Paris-Sorbonne) is research professor at Beeson Divinity School and director of research for the Latimer Trust. He is a prolific writer and has authored or edited numerous books, including The Doctrine of God; Biblical Interpretation; God Is Love; and God Has Spoken.

    Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

    22 April 2021, 4:00 am
  • On Our Radar [15 Apr 21]

    The following books are on our radar for April 15, 2021.

    Participants: Camden Bucey, Ryan Noha

    15 April 2021, 4:00 am
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