It is for Professors to Teach and Students to Learn
My antediluvian notion is that professors should teach because students need to learn.
“Welcome to History 101, Western Civilization. This is not high school. You will be here on time and in your seats before I begin lecturing which will be promptly at eight o’clock. Unendurable pain and distress are the only acceptable reasons for leaving class during my lectures. My hours are on my office door located... Continue Reading
Apologetics: Answering Alan Alda – The Evidence for God Is Overwhelming But Sinners Suppress It
“I haven’t come across any evidence for God.”
I wonder what Alda would consider to be admissible and adequate evidence for God? Perhaps first-hand sight of a miracle or a personal experience of hearing God’s audible voice? The reality, however, is that Alda has come across multiple evidence for God in the course of his life. The problem is not a lack of... Continue Reading
Dr. Lane G. Tipton Appointed as Fellow of Biblical and Systematic Theology
Dr. Tipton’s 15-year tenure at Westminster Seminary has ended; he has been appointed as Fellow of Biblical and Systematic Theology with the Reformed Forum.
On behalf of Reformed Forum, I am pleased to announce that our Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Lane G. Tipton as Fellow of Biblical and Systematic Theology. While he was already a member of our faculty, in this new role, Dr. Tipton will be devoting more of his time to theological writing and teaching... Continue Reading
Mikael Agricola and the Reformation in Finland
Agricola is mostly remembered as the father of Finnish orthography and literature.
In introducing the Reformation to Finland, Agricola followed Luther’s example of moderation, aiming at explaining the changes rather than forcing them on the population. For example, he included in his Prayer Book the Ave Maria, but only as angelic salutation and song of praise about what God had done. He emphasized this with a strong... Continue Reading
Robert Barnes – Early English Reformer
He is considered one of the main protagonists of the early English Reformation.
In 1530, Barnes published (under the Latin pseudonym Antonius Anglus) a compilation of quotations from the Bible and the writings of past theologians (from the church fathers to his time) to demonstrate that the doctrines taught by Luther were firmly rooted in both Scriptures and tradition. The book, entitled Sentenciae ex doctoribus collectae, quas papistae valde impudenter... Continue Reading
Jonathan Edwards on Egoism
Isn’t that the great aim of modern Church culture — to destroy man’s love for himself?
So Christians, you think that Christianity is opposed to man ultimately ‘loving himself’ and ‘loving his own happiness’? Well, Jonathan Edwards (for one) disagrees with you. In fact, not only does he disagree with you, but he implicitly condemns you as a destroyer of mankind. It is not contrary to Christianity that a man... Continue Reading
Theodulf of Orleans – Poet and Theologian in the Carolingian Court
Theodulf’s poetic works were highly valued in his time.
Today, only one of Theodulf’s poems is still well-known, even though the author is seldom remembered. Translated into English by the 19th-century Anglican clergyman John Mason Neale, “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” has become a favorite hymn for Palm Sunday. The circumstances that led to the writing of this hymn are not clear. Many believe... Continue Reading
Bonding Over Spurgeon: A Model Friendship for Young Men
Young male friendships have always been important, perhaps especially in today's culture.
From that moment, John and Lawrence, who was one year younger, became close friends. Lawrence had grown up mostly unengaged in matters of faith, but a Baptist friend had invited him to some evangelistic meetings, which he attended. There, the thing that impressed Lawrence most of all was the seriousness his peers seemed to have... Continue Reading
Bavinck’s Cultural Moment
Bavinck has of late become the Reformed theologian of the English-speaking world.
Regarding his cultural moment, Bavinck noticed in his era an “aversion to the common, Christian faith.” For this reason, he suggested that “before all else, what strikes us in the modern age is the internal discord that consumes the self.” Denying the fact of humanity’s subordination to God, of our standing as creatures before the... Continue Reading
The Wonderful Works of God
For Bavinck, every endeavor, including the most mundane, is an occasion to praise God’s name.
Bavinck’s life as a theological titan began modestly. Born on December 13, 1854, in Hoogeveen, the Netherlands, he grew up (and remained) a loyal son of the marginalized Reformed community that stemmed from an ecclesiastical separation known as the Afscheiding. Bavinck’s father, the deeply pious Rev. Jan Bavinck, played a prominent role in the dissenting denomination,... Continue Reading
