Reformed Forum » Church History

Revjw’s Book Corner: Hoffecker on Hodge

Jeffrey C. Waddington — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:31:08 +0000

In this 200th year of Princeton Theological Seminary, it seems appropriate to read the latest biography of Charles Hodge penned by Andrew Hoffecker. Charles Hodge: The Pride of Princeton is also the latest entry in the American Reformed Biographies series published by P&R Publishing. Like its predecessors, this volume was a pleasure to read. It has more of the flavor of an intellectual biography than Paul Gutjahr’s Charles Hodge: Guardian of American Orthodoxy published by Oxford University Press. Hoffecker writes sympathetically yet not uncritically of his subject and the issues of the day. At the end of the book I felt, as I did with John Muether’s volume on Cornelius Van Til in the same series, that I did not want to close the covers and leave the presence of a friend. I have personally found this study to be encouraging and inspirational.

Machen’s Letters from WWI

Camden Bucey — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:16:12 +0000

I just received a copy of Barry Waugh’s new book of Machen letters. Letters from the Front: J. Gresham Machen’s Correspondence from World War I (P&R Publishing) looks to be a fascinating collection of letters Machen wrote while serving with the YMCA during the Great War. If you’re at all familiar with this type of work, you’ll know what an incredible service Waugh has done for us in transcribing and editing these letters for our benefit. I hope more volumes of this sort will be available in the future.

We’ll certainly want to treat this in detail on Christ the Center, and I’m sure we’ll have opportunity to explore this significant time in Machen’s life with the usual suspects. But until then, listen to Darryl Hart’s series on Machen or get copies of his books Defending the Faith: J. Gresham Machen and the Crisis of Conservative Protestant and J. Gresham Machen: Selected Shorter Writings.

An Interview with Steve Lawson

Camden Bucey — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 05:00:37 +0000

Andrew Moody sat down with Dr. Steve Lawson at a recent conference for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. This is a fun discussion about exposition, church history, and a host of … Read more→

Debates in 17th Century British Puritanism

Camden Bucey — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:00:49 +0000

Rev. Dr. Mark Jones joins us to speak about diversity and debates within Puritanism. A healthy view of polemics has fallen on hard times, and Dr. Jones reminds us of several fruitful discussions over several issues related to the covenants. Our conversation focuses on the book Drawn into Controversie: Reformed Theological Diversity and Debates Within Seventeenth Century British Puritanism (Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht, 2011), which Mark co-edited with Michael Haykin.

Mark is the minister of Faith Presbyterian Church, a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is also Research Associate in the Faculty of Theology at University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. Mark’s Ph.D. is from Leiden Universiteit (Oct. 2009) and his doctoral dissertation was entitled, “Why Heaven Kissed Earth: The Christology of the Puritan Reformed Orthodox theologian, Thomas Goodwin (1600–1680).”

Charles Hodge: The Pride of Princeton

Camden Bucey — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:00:27 +0000

Dr. W. Andrew Hoffecker describes the life and influence of Charles Hodge, one of the giants of American Presbyterianism. Dr. Hoffecker has written a fantastic biography titled Charles Hodge: Pride of Princeton, which has been published by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing.

The History of the Heidelberg Catechism

Camden Bucey — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:12 +0000

William Boekestein speaks about the history of the Heidelberg Catechism. Rev. Boekestein is pastor of Covenant Reformed Church in Carbondale, PA and the author of The Quest for Comfort: The Story of the Heidelberg Catechism published by Reformation Heritage Books. This wonderful book is written as a way for children to grasp the history behind the catechism, and its illustrations by Evan Hughes bring the book to life.

2011 Confessional Presbyterian Journal

Camden Bucey — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:00:26 +0000

Jim and Camden speak about several new offerings from Naphtali Press. But a majority of the discussion focused on the latest issue of The Confessional Presbyterian Journal. The journal is a substantial volume and well worth the read. Pick up a copy today at cpjournal.com. You can also win a free copy of the journal at Historia Salutis.

The King James Bible

Camden Bucey — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 05:00:13 +0000

Dr. Carl Trueman, Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, describes the historical context leading up to the creation of the King James Bible. This year marks the 400th anniversary of the influential translation, and Dr. Trueman has appeared in a film detailing its birth. The movie, KJB: The Book that Changed the World is wonderfully done. Join us for this fascinating discussion of this incredibly influential translation.

The Critics of Van Til’s Take on Barth

Camden Bucey — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 05:00:32 +0000

Cornelius Van Til was an early and significant critic of Karl Barth, yet many contemporary Barthians reject his criticism. Several contributions in the recent book Karl Barth and American Evangelicalism contain this sentiment. Today, we spend time discussing this topic with Jim Cassidy with the hope of promoting a better understanding of Van Til’s position.

The Theology of Karl Barth

Camden Bucey — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:00:41 +0000

Jim Cassidy speaks about the basic contours of Karl Barth’s theology. Karl Barth and American Evangelicalism, edited by Bruce L. McCormack and Clifford B. Anderson, is a recent contribution to this growing body of scholarship. The volume is compiled from contributions to a 2007 conference sponsored by The Center for Barth Studies at Princeton Theological Seminary and The Karl Barth Society of North America. In this episode, Jim helpfully describes the theology of Karl Barth, this incredibly significant figure.

Van Til, Barth, and American Evangelicalism

Camden Bucey — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 05:00:59 +0000

Darryl G. Hart returns to explore Barthianism in America. Darryl Hart has contributed to Karl Barth and American Evangelicalism, edited by Bruce L. McCormack and Clifford B. Anderson, is an interesting volume, compiled from contributions to a 2007 conference sponsored by The Center for Barth Studies at Princeton Theological Seminary and The Karl Barth Society of North America. Interestingly, several contributions address the subject of Van Til’s pointed critique of the influential theologian. Any student of Van Til is likely to be interested in this new publication and this intriguing discussion with Darryl Hart.

Evangelicals and the Betrayal of American Conservatism

Camden Bucey — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:00:13 +0000

In this episode, Darryl G. Hart speaks about his latest book From Billly Graham to Sarah Palin: Evangelicals and the Betrayal of American Conservatism. Hart argues that evangelicals ought to reclaim the conservatism of decades past as he delves into a number of historical and cultural trends in this engaging discussion.

La théologie Réformée en France

Camden Bucey — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 05:00:11 +0000

In this special episode, Christ the Center welcomes Kim Tran and Yannick Imbert from the Faculté Jean Calvin in Aix-en Provence to speak about the history and current state of Reformed theology in France. This is a fascinating global discussion that spans the Reformation to contemporary philosophers such as Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault.

The Founders of the Free Church of Scotland

Camden Bucey — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 05:00:08 +0000

Christ the Center is very pleased to welcome Sandy Finlayson to the program to discuss his book Unity & Diversity: The Founders of the Free Church of Scotland. Mr. Finlayson is Professor of Theological Bibliography and Director of Library Services at Westminster Theological Seminary. The book is a wonderful perspective to the history of the Free Church as it presents stimulating and readable biographies of many key figures surrounding the founding of the Free Church of Scotland. This discussion is thoroughly enjoyable.

The Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Camden Bucey — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 05:00:15 +0000

Dr. Carl Trueman, Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary, returns to Christ the Center to speak about the republication of his book The Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Dr. Trueman speaks about the abiding significance of the Reformation even today as he adroitly describes its salient features and applies them to the contemporary church. Trueman’s insights are truly a joy to hear.

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church from 1945 to 1990

Camden Bucey — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 05:00:14 +0000

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church was formed in 1936 out of the modernist-fundamentalist controversy at a time when figures such as J. Gresham Machen were struggling with liberal influences at Princeton Seminary and the mainline Presbyterian Church. Much has been written on those early years, but a significant gap in the history persisted until recently. For the OPC’s 75th anniversary, the Committee for the Historian has commissioned two books. The first is a collection of essays edited by John R. Muether and Danny E. Olinger titled Confident of Better Things. The second is Between the Times: The Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Transition 1945-1990 written by Darryl. G. Hart. Hart’s book wonderfully chronicles the OPC during the transition beyond the first generation as the young Reformed denomination sought to find its identity in a changing evangelical world. Today Dr. Hart visits Christ the Center to speak about this important period in American Presbyterianism.

Jonathan Edwards’s Apologetic

Camden Bucey — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 05:00:55 +0000

The Christ the Center panel had the privilege of interviewing Rev. Dr. Robert Davis Smart, senior minister of Christ Church (PCA) in Bloomington, IL, and author of the recently released Jonathan Edwards’s Apologetic for the Great Awakening. This is an excellent study of Edwards’s moderate defense of the First Great Awakening over against the criticisms of the “Old Brick” and future quasi-Unitarian Charles Chauncy. Smart points out that the big question was: Was the awakening a work of the Holy Spirit? Dr. Smart also discusses the relevance of Edwards and revival for today.

Edwards on the Infinite Merit of Christ

Camden Bucey — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 05:00:07 +0000

Dr. Craig Biehl shares his work on Jonathan Edwards’ views pertaining to Christ’s merit. Biehl’s dissertation has been published as a book titled The Infinite Merit of Christ: The Glory of Christ’s Obedience in the Theology of Jonathan Edwards. Biehl and Jeff Waddington speak of the current state of Edwards scholarship and the need for a thorough analysis of Edwards own writings as opposed to studies treating primarily the secondary literature. What a thorough-going study yields is Edwards’s covenant theology and rich understanding of Christ’s work for his people.

As an added bonus toward the end of the episode, Dr. Biehl discusses a short booklet titled What’s in the Box?: The Unreasonable Faith of Atheism and Agnosticism.

The Hypostatic Union

Camden Bucey — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 05:00:17 +0000

Camden Bucey and Jeff Waddington discuss the Council of Chalcedon and its key contribution to orthodox theology – a formulation of the hypostatic union.

Turretin and Right Reason

Camden Bucey — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:39:48 +0000

Jeff Waddington and Camden Bucey speak about Francis Turretin and his insights into the much debated topic of right reason. Theologians have debated the effects of sin upon the mind. In the Reformed world, this debate often centers upon figures such as Charles Hodge and B.B. Warfield of Old Princeton in addition to Abraham Kuyper and Cornelius Van Til. Jeff Waddington brings Francis Turretin’s thoughts into view.

R. L. Dabney

Camden Bucey — Fri, 27 May 2011 04:56:01 +0000

Sean Michael Lucas, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Hattiesburg, MS, speaks about his book Robert Lewis Dabney: A Southern Presbyterian Life. Dr. Lucas also previously taught church history and served as academic dean at Covenant Theological Seminary.

The Clark/Van Til Controversy

Camden Bucey — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 05:00:51 +0000

K. Scott Oliphint explores the issue of divine and human knowledge as it relates to the Clark/Van Til controversy. Dr. Oliphint is Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary and is the author of several books on apologetics including Reasons for Faith and The Battle Belongs to the Lord.

Are All Van Tilians Equal?

Camden Bucey — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 05:00:55 +0000

In this brief episode, Camden Bucey discusses the Van Tilian interpretive tradition. Cornelius Van Til was an influential figure in the development of a distinctively Reformed apologetic. Camden Bucey discusses the issue of divergences in the Van Tilian interpretive tradition. In drawing out the insights of Greg Bahnsen, John Frame, Scott Oliphint, and Lane Tipton, Bucey provides a brief look into the current landscape of Van Tilian apologetics.

Books on Van Tilian apologetics

Cornelius Van Til, The Defense of the Faith, 4th ed., edited and annotated by K. Scott Oliphint
Cornelius Van Til with extended annotations by Greg L. Bahnsen, Van Til’s Apologetic
K. Scott Oliphint, Reasons for Faith
Greg L. Bahnsen, Always Ready
John Frame, Apologetics to the Glory of God
K. Scott Oliphint and Lane G. Tipton, editors, Revelation and Reason

Founders of Westminster Theological Seminary

Camden Bucey — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 18:43:18 +0000

Westminster Theological Seminary was founded in 1929 as a result of denominational conflict within the Presbyterian Church in the USA. J. Gresham Machen brought together several men in an attempt to carry on the rich Reformed tradition of Old Princeton. In this episode of Historia Ecclesia, Jonathan Brack provides of a sketch of three of those men: Paul Woolley, Ned B. Stonehouse, and Cornelius Van Til.

Historical Methodology

Camden Bucey — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 05:00:57 +0000

Carl Trueman comes on to discuss his recent book, Histories and Fallacies: Problems Faced in the Writing of History, and other issues relating to historiography and a philosophy of history.

The Life and Thought of Herman Bavinck

Camden Bucey — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 05:00:54 +0000

Ron Gleason discusses his new intellectual biography of Herman Bavinck. The book, titled Herman Bavinck: Pastor, Churchman, Statesman, and Theologian, is published by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishers.

Sister Aimee

Camden Bucey — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 05:00:24 +0000

R. Scott Clark, Professor of Church History and Historical Theology at Westminster Seminary California, discusses his essay in Always Reformed, the recent festschrift for Dr. Robert Godfrey. The collection is edited by R. Scott Clark and Joel E. Kim and contains contributions from several noted reformed theologians. Dr. Clark’s essay, “Magic and Noise: Reformed Christianity in Sister’s America,“ is an interesting look into American evangelicalism through one of its most enthusiastic figures.

Machen’s Warrior Children

Camden Bucey — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 05:00:36 +0000

Darryl G. Hart visits with the panel of Christ the Center once again. On this episode Dr. Hart speaks about his latest essay found in Always Reformed, a festschrift written in honor of Dr. Robert Godfrey.

Liberating Black Theology

Camden Bucey — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 05:00:04 +0000

Anthony Bradley discusses his book, Liberating Black Theology: The Bible and the Black Experience in America, which is a revised form of his dissertation he did while a PhD student at WTS. Dr. Bradley discusses Jeremiah Wright, James Cone, and concepts such as oppression and victimology that are key to understanding the black theology movement. We talk with Dr. Bradley about a Reformed understanding of race and ethnicity in the church.

Jonathan Edwards and the Image of God

Camden Bucey — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 05:00:34 +0000

Jeff Waddington speaks about Jonathan Edwards’ theological anthropology. He distinguishes Edwards’ approach from that of Thomas Aquinas and explains its significance for apologetics.

Machen and Bultmann at Marburg

Camden Bucey — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 05:00:56 +0000

Bill Dennison discusses the possibility of a personal acquaintance between J. Gresham Machen and Rudolf Bultmann. Both men are key figures in opposing wings of Protestantism. Machen being the figurehead of conservative Presbyterianism in the early 20th c. as he founded Westminster Theological Seminary and led the movement to begin the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Rudolf Bultmann, on the other hand, pioneered the Second Quest of higher biblical criticism.

Dr. Dennison is Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA and Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology at Northwest Theological Seminary in Lynnwood, WA. Dennison is the author of The Young Bultmann: Context for His Understanding of God, 1884-1925.

Christianity and Politics

Camden Bucey — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 05:00:38 +0000

Dr. Carl Trueman, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Dr. Peter A. Lillback, President of Westminster, discuss the proper relationship of Christianity to the political sphere.

Dr. Trueman is the author of Republocrat, a new book that challenges the reigning partisan brand of politics in the U.S. Dr. Lillback is the other of Wall of Misconception, a book arguing that the separation of church and state does not mean the separation of Christianity and government, as well as the book George Washington’s Sacred Fire, which was featured on the Glenn Beck program.

Modern Roman Catholicism

Camden Bucey — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 05:00:28 +0000

Christ the Center discusses the developments in Roman Catholic theology that came with Vatican II. In this episode, we welcome an able panel including Nathan Shannon, who wrote a ThM thesis on Karl Rahner, Michael Matossian, PhD candidate at Marquette University, and Danny Olinger, who studied at Duquesne University. Danny has written a helpful primer on Vatican II which appears in the lastest edition of Ordained Servant.

Van Til, Barth and Liberalism

Camden Bucey — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 05:00:09 +0000

Jim Cassidy and Camden Bucey open the subject of Van Til’s criticisms of Karl Barth. Van Til was one of Barth’s earliest English-writing critics, and his criticisms are found in his books The New Modernism and Christianity and Barthianism. Van Til’s take on Barth has come under fire, but at least one noted Barthian, Bruce McCormack, has vindicated Van Til’s understanding.

Major Divides in the Presbyterian Church

Kipton Bucey — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 05:00:42 +0000

Darryl G. Hart speaks about the storied histories of the Presbyterian and Reformed churches. Dr. Hart has authored A Secular Faith: Why Christianity Favors the Separation of Church and State, Defending the Faith: J. Gresham Machen and the Crisis of Conservative Protestant, and Deconstructing Evangelicalism: Conservative Protestantism in the Age of Billy Graham.

The Pilgrim’s Progress

Camden Bucey — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 05:00:38 +0000

Dr. Barry Horner joins the program to discuss John Bunyan’s classic The Pilgrim’s Progress. Horner has thought deeply on the subject and has written a book of his own titled The Pilgrim’s Progress: Themes and Issues. His Doctor of Ministry degree from Westminster Seminary in California focused on the biblical/theological content of The Pilgrim’s Progress as well as its validity as an appropriate means for the communication of the Word of God.

Dr. Horner teaches The Pilgrim’s Progress in church, seminar, and camp settings, and pastors Christ’s New Covenant Church, Tucson, Arizona.

Thomas’ Second Way

Camden Bucey — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 05:00:15 +0000

Bob LaRocca leads a discuss on Thomas Aquinas’ Second Way. The Second Way is an argument for the existence of God from efficient causes. The flow of the argument is as follows:

We perceive a series of efficient causes of things in the world.
Nothing exists prior to itself.
Therefore nothing is the efficient cause of itself.
If a previous efficient cause does not exist, neither does the thing that results.
Therefore if the first thing in a series does not exist, nothing in the series exists.
The series of efficient causes cannot extend ad infinitum into the past, for then there would be no things existing now.
Therefore it is necessary to admit a first efficient cause, to which everyone gives the name of God.

Visit this site for more information regarding Thomas’ Five Ways.

The Theology of B.B. Warfield

Camden Bucey — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 05:00:46 +0000

Fred Zaspel is the author of the soon to be released volume on the theology of B.B. Warfield, published by Crossway titled The Theology of B.B. Warfield: A Systematic Summary. He has also authored a recent timely article in Themelios on Warfield’s take on evolution. We discuss the background of his interest in Warfield, the great Princeton theologian’s take on evolution, and what we can learn from him today.

From Crossway:

Fred G. Zaspel has spent many years studying Warfield’s published and unpublished writing, and presents here a concise and coherent systematic theology per B. B. Warfield. For the first time ever, readers can, in one volume, access the content of this great theologian’s academic, sermonic, and devotional works. Scholars, pastors, and students will profit from the unique combination of comprehensive detail and devotional warmth in this systematic theology.

Fred Zaspel is also the author of a series of booklets published by the Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute (IBRI), entitled, The Continuing Relevance of Divine Law (1991); The Theology of Fulfillment (1994); Jews, Gentiles, & the Goal of Redemptive History (1996). Along with Tom Wells, Pastor Fred has co-authored a major work entitled New Covenant Theology.

Other Related Works

Thomas’ First Way

Camden Bucey — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 05:00:24 +0000

Bob LaRocca brings Thomas Aquinas’ famous first way to the table. Thomas’ ways have become staples in apologetic discussions.

The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards

Camden Bucey — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 05:00:08 +0000

Nick Batzig, Josh Walker and Michael Dewalt talked with Dr. Steve Lawson, senior pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama, about his book The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards. Dr. Lawson is the author of several books including Famine in the Land, Foundations of Grace, and The Expository Genius of John Calvin. Several of these works are published in Reformation Trust’s Long Line Profiles series. In The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards, Dr. Lawson gives consideration to the way in which Edwards’ zeal for the glory of God guided his intellectual attainments. The greatness of Edwards did not ultimately lie in his intellectual genius, rather it was the spiritual and eternal mindedness with which he pursued.

Related Books

Steve Lawson Foundations of Grace: a Long Line of Glody Men
Steve Lawson The Expository Genius of John Calvin
John Calvin Institutes of the Christian Religion
John Piper A God Entranced Vision of All Things

Reformed Forum » Church History

Revjw’s Book Corner: Hoffecker on Hodge

Machen’s Letters from WWI

An Interview with Steve Lawson

Debates in 17th Century British Puritanism

Links

Charles Hodge: The Pride of Princeton

The History of the Heidelberg Catechism

2011 Confessional Presbyterian Journal

The King James Bible

The Critics of Van Til’s Take on Barth

The Theology of Karl Barth

Van Til, Barth, and American Evangelicalism

Evangelicals and the Betrayal of American Conservatism

La théologie Réformée en France

The Founders of the Free Church of Scotland

The Reformation: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

The Orthodox Presbyterian Church from 1945 to 1990

Jonathan Edwards’s Apologetic

Edwards on the Infinite Merit of Christ

The Hypostatic Union

Turretin and Right Reason

R. L. Dabney

The Clark/Van Til Controversy

Are All Van Tilians Equal?

Books on Van Tilian apologetics

Founders of Westminster Theological Seminary

Historical Methodology

The Life and Thought of Herman Bavinck

Links

Sister Aimee

Links

Machen’s Warrior Children

Links

Liberating Black Theology

Links

Jonathan Edwards and the Image of God

Machen and Bultmann at Marburg

Links

Christianity and Politics

Links

Modern Roman Catholicism

Van Til, Barth and Liberalism

Major Divides in the Presbyterian Church

The Pilgrim’s Progress

Links

Thomas’ Second Way

The Theology of B.B. Warfield

Other Related Works

Thomas’ First Way

The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards

Related Books