This episode was recorded just prior to our 2017 Theology Conference on The Reformation of Apologetics. We discuss the theological approach of scholasticism as it pertains to Thomas Aquinas, the Reformers, and Cornelius Van Til.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Glen Clary, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy

This episode was recorded live at our 2017 Theology Conference on The Reformation of Apologetics. In celebration of the five-hundredth anniversary of the Reformation and the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Cornelius Van Til, we consider the connection between Reformed apologetics and the five solas.

The solas summarize the theological principles of the Reformation, and while one may not consider apologetics to be a major discipline of the Reformation, we seek to show how the Reformation dictates a consistent apologetic method. We contend that to be a covenantal apologist, one must be a Reformed theologian. Moreover, to be a consistent Reformed theologian, one must be a covenantal apologist.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Glen Clary, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Lane G. Tipton

Today we welcome Chad Van Dixhoorn to speak about his book, God’s Ambassadors: The Westminster Assembly and the Reformation of the English Pulpit, 1643–1653 in which he describes how the assembly brought much-needed reform to the theology and practice of pulpit ministry.

Dr. Van Dixhoorn is Associate Professor of Church History at Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary (MDiv, ThM) and the University of Cambridge (PhD). He was featured on Christ the Center episode 134 and episode 342 and in episode 507 with his wife, Emily.

Links

• The Minutes and Papers of the Westminster Assembly, 1643-1653
• Confessing the Faith: A Reader’s Guide to the Westminster Confession (Banner of Truth Trust, 2014)
• Confessing the Faith: Study Guide

Participants: Camden Bucey, Chad Van Dixhoorn, Jim Cassidy

Chad and Emily Van Dixhoorn visit Christ the Center to speak about Confessing the Faith: Study Guide. This is a helpful guide to Confessing the Faith: A Reader’s Guide to the Westminster Confession (Banner of Truth Trust, 2014), which is itself a thorough help for understanding the Westminster Confession of Faith.

Emily Van Dixhoorn graduated from Brown University as a math major and from Westminster Theological Seminary with an MAR. Dr. Chad Van Dixhoorn is Associate Professor of Church History at Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. He is a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary (MDiv, ThM) and the University of Cambridge (PhD). He is the editor of The Minutes and Papers of the Westminster Assembly, 1643-1653 and he was featured on Christ the Center episode 134 and episode 342. Chad and Emily have five children.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Chad Van Dixhoorn, Emily Van Dixhoorn, Glen Clary

Rob and Bob discuss the basic history and shape of the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement of the past decade or so, depending on who you ask. And, somehow, we have this discussion in the context of Paul’s early ministry!

Participants: Rob McKenzie, Robert Tarullo

Episodes

• 425 — David VanDrunen, God’s Glory Alone
• 428 — Vern Poythress, The Miracles of Jesus
• 441 — John Galbraith and Danny Olinger on John Galbraith’s Life and Ministry
• 443 — Alan Strange, Charles Hodge and the Spirituality of the Church
• 444 — Iain Murray, J. C. Ryle
• 445 — Lane Tipton, Trinity, Processions, and Missions: The Pactum Salutis
• 449 — Rob McKenzie and Bob Tarullo, Dispensationalism
• 452 — Michael Kruger, A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament
• 453 — Dennis Johnson, Walking withe Jesus through His Word
• 455 — Richard Gaffin, Jr., Calvin and the Sabbath
• 461 — Gregg Allison and Chris Castaldo, The Unfinished Reformation
• 464 — Mark Vanderhart and Cornelis Venema, The Reformed Church in Latvia
• 467 — Patricia Clawson and Diane Olinger, Choosing the Good Portion: Women of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church

Participants: Adam York, Alan Strange, Camden Bucey, Chris Castaldo, Cornelis Venema, Danny Olinger, David VanDrunen, Dennis Johnson, Diane Olinger, Glen Clary, Gregg Allison, Iain Murray, Jared Oliphint, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, John Galbraith, Lane G. Tipton, Mark Vander Hart, Michael Kruger, Patricia Clawson, Richard B. Gaffin Jr., Rob McKenzie, Robert Tarullo, Vern Poythress

In the second part of this special two-part episode, we discuss the observation of Christmas. This subject is perennially debated in the Reformed community. In this segment of our conversation, we address the variety of decision before local church leadership, the purported pagan roots of Christmas observance, the story of St. Nicholas and Arius, as well as the psalms and contemporary worship relative to Christmas.

Links

• Glen Clary, “The Origins of the Church Calendar“

Participants: Camden Bucey, Glen Clary, Jim Cassidy

In this special two-part episode, we discuss the observation of Christmas. This subject is perennially debated in the Reformed community. Listen as we discuss the historical, theological, and the practical issues involved.

We invoke a distinction between celebrating the nativity of Christ and observing Christmas as an annual liturgical event. Christ’s nativity has been celebrated from the moment of his miraculous conception. Consider the examples of Mary, Elizabeth, Shepherds, Angels, Magi, and Simeon. The Church must celebrate the nativity of Christ in some form. Christians may celebrate the nativity as an annual liturgical event, but must not observe it as a God-ordained ordinance. As we explore this issues, we address the following objections:

• According to sola Scriptura and the Regulative Principle of Worship, if it’s not God-ordained, then we must not do it.
• If the Church holds an annual service to celebrate Christ’s nativity, then it will inevitably come to be regarded as a God-ordained holy day.
• Christmas is a Christianized pagan holiday.

Links

• Glen Clary, “The Origins of the Church Calendar“

Participants: Camden Bucey, Glen Clary, Jim Cassidy

Mark Vander Hart and Cornelis P. Venema join us to speak about the Reformed church in Latvia. Mark Vander Hart is Associate Professor of Old Testament Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Cornelis Venema is President and Professor of Doctrinal Studies. Both men have taught at Baltic Reformed Seminary in Riga, Latvia.

Links

• Baltic Reformed Theological Seminary
• ITEM
• MTW Team

Participants: Camden Bucey, Cornelis Venema, Mark Vander Hart

Cornelis P. Venema joins us to speak about his book By His Spirit and Word: How Christ Builds His Church (Reformed Fellowship, Inc.). Venema engages in an extended exposition on the doctrine of the church and its ministry as described in the historic confessions and catechisms of the Reformation churches. These confessions emphasize the church’s indispensability to the salvation of believers, for the triune God’s redemptive mission is principally effected through the ministry of the church. Dr. Venema is President and Professor of Doctrinal Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, Indiana.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Cornelis Venema

Dan Ragusa speaks about the United Reformed Churches in North America, biblical theology, and the book of Joshua. Dan is a graduate of Mid-America Reformed Seminary and is currently studying at Westminster Theological Seminary. After a brief conversation, we share a lesson from Mr. Ragusa’s Sunday school series on Joshua taught at Oak Glen United Reformed Church of Lansing, Illinois.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Dan Ragusa

Many churches may be familiar with lectio continua preaching in the form of the weekly practice of preaching consecutive passages through a book of Scripture. Catechetical preaching uses a catechism to organize the weekly sermons rather than the book of Scripture. Does that make catechetical preaching unscriptural? By no means!

While some catechetical sermons may derive their points directly from the catechism and others merely use the catechism to determine the topic and then select a pertinent Scripture passage to exposit. Catechetical preaching merely provides the skeleton for the subject and points of a sermon, but it need not make the sermon unscriptural.

There are many benefits to catechetical preaching. It provides a wide range of Scriptural thought. It encourages familiarity with a system of doctrine. It also keeps before the congregation the basic fact that we have a catechism. We encourage people to work through it, reading it, and catechizing themselves and their children. Catechetical preaching fortifies this practice and helps people to embrace our secondary standards as a tool and help for us to understand what God has taught us about various doctrinal subjects. It aids in showing the unity and harmony of Scripture as a whole.

Resources

• Wayne Brouwer, “Preaching the Heidelberg: A New Look at the Tradition of Catechetical Preaching.”
• R. E. Knodel, Jr. “Catechetical Preaching“
• William Boekestein, “The Benefits of Catechetical Preaching: Catechism Preaching Is Another Kind of Bible Preaching“
• Jeffrey C. Waddington catechetical series on the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
• James J. Cassidy sermons

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy

Dr. Alan Strange is professor of church history and apologetics at Mid-America Reformed Seminary and associate pastor of New Covenant Community Church in Joliet, Illinois. Dr. Strange sits with us to speak about the great American Presbyterian, Charles Hodge, and his contribution to the Doctrine of the Church. Hodge was a proponent of the doctrine known as the Spirituality of the Church. While many Reformed theologians are familiar with the name of the doctrine, its permutations are many. Dr. Strange details the history of the doctrine through several controversies of which Charles Hodge was involved. By understanding this history, we learn many important practical lessons for the Church today.

Participants: Alan Strange, Camden Bucey

Attending a Reformed church for the first time can be a daunting task. Joining one may seem even more challenging. Ken Golden has written an excellent book to help, and he joins us today to speak about it. Presbytopia: What it Means to be Presbyterian (Christian Focus) is an accessible yet uncompromising introduction to Christian essentials, Reformed distinctives, and the means of grace. Ken Golden is pastor of Sovereign Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Davenport, Iowa.

Participants: Adam York, Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Ken Golden

Today we speak with D. G. Hart, Glen Clary, and John Terpstra about the relationship between revivalism and Reformed piety. Looking at the history of revival and its influence on the Reformed church we explore how Reformed and Presbyterian churches have has their thinking about covenant nurture altered by the influence of revivals, specially those which were spurred on by the Tennents and Frelinghausen.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Darryl G. Hart, Glen Clary, Jim Cassidy, John Terpstra

Today we speak with John Shaw, the General Secretary for Home Missions and Church Extension in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. This interview took place in the wake of the OPC’s annual Church Planter’s Conference, in Atlanta, GA. We discussed the biblical principles for planting distinctly Reformed, Confessional, and Presbyterian churches in America today.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy, John Shaw

Dr. Bruce Baugus speaks about the history and current state of missions in China with a focus on Reformed ecclesiology. China’s Reforming Churches: Mission, Polity, and Ministry in the Next Christendom, edited by Dr. Baugus, is a collection of essays from a recent conference held concerning the growing Reformed churches of China.

Dr. Baugus is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, MS.

Participants: Bruce Baugus, Camden Bucey, Doug Clawson

Jim Cassidy and Camden Bucey introduce Christification: A Lutheran Approach to Theosis, by Jordan Cooper, Roman Catholic Theology and Practice: An Evangelical Assessment, by Gregg Allison, Christ Crucified: Understanding the Atonement, by Donald Macleod, China’s Reforming Churches, edited by Bruce Baugus, Heaven (Theology in Community), edited by Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, and The Oxford Handbook of the Trinity (Oxford Handbooks), edited by Gilles Emery O. P. and Matthew Levering.

Camden mentions Reformed Media Review 58 in the podcast.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

Historia Ecclesia will now be featuring audio of the series of posts “Presbyterians of the Past,” by Barry Waugh. This week, we highlight A.T. McGill, a Princeton Seminary professor from the time of Dr. Charles Hodge. Click here for the text of Barry’s biography of McGill.

Participants: Camden Bucey

James W. Scott speaks about the question of whether Machen himself wrote a history of the Presbyterian conflict that led to his defrocking, and accidentally, his death. His articles “Machen’s Lost Work on the Presbyterian Conflict,” Parts 1 and 2, introduce the idea that Edwin Rian’s book, The Presbyterian Conflict, drew on heretofore undiscovered work by Machen himself.

Jim Scott is Managing Editor of New Horizons in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and Publications Coordinator for the Committee on Christian Education of the OPC. His first article is available online via Westminster. Edwin Rian’s book can be found online.

Participants: Camden Bucey, James W. Scott, Jim Cassidy

Camden Bucey and Jim Cassidy discuss the significance of the Reformation in its own time and its continuing relevance for today.

The European Reformations, Carter Lindberg

Reformed Forum’s first theology conference begin’s today, and the conference talks will be livestreamed here.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

Christ the Center regular Dr. Jim Cassidy discusses the present state of Calvinism in evangelical Christianity. Following up on a previous Christ the Center and Reformed Forum blog post, Dr. Cassidy highlights some of his concerns for the contemporary Calvinistic movement.

Links

• John Piper’s lecture from the 2014 WTS Gaffin lecture.
• Collin Hansen’s book, Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist’s Journey with the New Calvinists
• Jared Oliphint’s synopsis, John Piper’s Twelve Features of the New Calvinism
• Jim Cassidy, 5 Reasons Why I Am Not a New Calvinist

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

Dr. Chad B. Van Dixhoorn visits Christ the Center to speak about his forthcoming book, Confessing the Faith: A Reader’s Guide to the Westminster Confession (Banner of Truth Trust, 2014). The book is a thorough help for understanding the Westminster Confession, useful for pastors and for Christians seeking to deepen their knowledge of Reformed doctrine. Today, Dr. Van Dixhoorn discusses questions concerning the Confession’s treatment of the doctrine of Scripture, of Salvation, of the Church, and more.

Dr. Van Dixhoorn is a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary (MDiv, ThM) and the University of Cambridge (PhD). He has taught theology at the University of Nottingham, and has held three fellowships at the University of Cambridge, where he has researched the history and theology of the Westminster assembly and taught on the subject of Puritanism. A former British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, in 2013 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Van Dixhoorn has lectured at RTS DC since 2008 where he teaches church history and practical theology. Van Dixhoorn has served as associate minister of Cambridge Presbyterian Church and Grace Presbyterian Church in Vienna, VA, where he preaches weekly. He and his wife Emily have five children. He is also the editor of The Minutes and Papers of the Westminster Assembly, 1643-1653 and he was featured on Christ the Center episode 134.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Chad Van Dixhoorn, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy

Bryan Winter discusses the relationship between Dutch immigrants and the American Presbyterian Church, particularly as seen in the ministry of the Dutch secessionist minister, Peter Zonne. Winter is an attorney who practices law in Lake County, Illinois and serves as a Deacon at Hope OPC in Grayslake. Mr. Winter’s yet unpublished paper on Zonne details how Zonne uniquely led his congregation of Dutch Reformed immigrants in Wisconsin to join the American Presbyterian Church. Thus, Zonne transcended his ethnic identity to become the founder of Dutch-American Presbyterianism, in Wisconsin. This episode’s feature photo shows the church in Genderen, the Netherlands, which Zonne pastored from 1842–46.

Participants: Bryan Winter, Camden Bucey

Mark Bube and Kurt Vetterli speak today about ecumenism and inter-church relations. Mark Bube, general secretary of foreign missions in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, plays an important part in the OPC’s ecumenism because the OPC collaborates with other NAPARC denominations in foreign missions, supporting the missionaries of other denominations and receiving support for their own missionaries. Kurt Vetterli is a pastor in Basel, Switzerland, in a reformed church connected to the OPC.

Links:

• NAPARC
• International Council of Reformed Churches
• OPC Foreign Missions
• Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche Westminster Bekenntnisses (Evangelical-Reformed Church, Westminster Confession)

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Kurt Vetterli, Mark Bube

Dr. Alan Strange comes to the program to discuss the animus imponentis. Animus imponentis is a legal term that refers to the meaning of the words of an oath or confession that is intended by the body imposing the oath or confession. The concept clarifies what it means for officers of a modern church to subscribe to a confession composed by men who lived several centuries ago. On today’s episode, Dr. Strange explains the animus imponentis in greater detail and applies it to the issue of the days of creation, the topic of an OPC committee of which Dr. Strange was a part.

Dr. Strange is Professor of Church History, Registrar, and Theological Librarian at Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, Indiana. He recently completed a Ph.D. from the University of Wales.

Conference talks on the animus imponentis: http://www.pncnopc.org/audio/audio-presbytery/2009-animus-imponentis-conference/

“What is the ‘System of Doctrine?'” – Charles Hodge: http://www.pcahistory.org/documents/subscription/hodge.html

OPC report on the creation days: http://opc.org/GA/CreationReport.pdf

Participants: Adam York, Alan Strange, Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

Today’s panel recently attended the 2014 Desiring God Pastors’ Conference titled, “The Pastor, the Vine, and the Branches: The Remarkable Reality of Union with Christ,” as representatives for Reformed Forum and Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA. The group speaks about the opportunity to spread the ministry of Reformed Forum beyond the bounds of Presbyterianism and the relationship of confessional Reformed theology to the broader, more loosely Reformed community. This episode also features an interview with David Mathis and Jonathan Parnell of Desiring God Ministries about their recent book, How to Stay Christian in Seminary.

David Mathis is executive editor at desiringGod.org and an elder at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN. He has edited several books and is co-author of How to Stay Christian in Seminary.

Jonathan Parnell is a writer and content strategist for Desiring God Minstries and co-author of How to Stay Christian in Seminary. The book was inspired by a series of blog posts at desiringGod.org.

B.B. Warfield’s The Religious Life of Theological Students

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Mathis, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Jonathan Parnell

With the growth of Reformed ideas comes a jockeying to define what “Reformed” is and is not; or more frequently, who is and who is not. One hot topic has been whether Baptists have a right to plant their flag on Reformed turf. Those who answer in the negative are typically under the mistaken impression that they own the title and deed to the bulk of Reformed real estate. Many well-known authors and speakers have fallen into the hands of self-appointed Reformed gatekeepers who frequently give a thumbs up or thumbs down on others’ Reformed status.

Counting myself squarely in the “Reformed” camp, I have wrestled with how to sort out this question of who is and isn’t Reformed, and I’ve recently realized that, in one sense, it’s kind of a stupid question. People in generally Reformed circles have a complex set of overlapping, intersecting, and systemically complex beliefs, so asking them to stand single file in one of only two lines does not reflect that complexity.

Instead of placing someone in the Reformed bin or in the non-Reformed bin after a clunky evaluation process, we better serve the person and his or her nuances by evaluating specific beliefs. That method of evaluation should involve a comparison of beliefs to Reformed confessions and creeds, as well as those works that have endured within the Reformed tradition. And for a reminder, all those Reformed confessions and books are only as true as the biblical passages and principles from which they are derived. Pondering whether someone is Reformed is like asking whether someone is “biblical.”

Consider a few benefits to evaluating (when necessary) the beliefs of a person rather than that person in his or her entirety:

1. Accuracy. The label “Reformed” is not able to bear the burden of accurately encompassing a person whose set of beliefs may include both Reformed beliefs and non-Reformed beliefs. Having to choose one label for such a set of beliefs sacrifices the accuracy of that label to some degree.
2. Anti-aristocracy. Conversations surrounding this topic often implicitly devolve into who gets placed within the inner circle and who has to look in from the outside; who receives admission to the club and who gets bounced. Speaking of Reformed beliefs rather than Reformed people eliminates a measure of elitism.
3. Accessibility. Because people often do not express every belief they hold, limiting the “Reformed” label to beliefs rather than people focuses the discussion on that which is public. If Chuck has expressed his appreciation for the practical benefits of predestination within his prayer life but hasn’t said much on the covenants, or baptism, or Old Testament typology, or complementarianism, is Chuck Reformed? Not a great question. Is Chuck’s belief about God’s sovereignty Reformed? That’s better.

I hold this general principle loosely, and at a basic level I’m simply seeking to make a linguistic, terminological point rather than a doctrinal one. I certainly call myself Reformed in ordinary language. I have said things like “B.B. Warfield is Reformed,” “many Reformed theologians…” and other obviously appropriate statements. I subscribe to the Westminster Standards. But when we observe significant swaths of churchgoers who are on their way to a more robust Reformed theology, a complexity that accompanies the current theological flux within Reformed circles should be reflected in our use of the “Reformed” label.

David Owen Filson speaks about Dr. J. Oliver Buswell, theologian and former president of Wheaton College and Covenant College and Seminary. A fundamentalist involved with J. Gresham Machen in the founding of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Buswell joined the Bible Presbyterian Church when it split with the fledgling OPC over premilennialism and teetotalism. He continued to be an interlocutor with members of the OPC and faculty at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, eventually locking heads with Cornelius Van Til over apologetic and theological method. David has recently researched the correspondence between the two men in the archives of Covenant and Westminster (PA) seminaries.

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Filson, Jeff Waddington

Caroline Weerstra speaks with Christ the Center about the Peniel Bible Conference, based on her article “The Early History of Peniel Bible Conference, Part 1: Zeal Without Knowledge (1933-1938).” The camp was associated with Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Schenectady, New York, Mrs. Weerstra’s home church. Though associated with a reformed church, the camp was very similar to the Wesleyan and holiness movements in theology and practice. Listen to understand how this camp became associated with the OPC and how Calvary Church finally remained in the OPC.

Mrs. Weerstra is a mother of three, a blogger, and the author of several catechism workbooks for children. Her article “The Early History of Peniel Bible Conference, Part 1: Zeal Without Knowledge (1933-1938)” appeared in Vol. 75 No. 2 of the Westminster Theological Journal.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Caroline Weerstra, Jeff Waddington, John Muether

Dr. James Bratt speaks about Abraham Kuyper: Modern Calvinist, Christian Democrat (Eerdmans). Dr. Bratt places Kuyper in historical context and clarifies Kuyper’s thought and life for current reflection on theology and politics.

Dr. Bratt teaches history at Calvin College, blogs, and has edited and authored a number of books, including Abraham Kuyper: A Centennial Reader and By the Vision of Another World: Worship in American History.

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Filson, James Bratt, Jim Cassidy

Darryl G. Hart returns to the program to speak about the history of Calvinism from his new book, Calvinism: A History. The episode gives a taste of the book, the genesis and spread of Calvinism from Geneva, through England and the Netherlands, to the West and East sides of the world.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Darryl G. Hart, David Filson, Jim Cassidy

Chris Donato joins the panel to speak about various views on the Sabbath. Mr. Donato has editing the book Perspectives on the Sabbath: 4 Views published by Broadman and Holman Publishers. Skip MacCarty (Andrews University) defends the Seventh-day view which argues the fourth commandment is a moral law of God requiring us to keep the seventh day (Saturday) holy. Jospeh A Pipa (Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary) backs the Christian Sabbath view which reasons that ever since the resurrection of Christ, the one day in seven to be kept holy is the first day of the week. Craig L. Blomberg (Denver Seminary) supports the Fulfillment view which says that since Christ has brought the true Sabbath rest into the present, the Sabbath commands of the Old Testament are no longer binding on believers. Charles P. Arand (Concordia Seminary) upholds the Lutheran view that the Sabbath commandment was given to Jews alone and does not concern Christians. Rest and worship are still required but not tied to a particular day.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Chris Donato, Jeff Waddington

Christ the Center comes to you from the floor of The Gospel Coalition 2011 National Conference in Chicago, IL. In this episode, the hosts welcome several guests to speak about a variety of issues. Bob Doll speaks about Christian business ethics. Bob Doll is Chief Equity Strategist for Fundamental Equities at BlackRock a premier provider of global investment management, risk management and advisory services. Mr. Doll will be a speaker at the upcoming business ethics conference organized by the Center for Christian Business Ethics. [0:48]

Chris Brauns speaks about his books Unpacking Forgiveness and When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search. Chris is the pastor at the Red Brick Church in Stillman Valley, IL and writes frequently on his website. [12:40]

Pastor Scotty Smith visits to speak about the unique congregation at Christ Community Church in Franklin, TN as well as his interesting practice of writing daily prayers. [28:51]

David Powlison explains the deep connection between biblical counseling and Van Tilian apologetics. David is a faculty member at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation, a board member of the Biblical Counseling Coalition, and teaches courses at Westminster Theological Seminary. In this illuminating segment, Dr. Powlison helps to unpack the latent philosophical frameworks in secular psychology. [38:27]

Participants: Camden Bucey, Chris Brauns, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack

Brian Najapfour, pastor from the Philippines and a PhD student at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, discusses his book Taking Hold of God: Reformed and Puritan Perspectives on Prayer. The book, which Najapfour co-edited with Joel R. Beeke, is a wealth of material on the subject of Christian prayer. The writings of many Reformed and Puritan thinkers on the subject shine through to provide a rich understanding of this means of grace.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig

Christ the Center comes to you from the floor of The Gospel Coalition 2011 National Conference in Chicago, IL. In the first segment of this episode, Jared Oliphint and Camden Bucey discuss biblical counseling and ecclesiology. [1:26]

Chuck Haddox of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Jeremy Kicklighter of Covenant Seminary, and Jonathan Brack of Westminster Theological Seminary join the panel to speak about trends in seminary admissions. [18:00]

Michael McKinley, pastor at Guilford Baptist Church in Sterling, Virginia. Mike is the author of Church Planting is for Wimps. Mike spoke about church planting at TGC11. [38:45]

Finally, Josh Harris, senior pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD stops by to speak about the NEXT Conference. [44:12]

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy, John Fesko, Nick Batzig

post image from washingtonydc

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Murray, Michael DeWalt, Nick Batzig

Camden and Nick speak with Danny Hyde about his new book Welcome to a Reformed Church: A Guide for Pilgrims. Rev. Hyde is pastor of Oceanside United Reformed Church in Oceanside, CA and has written a helpful resource explaining the characteristics of a Reformed church. In this accessible volume, Hyde helps the reader through the historical roots, key doctrines and practices of Reformed churches.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Danny Hyde, Nick Batzig

The Christ the Center panel had the privilege of conversing with Dr. George Scipione, professor of pastoral theology and director of the Biblical Counseling Institute at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA about the necessity of pastoral counseling that is biblical. Specifically, discussion was had about hard cases calling for both learning and practical wisdom. Among the many issues raised was the importance of counseling and a proper ecclesiology. Clearly the conversation scratched the surface of this important issue.

Participants: Camden Bucey, George Scipione, Nick Batzig

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy, Nick Batzig

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jason Pickard, Jeff Waddington, Nick Batzig, Tim Witmer

photo is by claudio_ar [CC BY-NC-SA 2.0]

Links

• Guy Waters on N. T. Wright’s Doctrine of Justification, Part 1 and Part 2

Participants: Camden Bucey, Guy Prentiss Waters, Jeff Waddington, Josh Walker, Nick Batzig

Bibliography

Other Formats

• Zotero RDF
• Dublin Core RDF

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Ted Kluck

Links

• Against Heresies
• Pyromaniacs

Bibliography

photo by Martin Finlayson http://www.flickr.com/photos/martin_finlayson/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Martin Downes

Divergent approaches to foreign missions have been employed for centuries. Disagreements over various approaches have been at the heart of many historic events in modern church history. Indeed, one such disagreement was critical to the founding of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Christ the Center was pleased to welcome Mark Bube and Doug Clawson, General Secretary and Associate General Secretary, respectively, of the Committee on Foreign Missions for the OPC. Mark and Doug detail the OPC’s specific views regarding foreign missions. They touch upon the reformed standards, catechesis and, most notably, the importance of church government and special office. Join us for a stimulating discussion that will stimulate you to think critically about the work of the Great Commission regardless of denominational affiliation.

Links

• OPC Committee on Foreign Missions

Bibliography

Piper, John. Let the Nations Be Glad! 2nd Edition. 2nd ed. Baker Academic, 2003.

Young, John. Missions: The Biblical Motive and Aim. Pittsburgh PA: Crown & Covenant Publications, 2007.

Other Formats

• Zotero RDF
• Dublin Core RDF

Participants: Camden Bucey, Doug Clawson, Jeff Waddington, Mark Bube

Derek Thomas joins Josh Walker and Nick Batzig to discuss the regulative principle of worship. Derek Thomas is the John E. Richards Professor of Systematic and Practical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi. He is also the minister of teaching at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi.
Archive.org

Participants: Derek Thomas, Josh Walker, Nick Batzig

Dr. Jon D. Payne is minister of Grace Presbyterian Church in Douglasville, Ga. Dr. Payne has been serving as minister of Grace Presbyterian Church since June 2003 and is currently serving as Chair of the Northwest Georgia Presbytery’s Credentials Committee. In addition, Dr. Payne is a Visiting Lecturer at Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta. Dr. Payne is the author of John Owen on the Lord’s Supper (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth, 2004), Systematic Expository Preaching: A Historical and Biblical Analysis Demonstrating its Benefits for Both Congregation and Pastor (Doctoral thesis, RTS Jackson, Spring 2004), and the subject of this episode, In The Splendor of Holiness: Rediscovering the Beauty of Reformed Worship for the 21st Century (White Hall, WV; Tolle Lege Press, 2008).

Bibliography

Participants: Jon Payne, Nick Batzig

Panel

• Cornelis Venema
• Lane Keister
• Nick Batzig
• Jim Cassidy
• Jeff Waddington
• Camden Bucey

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Cornelis Venema, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Lane Keister, Nick Batzig

The Christ the Center panel tackled the importance of an ordinary means of grace ministry and the place of catechism within that overall approach. First, it was determined that God has ordained that the church in this age proclaim the gospel and advance in the faith through his ordained means and not some man-made program such as revivalism (to be clearly distinguished from true revival).

The biblical foundations for this were developed in the distinction between the foundation and superstructure of the church and the extraordinary and ordinary ministries in the church. The extraordinary ministry of apostleship and miracles laid the foundation with Christ as the cornerstone (Eph), but in this age of the ordinary ministry of the superstructure of the church, the stress falls on the ordinary means of grace (Acts 2:42): the Word, sacraments, and prayer. It is in this setting that the panel discussed the necessity and benefits of catechism for both children and adults. God has said he would bless these means and the church strays from them to her own peril.

Panel

• Jim Cassidy
• Jeff Waddington
• Camden Bucey

Links

• Derek Thomas on Blogging Through the Institutes
• Ordinary Means podcast
• Feeding on Christ
• Calvary OPC Ringoes, NJ
• Calvary OPC Glenside, PA

Bibliography

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy