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.

Watch on YouTube and Vimeo.

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

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

The following is an edited interview by Ryan Noha of Carlton Wynne, a new faculty member of Reformed Forum. This is the third installment of interviews highlighting the Lord’s work in the lives and ministries of our Reformed Forum faculty. Carlton sits down with Ryan Noha to discuss growing up in a mainline Presbyterian church, becoming a confessional Presbyterian, and serving his Lord in his family, church, and the work of Reformed Forum. 

Carlton, I’ve been blessed to get to know you over the years, first, through an excellent ThM class that you taught at Westminster on modern theology in 2019, and then through our work together at Reformed Forum. Let’s begin much further back than that, however, with your upbringing in the church. How did you become a Christian and then a confessional Presbyterian?

I grew up in a Christian home in Houston, Texas, where my family attended and I was baptized in First Presbyterian Church, which became a congregation in the PC(USA) denomination but is now a church in ECO. I believe the Lord regenerated me through the ministry of a Sunday school teacher whose name I cannot remember. I have a vague memory of realizing that the gospel was about Christ, that I needed him, and that it was very important for me to trust in him. I was probably five or six years old.

My understanding of Scripture and things of God at a young age came largely through my father, who became very interested in Ligonier Ministries and books by R. C. Sproul. I remember reading The Holiness of God and Chosen by God as a middle schooler, bringing my biblical questions to my dad. His little green leather Bible was often open next to him on his bed (usually with a TableTalk magazine next to it). I spent many evenings lying on that bed, talking with him about the things of God.

Beyond my father’s discipleship and my mother’s example, the Lord very graciously put men in my life who modeled for me Christian love and leadership throughout my time in youth ministry, college, and more formal ministry capacities—first as an intern with Reformed University Fellowship in the PCA then later in seminary and in pastoral ministry.

Not only did I become a believer at a very young age in a Christian home while attending church, but significantly, at the age of twelve, I witnessed my church rent asunder by a debate and ultimately a vote over whether to remain permanently in the then recently formed PC(USA). Six-hundred people, including my family, left that church and formed a church in the EPC, which, incidentally, has since migrated into the PCA.

During those days, I became aware of the significance of orthodox doctrine for the life of the church, and I witnessed its real-world impact on relationships, families, and the spiritual welfare of God’s people. Through my father’s involvement in that controversy, I gained a keen sense that church life could be messy, but it was important. That awareness has only grown over the years.

A confessional Presbyterian identity came much later. As a senior in college on my way to the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology at Tenth Presbyterian Church, I stopped at the bookstore at Westminster Theological Seminary and bought my first copy of the Westminster Confession of Faith. I had heard of the Confession but had never read it. The Lord has a little sense of humor because I would later return, obviously, to Westminster as a student then as a professor.

As the years went by, I became more involved in church ministry. I was an intern with Reformed University Fellowship at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and then attended seminary at RTS in Charlotte. It was there that I grew to love systematic theology, and I realized that how important it is for Christians to have a theological structure—revealed in and developed out of the Scriptures—if they are to properly read their Bibles, to think about the Christian life, and to understand the gospel. The Westminster Standards became, for me, the framework in which I would grow in my knowledge of the Scriptures and of the Lord Jesus.

After seminary, I was called back to Dallas to serve as an assistant pastor, but I soon left to study at Westminster. Now I’m back in the pastoral ministry. Through those years, my conviction grew that a confessionally Reformed outlook is not only true and faithful to the Scriptures but also useful and important for believers in the pew.

Amen, brother. There is so much to be thankful for in all that you’ve said. The Lord has led you step by step from one degree of glory to another. What a fitting testimony to his sovereign grace that he would use a faithful Sunday school teacher, whose name you cannot even remember, to bring you the Word of God through which the Spirit gave you a new heart. And he has been faithful to grow you through the preaching of that Word and its reinforcement through family devotions and the example of godly mentors in the faith.

Maybe I could add that one of the most significant mentors in that long line of men the Lord has placed in my life is Dr. Lane Tipton, well-known to Reformed Forum readers and listeners. When I arrived in Philadelphia from Texas, Lane and I started meeting on a fairly regular basis. For years, he patiently listened to me spout what I thought I understood and then graciously and gently dialogued with me to smooth out and solidify what I would call the “wet cement” that remained in my theological outlook. To change the metaphor slightly, he helped to fortify in me many of the steel-beam structures of Reformed, confessional, and covenantal Christianity with a focus on the death and resurrection of Christ. Maybe best of all, he’s really shown me that the deepest friendships are grounded in a joyful, clear-eyed sharing of theological conviction in the love of Christ.

That’s beautiful to have such a brother in arms and so many other saints who have encouraged you in the faith. How do you now as a family man, as a head of a household, strive to carry on their legacy by discipling the next generation in Christ? Introduce us to your family life and tell us how the Lord is working in your lives to mature you in all in Christ.  

I’d be glad to. I’m married to my wonderful wife, Linley, for twenty-one years. We met in college where she became a believer. At every step of the way since, she has devoted herself not only to me but also increasingly to the church and to the raising of our three fabulous boys, ages sixteen, fourteen, and twelve. What we try to do in our home is to make the grace and truth of the Lord part of the warp and woof of everyday life.

Since our boys were babies, we have tried to think and live in terms of a Christian worldview—from my wife taking them to the park, showing them flowers and animals, to doing family devotions and reading from theologians that other children probably don’t hear read in their homes very much. By God’s grace, they’re very patient with me and are willing to listen and even to take an interest in theological and apologetic matters. Of course, that’s a great joy to me. Like John says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” [3 John 1:4]. All three of my sons are communing members of our church here in Atlanta, and it’s just a delight to be their dad.

My serving as a pastor and teacher brings unique privileges to our family. Among the privileges are all the ways that the church and seminary world have introduced our family to friends, books, and voices that we would otherwise never have encountered. And yet, as children of any pastor knows, there are unique challenges as well. Thankfully, the church where I serve loves and cares for our family as any other family. I think our boys would freely acknowledge that our commitment to the church and to Christ is not some performance but born out of the Lord’s design and his grace to each one of us.

Indeed. God has been gracious to you not only as a family man but also as a churchman, even an ordained servant in the PCA. What is your current pastoral call? How is the Lord building up the saints in your midst through the ordinary means of grace, particularly the preaching of the Word?

It’s my great joy to serve as the associate pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. Our church has deep roots in the PCA; it was the host of the original convocation of sessions that helped organize the launch of the PCA back in the 1970s. The church itself was started in 1901. I was called to serve on the pastoral staff in the heart of COVID in 2020. The original and continuing plan was for me to serve in a preaching, teaching, and shepherding function—preaching at our Sunday evening services and working closely with our senior pastor, Aaron Messner. All of it has been, as Lane Tipton says, “an unqualified delight.”

Week to week, I lead in worship, teach a Sunday School class (currently working very slowly through the Westminster Confession of Faith), and preach at our evening service. We also have a gathering on Wednesday evenings, where the pastors share a teaching load. Currently, we’re teaching a series on eschatology, which will lead into a study of the book of Revelation.

I also have the great privilege of promoting good Christian literature among our congregation. I help out with a “book of the month” initiative, where on the first Wednesday evening of the month, we take a break from our normal teaching series, and I give a presentation and lead a discussion on a classic or helpful work of theology. So far, we’ve done everything from Augustine’s Confessions to R. C. Sproul’s The Holiness of God to Athanasius’s On the Incarnation to Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism. And we just started Jonathan Landry Cruse’s What Happens When We Worship.

During the week, I meet with people for lunch, do premarital counseling and, of course, weddings and funerals—and all the wonderful opportunities that the Lord opens up through pastoral ministry to minister to the Lord’s people. Over the years, I’ve grown to love the flock in Atlanta, and I am increasingly thankful for the opportunity to preach and teach God’s Word to them. On the side, I teach about three classes a year at the Atlanta campus of Reformed Theological Seminary. Currently, I’m teaching a class titled Christ, Culture, and Contextualization. I also have the privilege of teaching apologetics and on the Westminster Standards.

Along the lines of your work in the seminary, we know that it’s fitting for a professor to be researching, writing, and producing new scholarship. Are you working on any new books or articles in conjunction with your labors in the local church or RTS?

Brother, I envy those who can find time to research and write while being full-time engaged in full-time pastoral ministry! I find a little bit of time each week, but even that’s been a struggle. Nevertheless, I continue to work on a book on covenant theology and baptism, which has been a thrill and a trial at the same time. I’ll be thankful when that project is finished. But it’s been a blessing to reflect on the topics of covenant and baptism for the past couple of years. The doctrine of the covenant embraces the whole Christian life and all of human history. And I believe that baptism as a sign of the covenant of grace is likewise a window into the full scope of redemptive history with so many implications for the Christian and for the church.

Amen. I’m looking forward to a taste of some of the fruits of your years of labor on the subject of baptism at our upcoming theology conference where we’ll be unpacking the ordinary means of grace that God uses for extraordinary ends. How did you first get to know about Reformed Forum? And other than your participation at our conference, how are you actively engaged in promoting our Colossians 1:28 mission as a faculty member?

Well, thanks, brother. It’s been an honor to be involved in the work of Reformed Forum. I first started listening to Christ the Center when I was a pastor in Dallas and a very fresh MDiv graduate. I don’t know how I found it, but I do remember one thing—going to Best Buy and buying the longest extension cord for earphones that I could find. We had an elliptical machine in my small study space at home, and I took some duct tape and taped that long extension from the elliptical around to the side of my desk and up to my laptop to plug it in so that I could listen to Christ the Center while exercising. That’s how I got to know Camden and Reformed Forum. For years, I listened to those interviews. I eventually stumbled upon Lane Tipton’s lectures on union with Christ. I still remember where I was when he walked through the benefits of our salvation as laid up in the person of Christ, explaining how the benefits are not abstracted from the Benefactor. I had zero idea that these guys whom I was listening to would eventually become my good friends. My meager contributions to Reformed Forum began when I came to Westminster [Theological Seminary] to study and participated in one or two interviews as a student. The next formal step was when Lane, Camden, and I began recording the Van Til group, walking through The Defense of the Faith, which has been a great joy. I love talking Van Til with those guys. We need to be more regular with our recordings, but life is busy! Now I have the great privilege of serving as a faculty member with Reformed Academy, contributing a course on Calvin’s Institutes. And I’m looking forward to my first Reformed Forum conference in Chicago this month [September 2024]. So, I’m a big fan of Reformed Forum. And I’m not alone; it’s exciting to hear our church members talk about Reformed Forum’s podcasts and courses. Many of them found Reformed Forum apart from knowing me, so it’s encouraging to see the reach and the influence that the ministry is having today.

I can confirm from all my time on the road, whether at the PCA GA or on the conference circuit, that folks are appreciative of your own labors through Reformed Forum. There’s lots of anticipation for your next course on Calvin’s Institutes, Books 3–4, for example. We’ll have to find a time to bring you back to the studio in 2025 to finish that series. As we look to the future, entrusting ourselves to the Lord, how might our readers remember you, your family, your church, and all your labors in the Lord in prayer?

Ah, yes! I’d love to finish the course. We can’t leave out Calvin on union with Christ! In terms of prayers, the first thing that comes to mind is that the Lord would enable me to be faithful in the ordinary things—loving my wife, raising my boys, preaching faithfully the Word. I just finished preaching through the Gospel of John, and I’ve picked back up in the book of Proverbs. So, I would ask for prayer that I would be a faithful preacher of Christ, a zealous teacher of God’s Word, and a loving shepherd of God’s people.

Secondly, I would appreciate prayer for overall physical stamina. The Lord’s been very merciful in giving me energy and strength. But I don’t mind sharing that my father gave me one of his kidneys back in 2006. Like many, I feel the weakness of the outer man in unique ways as we maintain a watchful eye on my own health, and I would appreciate prayer that the Lord would sustain me for many years before I go to glory. That is definitely my hope and my plan.

And thirdly, please pray that the Lord would enable our church in Atlanta and the church at large to persevere in fellowship with Christ through suffering with a heart-stirring heavenly vision of our inheritance in Christ.

On July 11, 2024, we recorded a webinar with Harrison Perkins, author of Reformed Covenant Theology: A Systematic Introduction (Lexham Academic). This event explored the multifaceted nature of covenant theology, examining how it relates to other branches of exegetical and theological study.

Discover how covenant theology is informed by exegetical, biblical, and systematic theology and how it in turn influences other disciplines. Whether you’re a theologian, pastor, student, or simply interested in deepening your knowledge of Reformed theology, this webinar promises to provide valuable insights and foster enriching discussions.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:05:12 Perkins on Reformed Covenant Theology
• 00:29:00 Covenant Theology and the Theological Encyclopedia
• 00:41:19 Advancing beyond Mere Typology
• 00:54:34 The Most Pressing Challenges to Covenant Theology
• 00:58:24 Thoughts on a Republication of the Covenant of Works
• 01:05:47 Types “Resembling” the Covenant of Works
• 01:21:08 Conclusion

In Church Membership, Jonathan Landry Cruse emphasizes the biblical and theological necessity of formal church membership. Cruse argues that church membership is not merely a social or optional commitment but a vital and commanded aspect of Christian discipleship. The book contends that being a member of a local church is essential for spiritual growth, accountability, and fulfilling God’s design for communal worship and service.

Jonathan Landry Cruse is pastor of Community Presbyterian Church (Orthodox Presbyterian Church) in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In his writing, Cruse aims to make complex theological concepts accessible to a broader audience. His works often address foundational elements of church life, including worship, preaching, and the sacraments, underscoring the importance of church membership and community.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:07:13 Thinking about Church Membership
• 00:17:38 The Visible and Invisible Church and the Covenant
• 00:30:26 The Duty to Join the Church
• 00:37:09 Biblical Church Metaphors
• 00:42:59 The Benefits of Church Membership
• 00:57:08 Moving toward Others
• 01:01:07 Church Discipline
• 01:07:45 Final Remarks
• 01:10:29 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Jonathan Landry Cruse

In this installment of Van Til Group, we turn to pp. 73–77 of Cornelius Van Til’s classic book, The Defense of the Faith. In this section, Van Til critiques both Roman Catholicism and certain strands of Evangelicalism for their approach to human autonomy and the nature of sin.

Van Til argues that Roman Catholicism, as represented by Thomas Aquinas, assigns too much autonomy to human consciousness, even before the Fall, which undermines the Scriptural notion of authority and total depravity. He contends that Aquinas views fallen man as not entirely different from Adam in paradise, thus diminishing the need for grace.

Similarly, Van Til criticizes C.S. Lewis, representing a segment of Evangelical thought, for conflating metaphysical and ethical issues and for not adequately emphasizing human disobedience to God as the root of ethical problems. Both perspectives, according to Van Til, fail to uphold the biblical doctrine that only through faith and complete reliance on the triune God of Scripture can true ethical behavior be achieved.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:04:48 Support Reformed Forum
• 00:10:35 A Christian Philosophy of Behavior
• 00:18:48 Roman Catholicism as Halfway between Christianity and Paganism
• 00:28:38 The Relationship between Natural and Special Revelation
• 00:41:36 The Natural vs the Supernatural End of Created Man in Thomistic Theology
• 01:02:45 Evangelicalism and C. S. Lewis’s Views
• 01:13:11 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

In this installment of Van Til Group, we turn to the section of Defense of the Faith (pp. 69–72), which begins the chapter titled “The Christian Philosophy of Behavior.” This section outlines the Christian perspective on ethics, drawing from the Reformed confessions to emphasize that human actions, or behavior, should aim to glorify God. It presents a confessional scheme focusing on three key aspects: the highest good (summum bonum) that humans should strive for, the criterion for achieving this good (which must be based on God’s revealed will in Scripture), and the motivation for pursuing this good, highlighting the necessity of faith and regeneration by the Holy Spirit for genuine ethical action.

The chapter then considers the relationship between ethics and the Christian philosophy of knowledge. It asserts that understanding God’s nature is fundamental to grasping the essence of Christian ethics, with God’s absolute personality serving as the ultimate interpretative category for human existence. This perspective contrasts with non-Christian views by emphasizing that the good is defined by God’s nature and will, rather than existing independently.

The section on “Man as Made in God’s Image” discusses the original moral perfection of humanity, created in the image of the Godhead, and underscores the derivative nature of human moral consciousness. Unlike non-Christian ethics, which may view moral consciousness as the ultimate arbiter of good, Christian ethics sees it as reliant on divine revelation. This foundational difference in epistemology between Christian and non-Christian thought underscores the Christian belief in a receptive rather than creative construction of moral knowledge, with humanity’s moral nature and external revelation jointly guiding ethical understanding.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:04:56 The Christian View of Ethics
• 00:21:06 Motive, Standard, and Goal
• 00:32:02 The Summum Bonum
• 00:39:44 The Euthyphro Dilemma
• 00:45:13 God’s Nature and Will
• 00:51:58 Man Made in the Image of God
• 00:55:53 Christian Epistemology
• 01:08:58 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

In this episode, we sit down with David Hall, Senior Pastor of Midway Presbyterian Church in Powder Springs, GA, and a prolific author, to discuss his latest book, Irony and the Presbyterian Church in America: The First Fifty Years. Hall’s work, a historical and analytical exploration of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), offers a unique perspective on the denomination’s fifty-year journey since its inception in 1973. Through the lens of irony, reminiscent of Greek dramas, Hall examines the PCA’s evolution within the wider context of American Presbyterianism.

David Hall is the author of more than 40 books, including influential titles like Savior or Servant? Putting Government in Its Place and The Legacy of John Calvin. As the Founder and Senior Fellow of the Kuyper Institute and a leading figure in the Calvin500 celebration, Hall’s expertise offers a profound look into the PCA’s successes, challenges, and the critical question: can it avoid the decline that other religious communions have faced?

Links

• Reformation & Worship Conference

Chapters

• 0:00:07 Introduction
• 0:02:10 The Reformation Worship Conference
• 0:15:10 A History of the PCA at 50
• 0:19:54 This Book among Other Histories of the PCA
• 0:23:33 Irony as a Theme for the PCA
• 0:36:34 Looking Backward and Forward
• 0:40:06 Perspective for the Future of the PCA
• 0:47:57 Joining and Receiving: The RPCES and OPC
• 1:00:58 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, David W. Hall

Since 2008, we have been taking time around New Year’s Day to bring you some of the top moments from the preceding year. We have several great clips lined up for you today.

The Top Episodes of 2023 (by YouTube views)

1. Dan Ragusa — Preterism and 2 Peter 3 (YouTube)
2. Gray Sutanto and Cory Brock — A Theological Introduction to Neo-Calvinism (YouTube)
3. Greg Beale — The New Testament Use of the Old Testament (YouTube)
4. Carlton Wynne — Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion (YouTube)
5. Camden Bucey — The Importance of Cornelius Van Til for Today (YouTube)
6. Jim Cassidy — Introducing and Interpreting Karl Barth (YouTube)
7. Danny Olinger — Christianity and Liberalism: Introduction (YouTube)
8. Lane Tipton — Exitus and Reditus in the Theology of Thomas Aquinas (YouTube)
9. Jonathan Master — Reformed Theology (YouTube)
10. Michael Beck — Covenant Theology and Cultural Engagement in the Thought of Meredith G. Kline (YouTube)

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:03:26 The Top 10 Episodes of 2023
• 00:15:13 [Dan Ragusa] Preterism and 2 Peter 3
• 00:24:22 [Gray Sutanto and Cory Brock] A Theological Introduction to Neo-Calvinism
• 00:30:14 [Greg Beale] The New Testament Use of the Old Testament
• 00:39:28 [Carlton Wynne] Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion
• 00:46:58 [Camden Bucey] The Importance of Cornelius Van Til for Today
• 01:00:24 [Jim Cassidy] Introducing and Interpreting Karl Barth
• 01:12:16 [Danny Olinger] Christianity and Liberalism: Introduction
• 01:16:59 [Lane Tipton] Exitus and Reditus in the Theology of Thomas Aquinas
• 01:25:09 [Jonathan Master] Reformed Theology
• 01:34:52 [Michael Beck] Covenant Theology and Cultural Engagement in the Thought of Meredith G. Kline
• 01:40:52 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Cory Brock, Dan Ragusa, Danny Olinger, Greg Beale, Jim Cassidy, Jonathan Master, Lane G. Tipton, Michael Beck, Nathaniel Gray Sutanto

After recording a course on the subject for Reformed Academy, Dr. Carlton Wynne comes to the podcast studio to discuss John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. Topics covered include Calvin’s theology, the right ordering of knowledge, general and special revelation, the effects of the fall on human reasoning, natural theology, and comparisons to the thought of Thomas Aquinas and Cornelius Van Til. Carlton also shares about his experience as a pastor-theologian and his talk on maintaining true religion in a modernist world at the recent Reformation Worship Conference. The conversation touches on the legacy of J. Gresham Machen and the need for the church to guard the good deposit of faith.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:05:41 Introduction to Carlton’s Course on Calvin’s Institutes
• 00:13:56 The Church and the Academy
• 00:20:58 Approaching a Course on the Institutes
• 00:30:30 The Natural Knowledge of God
• 00:37:52 Natural Theology, Ethics, and “Formal” Truth
• 00:49:48 The Reformation Worship Conference
• 00:57:28 Machen 2.0
• 01:10:39 Calvin and the Threefold Office of Mediator
• 01:12:52 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey turn to pp. 63–67 of Cornelius Van Til’s The Defense of the Faith to discuss the Christian theory of knowledge. In this section, Van Til speaks of the effects of sin and its curse upon human knowledge.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:05:07 The Effects of Sin
• 00:21:08 God Is Self-Sufficient and Self-Complete
• 00:37:24 Aspects of Non-Christian Thought
• 00:48:40 The Contradiction of a Developing Absolute
• 00:56:57 Three Types of Consciousness
• 00:58:49 Kuyper and Common Grace
• 01:03:23 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey turn to pp. 58–63 of Cornelius Van Til’s The Defense of the Faith to discuss the Christian theory of knowledge. In this section, Van Til speaks of man’s knowledge of the world.

Chapters

• 00:07 Introduction
• 08:29 Review Up to This Point
• 12:59 Man’s Knowledge of God and of His Environment
• 19:29 Human Knowledge Is Entirely Dependent upon God
• 22:29 Theology Proper and the Image of God
• 33:27 Types of Knowledge of God
• 41:29 Human Knowledge Can Be True though Never Comprehensive
• 43:39 Realism and Anti-Realism
• 52:39 The Mysterious Depth Dimension to All Human Knowledge
• 56:09 The Full Bucket
• 58:52 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Since 2008, we have been taking a beat around New Year’s Day to bring you some of the top moments from the preceding year. We have several great clips lined up for you today.

This was another encouraging year for us at Reformed Forum. We published four new courses. We also hosted our first two in-person courses (on Zephaniah and 2 Peter) and increased our online student base to 4,210 people (+11% over last year) in 84 countries (+13%).

But perhaps the highlight of the year was the publication of Lane G. Tipton’s book, The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til. We believe this work is a significant advance in Reformed apologetic scholarship and will be read for decades to come.

Every Person Mature

Our mission is to support the church in her charge of presenting every person mature in Christ (Col. 1:28). In order to continue producing resources that benefit local churches at home and around the world in accord with this mission, we have launched the Every Person Mature campaign. Our goal is to raise $150,000 by the end of 2022 so that we may continue to provide free theological resources for your congregation and others like it around the world.

The good news is that we are nearly halfway there! A generous donor has committed to match all donations toward this cause up to $75,000. By donating to the Every Person Mature campaign, you will fund essential resources for believers who are hungry for confessionally Reformed resources.

Top Episodes

• Episode 745 — Van Til, Thomas Aquinas, and the Natural Knowledge of God with Lane Tipton
• Episode 764 — A God-Centered Approach to History with Vern Poythress
• Episode 761 — Van Til Group #8 — The Christian Philosophy of Knowledge with Carlton Wynne and Lane Tipton
• Episode 736 — John Owen, Jeremiah 31, and the Old Covenant with Carlton Wynne and Will Wood
• Episode 780 — 1689 Federalism and the Old Covenant with Jeremy Boothby, Carlton Wynne, and Lane Tipton
• Episode 762 — The Extra Calvinistic from Zwingli to Early Orthodoxy with K. J. Drake
• Episode 746 — Natural Theology and the Effects of Sin with Lane Tipton, Rob McKenzie, and Ryan Noha
• Episode 748 — Van Til Group #7 — Creation, Sin and Its Curse with Carlton Wynne and Lane Tipton
• Episode 772 — A Tale of Two Trees with Scott Wright
• Episode 752 — The Two Ages in Scripture with Adam York

Chapters

• 00:00:06 Introduction
• 00:05:32 Lane Tipton — Van Til, Thomas Aquinas, and the Natural Knowledge of God
• 00:11:35 Vern Poythress — A God-Centered Approach to History
• 00:20:01 Van Til Group #8 — The Christian Philosophy of Knowledge
• 00:26:14 Carlton Wynne — John Owen, Jeremiah 31, and the Old Covenant
• 00:34:20 Carlton Wynne, Jeremy Boothby, and Lane Tipton — 1689 Federalism and the Old Covenant
• 00:45:38 K. J. Drake — The Extra Calvinistic from Zwingli to Early Orthodoxy
• 00:51:16 Lane Tipton — Natural Theology and the Effects of Sin
• 00:56:23 Van Til Group #7 — Creation, Sin and Its Curse
• 01:09:09 Scott Wright — A Tale of Two Trees
• 01:14:15 Adam York — The Two Ages in Scripture
• 01:20:59 Conclusion

Participants: Adam York, Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Dan Ragusa, Jeremy Boothby, K. J. Drake, Lane G. Tipton, Rob McKenzie, Ryan Noha, Vern Poythress, Will Wood

Carlton Wynne, Jeremy Boothby, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey discuss 1689 Federalism and the old covenant. Continuing an ongoing conversation carried over several podcast episodes and YouTube videos, the panel interacts with views presented by Sam Renihan, Richard Barcellos, and Brandon Adams in “Two-Tier Typology and OT Salvation.” They responded specifically to Christ the Center episode 736 (John Owen, Jeremiah 31, and the Relationship between the Old and New Covenants) from last year, in which Camden Bucey spoke with Carlton Wynne and Will Wood at RTS Atlanta. That episode followed many of the covenant theological themes expressed by Jeremy Boothby in Christ the Center episode 693 (Typology and Covenant Membership in Hebrews).

After surveying views presented by Nehemiah Coxe, Paul Jewett, and David Kingdon, the conversation focuses on the relationship of old covenant types to the accomplishment of redemption wrought by Jesus Christ in the new covenant.

Chapters

• 00:00:07 Introduction
• 00:10:18 Taxonomy of Reformed Baptist Views: Nehemiah Coxe
• 00:19:35 Paul King Jewett
• 00:20:51 David Kingdon
• 00:22:49 Sam Renihan
• 00:29:34 An Exclusively National and Carnal Significance of Covenant
• 00:39:36 Kinds of Obedience in the Old Covenant
• 00:49:01 Works and the Unregenerate
• 00:54:00 How Were Old Testament Believers Saved?
• 01:04:57 Symbolism, Typology, and Means of Grace
• 01:21:19 Two Religions
• 01:24:38 Hebrews 9–10
• 01:32:21 Christ Is the Substance of the Old Covenant
• 01:43:53 Christ’s Mediation in the Covenants
• 01:49:40 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Jeremy Boothby, Lane G. Tipton

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey turn to pp. 54–58 of Cornelius Van Til’s The Defense of the Faith to discuss the Christian theory of knowledge. In this section, Van Til speaks of God’s knowledge of the world and then man’s knowledge of God.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction
• 02:28 God’s Knowledge of the World
• 07:41 The Plan of God to Create the World
• 13:13 The Pantheistic Switch
• 24:31 God’s Free Knowledge Does Not Imply an Eternal Creation
• 35:32 Refusing to Concede to Rationalism
• 43:10 Man’s Knowledge of God
• 49:46 Devotional Thoughts on the Creator-Creature Distinction
• 56:45 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey turn to pp. 48–54 of Cornelius Van Til’s The Defense of the Faith to discuss the Christian theory of knowledge. In this section, Van Til speaks of the relationship between a theory of reality and the theory of knowledge and how for orthodox Christians, the absolute God of Scripture is identical with his knowledge while finite creatures are fundamentally dependent upon him.

We also announce the arrival of Lane Tipton’s book, The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:02:16 New Book: The Trinitarian Theology of Cornelius Van Til
• 00:12:28 Reviewing Chapters 1–2 of the Book
• 00:23:38 A Christian Theory of Being
• 00:35:30 The Bible and Christian Experience
• 00:37:50 Ontology and Epistemology from the Garden of Eden
• 00:42:59 Epistemological Authority
• 00:48:35 Satan’s Tactic in Temptation
• 00:55:16 God’s Knowledge and Being are Coterminous
• 01:00:52 Pantheism
• 01:06:04 Consequences of Saying that God’s Knowledge Changes
• 01:15:44 Biblical Examples of God’s Knowledge in Relation to Creation
• 01:21:00 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:06:03 Carlton’s Introduction to Sinclair Ferguson
• 00:15:21 Theology for Life
• 00:20:05 The Inspiration of Scripture
• 00:37:42 The Accommodation of Scripture
• 00:40:59 The Usefulness of Doctrine for Pastoral Ministry
• 00:49:32 The Redemptive-Historical Character of Scripture
• 01:02:38 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey open Cornelius Van Til’s book, The Defense of the Faith to pages 43–47. Van Til addresses the unity and diversity within creation before covering the fall into sin and the curse.

Throughout this chapter, Van Til reminds his readers of the categorical difference between God and creation while maintaining creation’s dependence upon God for its very existence. The answers to these fundamental questions distinguish orthodox Christianity from all other philosophies and religions.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:03:52 Thoughts on Learning Van Til
• 00:12:32 Temporal Unity and Plurality
• 00:24:30 Non-Being
• 00:36:56 Reformed vs. Roman Catholic Conceptions of Nature and Sin
• 00:49:58 The Mystery of the Fall into Sin
• 00:56:49 Created Laws and Facts
• 01:03:42 Van Til the Evangelist and Van Til the Theologian
• 01:06:33 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Dr. R. Carlton Wynne leads us in a study of Jeremiah 31 and the relationship between the Old and New Covenants. In discussing typology and symbolism, Wynne describes the views of John Owen with a view toward understanding better several contemporary views.

Dr. Wynne is Associate Pastor of Westminster PCA in Atlanta and Adjunct Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary (Atlanta).

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:06:35 Jeremiah 31 and the New Covenant
• 00:11:09 What Is Not New in the New Covenant
• 00:18:28 Old Testament Types and Symbols
• 00:26:32 The Prospective Typological Aspect of OT Forms
• 00:34:03 The Connection between Type and Antitype
• 00:37:44 A Subservient View of the Mosaic Covenant
• 00:45:18 Types are More than Pedagogical Tools
• 00:51:52 OT Types Are Meaningless without Christ
• 00:54:07 Views on Obedience to the Law
• 01:00:33 John Owen on the Old and New Covenants
• 01:13:31 Christ’s Presence in Both the Old and the New
• 01:18:39 The Old Covenant Not Only Illustrates but Communicates Christ
• 01:24:11 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Will Wood

It’s that time of year again. Since 2008, we have been taking a beat around New Year’s Day to bring you some of the top moments from the preceding year. We have a bunch of great clips lined up for you today.

Throughout 2021 we continued to develop Reformed Academy, our online learning platform. We doubled our student base from last year to more than 3,800 people in 73 countries. These brothers and sisters are taking our on-demand courses in Reformed theology, and many of their churches are using these resources in study groups and Sunday school courses.

We are committed to having each of our courses translated and subtitled in languages where we have established relationships with Reformed missionaries and indigenous churches.

Over the last two years, we have had many wonderful opportunities but not enough people and time in the day to complete many of these projects. We have grown significantly in terms of our reach, but we need to mature in terms of our ministry’s staff and infrastructure.

Please consider supporting us prayerfully and financially in these efforts. Visit https://www.reformedforum.org/donate

Top Clips from 2021

1. Episode 689 with Christopher Watkin — Foucault on Sexuality and Identity
2. Episode 689 with Christopher Watkin — Foucault on Power
3. Episode 695 with Bruce Pass — Bavinck and Supralapsarianism
4. Episode 706 with Jim Cassidy — Comparing PCA and OPC General Assemblies
5. Episode 687 with Benjamin Gladd — Israel and Dispensationalism
6. Episode 712 — Van Til Group #5 with Lane Tipton and Carlton Wynne — Natural Theology, Experience, and Reason
7. Episode 699 with G.K. Beale and Benjamin Gladd — Inaugurated Eschatology
8. Episode 713 with Danny Olinger and John Muether — Premillennialism among Presbyterian Fundamentalists
9. Episode 709 — Listener Questions with Ryan Noha and Jeff Waddington — Thomas, Van Til, and Classical Theism
10. Episode 696 with Crawford Gribben — Christian Reconstruction and the Religious Right
11. Reformed Forum Hot Ones

Episode Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:01:13 2021 in Review
• 00:10:19 Foucault on Sexuality and Identity
• 00:16:18 Foucault on Power
• 00:20:32 Bavinck and Supralapsarianism
• 00:23:55 Comparing PCA and OPC General Assemblies
• 00:28:45 Israel and Dispensationalism
• 00:31:35 Natural Theology, Experience, and Reason
• 00:36:16 Inaugurated Eschatology
• 00:44:14 Premillennialism among Presbyterian Fundamentalists
• 00:49:54 Thomas, Van Til, and Classical Theism
• 00:55:09 Christian Reconstruction and the Religious Right
• 00:59:56 Reformed Theology Meets Spicy Wings
• 01:06:14 Looking Ahead to 2022

Participants: Benjamin Gladd, Bruce Pass, Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Christopher Watkin, Crawford Gribben, Danny Olinger, Greg Beale, Jeff Waddington, John Muether, Lane G. Tipton, Ryan Noha

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey open Cornelius Van Til’s book, The Defense of the Faith to pages 40–43, in which Van Til describes the Christian philosophy of reality. While to some degree it is necessary to use categories of God, man, and universe common to unbelievers in order to engage them apologetically and to evangelize, Christians must clearly set forth the distinctly Christian philosophy of reality. Van Til commences that work in chapter two and promptly addresses eternal unity and plurality with regard to the problem of the one and many.

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:03:39 The Christian Philosophy of Reality
• 00:09:36 The Infection and Rejection Theses
• 00:14:49 The Belief that God Is Identical with Reality
• 00:28:25 The Reality of God as Self-Sufficient
• 00:31:42 Applying the Philosophy
• 00:34:01 The Problem of the One and the Many
• 00:40:19 Practical Considerations of Particularity
• 00:45:15 The Self-Contained God and the One and Many Problem
• 00:52:32 Equal Ultimacy Precludes an Abstract Essence
• 00:59:41 Bavinck on Diversity and Unity
• 01:02:20 Perichoresis
• 01:05:50 Conclusion

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey open Cornelius Van Til’s book, The Defense of the Faith to pages 33–39 wherein Van Til discusses the doctrine of salvation. Van Til is insistent to maintain the incommunicable attributes of God in all aspects of theology, even here in soteriology. Throughout this section, Van Til refuses to admit any form of mutualism or correlativism in the God-man relation. He writes, “If we refuse to mix the eternal and the temporal at the point of creation and at the point of the incarnation we must also refuse to mix them at the point of salvation.”

If God is omnipotent, for example, and he desires to save, it is not possible for man to frustrate that plan. This carries through in the doctrine of church as well as the doctrine of last things, wherein the absolute sovereignty of God is maintained at every point throughout history.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Carlton Wynne, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey open Cornelius Van Til’s book, The Defense of the Faith to pages 32–33 wherein Van Til discusses the doctrine of Christ. These are the fundamental building blocks of the consistent Christian apologetic.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Lane Tipton discusses “Van Til’s Trinitarian Theology,” the latest on-demand video course released with Reformed Academy. Designed to equip the student to engage critically central issues in trinitarian theology, this course will focus on the architectonic significance of the Trinity both in Van Til’s theology and apologetics. Special attention will be given to Van Til’s historical and theological context, his theology of triune personhood, the structure and function of the representational principle, the distinctively trinitarian character of the transcendental method, and his rejection of all species of correlativism, ranging from Karl Barth to contemporary expressions of Evangelical mutualism.

Enroll for free at https://www.reformedforum.org/courses/van-tils-trinitarian-theology

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

On pages 29–34 of The Defense of the Faith, Cornelius Van Til continues to describe the basic Reformed doctrines that lay the foundation for his apologetic. It is evident even in this introductory material how he considers his project. He is neither seeking to be idiosyncratic nor original (in the sense of developing something foreign or external to confessional Reformed theology). Rather, he is developing a method of apologetics that is thoroughly consistent with the Reformed creeds and confessions.

Having addressed the doctrine of God, and particularly the doctrine of the Trinity, Van Til continues to the doctrine of man before moving to Christology and the rest of the traditional theological loci. In his introductory treatment of anthropology, Van Til focuses on the God-man relation, man’s creatureliness, the aspects of the image of God, the doctrine of sin, and how each of these relate to Roman Catholic, Arminian, and Lutheran theology, and the discipline of apologetics.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Since Christ the Center began nearly thirteen years ago, we have taken time to look back on the highlights of the year. Continuing the update to our tradition from last year, here this year’s top ten clips from Christ the Center as determined by YouTube views.

1. Ep. 633 – What Is Christendom? with David VanDrunen
2. Ep. 655 – 1689 Federalism and Reformed Covenant Theology with Jeremy Boothby
3. Ep. 638 – John Frame and Two Divine Existences with James Dolezal
4. Ep. 659 – Why Study Karl Barth? with Jim Cassidy
5. Ep. 633 – The Noahic Covenant with David VanDrunen
6. Ep. 630 – The Importance of Discourse Analysis with Matthew Patton
7. Ep. 641 – The Ancient Understanding of Baptism as Washing and Regeneration with Glen Clary
8. Ep. 629 – Abridged Bavinck with Carlton Wynne and Charles Williams
9. Ep. 666 – John Nelson Darby and Dispensationalism with Michael Glodo
10. Ep. 631 – What Is Public Theology? with Jordan Ballor

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Charles Williams, David VanDrunen, Glen Clary, James Dolezal, Jeff Waddington, Jeremy Boothby, Jim Cassidy, Jordan Ballor, Matthew Patton, Michael Glodo

Lane Tipton, Carlton Wynne, and Camden Bucey discuss pages 25–29 of Cornelius Van Til’s book, The Defense of the Faith. In this section, Van Til details the doctrine of God that structures his apologetic thought. A Reformed apologetic seeks first to understand the nature of the God it seeks to set forth and defend. In Van Til’s estimate, we must ask “what kind” of a God we believe in before we can proceed in any meaningful way to set for the arguments for the existence and revelation of this God.

Links

• Lane Tipton lectures from Mid-America Reformed Seminary: “Van Til’s Trinitarian Theology: Reformed or Revisionist?“

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

In the spirit of our Vos Group episodes, we begin a concurrent venture into Cornelius Van Til’s book, The Defense of the Faith. Carlton Wynne joins Lane Tipton and Camden Bucey to discuss the theology and apologetics of this significant twenty-first century Reformed apologist.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton

Carlton Wynne and Charles Williams speak about the new edition of Herman Bavinck’s The Wonderful Works of God published by Westminster Seminary Press. The book was first published in English under the title, Our Reasonable Faith. The new edition is re-typeset and includes an introduction by Dr. Wynne, Bavinck’s original introduction translated by Nathaniel Gray Sutanto, and helpful indices collected by Charles Williams.

Carlton Wynne is assistant professor of systematic theology and apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA.

Charles Williams is pastor of Bethel Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Wheaton, Illinois.

Links

• The Wonderful Works of God discussion guide

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Charles Williams

Rev. Dr. Kevin Chiarot introduces and offers a critical look into the influential Christology of T. F. Torrance, who among other things taught that the Son of God assumed a fallen human nature. Rev. Chiarot is the pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Rock Tavern, New York. He has written an excellent book titled, The Unassumed Is the Unhealed: The Humanity of Christ in the Christology of T. F. Torrance (Pickwick, 2013). Join us as we discuss this theology that has influenced many.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Jim Cassidy, Kevin Chiarot

Brian DeJong takes us to Jesus Christ as Lord as well as the preeminent practitioner of apologetics. Listen to this important conversation on an underdeveloped topic. Rev. De Jong is pastor of Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and currently serves as the chairman of the Candidates and Credentials Committee for the OPC’s Presbytery of the Midwest. His article, “Lord Defender: Jesus Christ as Apologist,” published in Ordained Servant, is an excellent treatment of Jesus’ apologetic example and an important call-to-action that Reformed apologists would devote time and attention to studying this topic.

Participants: Brian De Jong, Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne

Marcus Peter Johnson joins us once again to talk about Christology and soteriology. With his colleague Dr. John C. Clark, Dr. Johnson has co-authored The Incarnation of God: The Mystery of the Gospel as the Foundation of Evangelical Theology (Crossway). Johnson and Clark examine the doctrine of the incarnation and its implications fro the church’s knowledge and worship of God, understanding of salvation, and approach to the Christian life. Be sure also to listen to our previous conversations with Dr. Johnson regarding his book One with Christ: An Evangelical Theology of Salvation (Crossway).

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Jim Cassidy, Marcus Johnson

Carlton Wynne leads us into the world of modern theology by introducing the theology of Wolfhart Pannenberg. Pannenberg (1928–2014) was a leading systematic theologian who introduced an innovative relationship between eschatology and theology proper. By studying his theology in a polemical fashion, we may become better theologians of redemptive history. Carlton Wynne is Lecturer in Apologetics and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Jim Cassidy

Dr. James N. Anderson speaks about his recent book What’s Your Worldview?: An Interactive Approach to Life’s Big Questions, published by Crossway. The book takes the reader through important theological and philosophical questions in a “Choose Your Own Adventure” style, leading to a label and description of the reader’s own worldview. Dr. Anderson explains the setup of the book and a number of ways it might be used, and also discusses the idea of a worldview and what important elements constitute one. Dr. Anderson is associate professor of theology and philosophy at the Charlotte campus of Reformed Theological Seminary. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Edinburgh, writing about paradox in Christian theology. That study became his book, Paradox in Christian Theology: An Analysis of Its Presence, Nature, and Epistemic Status, which was the subject of a previous episode of Christ the Center.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, James Anderson, Jared Oliphint

• Ep. 265 – Gospels Harmonization with Vern Poythress
• Ep. 267 – The Reorganization of Old Princeton with Darryl G. Hart
• Ep. 268 – Regeneration and Redemption-History with Scott Wright
• Ep. 270 – Calvin’s Company of Pastors with Scott Manetsch
• Ep. 273 – Francis Schaeffer’s Spirituality with William Edgar
• Ep. 274 – The Plan of Salvation with Lane Tipton
• Ep. 277 – What Every Christian Needs to Know about the Qu’ran with James White
• Ep. 281 – The Polemical Theology of the Old Testament with John Currid
• Ep. 289 – Covenantal Apologetics with K. Scott Oliphint
• Ep. 291 – The DSM-V with Mike Emlet
• Ep. 299 – Jesus on Every Page with David P. Murray
• Ep. 300 – Communicating the Gospel through Hip Hop with Timothy Brindle
• Ep. 307 – Definite Atonement with Jonathan Gibson, David Gibson, and Carl Trueman

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carl Trueman, Carlton Wynne, Darryl G. Hart, David Gibson, David Murray, James White, Jared Oliphint, Jim Cassidy, John Currid, Jonathan Gibson, K. Scott Oliphint, Lane G. Tipton, Michael Emlet, Nick Batzig, Scott Manetsch, Scott R. Wright, Timothy Brindle, Vern Poythress, William Edgar

Dr. Mark Talbot speaks about his forthcoming book tentatively entitled, When the Stars Disappear: Why Christians Suffer. Dr. Talbot’s research in philosophy, theology, and psychology serve to interpret his personal experiences of suffering and inform his counseling of those who suffer. The discussion covers the definition and purpose of Christian suffering, the human need to understand life as a story, the danger of a prosperity gospel, and the role of Scripture in the Christian life. Ultimately, the Christian’s hope in suffering is in the faithfulness of God, who cannot deny himself (2 Tim. 2:13). Dr. Talbot is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Wheaton College (IL) where he has taught since 1992. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. His areas of expertise include the intersection of philosophy and theology, philosophy and psychology, the epistemologies of the early modern philosophers, and the works of David Hume, St. Augustine, and Jonathan Edwards. The article mentioned in the interview can be found here. You can also see Dr. Talbot speak about chronic suffering at the 2012 Desiring God Works of God Conference.

Participants: Carlton Wynne, Jared Oliphint, Mark Talbot

In this episode, Carlton Wynne reviews In Defense of the Descent by Daniel Hyde. In the book, Hyde seeks to explain and defend an orthodox understanding the Apostles’ Creed when it claims that Christ “descended into hell.” Hyde analyzes this controversial claim, bringing valuable light to this long confessed doctrine. He presents the arguments raised against the descent clause, discusses the various understanding of it throughout church history, explains how the Reformed churches have adopted it, and demonstrated the benefits of retaining it as a point of our Christian confession today.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne

Rev. Carlton Wynne reviews Trinity and Organism: Towards a New Reading of Herman Bavinck’s Organic Motif by James Eglinton and published by T&T Clark. Eglinton demonstrates how Herman Bavinck connected doctrines such as Christology, general and special revelation, ecclesiology. Carlton recently reviewed the book in The Westminster Theological Journal.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Jim Cassidy, Scott R. Wright

Participants: Brandon Crowe, Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Nick Batzig

Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, and Camden Bucey speak about biblical manhood and womanhood from the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology. The conference, held annually at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, PA, is organized by the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Gabe Fluhrer, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy

Christ the Center explores the incomprehensible and doxological subject of Trinitarian personality. Dr. Tipton previously discussed the subject on Christ the Center episode #49.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Jared Oliphint, Jeff Waddington

In a call to our modern society to reexamine the fundamental presuppositions of the dominant worldview, the panel discusses the philosophy of science. post photo from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

Links

• The Bavinck Institute

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Jared Oliphint, Jeff Waddington

PhD students Gabe Fluhrer (MDiv, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary), Carlton Wynne (MDiv RTS, Charlotte) and Nate Shannon (ThM, Westminster Theological Seminary) share what led them to PhD studies, how their seminary experience prepared them, and how their studies have impacted their ministry.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Gabe Fluhrer, Jared Oliphint, Nate Shannon