Jim Cassidy and Camden Bucey revisit Paul Woolley’s article, “Discontent!” as it pertains to the ministry of the church. Woolley presents two forms of discontent in the church that lead either to pursuing a worldly or Christ-centered agenda. While Woolley wrote in 1944, his lessons are just as applicable today. Dr. Woolley was a founding faculty member of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and taught at the seminary from 1929 until his retirement in 1977. He also became a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church upon its founding in 1936.

At the end of the episode, Jonathan Brack shares several fascinating stories about the early professors, such as Paul Woolley and John Murray, at Westminster Theological Seminary.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy, Jonathan Brack

French intellectual Jacques Derrida (1930–2004) was one of the most important contributors to the post-modern philosophical movement. He was also one of the most notoriously difficult philosophers to understand. In this third episode of a three-part series, Dr. Christopher Watkin helps us understand Derrida’s theology. Dr. Watkin is senior lecturer in French Studies at Monash University, Australia. Dr. Watkin received his MPhil and PhD from Cambridge. He has written multiple books on philosophy, including the Derrida installment of the Great Thinkers series, forthcoming with P&R Publishing.

Participants: Christopher Watkin, James Baird, Jonathan Brack

French intellectual Jacques Derrida (1930–2004) was one of the most important contributors to the post-modern philosophical movement. He was also one of the most notoriously difficult philosophers to understand. In this second episode of a three-part series, Dr. Christopher Watkin helps us understand Derrida’s moral philosophy. Dr. Watkin is senior lecturer in French Studies at Monash University, Australia. Dr. Watkin received his MPhil and PhD from Cambridge. He has written multiple books on philosophy, including the Derrida installment of the Great Thinkers series, forthcoming with P&R Publishing.

Participants: Christopher Watkin, James Baird, Jonathan Brack

French intellectual Jacques Derrida (1930–2004) was one of the most important contributors to the post-modern philosophical movement. He was also one of the most notoriously difficult philosophers to understand. In this first episode of a three-part series, Dr. Christopher Watkin helps us understand Derrida’s metaphysic (theory of reality). Dr. Watkin is senior lecturer in French Studies at Monash University, Australia. Dr. Watkin received his MPhil and PhD from Cambridge. He has written multiple books on philosophy, including the Derrida installment of the Great Thinkers series, forthcoming with P&R Publishing.

Participants: Christopher Watkin, James Baird, Jonathan Brack

Each of us uses multiple tools each day as part of a variety of workflows that help us accomplish tasks throughout the day. We dive into the workflow tips and tricks to share several of our favorites for reading, writing, and managing information.

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Filson, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack

In this episode, we survey several biblical texts and explore the biblical theological features that unfold throughout God’s Word. We consider a biblical theology of the darkness upon Christ’s crucifixion, the use of vineyard imagery for covenant blessings and curses, the glory of the Lord upon the temple, among many other rich biblical themes.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Mark A. Winder

Jonathan Brack explains a Reformed ecclesiology which spans Old and New Testaments. He touches upon covenant theology, polity, and other foundational issues as he speaks about important books on ecclesiology.

• George Gillespie, Aaron’s Rod Blossoming, or the Divine Ordinance of Church Government Vindicated
• Stuart Robinson, The Church of God as an Essential Element of the Gospel
• Douglas Bannerman, The Scripture Doctrine of the Church
• James Bannerman, The Church of Christ

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Mark A. Winder

Reformed Forum turns to the mailbag, answering several of the questions we’ve received over the last few months. In this episode, we get into covenant apologetics, biblical theology, baptism, different translations of Calvin.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Mark A. Winder

Camden Bucey and Jonathan Brack discuss Douglas Wilson’s book, Writers to Read: Nine Names That Belong on Your Bookshelf (Crossway), a helpful volume to introduce readers to several key writers of the 20th century. From the publisher:

In Writers to Read, Doug Wilson—someone who’s spent a lifetime writing, reading, and teaching others to do the same—introduces us to nine of his favorite authors from the last 150 years, exploring their interesting lives, key works, and enduring legacies. In doing so, Wilson opens our eyes to literary mentors who not only teach us what good writing looks like, but also help us become better readers in the process.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack

Reformed Media Review turn their attention beyond our typical discussions about theological books to speak about podcasts. Reformed Forum has been producing podcasts since 2008. But we’re not merely producers, we love to listen to podcasts ourselves. We look at our podcast clients and speak about some of our favorite programs, including 99% Invisible and Radiolab. While many of our favorites are not theological in nature, they often discuss matters of interest to Reformed theologians. Listen to our fun conversation, and be sure to tell us your favorite podcasts by commenting.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack

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

Kyle Padden and Paul Maxwell join Jonathan Brack and Charles Williams to discuss the importance and value of reading the Apostolic Fathers. Particular attention is given to the letters of Ignatius of Antioch, the way he dealt with the question of the nature of the church’s authority, and the impact of martyrdom as it relates to the apostolic teaching.

Participants: Charles Williams, Jonathan Brack, Kyle Padden, Paul Maxwell

Paul Maxwell joins Camden Bucey and Jonathan Brack to speak about his response to Krister Stendahl in the Spring 2013 edition of the Westminster Theological Journal. Stendahl, Swedish theologian and New Testament scholar, presented his paper “The Apostle Paul and the Introspective Conscience of the West” before the American Psychological Association in 1961. He argued that the Western understanding of Paul as concerned about clearing his conscience before God was mistaken. Proponents of the New Perspective on Paul trace their theological perspective to Stendahl’s ideas. In this episode, Maxwell defends the Protestant reading of Paul against Stendahl’s psychological concerns. In doing so, Maxwell compares Stendahl’s article with the biblical counseling movement and a Reformed approach to psychology.

Paul Maxwell is a Ph.D. student in Historical and Theological Studies at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. He wrote, “Analyzing the Apostle Paul’s “Robust Conscience”: Identifying and Engaging the Psychological Concerns of Krister Stendahl’s Inceptive Article” in the Westminster Theological Journal, Vol. 75, No. 1 (Spring 2013).

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jonathan Brack, Paul Maxwell

Participants: Charles Williams, Jonathan Brack

Participants: Charles Williams, Jonathan Brack

Participants: Charles Williams, Jonathan Brack

Jonathan Brack reviews The Distinctiveness of Baptist Covenant Theology by Pascal Denault and published by Solid Ground Christian Books. This is a helpful treatment of historic Reformed credo-baptist arguments.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jonathan Brack

Jonathan Brack reviews Popologetics: Popular Culture in Christian Perspective by Ted Turnau, a book on apologetics in the midst of pop culture.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jonathan Brack

Participants: Charles Williams, Jonathan Brack

In the second episode, Jonathan Brack and Charles Williams discuss how to begin studying church history, and provide a bird’s-eye view of the first six centuries of Christianity.

Participants: Charles Williams, Jonathan Brack

In this inaugural episode of Faith of Our Fathers, Charles Williams and Jonathan Brack discuss a Christian approach to studying history. They seek to explore the basic question: What value is there in studying history, and in particular, church history?

Participants: Charles Williams, Jonathan Brack

Jonathan Brack reviews Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants by Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum. Jonathan has also written a review of the book for Reformation21.org.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jonathan Brack

On this episode, Rev. David Brack speaks about ministerial fellowship and a ministry of discipleship in the local church. Rev. Brack is pastor of Christ Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Amarillo, TX. By God’s grace, David has had many years of fruitful service in Amarillo. Through the faithful service of many people, Christ Covenant has become a center of ministerial fellowship and discipleship. Listen to Rev. Brack discuss this special ministry and recount portions of its history.

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Brack, Jonathan Brack

Participants: Camden Bucey, Dan Adams, Jonathan Brack

Following Christ the Center episode 205, we kept the recording running and spoke with Dr. K. Scott Oliphint about counseling, apologetics, and the doctrine of God. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Oliphint and the panelists reference CCEF, the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation, in Glenside, PA.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, K. Scott Oliphint

Kevin DeYoung speaks about holiness and sanctification in this episode of Christ the Center. Given the recent discussions of the role of sanctification in soteriology and the age-old errors of antinomianism and neonomianism, we are delighted to focus our attention on this important issue. DeYoung is the Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church (RCA) in East Lansing, Michigan and the author of several books including Don’t Call it a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day and What is the Mission of the Church? Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission with Greg Gilbert. He also posts regularly at his blog. This discussion focuses on DeYoung’s forthcoming book The Hole in Our Holiness.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Kevin DeYoung

Dr. K. Scott Oliphint speaks about the doctrine of God and his book God with Us: Divine Condescension and the Attributes of God. Dr. Oliphint is Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, PA. In this episode, he entertains several general questions about the doctrine of God before moving to a more pointed discussion of how an infinite, eternal, and immutable God can create and then relate to that creation.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, K. Scott Oliphint

We speak with Nathan Sasser, Assistant Director of Academic Affairs at the Pastors College for Sovereign Grace Ministries and PhD student in philosophy at the University of South Carolina. Nathan describes the format and goals of the Pastors College, as well as the subject of his doctoral work, the philosophy of David Hume.

Participants: Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Nathan Sasser, Paul Maxwell

Christ the Center is pleased to continue their coverage of the Gospel Coalition’s 2011 National Conference in Chicago, IL. On this episode, they speak with several guests including Doug Logan of Epiphany Fellowship. Doug is planting an urban church in Camden, NJ. Chris Larson, Executive Vice President at Ligonier Ministries also checked in. Chris speaks about several new Ligonier initiatives including their Reformation Bible College and Ligonier Connect. Finally, Mark Dever visits to speak about about pastoral searches and multi-site churches. Rev. Dr. Dever is senior pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church and the founder of 9Marks Ministries.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Chris Larson, Doug Logan, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Mark Dever

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

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

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

Participants: Jonathan Brack

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

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carl Trueman, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack

• Episode 113 – Richard Gaffin
• Episode 130 – Darryl Hart
• Episode 134 – Chad Van Dixhoorn
• Episode 138 – Dan Kunkle
• Episode 140 – K. Scott Oliphint
• Episode 144 – Danny Olinger
• Episode 145 – John Fesko
• Episode 146 – Peter Lillback and Carl Trueman

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carl Trueman, Chad Van Dixhoorn, Daniel Kunkle, Danny Olinger, Darryl G. Hart, Jared Oliphint, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Jonathan Brack, K. Scott Oliphint, Nick Batzig, Peter A. Lillback, Richard B. Gaffin Jr.

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

Links

• Anthony Bradley’s blog
• Anthony Bradley’s site

Participants: Anthony Bradley, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack

Jared Oliphint and Nate Shannon lead a discussion on Jay Wesley Richards’ book The Untamed God: A Philosophical Exploration of Divine Perfection, Simplicity, and Immutability.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Nate Shannon

Several contributors to Philosophy for Theologians convene to discuss the guidelines for formulating a Christian epistemology. As a starting point, the panel looks at the seminal work by Edmund Gettier Is Justified True Belief Knowledge? In 1963 Gettier published a 3-page paper that turned the philosophical world on its head by supplying counterexamples that challenged the common definition of knowledge. Gettier’s examples have come to be known as demonstrating the Gettier Problem.

Links

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Nate Shannon

Chris Bolt from Choosing Hats discusses presuppositional apologetics.

Participants: Chris Bolt, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack

Painters David Campbell and Sabina Tichindeleanu visit the program to discuss modern art.

Participants: Camden Bucey, David Campbell, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Nate Shannon, Sabina Tichindeleanu

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

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

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

Participants: Bob LaRocca, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Nate Shannon

Outline of Topics

• History of Phil-Mont Christian Academy
• The Bible department
• Curriculum in Bible classes
• Philosophy of education and the Christian school’s role within the broader culture
• The Christian school in relation to the family and church
• Communicating theology to students of various ages and backgrounds
• Education and special needs students
• Technology and education

post photo by davidrn

Participants: Camden Bucey, Daniel Kunkle, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Michael DeWalt

The Church stands at the beginning of a new technological frontier. Along with great opportunities come new challenges. Today the panel discusses mobile applications, intellectual property, and exciting news regarding Reformed Forum.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack

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

Participants: Bob LaRocca, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack

Daniel Schrock stops by to discuss Hume and his philosophical position on miracles. This is part two of a two part discussion. Download Daniel Schrock’s paper Hume’s Argument Against Miracles.

Participants: Bob LaRocca, Camden Bucey, Daniel Schrock, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack

Carl Trueman visits the program to discuss his much anticipated book Republocrat: Confessions of a Liberal Conservative. Relishing the outsider role, Englishman Trueman provides a helpful critique regarding the current state of American politics. With sections devoted to the lost liberal cause, personality cults, and FoxNews, to name a few, this book is as enjoyable as it is insightful. The foreword by Peter Lillback sets the stage for this sharp, yet humorous work. Republocrat will be available from the Westminster Bookstore.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carl Trueman, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack

Daniel Schrock stops by to discuss Hume and his philosophical position on miracles. This is part one of a two part discussion.

• Daniel Schrock Hume’s Argument Against Miracles
• Hume entry on Wikipedia
• Hume’s works on the Gutenberg Project

Participants: Bob LaRocca, Camden Bucey, Daniel Schrock, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack

Participants: Camden Bucey, James Anderson, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Nick Batzig

Accomplished jazz pianist Pamela York visits the program to discuss jazz music and its relation to Christianity. Pamela’s two albums, The Way of Time and Blue York are currently available at Amazon and in the iTunes music store.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Nate Shannon, Pamela York

Christian portraiture artist Mike Mahon joins the panel to discuss a Christian view of the arts. Mike is a southwest artist and elder in the Rio Rancho Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Mike shares his many years of thought reflecting on how Christian’s should approach the arts.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Nate Shannon

Willard Van Orman Quine (June 25, 1908 – December 25, 2000) (known to intimates as “Van”) was an American philosopher and logician in the analytic tradition. From 1930 until his death 70 years later, Quine was continuously affiliated with Harvard University in one way or another, first as a student, then as a professor of philosophy and a teacher of mathematics, and finally as a professor emeritus who published or revised several books in retirement. He filled the Edgar Pierce Chair of Philosophy at Harvard, 1956–78. A recent poll conducted among philosophers named Quine as one of the five most important philosophers of the past two centuries. Quine’s paper Two Dogmas of Empiricism, published in 1951, is one of the most celebrated papers of twentieth century philosophy in the analytic tradition. According to Harvard professor of philosophy Peter Godfrey-Smith, this “paper [is] sometimes regarded as the most important in all of twentieth-century philosophy”. The paper is an attack on two central parts of the logical positivists’ philosophy. One is the distinction between analytic truths and synthetic truths, explained by Quine as truths grounded only in meanings and independent of facts, and truths grounded in facts. The other is reductionism, the theory that each meaningful statement gets its meaning from some logical construction of terms that refers exclusively to immediate experience. from Wikipedia

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Jonathan Brack, Nate Shannon