This year marks the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. On Oct 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg. We typically point to that event as the beginning of the Protestant…
The Reformation Restoration of Faith and True Religion
Saving faith is the instrument by which the whole person is united to the whole Christ in the unbreakable bond of the Holy Spirit. I am not my own, confesses the believer, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my…
The Essential Van Til — His Relation to Scholasticism
Van Til used the word “scholasticism” (or its other variations) as shorthand for Thomistic dualism (and with it the medieval synthesis of Christian and pagan thought). In short Thomistic dualism is the idea that there are two sources of knowledge:…
The Essential Van Til — Karl Barth: A Consistent Scholastic?
It is often assumed that Karl Barth’s thought is the antithesis of medieval scholasticism. It is true that Barth is exceedingly critical of Aquinas. But does Barth offer us a better theological program than that offered in Scholasticism? Van Til…
The Heart of Trinitarian Heresy
All heresies with respect to the Trinity may be reduced to the one great heresy of mixing the eternal and the temporal. — Cornelius Van Til Cornelius Van Til cut through the densest theological controversies like a hot knife through…
History of the Genevan Liturgy
History of the Genevan Liturgy1 By Bard Thompson2 Edited by Glen Clary The first Reformer to arrive on the Genevan scene was the fiery Frenchman, William Farel, a fearless campaigner for the Word of God. As soon as he had…
The Five Solas: Sola Gratia
On October 31st, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the church door in Wittenberg. These were dark, dark days; the gospel had been shackled by the superstitions and idolatries of the Roman Catholic Church and consigned to her dungeon…
[Review] Preaching with Spiritual Power by Ralph Cunnington
Ralph Cunnington. Preaching With Spiritual Power: Calvin’s Understanding of Word and Spirit in Preaching. Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland: Mentor/Christian Focus, 2015. pp. 126. A controversy has been going on for some time among generally Reformed churches in the United Kingdom (and regions beyond) regarding…
The Lord’s Supper: Calvin and the Belgic Confession Keeping it Simple
The Lord’s Supper is a profound mystery, and yet it’s so simple that anyone who has taken a bite of food and a gulp of water can understand it. Some may be skeptical of this claim since this doctrine has caused…
