Theology

First there was J. Gresham Machen’s Christianity and Liberalism. Then there was Cornelius Van Til’s Christianity and Barthianism. And now there is Keith Mathison’s “Christianity and Van Tillianism.” Machen’s contention was that Liberalism is not Christianity but an entirely different religion. Van Til was making the same point regarding Barthianism when he likewise contrasted it …

Not So Fast! – Comments on Keith Mathison’s “Christianity and Van Tillianism” Read More »

My favorite source of historical information is letter collections. I’ve recently found these letters from William Jennings Bryan to Bible Presbyterian minister Roy T. Brumbaugh in the collection of the latter’s papers owned by Brumbaugh’s grandson, David Sinding. Whenever I find letters like these I wonder if there is some scholar, like a William Jennings …

Letters of William Jennings Bryan to Bible Presbyterian minister Roy T. Brumbaugh Read More »

In a previous post (Francis Schaeffer, Pseudo-Calvinist) I criticized Francis Schaeffer’s apparent lack of conformity with Reformed soteriology later in his life. But I also referenced there a 1948 publication of his indicating that he did hold to a Calvinist view early in his career.  Now I’ve found something of his from earlier (1942) and …

Schaeffer the Particularist Read More »

I recently acquired a set of issues of The Christian Observer running from 1987-1989. This paper has a long history reaching back over 200 years and has at times been a prominent publication. I skimmed through these issues and thought it might be interesting to note some of what I found. At this period of …

The Christian Observer in 1987-1989 Read More »

This is a series of 36 lectures given by Ronald H. Nash at Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando. Though lectures of the same title were given in the Fall of 2001 (and released in 2014 on MP3 CDs), this series on iTunes was given in 1991 (and once sold as a set of 24 audio cassettes). …

Notes on Ronald H. Nash’s lecture series, “History of Philosophy and Christian Thought” Read More »

The Trinity Foundation appears to have numbered each of the volumes they’ve published as a series of “Trinity Papers.” The first few books had the number labeled on the front cover. Over time it seems the number was less prominently displayed (on the back cover) or possibly omitted entirely. I’ve been able to accumulate information …

List of Trinity Papers Read More »

Followers of the theology of Cornelius Van Til have long argued that while there are “apparent paradoxes” in Scripture these are not contradictions in the ultimate sense. For example, in The Trinity and the Vindication of Christian Paradox, B. A. Bosserman explains, “When it comes to evaluating apparent contradictions, the believer has every right to …

From Paradox to Contradiction in the Theology of John Murray Read More »

I’ve put together the following bibliographies of some reformed authors whose books I’m particularly interested it. Please let me know if you have additional information and I’d be glad to update this post. J. Oliver Buswell Jr. (January 16, 1895 – February 4, 1977) A. B. from the University of Minnesota, B. D. from McCormick Theological …

Bibliographies of a few reformed authors. Read More »

The movie Idiocracy portrays a dystopian era five-hundred years in the future where the breeding of the dullest has drastically lowered the average mental abilities of the whole society. An average man from our own times who finds his way there is found to be the smartest man in their world. In one scene he …

The Transcendental Argument, Its Got What Theologians Crave Read More »

Among the presbyterian denominations listed on wikipedia’s “List of Presbyterian and Reformed denominations in North America” is one called the Evangelical Assembly of Presbyterian Churches in America (EAPCA). To the best of my knowledge this group does not exist. On the wikipedia page for the EAPCA there is the dubious claim that they have 73 churches. …

A Phantom Presbyterian Denomination Read More »

Using God’s Money for Man’s Kingdom A Short History of a Financial Scandal by Rev. Douglas J. Douma Perhaps the greatest financial scandal in Presbyterian history—the failure of Cornerstone Ministries Investments (CMI)—saw the loss of over 100 million dollars. Yet the story of this scandal seems to be largely unknown to members—and even to ministers—of …

Using God's Money for Man's Kingdom Read More »

In his excellent book Reformed Theology in America, David F. Wells distinguishes five groups that might be said in some sense to follow Reformed theology. He lists them as “The Princeton Theology,” “The Westminster School,” “The Dutch Schools,” “The Southern Tradition,” and “Neoorthodoxy.” There are many other Reformed groups however that could be distinguished. Some …

Reformed Author Groups Read More »

Was Robert Lewis Dabney a descendant of the Huguenot Théodore-Agrippa d’Aubigné? I had once heard that the surname “Dabney” of Robert Lewis Dabney (1820 – 1898), a leading American Southern Presbyterian pastor and theologian, came from the Huguenot family d’Aubigné. That is, “Dabney” would be an Anglicized version of “d’Aubigné.” One of the most well-known of …

Is there a Dabney – d'Aubigné connection? Read More »

I was curious to know what courses the various Reformed seminaries teach on American Presbyterian history. And so I have canvassed some of them and found the following information: Covenant Theological Seminary The closest course CTS offers is “Reformation and Modern Church History.” It is taught by Dr. Dan Doriani. He tells me that they …

Who teaches American Presbyterian history? (and what books do they assign?) Read More »