New in Print: Brian Lee on Cocceius

There are few subjects in historical theology about whom more has been written on the basis of less research than Johannes Cocceius (1603-1669). He has been alternately hailed as the “founder” of covenant theology and the corrupter of it. Of course, both . . . Continue reading →

Packer’s Involvement in ECT Didn’t "Just Happen"

It had a precedent that goes back to 1970. Many American evangelicals were caught by surprise by J I Packer’s involvement with and defense of Evangelicals and Catholics Together. The first ECT was vague, misleading, and even gobsmacking. The second was, for . . . Continue reading →

Balancing Preaching with Other Aspects of Pastoral Ministry

Since I was critical of Tim’s appeal to triperspectivalism in his analysis of the relationship between Reformed Christianity and broad evangelicalism it seems fair to note where Tim says something that is more helpful. Today’s post on his new blog discusses how . . . Continue reading →

Why Do Some Reformed People Corrupt the Gospel of Grace?

Because it is our natural tendency to do so. It is our natural tendency to add works to grace as part of the way we are accepted by God because grace, being utterly free and unconditional to us sinners, seem so unlikely, . . . Continue reading →

On Arminius, Confessional Subscription, and the Limits of Tolerance

Jacob Arminius (d. 1609) thought of himself as Reformed. He wanted to be regarded as Reformed. He graduated from the seminary in Geneva. He studied with that stalwart of Reformed orthodoxy, Theodore Beza (d. 1605). He was a Reformed minister in good . . . Continue reading →

Peace (with Evangelicalism) in Our Time

It may be impossible to be a confessionalist Reformed critic of evangelicalism of even its more dubious elements such as Willow Creek (or the mega-church movement generally) and remain a “player” within evangelicalism. Being confessionally Reformed (i.e., in theology, piety, and practice) . . . Continue reading →