Heidelvideo #18—Shroud of Turin & Federal Vision

by Heidelblog on May 29, 2026 | Comment

Dr. R. Scott Clark answers two listener questions: why the Shroud of Turin is an unreliable basis for faith, and how believers should understand the covenant pledge of Joshua 24:24 in light of grace. Both answers point back to the sufficiency of Scripture, the sacraments, and salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Continue reading →

Was Dr Frankenstein Surprised By His Monster?

by Heidelblog on March 18, 2026

In February 2026, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth extended an invitation to Moscow, Idaho pastor Doug Wilson to lead a Christian prayer service at the Pentagon. The invitation generated immediate and considerable national attention: not least because Wilson has, over the . . . Continue reading →

Heidelvideo #4—On The Distinction Between Law And Gospel (Part 3)

by Heidelblog on February 13, 2026

In Heidelvideo episode 4 Dr Clark responds to some criticisms of the Reformation distinction between law and gospel. Continue reading →

Heidelminicast: For Those Just Tuning In, What Is The Federal Vision?

by Heidelcast on October 30, 2025

In this episode Dr Clark talks about the federal vision. Continue reading →

When Pastors Do Not Pay Attention

by R. Scott Clark on April 2, 2025

Remarkably, after two decades of controversy over the self-described Federal Vision movement, there are pastors and teachers who do not seem to understand it.1 One can see why one might have been confused in the early days of the discussion, but now, . . . Continue reading →

“Bound To The Past” And To A Living Confession

by R. Scott Clark on March 3, 2025

In reaction to Rick Phillips’ critique of a response by a Federal Visionist to his (then) presbytery, one of the proponents of the Federal Vision made the following argument: Surely, we all know there’s a difference between how we use terms in . . . Continue reading →

20 Federal Vision Errors

by Shane Lems on February 20, 2025

1. Pitting Scripture and Confession against each other. 2. Regarding the enterprise of systematic theology as inherently rationalistic. 3. A mono-covenantalism that sees one covenant, originating in the intra-Trinitarian fellowship, into which man is invited, thus flattening the concept of covenant and . . . Continue reading →

The Federal Vision (Part Two): Justification And The Role Of Faith

by Stephen Spinnenweber on January 28, 2025

One would be hard-pressed to find a doctrine more treasured and jealously defended in Reformed theology than the doctrine of free justification. It was, after all, Martin Luther who said that justification is the article by which the church stands or falls.1 If . . . Continue reading →

The Federal Vision (Part One): Redefining Covenant And Justification

by Stephen Spinnenweber on January 22, 2025

I have heard it before and I will hear it again, “The Federal Vision is dead. Move on.” Though it is true that the Federal Vision (FV) is now well over twenty years old, it has lost none of its steam in . . . Continue reading →

With Sons Of Patriarchy On Wilson And The Federal Vision Theology

by Heidelblog on January 10, 2025

The abuse documented in this series and even by a CREC committee (and Rarchel Shubin) did not come from nothing. It was derived from a theology and that theology is known as the Federal Vision. Continue reading →

The Moralist’s Catechism

by R. Scott Clark on October 4, 2024

Moralism is the teaching (doctrine) that God approves (accepts or justifies) of us either because we have cooperated with his grace (semi-Pelagianism) or because we have kept the law without his help (Pelagianism). According to moralism, God approves of us because of . . . Continue reading →

Review: Children At The Lord’s Table? By Cornelis P. Venema (Part Three)

by R. Scott Clark on August 15, 2024

According to Venema, the “most important and compelling piece of New Testament evidence that bears on the question of paedocommunion is undeniably 1 Corinthians 11:17–34” (101). This is because this passage is “the most extensive and comprehensive New Testament passage on the . . . Continue reading →

Review: Children At The Lord’s Table? By Cornelis P. Venema (Part Two)

by R. Scott Clark on August 8, 2024

Venema observes that the Reformed churches are committed to the principle of sola Scriptura which means that the Scriptures are to be “regarded as the supreme standard for their faith and life,” but that principle does not mean that we read the Scriptures in isolation from the church or from church history (27). Continue reading →

Review: Children At The Lord’s Table? By Cornelis P. Venema (Part One)

by R. Scott Clark on August 1, 2024

In this volume Cornelis Venema tackles a serious problem in the Reformed world that needs to be addressed, and he has done so in a thoughtful, thorough, biblical, and confessionally Reformed manner. Background to the Review Before we begin the review, it . . . Continue reading →

What The Confessional Reformed Churches Have Said About Doug Wilson

by Heidelblog on July 10, 2024

The Heidelberg Reformation Association has received a queries in recent days asking about our view of Doug Wilson, a proponent of theonomy, Christian Reconstruction, Christian Nationalism, and the Federal Vision movement, among other things. We think that the best way to respond is to let the study committees of the confessional Presbyterians Reformed churches answer the question. As a service to the Christian public we have harvested the most salient portions from three study committee reports and we present them here for your consideration. Continue reading →

Heidelcast For Dec, 10 2023: A Federal Vision Special

by Heidelcast on December 10, 2023

In this episode Dr Clark talks to the Rev Lane Keister, who, 13 years ago was serving a dual charge in South Dakota. Today he is pastor of Momence OPC in Momence, IL and he’s currently working on a PhD. In this . . . Continue reading →

Stankorb Understands Wilson

by Heidelblog on December 2, 2023

This November, Wilson’s month of antagonistic blog posts (usually printed later as anthologies sold for $6.95) did not evoke his anticipated fear and trembling. For Wilson watchers and critics, some days online it felt like Wilson’s annual firestorm might have finally reached . . . Continue reading →

When Is a Church Not a Church?

by R. Scott Clark on June 9, 2023

I was searching for something the other day and ran across chapter 18 of the Scots Confession (1560) which speaks to the “Notes” (from the Latin, nota or “mark” or “indicator”) of the True Kirk (church). Ordinarily, when I think of the . . . Continue reading →

Heidelcast For February 12, 2023: With Chris Gordon On Why You Should Not Go To Moscow

by Heidelcast on February 12, 2023

In this episode Abounding Grace Radio’s Chris Gordon joins Dr Clark to answer emails and to explain why you should not move to Moscow. They answer email from L asking for further explanation about how the Apostle Peter was not a Baptist, . . . Continue reading →

Lordship Salvation, The Federal Vision, And The Covenant Theology That The Reformation Rejected

Or Why History Is Useful

by R. Scott Clark on January 9, 2023

More than twenty years ago, in the summer of 2001, Mike Horton and I were sitting beside a hotel swimming pool one evening during Synod Escondido, along with several ministers from our federation (denomination) of churches (the United Reformed Churches in North . . . Continue reading →