At least four large sources of income fueled Geneva’s new economic engine during this period. First, revenue for Geneva increased dramatically from 1550 to 1570 primarily due to the large number of new citizens (refugees). In two years (1555-1556), Calvinist refugees who were flocking . . . Continue reading →
Author: David Hall
Reverend David W. Hall is married to Ann, and they are parents of three grown children and grandparents of eight grandchildren. He has served as the Senior Pastor of Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA) since 2003. Previously, he served as Pastor of the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Oak Ridge, Tennessee (1984–2003) and as Associate Pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Rome, Georgia (1980–1984). He was ordained to pastoral ministry in 1980. He was educated at Covenant Theological Seminary and is the editor and author of several volumes.
An Interesting Volume On Reformed Social Thought
This fine primer in what could be an unwieldy volume with disparate threads is divided into three parts, roughly theorizing on the political, the familial, and the social. It is an important topic and one that deserves the growing attention it is . . . Continue reading →
Geneva And The Book
The printing industry was especially important in Geneva during Calvin’s rise to prominence. Robert Estienne printed French editions of the works of Beza, Hotman, Viret, and Calvin from Geneva. Jean Crispin, a groomsman at Beza’s secret marriage published popular devotional material, and a range . . . Continue reading →
Pastors Need Friends
A pastor is a human being who has been redeemed by God’s grace and called to serve the Lord as an ordained minister. As a human, he will need and want friends. It is a highly unrealistic expectation to think that pastors . . . Continue reading →
What Meekness Is
We tend to misunderstand what it means to be meek as the Bible uses that word. Perhaps you’ve heard of the group founded by J. Upton Dickson called DOORMATS. That stands for “Dependent Organization Of Really Meek And Timid Souls.” Their motto . . . Continue reading →
PCA GA 2025: Quiet Interrupted By Power Struggles
As the GA adjourned, similar to other denominations, the power struggle between high-level leaders and many other presbyters would continue. Both of those stake-holders felt significant ownership, and the clashes were not always pretty, much less resolved well. However, some leadership changes . . . Continue reading →
Round Up Of New Commentaries On The Nicene Creed
First, I am happy to recommend Crossway’s recent release of Kevin DeYoung’s The Nicene Creed: What You Need to Know about the Most Important Creed Ever Written. It is succinct and can be read quickly. Typical of KDY, he is mainstream, wonderfully averse . . . Continue reading →
Review: Ordinary Means, Extraordinary Ends
A rediscovery of the ordinary means of grace** is not only a needed correction to many of the excesses of our day, but it is also a key to the health and longevity of normal churches. Contrary to the ascension of parachurch . . . Continue reading →
Persecution Of Christians In India On The Rise
The Christian community in India is under relentless attack from Hindu nationalist groups, particularly in certain states. Reports indicate a sharp rise in violence, with 640 incidents of discrimination and attacks recorded in 2024 alone, a fourfold increase from a decade ago. . . . Continue reading →
R. Scott Clark On The Heidelberg Catechism: A Short Review
To say that this is a lifetime’s work by an elite historical theologian may be an understatement. Professor R. Scott Clark, who has taught Historical Theology at Westminster Seminary in California for decades, has been working on this project for decades. He . . . Continue reading →
J. K. Rowling’s Heroic Resistance To The Trans Movement Is A Model
I’m not a Harry Potter fan. But please don’t cancel me or stop reading. The reason I’m not an HP fan has little to do with overblown concerns about magic and spirits. Neither do I dislike the HP canon. It’s just too . . . Continue reading →
Francis’ Playbook For Church Growth Should Not Be Ours
Unless Pope Francis has been praying to Martin Luther for five weeks before his release from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, an extension for his reform movement is unlikely to raise cheers from the faithful. To be sure, if he wants to host more . . . Continue reading →
Political Sermons From The Past: The Mediatorial Kingdom and Glories of Jesus Christ By Samuel Davies
Allusions to Reformation themes abounded in early American sermons. The Waldensians, the eradication of the French Huguenots, Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli were all referred to in Samuel Davies’ 1756 sermon, “The Mediatorial Kingdom and Glories of Jesus Christ.” Continue reading →
Sport Catechizing And Virtue Formation: An Interview With John Miller And Darryl Hart
College Football is not only a huge sport; it is a colossal cultural phenomenon too. Even with its many flaws, it may have evolved into a virtue pedagogue of sorts. Its generational transmission of values may emulate an ancient method, with several . . . Continue reading →
Political Sermons From The Past: The Church’s Flight Into The Wilderness By Samuel Sherwood
An American sermon . . . on a choice morsel from the book of Revelation . . . associating corruption with hierarchies . . . and warning the church to resist sycophantic governments in league with that . . . Continue reading →
No Longer Married To Coach Satan: Terry Saban As A Role Model For Pastor’s Wives
After Week 8 of ESPN’s College GameDay’s guest pickers, who would you expect to be leading in those standings? A pro-golfer, a country music star, a professional athlete, or the wife of the dark master? A future column will discuss how spiritual . . . Continue reading →
Historical Sermons From The Past: Divine Judgments Upon Tyrants By Jacob Cushing
What is God’s view on certain political matters or events? That is a question often asked, and often mocked. Continue reading →
Scoreboard, Tertullian, Perseverance And How College Football Can Inform Politics: Five Points
1. There is a clock that goes off, and that is the end. Really the end. We live in an age of coddled people whose specialness immunizes them against accepting verdicts. In most NAPARC denominations, litigation to the Nth degree has become . . . Continue reading →
Political Sermons From The Past: The Essential Rights And Liberties Of Protestants by Elisha Williams
The great grandson of several New England families (John Cotton’s among them), Elisha Williams (1694–1755) graduated from Harvard in 1711. After a brief career of teaching and tutoring in 1722 he became the pastor of a congregational church in Wethersfield, Connecticut, prior to serving as the Yale rector from 1726–39. Continue reading →
Football On Trial—Earlier Progressivism And John Miller’s How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football
If not already, some Christian readers may react to columns that extol any virtues of college football whatsoever. Yes, it is dangerous;1 yes, some of its athletes are reverse role-models; yes, it may distract from exclusively academic pursuits; yes, it is a . . . Continue reading →