Dogmatics and doxology
I have the delightful day job of teaching systematic or dogmatic theology. The study and teaching of systematic theology is delightful because systematic theology is preeminently concerned with the Bible,…
Scott Swain
“It is not we who can sustain the church…”
I begin every semester in my Church and Sacraments course with the following quotation from Martin Luther, which Karl Barth used “In Place of a Foreword” to introduce Church Dogmatics,…
Psalm 19 and human flourishing
Human flourishing “Human flourishing” is a cultural catchphrase that can be overheard in the hallways of corporate America and in the institutions of public and private education. In recent days,…
Paul, the virtues, and theological conflict
I. Virtue: a brief introduction In my previous post, I briefly noted the threefold grace that Paul unfolds in Titus 2.11-14: (1) “saving grace,” which flows from God’s free mercy…
Notes on Titus 2.11-14: a threefold grace
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the…
Justification and Ariel’s Grotto
Systematic theology must make sure that each doctrine it teaches is biblical. It must also make sure that each doctrine it teaches reflects an appropriate proportion and order in relationship…
Theses on natural theology
Introduction Recent Reformed theology has not held natural theology in high esteem, and that for understandable reasons. Enlightenment thinkers (Catholic, Protestant, and secular) often treated natural theology as a…
The trinitarian depth of Scripture
Most evangelical presentations of the doctrine of Scripture are implicitly trinitarian. They identify the Father as Scripture’s primary author, the Son as Scripture’s central subject matter, and the Spirit as…
An open letter to worship leaders
Dear Comrades in Pursuit of the Chief End of Man, I have rarely (alright, never) been asked to give input regarding the weekly “worship set.” However, having witnessed Christian worship in…
Geerhardus Vos on membership in the covenant of grace
Scholastic theology is often derided for the subtle distinctions it makes. Seemingly unable to provide a simple “yes” or “no” regarding disputed theological questions, the common scholastic reply, “we distinguish,”…