Reformation21

I have been doing a fair amount of reading on sabbatical, including Thabiti Anyabwile's The Decline of African American Theology , which I enjoyed immensely. Thabiti uses original sources to document the ways in which African American theology has moved from its reformational roots.

I couldn't let the day pass without wishing John Calvin a very happy 500th. He reminds us that theologians serve at the pleasure of God, in gratitude for him and for his glory. He reminds us that theologians serve the church. He reminds us that theologians engage the true questions of the day. I'll...

Day 5: and more sermons: Ted Donnelly with a superlative exposition of the closing verses of Romans 8 (if you can get a hold of this sermon you should); Hywel Jones on the Elihu narratives in Job (making the case that Elihu was a godly preacher rather than a "wind-bag" as so many, myself included...

Phil Ryken trying to be me outside St. Pierre Cathedral, Geneva. Day 4 and 3 more sermons: Geoff Thomas on election, Joel Beeke on the church and Martin Holdt on Psalm 100. "How can you know if you are elect," Geoff Thomas asked. "If you have Jesus Christ in the grasp of your own faith, you are...

( Ligon Duncan preaching in St. Pierre Cathedral, Geneva ) Three more sermons today: Steve Lawson on Galatians 1:6-10, an uncompromising call to defend the gospel against all detractors after the fashion of the Reformer, Iain D. Campbell on Romans 8:26-27,34, on "Three Great Intercessions", and...

Another day of lectures and sermons: Evidently, Calvinists (the ones present at the Calvin500 celebrations) are prepared to hear three sermons in succession from 7-10 pm! Tonight, Phil Ryken gave an outstanding sermon in 1 Corinthians 16:5-11, illustrating Paul's constraint to preach the gospel...

Day 1 of the Calvin 500. Sinclair Ferguson opened the proceedings preaching from Calvin's pulpit (not really; that one fell to pieces and the present one is nineteenth century but in the same spot). His text was Philippians 3:8-12 in which he emphasized (using distinctly "old" perspective...

Recently, I tweeted my appreciation for T.H.L. Parker's Portrait of Calvin . I have had the little book since the days of my doctoral studies in Britain (my copy is a little hardback, published by SCM and bought second-hand - it originally sold for 7s 6d !), but had never read it. I'd read Parker's...

David Robertson, editor of the Free Church Monthly Record and minister of St. Peter's Free Church, Dundee, has written an editorial (to be published in the July edition) in which he has expressed some opinions regarding recent developments in the Church of Scotland. It can be viewed here .

Tim Keller and Ligon Duncan debated the issue of women and the deaconate at this year's PCA General Assembly in Orlando. Speaking as someone who was there amd heard it, this was the finest debate I have heard on a controversial issue, as much for the spirit of the debate as for its content. Our...