Fear and Trembling

Part of the problem is that the current revival in reformed theology is not actually a revival in Reformed theology. Adherence to five or, more frequently, four points of Calvinism is that which qualifies one as reformed these days and thus as part of the movement. Yet such adherence leaves massive and important areas of theology and church life undecided. A movement built on such minimal agreement is a movement whose strength and unity depends to a large degree on sleight of hand or at least on pretending that much else can be filed under `Agree to differ.' - Carl Trueman I believe in the system of religion outlined in the Westminster Standards , the Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechisms. Those detailed statements of the Christian faith ask and answer many questions about the Bible and theology. All of the things mentioned in them are important. Relatively few of the so-called “new Calvinists” hold to a robust statement of faith such as this one. S...

Dorothy Sayers authored one of my favorite essays of all time. The essay is available here . It drives home the point that doctrine is not boring after all. Here’s an excerpt: So that is the outline of the official story—the tale of the time when God was the under-dog and got beaten, when He submitted to the conditions He had laid down and became a man like the men He had made, and the men He had made broke Him and killed Him. This is the dogma we find so dull—this terrifying drama of which God is the victim and hero. If this is dull, then what, in Heaven's name, is worthy to be called exciting? The people who hanged Christ never, to do them justice, accused Him of being a bore—on the contrary; they thought Him too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround Him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have very efficiently pared the claws of the Lion of Judah, certified Him "meek and mild," and recommended...