Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

All Subjects Of The Kingdom Of Christ: John Owen's Conceptions Of Christian Unity And Schism, Sung-Ho Lee

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

Throughout the seventeenth century the Church of England experienced disintegration and schism. Each Protestant party charged the other with breaking the unity of the church. For this reason, schism and unity were one of the most controversial issues that leading theologians wrestled with. However, scholars have not paid due attention to this issue. The object of this dissertation is to explore how John Owen, a great leader of the second-generation Congregationalists, defended Congregationalism, Protestantism, and Nonconformity from the charge of schism. Aware that the ecclesiological terms, such as “schism,” “unity,” and “separation,” were seriously abused by his opponents, Owen carefully …

The Stromata Vol. 48, No. 1, Calvin Theological Seminary

Stromata (1956-2020)

Inside This Issue

1- Did Zurich and its Antistes Agree to all this? The Zurich Consensus and Calvin’s First Defense Against Westphal by Agata Omelanczuk

14- Calvin’s Election and Reprobation: Not an iron scepter, but a shepherd’s crook by Jay Knochenhauer

25- The Cross of Christ in Ephesians by Zeke Nelson

36- A Forward-Looking Fall: Eden as Typology in Classic Rabbinic Literature by John Lee

45- The Emerging Kingdom of God: The Emerging Church’s Understanding of the Kingdom of God by Brian McLaughlin

67- Arminianism in England and Richard Baxter’s Doctrine of Justification by Jordan J. Ballor

88- Humble Beginnings: …

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 41 No 2 - November 2006), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Articles: An Emerging Critique of the Postmodern, Evangelical Church: A Review Essay by John Bolt - 205 / Hero or Villain? Interpretations of John Calvin and His Legacy by Karin Y. Maag - 222 / Baptism and the Salvific Status of Children: An Examination of Some Intra-Reformed Debates by Richard J. Mouw - 238 / William Perkins and His Greatest Case of Conscience: “How a Man May Know Whether He Be the Child of God, or No” by Joel R. Beeke - 255 / Domestic Violence in the Church and Redemptive Suffering in 1 Peter by Steven Tracy - …

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum: October 2006, Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Calvin Van Reken, John Rottman, Richard E. Sytsma

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

Reflections on Sin
3 - Sin by Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
5 - The Calling of Matthew by Calvin Van Reken
7 - Get Rid of Sin in Church by John Rottman
9 - The Threads of Guilt and Shame in the Gospel Message by Richard E. Sytsma
10 - Sin and Grace in Pastoral Care Class by Kathy Smith

Departments
12 - Formation for Ministry

Kerux - Vol. 40, No. 7, Calvin Theological Seminary

Kerux

Inside This Issue

• Schedule of Events Page 6
• Tuition for Seminary Children Page 3
• On Why We Send Our Kids to a Xian School Page 4
• On Why We Homeschool Page 5
• Ministry as Matchmaking Page 6
• Family of Faith CRC Page 7
• Why Xian Ed? Page 8

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 41 No 1 - April 2006), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Third Bible and Ministry Conference: "Preaching Apocalyptic Texts" / Plenary and Seminar Presentations: Preaching Apocalyptic? You've Got to Be Kidding! by Gordon D. Fee - 7 / Preaching Old Testament Apocalyptic to a New Testament Church by Daniel I. Block - 17 / The Purpose of Symbolism in the Book of Revelation by Gregory K. Beale - 53 / The Slaying of Satan's Superman and the Sure Salvation of the Saints: Paul's Apocalyptic Word of Comfort (2 Thessalonians 2:1-17) by Jeffrey A. D. Weima - 67 / Charting the Future or a Perspective on the Present? The Paraenetic Purpose …

From Here To Eternity A Biblical, Theological, And Analogical Defense Of Divine Eternity In Light Of Recent Challenges Within Analytic Philosophy, Douglas Allan Felch

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

Four decades ago, several analytical philosophers began to reconsider the traditional doctrine of divine eternity, which maintains that time is part of the created order, that God is not subject to its limitations, and that the mode of God's existence (following Boethius) is "the complete possession all at once of an unlimited life." Critics objected that this doctrine was biblically underdetermined, that it was more Greek than Christian, and that it was incoherent since an eternal God could not redeem or be actively involved in the temporal world, could only minimally be considered a person, and could not possess knowledge …

The Stromata Vol. 47, No. 1, Calvin Theological Seminary

Stromata (1956-2020)

Inside This Issue

1- The Use of Reason in Francis Turretin’s Arguments for God’s Existence by David Sytsma

27- Luther and Anti-Judaism by Craig Hoekema

48- A Prayer From the Depths: A Typological Examination Of Jonah 1:17 – 2:10 by Laurie Zuverink

58- An Emerging Vision for the Church in the 21st Century by Brian McLaughlin

86- A Case of Mistaken Identity: Understanding the Context of John Bunyan’s Grace

Abounding by Leon Johnston

99- The Religion of “O” – A Well-Formed Religion? by Brenda Janssen

120- The Power of Darkness: Sermon for Passion Sunday by William Jensen

126- Romans 7: …

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 40 No 2 - November 2005), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Articles: The Placement of Predestination in Reformed Theology: Issue or Non-Issue? by Richard A. Muller - 184 / The Messiness of Marriage and the Knottiness of Divorce: A Call for a Higher Theology and a Tougher Ethic by Ronald J. Nydam - 211 / The Place of Christian Worship: Gathered Around the Throne of the Almighty by Arie C. Leder - 227 / The Two Kingdoms: A Reassessment of the Transformationist Calvin by David VanDrunen - 248 / Abraham Kuyper and Michael Walzer: The Justice of the Spheres by Kent A. Van Til - 267 / Calvin Bibliography 2005 …

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum: April 2005, Duane Kelderman, John D. Witvliet, Arie C. Leder, Emily R. Brink

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

Reflection on Worship Space Matters
3 - Embracing Tensions: The Story of How the Seminary Chapel Renovation Project Became an Occasion for Christian Formation by Duane Kelderman
5 - How Space Matters by John D. Witvliet
7 - Questions on Worship Space Edited by John D. Witvliet
8 - Well-Designed Walls Make for Good Christian Worship by Arie C. Leder
10 - Worship Around the World by Emily R. Brink

Departments
12 - Continuing Education
13 - Making Connections
14 - News

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 40 No 1 - April 2005), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Articles: Embracing Ritual: Sacraments as Rites by Peter J. Leithart - 6 / “Supporters of the Devil”: Calvin’s Image of the Libertines by Mirjam van Veen - 21 / Calvin on Epicurus and the Epicureans: Background to a Remark in Article 13 of the Belgic Confession by Nicolaas H. Gootjes - 33 / If Knowledge Then God: The Epistemological Theistic Arguments of Alvin Plantinga and Cornelius Van Til by James Anderson - 49 / Short Studies and Sermons: Isaiah 24–27: Songs in the Night by John N. Oswalt - 76 / Isaiah 52:13–53:12: Servant of All by John …

Christ And The Covenant: Francis Turretin's Federal Theology As A Defense Of The Doctrine Of Grace, Mark Beach

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

The subject of this dissertation is Francis Turretin's federal theology as a defense of the doctrine of grace. Specifically, it deals with Turretin's exposition of the twofold covenant of God--that is, the covenant of nature and the covenant of grace. In treating this subject, the dissertation has a twofold objective--first, to conitribute to an understanding of the theology of Turretin; second, to offer an evaluation regarding the validity of certain trajectories of scholarship pertaining to federal theology in general. This study, in its analysis and exposition of Turretin's understanding of the twofold covenant, deals with several issues that have arisen …

The Decree Of Redemption Is In Effect: A Covenant David Dickson And The Covenant Of Redemption, Carol A. Williams

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

While a significant amount of study has been devoted to the twofold system of covenants of works and grace, development of the threefold covenant system in Reformed theology of the seventeenth century that includes the pactum salutis has not been thoroughly researched. The doctrine of the intratrinitarian covenant between the Father and the Son concerning the whole work of redemption has been characterized in some secondary literature as speculative, unbiblical, the result of faulty exegesis, crassly contractual, a deviation from the pure teaching of the Reformers, and of dubious value. Moreever, these claims of discontinuity and questionable origin of pactum …

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum: January 2005, Ronald J. Nydam, David Holwerda, John Bolt, John Rottman

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

Reflections on Dealing with Divorce
3 - “The Messiness of Marriage: A Redemptive Theology” by Ron Nydam
5 - “The CRC Position on Divorce” by David Holwerda
7 - “Keeping Promises Today” by John Bolt
9 - A Sermon on Mark 10:1-12 by John Rottman
11 - “The Role of Elders in Marriage and Divorce” by Ron Nydam
12 - Council Room Q&A by Henry DeMoor

Departments
13 - News
14 - Connections Initiative

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 39 No 2 - November 2004), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Articles: God So Loved the World: Theological Reflections on Religious Plurality in the History of Christianity by Richard Plantinga - 275 / The Weight of Community: Alasdair Macintyre, Abraham Kuyper, and the Problem of Public Theology in a Liberal Society by John Perry - 303 / "A Debt of Fealty to the Past": The Reformed Liturgical Theology of John H. A. Bomberger by Michael A. Farley - 332 / Calvin Bibliography 2004 by Paul Fields - 357 / Scholia Et Homiletica: Notes and Comments for the Minister: A Mid-Inauguration? A Meditation on Isaiah 6 by Christopher J. Seitz …

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum: October 2004, Jeffrey A. D. Weima, Michael J. Williams, Bob Rudesill, Lugene Schemper

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

Reflections on Handling the Bible with Care
3 - “Correctly Handling the Word of Truth” by Jeffrey A. D. Weima
6 - Inviting the Prophets Back to Church by Michael J. Williams
8 - Faculty Interview: Becoming People of the Book
11 - An Unforgettable Chapel by Bob Rudesill
12 - Reading the Bible with the Experts by Lugene Schemper

Departments
13 - Preaching and Worship
14 - Continuing Education
15 - News

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum: April 2004, John D. Witvliet, Ronald J. Nydam, Gary Teja

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

Reflections on Ministry in Cultural Context
3 - The Holy Restlessness of Contextual Ministry by John D. Witvliet
6 - Faculty Interview: Preparing Students for Ministry in Cultural Context
9 - Relating “Cross-Culturally” to Generation Y by Ron Nydam
11 - Cross-Cultural Issues in Church Planting by Gary Teja Venture by Lyle Bierma
9 - Grace and Truth by Dean Deppe
10 - Ministry at the Boundaries: An Interview with Chaplain Carl Kammeraad
11 - East, West, North and South Meet at CTS by Richard Sytsma

Departments
13 - Preaching
14 - Continuing Education
15 - News

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 39 No 1 - April 2004), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Second Bible and Ministry Conference: “Reading and Preaching the Gospel of Isaiah in the Twenty-first Century,” Calvin Theological Seminary, June 5–7, 2003 Introduction - 9 / Plenary Addresses: The Challenges of Reading the “Gospel” of Isaiah for Preaching by Carl J. Bosma - 11 / The Book of Isaiah: A Short Course on Biblical Theology by John N. Oswalt - 54 / The Manifestation of Yahweh and the Commission of Isaiah: Isaiah 6 Read against the Background of Isaiah 1 by Willem A. M. Beuken - 72 / The Emergence of the Shoot of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1–16): An Eschatological or …

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum: January 2004, Roger S. Greenway, Henry De Moor, Lyle D. Bierma, Dean Deppe

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

Reflections on Ministry at the Boundaries
3 - Can’t We All Worship Together? The Ethos of Pluralism by Roger S. Greenway
5 - Reformed on Baptism — Without Apology by Henry De Moor
7 - CRC Dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church: A New Ecumenical Venture by Lyle Bierma
9 - Grace and Truth by Dean Deppe
10 - Ministry at the Boundaries: An Interview with Chaplain Carl Kammeraad
11 - East, West, North and South Meet at CTS by Richard Sytsma

Departments
12 - Pastoral Care
13 - Continuing Education
15 - News

Theological Foundation For A Reformed Doctrine Of Natural Law, Stephen John Grabill

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

Although the magisterial Reformers inherited the natural-law tradition as a noncontroversial legacy of late medieval scholasticism, their twentieth-century descendents have, more often than not, assumed a critical stance toward that tradition. This antipathy has been fueled in large part, but not exclusively by Karl Barth's vigorous repudiation of natural theology in the 1934 disputation with Emil Brunner. Like Herman Dooyeweerd, G.C. Berkouwer, and Cornelius Van Til, Barth identified the doctrines of natural theology/natural law as rationalistic vestiges of Thomism that Calvin and Luther had unwittingly assimilated and that, in the scholastic systems of Reformed orthodoxy, became the foundation for the …

Modified Kenotic Christology, The Trinity And Christian Orthodoxy, Thomas H. Mccall

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

There has been a recent resurgence of interest in the exploration of the resources of kenotic Christology as a way of countering charges that the traditional doctrine of the Incarnation is incoherent. However, John Hick and others have charged the proponents of this strategy with saving coherence at the price of orthodoxy. Some analytic philosophers of religion and philosophical theologians (notably Stephen T. Davis, C. Stephen Evans and Ronald J. Feenstra) defend a modified version of kenotic Christology, one that they think does not contradict the major creedal Christological statements. But to this date no one has produced an extended …

The Stromata Vol. 45, No. 1, Calvin Theological Seminary

Stromata (1956-2020)

Inside This Issue

1- Is Elohim Allah? by Wageeh Y. F. Mikhail

18- Sectarianism and Canonization: Qumran to Yavneh by Steven J. Koster

43- Richard Baxter’s Directory for Mission: Puritan Mission Theory in Motive and Method by Brian A. DeVries

77- William Hasker’s Emergentism: A Novice Account by David J. Zehnder

93- A Critique of Alvin Plantinga’s EAAN: Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism by Jeffrey A. Snapper

116- Still Coherent: An Affirmation of Christ’s Full Humanity without Jeopardizing his ‘Necessary’ Impeccability by Simon Sang-Kyun Ko

136- Being Under Authority: Three Essential Questions for the Christian Life by William H. Jensen

145- …

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 38 No 2 - November 2003), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Articles: Three Dutch Reformed Theologians: Missions According to Scripture by Abraham Kuyper, translated by Pieter Tuit - 237 / “Something That Must Remain, If the Truth Is to Be Sweet and Precious to Us”: The Reformed Spirituality of Herman Bavinck by George Harinck - 248 / Grand Rapids between Kampen and Amsterdam: Herman Bavinck’s Reception and Influence in North America by John Bolt - 263 / Klaas Schilder as Public Theologian by Richard J. Mouw - 281 / Calvin Bibliography: 2003 - 299 / Scholia et Homiletica: Notes and Comments for the Minister: Word and Sacrament on …

Calvin Theological Journal (Vol 38 No 1 - April 2003), Calvin Theological Seminary

Calvin Theological Journal

Articles: Calvin’s Concept of Natural and Roman Law by Irena Backus - 7 / Devaluing the Scholastics: Calvin’s Ethics of Usury by Michael Wykes - 27 / Christ’s Atonement: A Multi-Dimensional Approach by Willem van Asselt - 52 / The Noetic Effects of Sin: A Review Article by Dewey J. Hoitenga - 68 / Scholia et Homiletica: A New Age Love Story: Worldview and Ethics in the Gospel of John by Hans Boersma - 103 / “Making Proclamation to the Spirits in Prison”: Another Look at 1 Peter 3:19 by Andrew J. Bandstra - 120 / John Knox …

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum: January 2003, Duane Kelderman, John Bolt, Lugene Schemper

Calvin Theological Seminary Forum (2002- )

Reflections
3 - Is Seminary Education for Pastors Still Necessary? by Duane Kelderman
5 - Warning! Seminary May Be Hazardous to Your Spiritual Health by John Bolt
7 - Interview on Continuing Theological Education with editor Lugene Schemper
9 - Seminary Education for Hispanic Pastors by Lugene Schemper

Departments
10 - Discipling
11 - Preaching
12 - Continuing Education
14 - News

Calvin's Hermeneutics Of The Imprecations Of The Psalter, Paul Mbunga Mpindi

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation rehearses the issue of Calvin's Old Testament exegesis in the light his hermeneutical approach to the imprecatory passages of the Psalter. The imprecatory passages of the Psalms offer an ideal place to examine the thesis that Calvin's exegetical principles shared elements of the late medieval hermeneutics, but also moved him away from late medieval exegesis toward a more direct application of the literal meaning of the text to his contemporary situation. Our analysis of Calvin's exegesis of the imprecatory passages of the Psalter reveals that the Reformer of Geneva followed a three-pronged approach: With traditional and sixteenth-century commentators, …

Embracing Leer And Leven: The Theology Of Simon Oomius In The Context Of Nadere Reformatie Orthodoxy, Gregory D. Schuringa

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

Scholarship has tended either to brush aside the Dutch Reformed piety of the movement known as the Nadere Reformatie (c.1600-1750) as an aberration from the Reformation, or it has tended, more recently when it has shown interest in the movement, to fail to place the theology of its proponents in its proper orthodox Reformed theological context. This latter failure has resulted, often, in a bifurcation between the Nadere Reformatie and Reformed orthodoxy and scholasticism during the post-Reformation era of Reformed church history and theology. The two have tended to be viewed as mutually exclusive movements. The Nadere Reformatie, with its …

From "Winner" To "Sign": The Changed Understanding Of The Church-World Relation In Twentieth-Century Ecumenical Thought, Benebo Fubara-Manuel

CTS PhD Doctoral Dissertations

Many critics and supporters alike of the World Council of (WCC) contend that it has shifted from its original Christocentric and Trinitarian "Basis." Some, especially conservative evangelicals, see this shift as a. movement away from Christian evangelism and the uniqueness of Christ to the unification of humanity in a syncretism of in which the gospel is replaced by social work. Others have identified the shift to be a movement away from Christology to cosmic prieurnatology, or from an eschatological vision of human unity to a narrow vision of church unity, or from a Christocentric universalism, which did not allow for …

The Stromata Vol. 44, No. 1, Calvin Theological Seminary

Stromata (1956-2020)

Inside This Issue

4- Our Hands, Our Feet, Our Mouths: A Brief History of Fund-Raising in Christian Reformed World Missions by Timothy Dejonge

14- An Evaluation of the Present Denominational Ministry Structure of the CRCNA by Ben Meyer, Chad Steenwyk, & Joel Ringma

19- Consuming Zeal by Dave Gifford

26- Thy Kingdom Come... by A sermon by Lisa Vander Leek

30- Worship Leadership & The Office of Evangelist by Paul Ryan

34- Editorial—Writer’s Block Blues by Joshua S. Benton

The Stromata Vol. 44, No. 2, Calvin Theological Seminary

Stromata (1956-2020)

Inside This Issue

4- The Hollow Hammer: Nietzsche's Weapon Against Christianity by Jordan J. Ballor

12- Our Paedocommunion Discussion: Children and the Lord’s Supper in the Christian Reformed Church by Ryan Faber

18- God is our Deliverer: A sermon on Daniel 6 by Benny Solihin

22- The Problem of Evil: A poem by Daniel Bud

23- The Christian Roadmap: A sermon on Psalm 119:97-106 and 2 Timothy 3:10-17 by Alfred Muema Muli

27- Friendship: A sermon on Romans 5:7-8 by Jeffery W. Scripps

32- On Common Grace: A Tale Related to Romans 1:18-32 and Other Such Texts by Andrew Brennan