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Books > Christianity > Protestantism & Protestant Churches > Calvinist, Reformed & Presbyterian Churches
John Calvin's magnum opus "The Institutes of Christian Religion" is
a monumental text of Christianity and a foundational work of
Western Civilization. First penned in 1536 in Latin, this seminal
work of protestant theology has been translated into countless
languages and studied widely by theologians, pastors, university
students, and religious scholars alike for nearly five hundred
years. In it, John Calvin sets out to examine, challenge, and
critique the accepted Catholic doctrines of his day. He takes up
Christian sacraments, justification by faith alone, and Christian
liberty to introduce his vision of a reformed Christian theology.
Calvin stays close to the scripture and with a lucid and sober mind
establishes what would come to be known as Calvinism: the belief in
predestination, the authority of Biblical scripture, and the
sovereignty of god. This text firmly situates him alongside
Augustine, Origen, and Thomas Aquinas as a great and formative
religious thinker and writer. Calvin uses ethics, apologetics,
eschatology, and biblical exegesis to create the architecture
around modern Protestantism. "Institutes" quickly became a
controversial and widely read text and many view it as pivotal in
inciting the great Reformation of the 16th century. Calvin intended
for the book to act as an introduction to the Protestant faith,
and, in this vein, "Institutes" remains a central text to the
millions of the world's Calvinists and stands as a major work of
western civilization.
Description: From eternity past God intended that the most vivid
and profound demonstration of his glory would come in the form of
His work of salvation on the cross of Christ. God then made man to
punish him. He made him perfect and thus unlikely to ever need
punishing, or, for that matter, a Savior. By a happy coincidence,
and against all the odds, this perfect man sinned, thus allowing
God to fulfill His purposes for both the man and Christ. When he
sinned, God, who is suddenly confronted with the prospect of being
able to fulfill all of His original plans, becomes furious. What
you have just read is not a joke. I wish that it were. Rather, I
have simply enumerated the points that comprise the Calvinist
theological system, or, as I call it: the Happy Coincidence model
of sin and salvation. It reflects what can only be described as an
Alice-in-Wonderland reality, in which the only sense is nonsense,
and logic is the enemy. This book will seek to explore some of its
many logical inconsistencies and, in the process, propose a
perfectly viable--and biblical--alternative.
This study of the Five Points of Calvinism, as set forth in the
Canons of Dort, is designed to underscore the sovereignty of God's
grace and love in the matter of salvation. John Calvin did not
write these Canons, but they are based on the his teachings and
have become the confessional standard of Calvinist churches, in
response to the doctrines of Arminianism. The purpose of this study
is not to win a theological argument, but to direct us to the
marvelous work of God, the purpose of which can only be that His
people give Him all the glory.
Author Biography: Alan P. F. Sell, a philosopher-theologian and
ecumenist, is employed in research, writing, and lecturing in the
United Kingdom and abroad. He has held academic posts in England,
Canada, and Wales, and ecclesiastical posts in England and Geneva.
He is the author or editor of over thirty books, of which the most
recent are Convinced, Concise and Christian: The Thought of Huw
Parri Owen (Pickwick, 2012) and Christ and Controversy: The Person
of Christ in Nonconformist Thought and Ecclesial Experience
(Pickwick, 2012).
This is an annotated transcription of the Rev. Dr. James Muir's
personal diary from 1805. Born in Ayrshire, Scotland in 1757, Rev.
Muir served as the third minister of the Presbyterian Church in
Alexandria, Virginia, now known as the Old Presbyterian Meeting
House, from 1789 until his death in 1820. The Old Presbyterian
Meeting House was originally known as Alexandria's Presbyterian
Church and then as its First Presbyterian Church. Rev. Muir's diary
provides a historical document that, in its account of a single
calendar year in the life of one individual, both raises and
answers questions about a bygone era. It also provides a historical
guide to aspects of the remarkable heritage that continues to this
day in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia; a heritage that exists today
in the vibrant religious community of the Old Presbyterian Meeting
House and in the larger community, where the streets that Muir
walked, and so many of the houses and places he visited still
exist. A discussion of Alexandria in 1805, an examination of the
original diary and its transcription, and a biographical sketch of
Rev. Muir precede the diary. Appendices include: the diary's title
page and handwritten notes that appear on end pages of the diary, a
list of the Bible texts of sermons by Rev. Dr. Muir during 1805 (in
the order delivered), and a list of the published works of the Rev.
Muir. A bibliography and an index to full-names, places and
subjects enhance the text.
Over the past half century, there has been a proliferation of
scholarship on the great American theologian Jonathan Edwards.
However, the vast majority of this output confines itself to the
details of his work. With some welcome exceptions, the forest has
often been missed for the trees. In this ground breaking study
William Schweitzer presents a new reading of Edwards: He starts
with the question what is distinctive in Edwards' theology? The
answer comes in Edwards' insight into Trinitarian life. God is
eternally communicative of his knowledge, love, and joy among the
Three Persons of the Trinity, and this divine communicativeness was
for Edwards the explanation for why God created the universe. More
specifically, however, Edwards believed that God's communication
carries with it the Trinitarian hallmark of "harmony." This
hallmark is not always east to discern, even for the regenerate.
Edwards' lifelong project-as demonstrated by the common purpose of
all three unfinished "Great Works"-was to interpret the harmony
found in and among the several media of revelation.
This inspiring collection of essays spells out the relevance of
John Calvin's theology for today in three areas: Faith ? Calvin's
theology asks how God deals with the persistent presence of human
sin. For Calvin, the chief end of life is to know God and devote
our life to his glory. The still topical point is that we are freed
from our fixation with ourselves, thereby recognising and living
out our true reality in relation to God. Ecumenism ? The unity of
the Church in Christ is of central importance to Calvin. We must do
our utmost to make it visible. In Calvin's view, if there is
agreement in the understanding of God and grace, all other
differences have no divisive importance. This still characterises
Reformed understanding today. Public responsibility ? Calvin posed
the question about the church's public responsibility as no other
Reformer did. Part 3 reveals the sources of the worldwide impact of
Calvin's and Reformed theology on politics, the law, scholarship
and the organising of life in society, including civil society.
This anthology gathers thirty-one articles, some in print for the
first time, from twenty-eight authors who use the Kuyperian
framework to critique and to develop Christian perspectives on,
among other things, the church, culture, gender, common grace,
education, politics, scholarship, fashion, art, science, and
evolution. This book provides an introduction to Kuyper's life and
thought through the eyes of others. The breadth and scope of these
articles stand as testimony to Abraham Kuyper's desire to see the
lordship of Christ extend to every area of life.
Over the past half century, there has been a proliferation of
scholarship on the great American theologian Jonathan Edwards.
However, the vast majority of this output confines itself to the
details of his work. With some welcome exceptions, the forest has
often been missed for the trees. In this ground breaking study
William Schweitzer presents a new reading of Edwards: He starts
with the question what is distinctive in Edwards' theology? The
answer comes in Edwards' insight into Trinitarian life. God is
eternally communicative of his knowledge, love, and joy among the
Three Persons of the Trinity, and this divine communicativeness was
for Edwards the explanation for why God created the universe. More
specifically, however, Edwards believed that God's communication
carries with it the Trinitarian hallmark of "harmony." This
hallmark is not always east to discern, even for the regenerate.
Edwards' lifelong projectGCoas demonstrated by the common purpose
of all three unfinished "Great Works"GCowas to interpret the
harmony found in and among the several media of revelation.
Just how reformed do you think you are? With clarity of insight
that comes only from firsthand experience, the authors of Kinda
Christianity take on their own cultural-theological movement,
offering tips and tricks for all you New Calvinists. From what to
wear to who to marry (and how to court them) to what to read, Ted
Kluck and Zach Bartels help you work out your reformedness with
fear and trembling. "Kluck and Bartels don't wanna talk, they wanna
scream at people, but they don't wanna listen or problem solve and
that's what's frustrating about the dynamic of the group."-Richard
Slade, M.Div., Princeton Theological Seminary "This is one of those
seminal works that embodies a significant portion of our Reformed
theological heritage. We all should rejoice to see this material
finally available in English "-Cory Hartman, age 12 "Demonstrates
an indirect relationship and similarity between the perichoretic
'intra divine' communion and the complementary 'divine-human'
relation."-Robert Rusigliano, professional boxer; mason
This volume in the popular Armchair series presents a short and
reader-friendly introduction to the tumultuous life and theology of
the fiery reformer John Knox. As leader of the Scottish
Reformation, Knox notably came into conflict with the Roman
Catholic Church, particularly Queen Mary. He was also an outspoken
advocate for education and care for the poor, and is widely
regarded as the founder of the Church of Scotland. Each chapter
includes a description of Knox's activities as well as a discussion
of key texts that introduce Knox's theological convictions.
Expertly written by Suzanne McDonald, and featuring witty
illustrations from Ron Hill, this book offers an intriguing
introduction to the life and work of this major theological figure.
A deeply researched, well-written and comprehensive biography which
vividly brings its subject and the milieu of the Scottish
Reformation to life - but, even more significantly, the author's
approach to Knox is uniquely different to the contemporary
preconception of a ranting dogmatic misogynist. This man of action
lived a dramatic life - he was a galley slave, an exile, and a man
who lived at the very centre of one of the most volatile periods in
Christian and Scottish history, keeping his integrity intact.
In this accessible book, David Johnson examines the Christian
spiritual life using the "Book of Confessions" of the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.) as a guide. He demonstrates how the "Book of
Confessions" can help us understand what it means to be a Christian
and how one goes about living a Christian life. Johnson uses the
rubrics of faith, love, and hope to ground our understanding of
spirituality and help us develop disciplines for our spiritual
lives. These disciplines include listening and speaking, worship
and Sabbath, giving and stewardship, patience and planning, and
reconciling. Three appendices give concrete guidelines for engaging
in Bible reading and prayer--the two central spiritual disciplines
of the Reformed tradition. Johnson's helpful book invites laity and
clergy to participate in the blessings and joys of a Reformed
vision of the spiritual life.
The Christian doctrine of God has traditionally been presented in
two parts: an account of the existence and attributes of God on the
one hand, and an account of God's triunity on the other. This study
offers an analysis of Karl Barth's doctrine of the divine
attributes (or 'perfections'), as it appears in his 'Church
Dogmatics II/1'.
In this study of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Louis Weeks
examines the present state of the denomination and how
congregations can grow in faith through the current time of
transition in the church. He considers markers of Presbyterian
identity, new ways of connecting and faith development, and
defining qualities of the church. Recognizing that many
congregations are changing in different ways, Weeks includes case
studies of congregations and interviews with leaders of local
congregations and denominational leaders to explore aspects of
Presbyterian faith and life that are viable and necessary for the
future.
This book provides a history of Presbyterians in American culture
from the early eighteenth to the late twentieth century. Longfield
assesses both the theological and cultural development of American
Presbyterianism, with particular focus on the mainline tradition
that is expressed most prominently in the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.). He explores how Presbyterian churches--and individuals
rooted in those churches--influenced and were influenced by the
values, attitudes, perspectives, beliefs, and ideals assumed by
Americans in the course of American history. The book will serve as
an important introduction to Presbyterian history that will
interest historians, students, and church leaders alike.
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