John Calvin has been the subject of numerous studies, but most have focused on one aspect of his thought or a limited selection of his writings. This study of Calvin adopts a uniquely holistic approach.
Randall Zachman begins with a brief biography and considers Calvin's own understanding of his ministry as a teacher and pastor. From this perspective, he surveys Calvin's writings and their place in the work of reforming the church--both through the training of clergy and the instruction of the laity. Zachman then considers Calvin as a theologian. In contrast to Martin Luther, Calvin sought to balance the verbal proclamation of the Word with an emphasis on the visible manifestation of God--both in creation and in Christ.
This study will be of great interest to Reformed clergy and to students of the Reformation and Calvinism.

There is a large demand for a textbook on the history and doctrines of the Presbyterian Church, to be used in the Sunday Schools, Pastors' study classes, and the study classes of Young People's and Women's Societies. In casting about for such a book the Presbyterian Committee of Publication found ready at home that charming little book The Creed of Presbyterians, by the Rev. Egbert Watson Smith, D. D., Executive Secretary of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. It is worthy of note that this book has already had a far larger circulation than any other book ever written in America on Presbyterianism. However, The Creed of Presbyterians is written in popular style for the general reader and was not primarily intended for a textbook, but the Committee of Publication hit upon a happy idea, and that was to convert it into a textbook by dividing it into lessons and adding a list of questions to be used in connection with each lesson. So we have in this new edition a book which has all the charm of the original edition and which can be read without any thought of the classroom, but at the same time a book which can be instantly converted into a textbook, by turning to the lesson divisions and questions in the back. With this new adjustment we believe that The Creed of Presbyterians will meet in an admirable way the demand for a textbook on the history and doctrines of the Presbyterian Church. Practically every question on each lesson can be answered by a careful study of the pages assigned to that lesson, and it is not necessary for members of the class to have any other book in connection with the course. But it will be found helpful to make frequent reference toencyclopedia articles and to such histories as members of the class may have. It will also be found helpful to have at hand an exceedingly interesting and informing book entitled, The Burning Bush: A Story of the Presbyterian Church, by J. R. Fleming. With these suggestions we send The Creed of Presbyterians out upon its new mission as a textbook with the sincere hope and conviction that it will fill a long felt need. The questions were prepared by Rev. W. L. Lingle, D. D., of Union Theological Seminary, Moderator of the General Assembly of 1920. Presbyterian Committee of Publication Richmond, Va.

This book contains eleven great sermons by the great Welsh itinerant preacher, John Elias (1774-1841), all newly and ably translated from the Welsh by Owen Milton. Here you will find a feast of biblical, doctrinal, experiential, and practical food that shows how great preachers in ages past proclaimed the whole counsel of God over a period of time while remaining faithful in expounding individual texts in accord with their major themes. These sermons, which richly expound nearly every major doctrine of grace, are as relevant and helpful as when they were first written. Here you will find the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man persuasively expounded. Such themes as God's sovereign calling of sinners, the experiential knowledge and fullness of Christ, the dangers of ignoring the gospel call, earnest prayer for the Spirit, the greatness of God's peace, the believer's love for Christ, the blessing of a contrite spirit, and the immanency of the Second Advent are set forth with convicting power. Practical themes such as how to listen to preaching and how to respect governmental authority are also expounded with fresh clarity. Elias's sermons exhibit all the strengths of a godly preacher-pastor-writer. Read them slowly and prayerfully, and, with the Spirit's blessing, you will grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

A lay-friendly introduction to Presbyterian beliefs, practices, and history. Helps readers grasp what it means to be a (conservative) Presbyterian in a postmodern age.

In this witty, accessible, and concise book, theologian Doug Ottati argues that liberal Presbyterians and other liberal Protestants still have much to contribute to the contemporary world. Offering an alternative to evangelical and conservative thought that he believes now pervades the larger culture, Ottati presents what he sees as the foundations of liberal, theological thought. Writing out of the Reformed tradition and a theology of grace, he addresses current issues such as evangelism, the ordination of homosexuals, and the war on terrorism. Most important, this book is a call to liberal Presbyterians and other liberal Protestants to restate, rethink, and revise traditional theologies and beliefs in the face of contemporary knowledge and realities. This book is ideal for individual or group study.

John Calvin transformed the Western theology and law of sex, marriage, and family life. Building on a generation of Protestant reforms, Calvin constructed a comprehensive new theology and law that made marital formation and dissolution, childrenbs nurture and welfare, family cohesion and support, and sexual sin and crime essential concerns for both church and state. Working with other jurists and theologians, Calvin drew the Consistory and Council of Geneva into a creative new alliance to govern domestic and sexual subjects. Together, these authorities outlawed monasticism and mandatory clerical celibacy, and encouraged marriage for all fit adults. They set clear guidelines for courtship and engagement and mandated parental consent, peer witness, church consecration, and state registration for valid marriage. They radically reconfigured weddings and wedding feasts and reformed marital property and inheritance, marital consent and impediments. They created new rights and duties for wives within the bedroom and for children within the household. They streamlined the grounds and procedures for annulment and introduced fault-based divorce for both husbands and wives on grounds of adultery and desertion. They encouraged the remarriage of divorcees and widow(er)s. They punished rape, fornication, prostitution, sodomy, and other sexual felonies with startling new severity and put firm new restrictions on dancing, sumptuousness, ribaldry, and obscenity. They put new stock in catechesis and education, created new schools, curricula, and teaching aids, and provided new sanctuary to illegitimate, abandoned, and abused children. They created new protections for abused wives and impoverishedwidows. Many of these reforms of sixteenth-century Geneva were echoed and elaborated in numerous Calvinist communities, ultimately on both sides of the Atlantic, and a good number of these reforms found their way into our modern civil law and common law traditions. This volume and its sequels analyzes and documents this transformation of sex, marriage and family life in Geneva using many newly-discovered theological and legal materials.

The Historical Roots of the Presbyterian Church in America is a Presbyterian Primer, one of a series of books by Don Clements that has been written in non-academic style, specifically designed to reach new or previously unread Church members. It lends itself quite well as an easy-to-read training manual for church officers or as an interesting introduction for persons new to church history. Topics covered in this volume include a pithy overview of the Protestant Reformation, the birth of Presbyterianism, the branching of Reformed denominations, the theological decline into liberalism by various branches, the founding of the Presbyterian Church in America and the rejoining of branches as the roots come back together. Dr. Clements offers a list of characteristics of the PCA that makes it "who it is" and calls others to solidify such an anthology in order to firmly establish a distinct foundation for leadership and a legacy for future generations. Reading this book will inspire you to appreciate the service, sacrifice and martyrdom of those who have gone before, and whet your appetite for Christian history, even if you don't enjoy or see the importance of spending time on learning about the past.

This book has been written to commemorate 175 years of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. It intends to provide a balanced account of the role of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana since the early nineteenth century, and as such, sheds much light on the history and development of Ghana over the past two centuries. It covers the contributions of the Basel missionaries and their Scottish successors, and emphasises the contributions of the locals to the mission, particularly in developing local languages, translating sacred texts and compiling dictionaries and proverbs. It illuminates the achievements of the Church and the contributions it has made to the development of moral and spiritual life, education, agriculture, health, Ghanaian languages and music. However criticism of the missionaries is not reserved, being levelled at the rigidity and intolerant attitude of the missionaries towards the indigenous culture.

Liberals don't have all the facts about HOMOSEXUALITY Neither do Conservatives Is your congregation studying the issues surrounding ordination of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people? Have you run into a dead end looking for authoritative, current curricular material? You'll be astonished at the information that has been known for years in seminaries and universities but has been unavailable to lay readers. Until now. This book presents the broad range of Biblical, theological, and scientific source material that churches are seeking for their study of these critical issues. * What does the Bible say about sexual orientation and behavior? Look at a variety of interpretations * What does science say about the effectiveness of conversion therapy? Read the studies and weigh the evidence Can members of a congregation engage with the questions of ordination standards; study, analyze, and weigh the data; come to their own conclusions; and still remain friends at the end of the day? The authors of this book did. And now we are sharing these resources with you, so that you can explore primary sources and consider a broad range of viewpoints regarding the issues that are raised by

"We need say no more than get it, and you will find abundance of suggestions for profitable trains of thought. Dickson is a writer after our own heart. For preachers he is a great ally. There is nothing brilliant or profound; but everything is clear and well arranged, and the unction runs down like the oil from Aaron's head." - C.H. Spurgeon "I have taken all my good deeds, and all my bad deeds, and cast them through each other in a heap before the Lord, and fled from both, and betaken myself to the Lord Jesus Christ, and in him I have sweet peace." In these words David Dickson expressed his faith as he was on his death-bed. It is with such words of grace that Dickson expounds the Epistle to the Hebrews.

An English translation of university lectures (1930-1945) that give a tightly formulated introduction to Calvinist philosophy. Translated by John H. Kok. Introduction by Anthony Tol. Preface by Calvin Seerveld

Twenty-two more complete sermons from Joseph Addison Alexander (1809-1860), the brilliant and godly giant from Old Princeton, are here published for the first time in more than a century. Charles Hodge said of his colleague, "In the death of Joseph Addison Alexander we have lost our great glory and defense. Permit me to express my own individual convictions. I regard Dr. Joseph Addison Alexander as incomparably the greatest man I ever knew--as incomparably the greatest man our church has ever produced. His thorough orthodoxy, his fervent piety, humility, faithfulness in the discharge of his duties, and reverence for the Word of God, consecrated all his other gifts. He glorified the Word of God in the sight of his pupils beyond what any man I ever saw had the power of doing."

This is a thorough study of Calvin's conception of Christian philosophy, his exposition of insights of classical philosophy, and his evaluations of classical philosophers. Special attention is given to the doctrines of providence and predestination.

A brief overview of the major works on the offices in the Scottish Presbyterian Church to-date reveals that there is a need for a comprehensive historical and theological study on the Presbyterian offices, which this work intends to provide. Chapter one gives attention to contemporary documents expressing the views of the Scottish reformers on the ministry in the local congregation. The second chapter deals with the question present at the beginning of the reformation: who represented Christ - the bishop or the Presbyter? The third chapter considers how the documents of the Westminster Assembly of Divines determined the future courses of Scottish Presbyterian ecclesiology. The following chapters analyse the development of the offices within the context of the established Presbyterian Church, providing an overview of the role and functions of the offices of the minister, elder and deacon in Scottish Presbyterianism. Finally the study considers the involvement of the Church of Scotland in twentieth century ecumenical discussions.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

In "Leading from the Center," sociologist William Weston provides an enlightening look at the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the tensions that exist between key groups in the denomination. Weston defines the key groups as conservatives, liberals, and loyalists and structures his view of the denomination around the third group. Defining "loyalists" as the largest and those who have no wish to see the denomination split apart, Weston argues that while conservatives may consider splitting the church over doctrinal issues and liberals may consider splitting the church over social issues, the loyalists want to work for peace and unity in an effort to hold the church together. His in-depth analysis examines the "left" and "right" sides of the church and their competition to win the loyalist center to their respective sides. Meticulously researched but engaging and insightful, "Leading from the Center" is a concise sketch of the denomination that is often surprising and always revealing.

"This fine study exemplifies the best kind of historical theology: penetrating in its reading of the texts, attentive both to the detail and to the scope of its subject-matter, and, above all, alert to the fact that in the history of Christian thought we are in the sphere of theology, church and faith. A wide circle of new readers will find great profit in studying this rich account of a rich theme." John Webster, University of Aberdeen

This accessible introduction to the Christian faith offers a hands-on look at the whole story of the Bible in an effort to help the person in the pew grapple with what it means to be a Christian in a world of conflicting ideologies and competing claims. "This We Believe" presents eight beliefs that form the basis of the Christian faith in the Reformed and Presbyterian traditions. This thought-provoking book is sure to inspire conversations and prayers concerning the story of the Bible, our theological heritage as Reformed Christians, and the changing culture in which we live.

Biblical Church Government is a Presbyterian Primer, one of a series of books by Don Clements that has been written in non-academic style, specifically designed to reach new or previously unread Church members. Originally released in 2003, this second edition has been updated and reformatted to allow space in the margins for notes. It lends itself quite well as an easy-to-read training manual for church officers or as a more in-depth study for persons considering church membership. One pastor says this is the one book actually read consistently by leadership candidates in his church. Topics covered in this volume include "The Importance of Leadership in the Church," "Church Government in the New Testament," "Christ the King," "How Many Offices Are There in the Church?" "The Function of Elders," "The Tasks of Elders," "Power and Authority in the Church," "The Necessity of Church Discipline," "The Origin, Function and Tasks of Deacons," "The Role of Women in the Church," "Qualifications for Office" and "The Confessional and Connectional Nature of the Church." Clements uses the English Standard Version throughout for references. In his book, Dr. Clements distinguishes between the various forms of church government, making a biblical case for the Presbyterian form. He offers the reasoning and need for officers in the organized church, and presents a thorough study of the leadership structure and duties delineated in the Bible. This book is the only one in print today that explains the unique 'two office' (elder and deacon) view of Presbyterian government that is practiced in the Presbyterian Church in America. Lots of practical caveats gained from many years of experience are included alongthe way.

In his classic work, life-long Presbyterian and former pastor Jim Angell tells what it means to be a Presbyterian. This readable, accessible book is divided into six parts--key ideas, commitment, witness, order, discipline, and covenant--and includes a handy glossary to commonly used Presbyterian terms. Now updated with the most recent statistics and polity information, this is an ideal book to give to new members, confirmation students, and inquirers in PC(USA) churches.

Though probably best known for his scholarship on John Calvin, John Leith's work in the church and the academy has earned him honors in many areas. This collection of writings reveals some of his areas of expertise, including not only Calvin, but also the history of the Presbyterian Church, civil rights and integration, a Christ-centered faith, theological education, issues of sexuality, and the nature of the church.

Earl S. Johnson, Jr., explores eight biblical texts that have been instrumental in forming the basis of Presbyterian belief and mission. Using Reformed and Presbyterian principles of biblical interpretation--and the standards of modern biblical criticism, he examines Presbyterian theological statements and their influence on the development of the church's positions on social issues throughout history. With this important work, Johnson aims to help his readers avoid interpretative mistakes of the past and find insights into the way the Bible can be used correctly to lead the church in the future.

Published during the tenth anniversary of the "Book of Common Worship" (1993), "The Companion to the Book of Common Worship" is a practical guide, answering questions such as how do I use the "Book of Common Worship" to its fullest advantage? and how can the "Book of Common Worship" form a congregation into a community that glorifies and enjoys God?