Christian Humanism and the Puritan Social Order (1)

I begin here a series of posts on Margo Todd’s 1987 book, Christian Humanism and the Puritan Social Order. The book is a corrective on the (still popular) scholarship of the 1960s and 1970s. The text below includes her thesis. If puritans were a self-conscious community of zealous religious reformers, they were also possessed of …

Davenant Latin Institute

Davenant Press has recently launched the Davenant Latin Institute. Its purpose is to “to equip today’s seminarians, graduate students, and teachers with the competency to unearth these treasures, reading them in the original and perhaps even translating them for others to enjoy.” The institute will offer a “program of online courses, both introductory and advanced, …

The Geneva Academy – “A Renaissance school”

Contrary to popular belief, early Calvinists (including Calvin) thought highly of the classical Greek and Latin texts. John McNeill, in his book, The History and Character of Calvinism, describes the curriculum and activities of the Calvin’s Geneva Academy (pg. 194-5): In Calvin’s rules, attention was given to clean and tidy conditions, promptness, and disciplined behavior. …

How the Regulative Principle of Worship Affirms, Supports, and Ensures a Meaningful World

Many Protestants have rightly recognized that much of our thinking, our theology, our worldview, and our way of being is hopelessly modern. We are so caught up in modernity that it takes conscious effort to escape it. Our modern age produces in us the proclivity to see the world as meaningless—as, what Charles Taylor calls, …

You might be an Antinomian, if…

Strive for…the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. ~Hebrews 12:14 Anne Hutchinson This list below was published in a few blogs, notably by Kevin DeYoung at The Gospel Coalition. Mark Jones originally brought the list to our attention with his important book Antinomianism: Reformed Theology’s Unwelcome Guest. It is a set of …

Calvin and Winthrop Between the Ages: Theological Aesthetics and the Affirmation of Ordinary Life (Part 3 of 4)

The Sick Bed by Edward Prentis (1836) This is part 3 of a four-part series (see Part 1 and Part 2). In this post I discuss Calvinist theological aesthetics. It relates to my posts on natural beauty and the Art of Being Calvinist. Calvin’s Ephemeral Aesthetics To a certain extent, the theological shift in the …

A Reformed Perspective on Natural Beauty

The universe is before our eyes like a beautiful book in which all creatures, great and small, are as letters to make us ponder the invisible things of God. ~ Belgic Confession of Faith Swiss Alps The Protestant Reformers spoke often of the beauty of creation. Indeed, natural beauty[1] plays an important role in some …

Natural Rights and the Calvinist Political Tradition (1)

In the last couple decades, many scholars have recognized the contribution of Calvinist theologians and political theorists to the formulation of natural rights. Prior to this, largely due to Leo Strauss, Calvinists were lumped in with the pre-modern notions of objective natural rights. These, according to Strauss, …are doctrines [that] taught the duties of man; …

Review of The Religious Beliefs of America’s Founders (2.1) – Witherspoon

There will be two reviews of chapter 2. This post will focus on Dr. Frazer’s analysis of John Witherspoon. See my review of chapter 1 here. One of the most influential Founders was the theologian John Witherspoon. As the president of Princeton for many years, he taught and mentored six who became members of the …

Calvin and Winthrop Between the Ages: Medievalism, Hierarchy, and Modernity (Part 2 of 4)

This is Part 2 of a series on Calvin and modernity. This post covers Calvin’s two-kingdom theology and his theology of work. I show that Calvin’s thought cannot be the foundation of modernity and that his thought is a modification of medieval thought, not a radical break from it.                                 Chillon Castle, near Geneva, Switzerland …