There has been a lot of discussion recently on the topic of American evangelical deconstruction (see also here and here). Such deconstruction generally involves subjecting the evangelical church to historical and sociological analysis, in order to demonstrate that evangelicalism is actually rooted in efforts to uphold—and to provide religious justification for—the social dominance of privileged […]
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Discussing abortion, Scholastic-style
October 15, 2020 
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In the spirit of Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologica, what follows is an attempt to tackle the topic of abortion according to a medieval-scholastic disputation. The topic is divided into four key questions (philosophical, biblical, circumstantial, and legal) that follow the format of Aquinas’s Summa, first setting forth the objections, then stating the opposing traditional view […]
Continue reading What was Adam’s reward? A summary/commentary of Francis Turretin
July 11, 2020 2 Comments
One of the ongoing intramural Reformed debates centers on what would have happened to Adam if he hadn’t fallen into sin. Would he have continued in an earthly paradise? Or would he have been elevated to a higher, heavenly stage? Would his obedience have counted as “merit”? Does that make Eden a kind of temporary […]
Continue reading Does nature need addition? Bavinck against the donum superadditum
August 23, 2019 3 Comments
One of the central points of disagreement among the various Christian traditions is the question of the relationship of grace and nature. Should we say that grace opposes nature? Affirms nature? Perfects nature? Flanks nature? The answer that Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck famously gives is that grace restores nature: it gives back to us what […]
Continue reading Thornwell’s Inaugural Address of the Confederate Presbyterian Church
April 1, 2019 8 Comments
Note: In 1861, the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America was deeply divided over the issue of slavery, as well as the broader matter of the church’s role in addressing social and political controversies. It was a question of jurisdiction as much as one of morality. In May, the PCUSA General Assembly had […]
Continue reading Alexandrians vs. Antiochenes on Mosaic Law (Part 2)
May 31, 2018 1 Comment
Note: this is the second part of a paper originally written for a class on the History of Biblical Interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Part 1 can be read here. Evaluation of Origen The advantage of Origen’s approach is that it compels Christians to read their Old Testament and wrestle thoroughly with its text. A […]
Continue reading Alexandrians vs. Antiochenes on Mosaic Law (Part 1)
May 30, 2018 2 Comments
Note: this paper was previously written for a class on the History of Biblical Interpretation at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Due to the paper’s original length, I will split it into two parts (Part 2 can be read here). Introduction Ever since its inception, the church has struggled to understand the proper place of […]
Continue reading Roundup on the Frame-Dolezal Dustup
December 1, 2017 10 Comments
First it was Eternal Subordination of the Son; now it’s Theistic Mutualism. It’s hard to keep up with all of these modern evangelical debates over the doctrine of God. For those just tuning in, the latest controversy centers on the recently published volume All That Is in God by Reformed Baptist theologian James Dolezal (Reformation […]
Continue reading A Quick and Easy Guide to the Apostolic Fathers
September 11, 2017 1 Comment
To commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, I have started teaching an adult Sunday School series on Church History. There’s a wealth of wisdom to be learned from the early church, but it can be pretty daunting to the uninitiated! I’ve tried to make things a little more accessible to my congregation by […]
Continue reading Robert Rollock on the Merit of Christ
March 2, 2016 3 Comments
Robert Rollock was a 16th-century Scottish Reformed theologian, credited with developing the idea of a distinction between a covenant of works and a covenant of grace between God and man (aka “bicovenantalism”), and with helping bring Reformed theology to the British Isles. Although his work was influential for later mainstream Reformed theology, he was also […]
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