Credo

Reformed and Scholastic are often considered antithetical to one another, as if the use of the scholastic method or the retrieval of its philosophy and theology is a betrayal of the Reformation. Such a popular narrative is more fiction than fact, a convenient caricature that misrepresents some of the Reformed heritage of the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries. In truth, a wide spectrum of Reformed Orthodox theologians appropriated the tools of Scholasticism to codify their Reformed faith in universities and churches. The Reformed Scholastics were unembarrassed in their critical appropriation of medieval Scholastics (Anselm, Aquinas, etc.) for the sake of defending their reformed, orthodox convictions against heretical groups like the Socinians.

Theologian Ryan McGraw joins Matthew Barrett to define Reformed Scholasticism, introduce theologians like Francis Turretin and John Owen, and explain why we should retrieve these post-reformation reformers for the sake of renewing theology today. Far from a contradiction, Reformed and Scholastic is our heritage.

Who was one of the great influences on today's leading theologians and university presidents? James Montgomery Boice. Educated at Princeton Seminary, the late James Montgomery Boice was raised up for a lifetime of preaching at Tenth Presbyterian Church. Yet he also found himself at the epicenter of theological debate. He was committed to the authority of scripture, passionate for the doctrines of grace, and devoted to theology's intersection with the pulpit. Yet he was also a pastor's pastor, mentoring others like Philip Graham Ryken, president today of Wheaton College.

Philip Graham Ryken joins Matthew Barrett to discuss the many ways the theology and preaching of James Montgomery Boice influenced him, but also an entire generation. Knowing Boice as mentor, close friend, and brother in ministry, Ryken shares personal stories about the late James Montgomery Boice, including his genius in the pulpit as well as his fervor for the church.

“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but irrigate deserts.” With these words C.S. Lewis opened The Abolition of Man. Lewis spent his life standing against the modern approach to education, an approach that encouraged cynicism and skepticism, leaving a wasteland in its wake. On the basis of his own university experience Lewis was convinced he was living in an age of men without chests, men who asserted their will to power, demanding their right to deconstruct the moral philosophy of society.

Michael Ward joins Matthew Barrett to probe the ways C.S. Lewis served as a modern-day prophet. Yet Lewis was also strategic, appealing to natural law to throw into question the subjectivity rampant in his day. His goal was ambitious: the recovery of objective virtue and moral value, all for the sake of humanity’s survival.

Many moderns constructed their doctrine of the Trinity according to Rahner's rule, which says the immanent Trinity is the economic Trinity and the economic Trinity is the immanent Trinity. But should Christians even frame the Trinity in these terms? Are we conflating the Trinity with history itself by affirming this principle? But more broader still, how indebted is modern theology's doctrine of the Trinity to the Enlightenment?

In this episode, Thomas Joseph White joins Matthew Barrett to differentiate between variations of modern and neo-orthodox approaches to the Trinity, taking a complex era and deciphering its turn away from Nicaea. White also helps listeners distinguish between a modern Trinity and a classical Trinity. Given his new research, White moves Christians away from a historicized understanding of the Trinity that looks to the economy to constitute the Trinity. In the end, White encourages us to pursue the revival of classical trinitarianism, which alone can overcome the obstacles of the last century.

What are eternal processions? The language of "processions" may be foreign to some today, but the Great Tradition capitalized on this language to describe the Trinity and keep heresy at bay. From the church fathers to the medieval and Protestant scholastics, theologians used the language of procession to explain how the Son is eternally begotten from the Father and the how the Spirit is eternally spirated from the Father and the Son. Critical as it is to distinguish the Son's procession from the Father and the Spirit's procession from the Father and the Son, how do we do so without forfeiting the simplicity of the Trinity?

Evangelicalism has been marked by its tendency to compromise the eternal processions of the Trinity. Yet these processions in the Trinity remain vital to distinguishing the persons and protecting their consubstantiality with one another. In this episode, Glenn Butner joins Matthew Barrett to discuss the mystery of processions in the Trinity and why processions are so essential for Christian orthodoxy today.

n celebrations of the Reformation Protestants have placed not little emphasis on prominent figures such as John Calvin or Martin Luther. Others such as Zwingli, along with the Swiss reformation, are often overlooked and considered inconsequential. Yet, Zwingli’s controversial legacy is foundational to the genesis of the Reformed church. Zwingli finds himself caught in between Rome and Radicals. Although his reforming vision began by displaying Zwingli’s prophetic voice, it ended with a prophet armed on the battle field only to be cut down. In a deeply personal story, Zwingli forced friends and enemies alike to answer this question, What is the church?

In this episode, Bruce Gordon joins Matthew Barrett to help orient Protestants today to one of the most influential reformers in the sixteenth century.

The doctrine of God's impassibility may seem counterintuitive to many Christians today, but actually impassibility is an essential belief of Christian orthodoxy. Impassibility was not only affirmed in the great confessions of faith throughout church history, but also defended as vital to the doctrine of God itself. But how does a theologian reconcile divine impassibility with the incarnation since Christ suffers on the cross? Contrary to caricatures, without impassibility the theologian will misunderstand the incarnation, including the deep love of God for sinners.

In this episode, Steven J. Duby joins Matthew Barrett to ask why our our doctrine of God suffers without the doctrine of impassibility and why we cannot retain a truly orthodox Christology without it.

Thomas Jefferson continues to elicit a wide-range of reactions. Jefferson had a brilliant mind and engaged with Christianity in ways that were both sympathetic and critical. Along with many others during his time, Jefferson was intrigued by several principles from the Enlightenment era, which influenced his perception of Christianity. Jefferson embodied a tension over issues such as church and government, slavery and equality, and the rise of "rational Christianity," a tension Christians today still struggle to overcome.

In this fascinating podcast, Thomas S. Kidd joins Gary Steward and Matthew Barrett to discuss the many difficult tensions that rise to the surface in the thought and life of Thomas Jefferson, while also addressing how Christians today should think about the triumphs and tragedies of historical figures before them but with no little humility.

From his books to the chalkboard, R.C. Sproul communicated the deep things of God in an accessible way. When asked what the core of his legacy was all about he exclaimed, "Classical Theism!" But Sproul's commitment to classical theism was foundational to his defense of the faith as well, which explains why Sproul was so committed to classical apologetics.

Why did Sproul move away from Van Til's presuppositional apologetics to classical apologetics instead? Matthew Barrett and Stephen Nichols go back in time to trace Sproul's journey. Along the way, Nichols, who knew Sproul as a friend, shares personal stories to help clarify the heartbeat of Sproul's legacy.

How can we hold our systematic theology in one hand and take seriously the exegetical task in the other? How do we interpret scripture in light of Christ's two natures? Throughout church history, biblical scholars and theologians alike have turned to partitive exegesis as a helpful tool in the interpretive task. In light of the two natures of Christ, partitive exegesis assists biblical interpreters with discerning the different registers in which the scriptures speak of Christ, whether in reference to his human or divine nature, yet without dividing the person. Partitive exegesis is not forced on the text but springs from the text, and keeps the interpreter from trinitarian and Christological missteps that threaten the Christian faith.

In this episode, Matthew Barrett talks with Bobby Jamieson and Tyler Wittman on the principles of partitive exegesis while also providing practical examples from the scriptures that explain how to use this exegetical strategy.