Reformed Forum

Reformed Forum founders Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy, and Jeff Waddington speak about the Old and New Calvinisms. As the speaker for the annual Gaffin lecture, John Piper recently spoke at Westminster Theological Seminary (PA) on the topic, “The New Calvinism and the New Community.” The New Calvinism, a cross-denominational movement, recaptures many elements of the Old, but the two differ in some respects. Today’s panel reflects on the similarities and differences between the two, following up on several recent Reformed Forum blog posts. Links

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Jim Cassidy reviews The Bonhoeffer Reader (Fortress Press) edited by Clifford Green and Michael DeJonge. From the Publisher: For the first time, a representative collection of all Bonhoeffer’s theological works is available in a single volume, edited by Bonhoeffer scholars Clifford J. Green and Michael P. DeJonge. The Bonhoeffer Reader follows on the heels of the newly completed 16-volume Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works English Edition (DBWE), a major 25-year translation project supported by the International Bonhoeffer Society and published by Fortress Press. From this massive collection of books, lectures, articles, letters and sermons, about 800 pages of all Bonhoeffer’s key theological writing have been chosen to reveal his central theological ideas and their development. The Reader is formatted so that students can easily go back to the original DBWE volumes and all the additional resources included in them, making it easier than ever to pursue a more comprehensive study of Bonhoeffer’s brilliant theological career.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

In this episode, Camden Bucey reviews The Gospel at Work: How Working for King Jesus Gives Purpose and Meaning to Our Jobs (Zondervan) by Sebastian Traeger and Greg Gilbert. Traeger and Gilbert note that many Christians fall victim to one of two main problems when it comes to work: either they are idle in their work, or they have made an idol of it. Both of these mind-sets are deadly misunderstandings of how God intends for us to think about our employment. The authors unpack the powerful ways in which the gospel can transform how we do what we do, releasing us from the cultural pressures of both an all-consuming devotion and a punch-in, punch-out mentality—in order to find the freedom of a work ethic rooted in serving Christ.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

Jeffrey A. Stivason speaks about B.B. Warfield’s doctrine of inspiration. In his doctoral dissertation, From Inscrutability to Concursus: Benjamin B. Warfield’s Theological Construction of Inspiration’s Mode from 1880 to 1915., Pastor Stivason highlights the development over time of Warfield’s articulation of inspiration. While Warfield’s influence on the contemporary doctrine of inspiration was monumental, he didn’t arrive at his position all at once but developed it further during a time when the perfection of Scripture was under attack. Jeffrey A. Stivason is pastor of Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church (RPCNA) in Gibsonia, PA. He completed his dissertation and earned his Ph.D. in 2013 at Westminster Theological Seminary (PA).

Participants: Adam York, Camden Bucey, Jeff Stivason, Jeff Waddington

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

On this episode Camden Bucey reviews What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done (Zondervan) by Matt Perman. This is an excellent book about Christian productivity that will help you become effective in your labors through a biblical perspective on loving God, loving others, and being a good steward of your opportunities, time, and resources.

Productivity isn’t just about getting more things done. It’s about getting the right things done—the things that count, make difference, and move the world forward. In our current era of massive overload, this is harder than ever before. So how do you get more of the right things done without confusing mere activity for actual productivity? When we take God’s purposes into account, a revolutionary insight emerges. Surprisingly, we see that the way to be productive is to put others first—to make the welfare of other people our motive and criteria in determining what to do (what’s best next). As both the Scriptures and the best business thinkers show, generosity is the key to unlocking our productivity. It is also the key to finding meaning and fulfillment in our work. What’s Best Next offers a practical approach for improving your productivity in all areas of life. It will help you better understand:

By anchoring your understanding of productivity in God’s purposes and plan, What’s Best Next will give you a practical approach for increasing your effectiveness in everything you do. Includes a Foreword by John Piper

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

Jim Cassidy reviews Christology, Ancient and Modern: Explorations in Constructive Dogmatics (Zondervan) edited by Oliver Crisp and Fred Sanders.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

Justin Taylor joins us to speak about The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived, which he has coauthored with Dr. Andreas Köstenberger. Mr. Taylor speaks about the book not only as an author but also as a publisher and editor at Crossway Books. The conversation highlights the format of the book, the gap the book fills in the literature on Easter, and some of the authors’ conclusions about the biblical accounts of Jesus’ last week. Justin Taylor is vice president of book publishing and an associate publisher at Crossway, and a PhD candidate at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has edited and contributed to several books including A God-Entranced Vision of All Things and Reclaiming the Center, and he blogs at Between Two Worlds—hosted by the Gospel Coalition.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jared Oliphint, Justin Taylor

Jim Cassidy reviews Evangelical Theology: A Biblical and Systematic Introduction (Zondervan) by Michael F. Bird.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy

Dr. James N. Anderson speaks about his recent book What’s Your Worldview?: An Interactive Approach to Life’s Big Questions, published by Crossway. The book takes the reader through important theological and philosophical questions in a “Choose Your Own Adventure” style, leading to a label and description of the reader’s own worldview. Dr. Anderson explains the setup of the book and a number of ways it might be used, and also discusses the idea of a worldview and what important elements constitute one. Dr. Anderson is associate professor of theology and philosophy at the Charlotte campus of Reformed Theological Seminary. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Edinburgh, writing about paradox in Christian theology. That study became his book, Paradox in Christian Theology: An Analysis of Its Presence, Nature, and Epistemic Status, which was the subject of a previous episode of Christ the Center.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, James Anderson, Jared Oliphint

Mentioned in this episode:

Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Christ the Center 1000

Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Jim Cassidy reviews Pilgrim Theology: Core Doctrines for Christian Disciples (Zondervan) by Michael Horton. The publisher writes:

Pilgrim Theology is based—in part—on the much larger The Christian Faith, although it is no simple abridgment; rather, Michael Horton has sought to write for an entirely new and wider audience, intentionally making it more useful for both group and individual study. Horton reviews the biblical passages that have given rise to particular doctrines in addition to surveying past and present interpretations. Also included are sidebars showing the key distinctions readers need to grasp on a particular subject, helpful charts and tables illuminating exegetical and historical topics, and questions at the end of each chapter for individual, classroom, and small group reflection. Pilgrim Theology is especially appropriate for undergraduate students, educated laypersons, or anyone looking to gain a basic understanding of Reformed theology’s biblical and historical foundations.

Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy