The Calvinist International
With the recent publication of Herman Bavinck’s Reformed Ethics and the forthcoming first English translation of his Christian Worldview, more and more readers are discovering the genius of the Dutch neo-Calvinist afresh. Picking up Bavinck’s Ethics or Dogmatics, however, can be daunting. While Bavinck’s prose is often accessible, he does interact with a significant array […]
We’ve treated the Protestant educational legacy at various times here in the past: see, for example, this; or this; or this. One aspect we haven’t touched on is the premium that Presbyterians in particular placed on the education of women. This is arguably a legacy of the Ulster Presbyterianism of the Scotch-Irish, who insisted that […]
The topic of the Trinity has been #trending in recent months, and its proper understanding has been a matter of dispute. Disputes about the Trinity are nothing new, of course, and the Trinitarian theology of this site’s namesake has itself often been the subject of controversy. Calvin himself, in turn, was involved in Trinitarian debates […]
“But this alone we say, There is grace administered by the promises of the gospel, enabling us to perform the obedience of it in that way and manner which God will accept.” – John Owen The Wrong Question When arguing for the necessity of good works for final salvation, not as the meritorious ground […]
Like father, (not quite) like son. A.A. Hodge does not go so far as his father Charles in positively affirming that all persons dying in infancy are certainly saved, though he does think that there is “good reason” to believe this–that there are, moreover, “many reasons to indulge a highly probable hope” that this is […]
Limbo is a thing; but it is a fond thing, vainly invented. In the Reformed tradition, on the other hand, there is a strong strand that affirms the salvation of all those who die in infancy. In this and future posts, we will look at some representative examples. Why does speculation on limbo exist? Limbo, […]
King James I on the need for a ruler to have a virtuous life (archaic spelling updated): But it is not enough to be a good King, by the scepter of good Laws well execute to govern, and by force of arms to protect his people; if he join not therewith his virtuous life in […]
Basilicon Doron (1598) was King James I of England’s (also James VI of Scotland) heartfelt appeal to his son, Henry. It contained instructions for him should he succeed James to the throne. At the beginning James placed a sonnet summarising the argument of the work. It is rather charming and contains a simple statement of the divine right […]
In commenting on Psalm 47.14 (48.13), ponite corda vestra in virtute eius (“place your hearts in its [Zion’s] strength”), Augustine startlingly says the following: Quae est virtus civitatis huius? Qui vult intellegere virtutem huius civitatis, intellegat vim caritatis. Ipsa est virtus quam nemo vincit. Huius ignem nulli fluctus saeculi, nulla flumina tentationis exstinguunt. De hac dictum est: Valida est […]
Since Eric Hutchinson has shared his delightful translations of certain prayers contained in Liturgia Sacra, a 16th century French Reformed prayer book, I thought it pertinent to give some background to this particular liturgy and its author. The book gives us the details of its origin. It was published in 1555 in Frankfort am Main by […]