The Calvinist International
There have been a couple of posts here over the last year or so on issues related to concreated holiness and the donum superadditum (e.g., here, here, here, here). A.A. Hodge finds that the idea of created holiness necessary to a full understanding of the image of God. He lists three “elements” of the image: “(1.) […]
Though he uses neither of the terms in my title in the excerpt below, A.W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God seems to combine the ideas signified by those terms in his (admittedly personal) explanation for how to account for “all that is best out of Christ,” e.g., works of philosophical penetration and subtlety, works of sublimity […]
It seems fairly clear that John Calvin thought of the “new heaven and new earth,” or the “new creation,” primarily in terms of restoration and purification of the original, good creation. I’ve cited several passages from his commentaries to that effect previously. But as I continue to come across more statements of his that tend […]
Not long ago, I posted about Calvin’s comments on several passages relating to the new creation or the new heaven and the new earth, such as 2 Peter 3, Isaiah 65 and 66, and Romans 8. Further support for the conclusions drawn there about his view on the matter comes from his comments on Isaiah […]
Last week I posted on Augustine on the new heaven and new earth. This week, here is something similar from John Chrysostom, one of Calvin’s favorite commentators. What follows is from his fourteenth Homily on Romans–in particular, his comments on Rom. 8:19-21. It will be evident that his position is similar to what we observed […]
I’ve written briefly in previous posts on the possible configuration of the relationship between creation and redemption, this world and the world to come (e.g. here and here; cf. also Mr. Minich’s post here). I’m currently in the process of putting together a longer post on the treatment of the theme in Calvin’s exegesis, but […]
It is perhaps one of the most famous wisdom Psalms, and with good reason. Psalm 19 meditates on creation and the law, distilling their message and benefits for Israel’s choirs. However, for at least two reasons readers today may miss the wisdom of the song. Firstly, David’s brevity assumes wisdom in his audience without providing […]
The first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism famously asks what man’s chief end is: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” Anselm of Canterbury makes a similar point at the beginning of Book 2 of Cur Deus Homo, and connects man’s rationality and original justice to this chief end, […]
In a 1996 book review, Jonathan Wells explains that Charles Hodge’s critique of Darwinism was made on exclusively philosophical and theological grounds: A modern reader might be surprised to learn that Hodge was not a biblical fundamentalist who defended a literal interpretation of Genesis. Although he was a biblical theologian, he accepted scientific evidence and […]
In a Facebook thread, Dr. Peter Enns offered this summary of my essay on the historical Adam: “A rather long-winded piece that says what others are saying in defense of a historical Adam: ‘We are literalists, and without Adam our theology falls apart; Therefore, Adam must exist.’” He continued throughout the thread to say that Evangelicals […]