Sunday School Reading - June 21, 2009

I apologize for how late the recommendations are this week. Unfortunately one of the difficulties of church and culture is that there just isn't one good book out there that I think summarizes this subject well. According I'm going to recommend a number of different books that I'm pulling some of this material from and try to list why I think each is helpful.

• Redemptive History and the New Testament Scriptures by Herman Ridderbos - This short book outlines the basis for why the church accepts the 27 New Testament books as canonical. Ridderbos stresses that it is the progression of redemptive history that leads to a New Testament canon. One of the things that he deals with that relates strongly to church and culture is the Sermon on the Mount. Ridderbos describes the meaning of the Sermon in redemptive history and also compares it to relevant passages about the state like Romans 13.
• The Coming of the Kingdom by Herman Ridderbos - Again, the important part of this book for church and culture is Ridderbos' sensitivity to redemptive history. This is particularly apt as Ridderbos explains how the kingdom is present in Jesus' person and teaching, in his accomplishment of redemption, and still to come with his return. His explanation of the nature of the kingdom of God applies to church and culture.
• Essays on Religion, Science, and Society by Herman Bavinck - This book was written near the end of Bavinck's career. It works out Bavinck's theology in a number of different areas and particularly applies Reformed theology to cultural issues.
• Lectures on Calvinism by Abraham Kuyper - Kuyper was a theologian who was also heavily involved in social issues, even to the point of serving as Prime Minister of the Netherlands (Bavinck also served in the National Congress). These lectures were given at Princeton Theological Seminary in the beginning of the 20th century. Kuyper shows that Calvinist theology is not just a system of doctrines but that it is a whole worldview with implications for politics, art, science, and religion. You can probably find this online for free due to copyrights expiring. This is probably the most important item on this list to read.
• The Philosophy of Revelation by Herman Bavinck - Bavinck delivered the Stone Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary the year after Kuyper did and these are nearly as valuable thought not nearly as well known. Bavinck demonstrates that revelation is the presupposition for all human activity and then works out the implications of that fact.
• Christ and Culture Revisited by D.A. Carson - While this book does not set forth many conclusions about Christ and Culture it is important to read for the purposes of understanding past debates, particularly Niebuhr's work, and dealing with the biblical theological issues at stake. There is a section in there on postmodernism that is also helpful.
• The Kingdom and the Church by Geerhardus Vos - Vos here applies the nature of the kingdom as God's kingly self-assertion in time and history. One of the applications is what this means to the various spheres in culture. I think that Vos discussion in this chapter is invaluable.
• Discussions of Robert Lewis Dabney - Because of the cost I don't expect that anyone actually wants to purchase this. But the Southern Presbyterians did write a number of helpful things on the relationship of church and culture. I would be happy to recommend some of the articles if anyone sends me a message. The three volume Banner of Truth compilation of Dabney's writings also contains a number of these articles and this is available in the church library.
• The Complete Writings of James Henley Thornwell - Like with Dabney, the cost will likely keep many people from buying this. But I would be happy to recommend some articles upon request. In particular his article, "The Regulative Principle Applied to Church Government" is helpful.

Sunday School Reading - June 14, 2009

Here are some recommended readings on the Lord's Supper. I'm going to go ahead and include everything here even though we'll finish our discussion on who should come to the Table next week. I really only have two books to recommend separately and both are older (one from the nineteenth century and one from the Reformation era). But with that said I want to point out that the majority of our systematic theologies are really very helpful on this subject and so I want to encourage you to look in those. I also would encourage you to read John Murray's articles on the Lord's Supper in Volume 2 of his Collected Writings.

First, here are the confessional sections dealing with the Supper:

• Westminster Confession of Faith - Chapter 29
• Westminster Larger Catechism - Q&A 168-175
• Westminster Shorter Catechism - Q&A 96-97
• Belgic Confession - Article 35
• Heidelberg Catechism - Q&A 75-82

Second, here are some book recommendations on the topic:

• The Mystery of the Lord's Supper by Robert Bruce - Bruce was a Scottish Reformer who was a key figure for furthering Reformation preaching and ministry in Edinburgh and also during several exiles to Northern Scotland. This book is a collection of sermons preached by Bruce for the purpose of instructing his congregation on the Supper. I think that this book is very helpful in understanding a Presbyterian view of the Lord's Supper and while it is not the easiest read it is more than worth the effort of working through.
• The Mystical Presence by John Williamson Nevin - Nevin was a German Reformed minister in Pennsylvania in the 19th Century. While there are some problems with other parts of his theology, I would argue that this book remains the best book devoted to the Lord's Supper written in American theology. It is a tough read but in terms of understanding what Presbyterians believe about communion with Christ in the Supper as opposed to Lutheran and Catholic views (or even mistaken Presbyterian views) it is essential.

Third, here are the relevant sections in several Presbyterian and Reformed systematic theologies:

• Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - Calvin's excellent presentation of this doctrine is in Book 4, Chapters 17-18.
• Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck - Bavinck discusses the Supper in Volume 4, Holy Spirit, Church, and New Creation, Chapter 11.
• Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge - The Supper is discussed in Volume 3, Chapter 20, Sections 15-19 (free at the link provided).
• Outlines of Theology by A.A. Hodge - The Supper is dealt with in Chapter 40 (available free at the link provided).
• Systematic Theology by Robert Lewis Dabney - His treatment of the Supper is in Chapter 42 (available free at the link provided)
• Systematic Theology by Louis Berkhof - Berkhof writes on the Supper in Chapter 5 of Part 5. This is available in the Church Library.
• Concise Reformed Dogmatics by W.H. Velema and J.H. VanGenderen - They cover the Lord's Supper in section 53 under Chapter 14.

Finally, here are some articles and essays on the Supper that you can read online for free:

• "Re-thinking the Lord's Supper" by Michael Horton
• "The Lord's Supper" by John Calvin
• "A Short Treatise on the Lord's Supper" by John Calvin
• "An Overview of the Lord's Supper" by Charles Hodge
• "The Reformed View of the Lord's Supper" by Shane Rosenthal
• "This Do in Remembrance of Me" by Robert Murray M'Cheyne
• "Against Consubstantion" by Francis Turretin - This and the next article are relatively early defenses of the Calvinist view of the Supper against the Lutheran.
• "Is Christ Corporally Present in the Eucharist?" by Francis Turretin
• "A Summary of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper" by John Knox

A few book sales

Two quick sales on books that I wanted to mention. First, Reformation Heritage books is offering Thomas Watson's "Body of Practical Divinity" containing A Body of Divinity, The Ten Commandments, and The Lord's Prayer for just $28. Second, Monergism Books is offering free shipping on all orders of at least $35 this weekend. Here are the instructions.

Sunday School Reading - June 7, 2009

Here is the recommended reading from this week's Sunday School. This week we covered the mode, subjects, and efficacy of baptism. As I promised last week, here are all the recommendations on baptism.

First, here is where baptism is addressed in the Reformed and Presbyterian confesssions:

• Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 28 - I would recommend reading this chapter carefully, it is very helpful.
• Westminster Larger Catechism, Q&A 165-167
• Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q&A 94-95
• Belgic Confession, Article 34
• Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 69-74 - I think that you'll find the personal language in this catechism about this subject very comforting and helpful.

Second, here are some recommended books that deal with Christian baptism:

• Christian Baptism by John Murray - I firmly believe that this remains the best book out there on baptism and our discussion closely followed Murray's. This book will be most rewarding if you read it with his article, The Covenant of Grace, which is also available on the Shady Grove book table for $2 and free online. The book on baptism also only $6 from WTS Books!
• The Biblical Doctrine of Infant Baptism by Pierre Marcel - Marcel was a French pastor who only has a few of his works translated into English. This is a helpful book and is available in the church library.
• By Oath Consigned by Meredith Kline - You may be able to find this book electronically but I do not think that it is in print any longer. It is helpful because Kline focuses on the covenantal meaning of baptism. While I sometimes think that Kline stretches in drawing his conclusions (in his broader writings though not so much in this book) his exegesis is very helpful. The book is available in the church library.
• The Case for Covenantal Infant Baptism ed. by Gregg Strawbridge - While I do not think that this book is as helpful as some of the others because it has so many essays it covers more aspects of baptism from different angles and so helps to answer a lot of different questions and objections.
• Christic Baptism and Patristic Baptism: An Inquiry into the Meaning of the Word by James Dale - While I think that the books by Murray and edited by Strawbridge in particular will be sufficient to tear down the argument that baptism must be by immersion if there are still questions then this is the definitive study on the meaning of the word in Greek.

Third, here are the sections of Presbyterian and Reformed systematic theologies that interact with baptism:

• Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - Calvin addresses baptism in chapters 15-16 of Book 4.
• Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck - Bavinck writes on baptism in chapter 10 of volume 4, Holy Spirit, Church, and New Creation.
• Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge - Hodge covers baptism in sections 7-14 of Chapter 20 in Volume 3 (available as a .pdf at the link provided)
• Outlines of Theology by A.A. Hodge - Baptism is covered in chapter 39 (available free at the link provided)
• Systematic Theology by R.L. Dabney - Dabney's treatment of baptism is in Chapter 40 (available free at the link provided)
• Systematic Theology by Louis Berkhof - Berkhof interacts with Christian baptism in Chapter 4 under his section on the means of grace. This is available in the church library.

Finally, here are some free essays and articles that you can read online about baptism:

• "Why We Baptize Infants" by John Murray
• "The Children in the Hands of the Arminians" by B.B. Warfield - While this article is a polemic against Charles Rishell it is helpful because it shows how general doctrines of soteriology impact how we would consistently teach and raise children.
• "Christian Baptism" by B.B. Warfield
• "The Development of the Doctrine of Infant Salvation" by B.B. Warfield - Again, this shows the implications of our soteriology on baptism.
• "The Polemics of Infant Baptism" by B.B. Warfield
• "A Contemporary Reformed Defense of Infant Baptism" by R. Scott Clark
• "The Prevalence and Theology of Infant Baptism in the First Four Centuries, East and West" by Greg Johnson
• "Infant Baptism" by John Calvin
• "Of Infant Baptism" by John Owen
• "Baptism as a Sacrament of the Covenant" by Richard Pratt - A very helpful article.
• "Oath and Ordeal Signs" (Part 1, Part 2) by Meredith Kline
• "God's Grandchildren: The Biblical Basis for Infant Baptism" by Michael Horton
• "Infant Baptism Optional?" by D.G. Hart and John Muether
• "Baptism: It's Meaning and Purpose" by Greg Bahnsen
• "Cross Examination: Infant Baptism" by Greg Bahnsen
• "The Biblical Doctrine of Infant Baptism" by Pierre Marcel - This is a large excerpt/summary from the book mentioned above.
• "The Subjects of Baptism" by Wilhelmus a'Brakel
• "Baptism" by William Ames
• "Is Infant Baptism Scriptural?" by John Murray

A few miscellaneous items

Just a couple of things that I wanted to point out today:

• Many articles and books by D.A. Carson have been made available through the Gospel Coalition website as free .pdf files that can be downloaded. Carson is one of the brightest New Testament scholars alive and most of his works will be beneficial. His book reviews in particular are very insightful and helpful in looking for future reading. (HT: Justin Taylor)
• Also from Justin Taylor, you can browse through some of the content of Jerram Barrs' book, Through His Eyes: God's Perspective on Women in the Bible. Andrea is reading this book now and enjoying it so might be worth picking up.
• Since we just talked about the Regulative Principle of Worship two weeks ago I thought that I would link to this post from Shane Lems. Shane summarizes what William Ames teaches on worship in his Sketch of the Christian's Catechism. Some great stuff here so don't skim this one too quickly!
• Finally, I did want to make a note that Greg Beale is moving permanently to Westminster Theological Seminary as Professor of New Testament and Chair of Biblical Theology. You can listen to a lecture by Dr. Beale on "Inerrancy and the Apocalypse" through the WTS website.

Sunday School Reading - March 31, 2009

Apologies that this took an extra day to get up again this week. Here are some recommended reading materials from this week's discussion. I'm going to limit this to recommendations on the sacraments in general since our discussion this coming Sunday will be entirely about baptism and I'll hold those recommendations for next week. The problem with this is that there are not many books that deal with just the sacraments. Instead they largely focus on either baptism (and there often on the paedo-credo debate) or the Lord's Supper (and there on the presence of Christ in the Supper). So for this week you should mainly focus on the recommendations in the confessions and in the systematic theologies.

First, here are the sections in the Reformed and Presbyterian confessions that describe the sacraments:

• Westminster Confession of Faith - Chapter 27 (I highly recommend reading through all of these chapters in Westminster as we go through the sacraments)
• Westminster Larger Catechism - Q&A 154, 161-164
• Westminster Shorter Catechism - Q&A 88, 91-93
• Belgic Confession - Article 33
• Heidelberg Catechism - Q&A 65-68 (these questions and responses are very helpful)

Second, here are some books that I would recommend on this topic:

• Collected Writings of John Murray, Vol. 2: Systematic Theology by John Murray- Since I do not have any books dealing only with the sacraments to recommend I'm going to suggest this. Murray has several articles in the last section of this book dealing with the sacraments and one on the sacraments in general. All of these articles are very helpful and I would suggest that everything in this book (and the entire set) is worth reading.

Third, here are the relevant portions of several Presbyterian and Reformed systematic theologies that deal with the sacraments in general:

• Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - Calvin discusses the sacraments in Book 4, Chapter 14.
• Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck - Bavinck deals with the sacraments in general in Volume 4, Holy Spirit, Church, and New Creation, Chapter 9.
• Systematic Theology by Charles Hodge - Hodge treats the sacraments in Chapter 20, Sections 2-6. This is available as a free .pdf file at the link provided.
• Systematic Theology by Robert Lewis Dabney - Dabney's teaching on the sacraments is in Chapter 40, this can be read online free at the link provided.
• Outlines of Theology by A.A. Hodge - Hodge writes on the general nature of the sacraments in Chapter 38. This is available free on google books at the link provided.
• Systematic Theology by Louis Berkhof - Berkhof's discussion of the sacraments is very helpful. He has a chapter on the sacraments in general (I believe it is in section 5, part 2, chapter 1 or 2 but I'm not positive). This is available in the church library.
• Concise Reformed Dogmatics by J. Van Genderen and W.H. Velema - The sacraments in general are dealt with in Chapter 14, Section 51.

Finally, here are some articles and essays that you can read online for free on these topics:

• "What Makes Something a Sacrament?" by Michael Horton
• "The Sacramental Principle" by William Cunningham - Cunningham focuses mainly on baptism here but this article is helpful because he does so in a way that helpfully illustrates what we believe Scripture to teach on the meaning and working of the sacraments in general.
• "The Sacraments" by Francis Turretin
• "Sacerdotalism and Sacramentalism" by Phillip Schaff