About this episode

Lane Keister joins us to discuss the Federal Vision, an expression of theology within Reformed circles offering alternative views of the Bible’s covenantal structure, ecclesiology and the sacraments. Lane runs Green Baggins, a blog which has become a popular destination for informed, scholarly discussion of issues in

reformed theology. Panel Lane Keister Jim Cassidy Jeff Waddington Nick Batzig Camden Bucey Links Green Baggins The Puritan Board Biblical Horizons Bibliography Beale, G. K. The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God. InterVarsity Press, 2004. Beisner, E. Calvin., and Fla.). Knox Theological Seminary (Fort Lauderdale. The Auburn Avenue theology, Pros and Cons : Debating the Federal Vision. Fort Lauderdale, FL: Knox Theological Seminary, 2004. Beougher, Timothy K. Richard Baxter and Conversion : A Study of the Puritan Concept of Becoming a Christian. Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland: Mentor, 2007. Clark, R. Scott., and Westminster Seminary California. Covenant, Justification, and Pastoral Ministry : Essays by the Faculty of Westminster Seminary California. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Pub., 2007. Jordan, James B. Through New Eyes : Developing a Biblical View of the World. Brentwood, Tenn.: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, 1988. Köstenberger, Andreas J., and Scott R. Swain. Father, Son and Spirit : the Trinity and John’s Gospel. Nottingham, England; Downers Grove, Illinois: Apollos ; InterVarsity Press, 2008. Leithart, Peter J. The Baptized Body. Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 2007. —. The Priesthood of the Plebs : A Theology of Baptism. Eugene, Or.: Wipf and Stock Pub., 2003. Lusk, Rich. Paedofaith : A Primer on the Mystery of Infant Salvation and a Handbook for Covenantal Parents. Monroe, La.: Athanasius Press, 2005. MacDonald, Neil B., and Carl R. Trueman. Calvin, Barth and Reformed Theology. Paternoster, 2008. Meyers, Jeffrey J. The Lord’s Service: The Grace of Covenant Renewal Worship. Canon Press, 2003. Otis, John M. Danger in the Camp : An Analysis and Refutation of the Heresies of the Federal Vision. Corpus Christi, Tex.: Triumphant Publications, 2005. Poythress, Vern S. “Kinds of Biblical Theology.” The Westminster Theological Journal 70, no. 1 (Spring 2008): 129-142. Reymond, Robert. Faith’s Reasons for Believing: An Apologetic Antidote to Mindless Christianity. Mentor, 2008. Sandlin, Andrew., John H. Armstrong, Don B. Garlington, Mark. Horne, Peter J. Leithart, Rich. Lusk, et al. A Faith That is Never Alone: A Response to Westminster Seminary California. La Grange, Calif.: Kerygma Press, 2007. Schwertley, Brian M. The Auburn Avenue Theology : A Biblical Critique. Saunderstown, RI; Iola, WI: The American Presbyterian Press ; Covenanted Reformation Press, 2005. Shepherd, Norman. The Call of Grace : How the Covenant Illuminates Salvation and Evangelism. Phillipsburg, N.J.: P & R Pub., 2000. Tipton, Lane G. and Jeffrey Waddington, ed. Resurrection and Eschatology : Theology in Service of the Church : Essays in Honor of Richard B. Gaffin, Jr. Phillipsburg N.J.: P&R Pub., 2008. Vos, Geerhardus, and James T. Dennison. The Letters of Geerhardus Vos. Phillipsburg, N.J.: P&R Pub., 2005. Waters, Guy Prentiss. The Federal Vision and Covenant Theology : A Comparative Analysis. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publ., 2006. Wilkins, J. Steven, and Duane. Garner. The Federal Vision. Monroe, La.: Athanasius Press, 2004. Wilson, Douglas. “Reformed” is Not Enough. Moscow, Idaho: Canon Press, 2002. Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy, Lane Keister

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  1. 1The New Testament’s Use of the Old TestamentThis inaugural episode of Christ the Center addresses the theological issues that arise from the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament. The panel members give a brief introduction to the major issues and point listeners to a number of helpful publications on the subject. Panel Members Jim Cassidy Jeff Waddington Camden Bucey Links D.A. Carson on the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament: Lecture 1 Lecture 2 Lecture 3 Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy1 hr 13 min
  2. 2Building a Theological Library, Part 1Part one of a panel discussion on the importance of books and building a theological library. The panel begins by discussing the book medium and its importance and then moves to general principles in building a library. Part one concludes with book recommendations for the theological encyclopedia. General mindset Books are more important than your television. Read Amusing Ourselves to Death (no, there’s not a video version on youtube). When you hear of a great book that you would like to read, put it on a wishlist. The next time you have a handful of books on your list and can spare the money, buy them. Building a general library You don’t want to waste your money Bigger isn’t necessarily better Why build a library? This might be the only theological library you have access to. As a pastor, your congregation will probably be asking you to borrow books. You’ll have something to pass on to your children. Types of books to get Average churchgoer Elder/deacon/well-informed church member Pastor Commentaries – check out Longman and Carson’s commentary surveys Build with the classics, not the trendy, e.g. Get James Bannerman’s The Church of Christ before you get Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Church (if you must get it all) Scholar (you should call in and tell us) Where to buy Abebooks used.addall.com Amazon.com (use our links, help pay our web hosting fees) wtsbooks.com Credo Books eBay / half.com Panel Members Jim Cassidy Jeff Waddington Camden Bucey Links Green Baggins Against Heresies Christianity: Doctrine and Ethics Heidelblog Building Old School Churches Ligonier Recommended Commentaries Westminster Recommended Reading List Abe Books AddAll Used Book Search LibraryThing Book Jacket Covers Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy54 min
  3. 3Building a Theological Library, Part 2Part two of a panel discussion on the importance of books and building a theological library. General mindset Books are more important than your television. Read Amusing Ourselves to Death (no, there’s not a video version on youtube). When you hear of a great book that you would like to read, put it on a wishlist. The next time you have a handful of books on your list and can spare the money, buy them. Building a general library You don’t want to waste your money Bigger isn’t necessarily better Why build a library? This might be the only theological library you have access to. As a pastor, your congregation will probably be asking you to borrow books. You’ll have something to pass on to your children. Types of books to get Average churchgoer Elder/deacon/well-informed church member Pastor Commentaries – check out Longman and Carson’s commentary surveys Build with the classics, not the trendy, e.g. Get James Bannerman’s The Church of Christ before you get Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Church (if you must get it all) Scholar (you should call in and tell us) Where to buy Abebooks used.addall.com Amazon.com (use our links, help pay our web hosting fees) wtsbooks.com Credo Books eBay / half.com Panel Members Jim Cassidy Jeff Waddington Camden Bucey Links Green Baggins Against Heresies Christianity: Doctrine and Ethics Heidelblog Building Old School Churches Ligonier Recommended Commentaries Westminster Recommended Reading List Abe Books AddAll Used Book Search LibraryThing Book Jacket Covers Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy48 min
  4. 4Choosing a CommentaryThe panel builds on the previous discussion regarding building a theological library by discussing the principles involved in choosing commentaries as well as suggesting a number of commentaries for your library. Panel Members Jeff Waddington Jim Cassidy Camden Bucey Links Westminster Bookstore Christian Book Distributors Solid Ground Books Banner of Truth Trust Logos Bible Software Commentaries to Avoid Like the Bubonic Plague NWTS Commentaries Desiring God Recommended Commentaries Commentaries for The Whole Bible Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy1 hr
  5. 5The Spirituality of the ChurchIn this episode the panel covers the spirituality of the church – its history and its bearing on diaconal ministries, humanitarian efforts, and church/state relations. Panel Members Jim Cassidy Jeff Waddington Camden Bucey Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy1 hr 15 min
  6. 6Biblical Theology and the Westminster StandardsThis episode addresses biblical theology in the Westminster Standards. As the panel explores the issue, several topics arise such as the relationship between biblical and systematic theology and the practice of preaching through the catechisms. Panel Members Jim Cassidy Jeff Waddington Camden Bucey Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy57 min
  7. 7Introduction to the Theology of Karl BarthJim and Camden discuss the 20th century theologian Karl Barth and the main themes of his influential theology. Panel Members Jim Cassidy Camden Bucey Bibliography Hunsinger, George. How to read Karl Barth : the shape of his theology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991. McCormack, Bruce. Karl Barth’s critically realistic dialectical theology its genesis and development, 1909-1936. Oxford: Clarendon, 1997. Van Til, Cornelius. Christianity and Barthianism. P & R Publishing, 2004. Van Til, Cornelius. The new modernism an appraisal of the theology of Barth and Brunner, Philadelphia Pa.: Presbyterian and Reformed Pub. Co., 1946. Webster, John. The Cambridge Companion to Karl Barth. Cambridge University Press, 2000. Participants: Camden Bucey, Jim Cassidy26 min
  8. 8Redemptive-Historical PreachingThis episode is an introduction to redemptive-historical preaching. The proponents of this kind of preaching argued that Old Testament narratives are not given primarily – to us by God to be moral examples, but as revelations of the coming Messiah. The narratives, the stories, of the Old Testament served as types and shadows pointing forward in history to the time when Israel’s Messiah would be revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. In support of this view, the advocates of redemptive-historical preaching drew heavily upon the text of Luke 24:27 (where Jesus is teaching the disciples on the road to Emmaus), “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (English Standard Version). Along with this verse, also invoked was v. 44 of the same chapter where Jesus says, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” In this way, then, the bible is seen not as a collection of abstract moral principles, but rather as an anthology of the events of God’s great works in history. The bible is dynamic, so the redemptive-historical advocates claim, and it progressively unfolds revealing more and more of Christ to us as it progresses through salvation history. This, then, is to be the way in which the narratives are to be preached – preached with a view towards showing how the text points towards Christ. Panel Members Jim Cassidy Jeff Waddington Camden Bucey Links Kerux Biblical Theology and the Question of Application – Doug Clawson Ed Clowney sermons (RSS) Jim Cassidy sermons Jeff Waddington sermons Bibliography Chapell, Bryan. Christ-centered preaching : redeeming the expository sermon. Grand Rapids Mich.: Baker Books, 1994. Clowney, Edmund. Preaching Christ in all of Scripture. Wheaton Ill.: Crossway Books, 2003. Clowney, Edmund P. Preaching and Biblical Theology. Presbyterian and Reformed Pub. Co, 1979. Goldsworthy, Graeme. Gospel-centered hermeneutics : foundations and principles of evangelical biblical interpretation. Downers Grove Ill.: IVP Academic, 2006. Goldsworthy, Graeme. Preaching the Whole Bible As Christian Scripture: The Application of Biblical Theology to Expository Preaching. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000. Greidanus, Sidney. Preaching Christ from Genesis : foundations for expository sermons. Grand Rapids Mich.: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 2007. Greidanus, Sidney. Preaching Christ from the Old Testament : a contemporary hermeneutical method. Grand Rapids Mich.: W.B. Eardmans Pub., 1999. Greidanus, Sidney. Sola Scriptura: Problems and Principles in Preaching Historical Texts. Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2001. Greidanus, Sidney. The modern preacher and the ancient text : interpreting and preaching biblical literature. Grand Rapids Mich. ;Leicester: Eerdmans ;Inter-Varsity Press, 1988. Johnson, Dennis. Him we proclaim : preaching Christ from all the scriptures. 1st ed. Phillipsburg NJ: P&R Pub., 2007. Ryken, Leland. Dictionary of biblical imagery. Downers Grove Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1998. Vos, Geerhardus. Grace and glory : sermons preached in the chapel of Princeton Theological Seminary. Grand Rapids Mich.: The Reformed Press, 1922. Vos, Geerhardus. The idea of biblical theology as a science and as a theological discipline. New York N.Y.: Randolph, 1894. Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy54 min
  9. 9Cornelius Van TilCornelius Van Til (1895-1987) developed a unique approach to apologetics which stemmed from a solid foundation in reformed theology and a background in Idealist philosophy. His method has been called presuppositionalism, transcendental and covenantal. Many recent theologians have been influenced by Van Til’s thought, especially current faculty members of Westminster Theological Seminary where he so faithfully taught. Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy and Camden Bucey discuss Cornelius Van Til and his tremendous contribution to reformed apologetics. Bibliography Bahnsen, Greg L. Van Til’s Apologetic: Readings and Analysis. P & R Publishing, 1998. Boa, Kenneth D., and Robert M. Bowman Jr. Faith Has Its Reasons: An Integrative Approach to Defending Christianity (An Apologetics Handbook). Paternoster, 2006. Cowan, Steven B., Stanley N. Gundry, William Lane Craig, Paul D. Feinberg, Kelly James Clark, John Frame, et al. Five Views on Apologetics. Zondervan, 2000. Frame, John. Cornelius Van Til : an analysis of his thought. Phillipsburg N.J.: P&R Pub., 1995. Keller, Timothy. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. Dutton Adult, 2008. Muether, John. Cornelius Van Til : Reformed apologist and churchman. Phillipsburg N.J.: P&R Pub., 2007. Plantinga, Alvin. Warranted Christian Belief. Oxford University Press, USA, 1999. White, William. Van Til, defender of the faith : an authorized biography. Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1979. Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy34 min
  10. 10Van Til and BarthThe group continues their discussion of Cornelius Van Til by examining Van Til’s critique of the theology of Karl Barth. Van Til’s two books The New Modernism and Christianity and Barthianism were extremely influential in developing an understanding of Barth among English-speaking theologians. The discussion brings the critique to the foreground particularly in the light of Barthianism’s dominance in the current evangelical landscape. Bibliography Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics. T&T Clark Ltd, 2005. Brunner, Emil. Natural theology : comprising “Nature and grace” by Professor Dr. Emil Brunner and the reply “No!” by Dr. Karl Barth. Eugene OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2002. Colyer, E. “How to Read T. F. Torrance.” THEOLOGICAL STUDIES 63 (2002): 400-401. Gaffin, Richard B., Jr. God’s Word in Servant-Form. Reformed Academic Press. Grenz, Stanley. Beyond foundationalism : shaping theology in a postmodern context. 1st ed. Louisville Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001. Gunton, Colin. Becoming and being : the doctrine of God in Charles Hartshorne and Karl Barth. Oxford [Eng.] ;;New York: Oxford University Press, 1978. Hunsinger, George. How to read Karl Barth : the shape of his theology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991. Machen, J. Gresham. Christianity and Liberalism. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1923. McCormack, Bruce. Karl Barth’s critically realistic dialectical theology its genesis and development, 1909-1936. Oxford: Clarendon, 1997. Muether, John. Cornelius Van Til : Reformed apologist and churchman. Phillipsburg N.J.: P&R Pub., 2007. Muller, Richard A. “The Barth Legacy: New Athanasius or Origen Redivivus.” The Thomist 54 (1990): 673-704. Oliphint, K. Revelation and reason : new essays in reformed apologetics. 1st ed. Phillipsburg N.J.: P&R Pub., 2007. Oliphint, K. Scott. Reasons (for Faith): Philosophy in the Service of Theology. P & R Publishing, 2006. Van Til, Cornelius. Christianity and Barthianism. P & R Publishing, 2004. Van Til, Cornelius. Defense of the Faith. P & R Publishing, 1967. Van Til, Cornelius. The new modernism an appraisal of the theology of Barth and Brunner, Philadelphia Pa.: Presbyterian and Reformed Pub. Co., 1946. Webster, John. The Cambridge Companion to Karl Barth. Cambridge University Press, 2000. White, William. Van Til, defender of the faith : an authorized biography. Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1979. Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy1 hr 7 min
  11. 11Building Old School ChurchesIn the early 19th century, a controversy arose in American Presbyterianism over evangelistic method and doctrines such as the imputation of Adam’s sin. One group identified as the Old School Presbyterians and organized around teachings such as the regulative principle of worship, Presbyterian polity, Calvinism, the spirituality of the church and warm, winsome preaching that applies God’s truths to men’s hearts. Andy Webb joins Jim Cassidy, Jeff Waddington and Camden Bucey for a discussion on building old school churches. Links Building Old School Churches The Puritan Board Bibliography Lucas, Sean. Robert Lewis Dabney : a Southern Presbyterian life. P&R Pub., 2005. Muether, John. Cornelius Van Til : Reformed apologist and churchman. P&R Pub., 2007. Participants: Andy Webb, Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington, Jim Cassidy45 min
  12. 12The Theology of Jonathan EdwardsJeff Waddington and Camden Bucey sit down to discuss aspects of Jonathan Edwards’ thinking including his eschatology, affectional psychology and trinitarian theology. Bibliography Edwards, Jonathan. Freedom of the will. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1957. Edwards, Jonathan. Religious affections. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1959. Edwards, Jonathan. The works of Jonathan Edwards. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1957. Edwards, Jonathan. The Works of Jonathan Edwards (two volume set). Banner of Truth, 1976. Lee, Sang. The Princeton companion to Jonathan Edwards. Princeton N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2005. Letham, Robert. The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology And Worship. P & R Publishing, 2005. Marsden, George. Jonathan Edwards : a life. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003. Murray, Iain. Jonathan Edwards : a new biography. Edinburgh ;;Carlisle Pa. USA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1987. Nichols, Stephen. Jesus made in America : cultural history from the Puritans to the Passion of the Christ. Downers Grove Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2008. Nichols, Stephen. Jonathan Edwards : a guided tour of his life and thought. Phillipsburg N.J.: P & R Pub., 2001. Nichols, Stephen. The Reformation : how a monk and a mallet changed the world. Wheaton Ill.: Crossway Books, 2007. Stein, Stephen. The Cambridge companion to Jonathan Edwards. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Participants: Camden Bucey, Jeff Waddington59 min

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