In this paper, I will argue that Calvin’s Christological and anthropological commitments accord best with a view of the beatific vision which affirms the persistence of Christ’s humanity for the Son’s everlasting work of mediating knowledge of God to the redeemed. Within recent scholarship concerning the beatific vision, one of the notable figures who has … Read more
In this exploration of Wolfgang Musculus on Psalm 8, a Messianic Psalm, Musculus proposes a broadly sweeping treatment of the concept of human dignitatis, or dignity, from its prelapsarian purity, it postlapsarian destruction of the imago Dei in humanity, and then finally its restoration and consummation through the incarnation of Christ. Anchored in his methods … Read more
Christ’s fulfilment of the covenant is one of the most prominent themes in Calvin’s Hebrews commentary. However, it is hard to follow in detail if one jumps directly into the covenant theology chair passages of Hebrews 7-10. One must begin all the way back in Hebrews 3:2, which connects Calvin’s Christology and Covenant Theology using … Read more
The Nicene Creed (325 AD) celebrates 1700 years this year, 2025. The Christological doctrine of hypostatic union defending the divinity of Jesus Christ and his full humanity has been challenged throughout the history of the church. Even during the Reformation, specifically the English Puritans, the doctrine of hypostatic union was tested. It was in this … Read more
This paper explores the theological significance of two key reforms identified by Francisco Dryander in his 1549 letter to Thomas Cranmer: the abolition of the Mass and the allowance of clerical marriage. As Dryander wrote, “I also hear that a praiseworthy reformation has taken place in matters of religion: it has not yet seen the … Read more
This paper argues that Theodore Beza shaped the trinitarian language of the Belgic Confession (1561), integrating scholastic precision into the Reformed confessional framework. Early Reformed theologians embraced a type of trinitarian minimalism, favoring biblical and creedal language over philosophical elaboration. However, polemical pressure in the latter half of the sixteenth century necessitated greater clarity. This … Read more
Huldrych Zwingli faced criticism from nearly every angle in the sixteenth century when it came to the hotly contested doctrine of original sin. Some Romans Catholics, like Domingo de Soto, saw him as “digging up the grave of Pelagius once again and giving his corpse new breath” (De natura et gratia, 1549); some Lutherans like … Read more
Hans Holbein the Younger’s The Ambassadors (1533) has long been recognized as a masterpiece of art history. Diplomat Jean de Dinteville and Bishop Georges de Selves pose for this work before a green damask curtain upon an ornate mosaic floor. Their youthful confidence exudes from the canvas as they stand amidst an array of treasures … Read more
John Calvin’s doctrine of covenant has received substantial scholarly attention from historians and theologians who have examined its development and significance from multiple perspectives (such as Perry Miller, Heinrich Heppe, Everett Emerson, Leonard Trinterud, Richard Muller, Olivier Millet, and Wayne Baker). Peter Lillback’s The Binding of God (2001) remains the most thorough study of Calvin’s … Read more
Like other literary communities in the Long Eighteenth Century, English Particular Baptists turned to the writings of the Congregationalist John Owen (1616–1683) to bolster their own doctrinal, exegetical, and polemical arguments. One of these Particular Baptists, Benjamin Keach (1640–1704), never wavered in his commitment to the memory and writings of Owen, quoting him over 200 … Read more