Some of you may have been to parts of the United States (such as Lancaster, Pennsylvania) where you have seen a bearded man in plain clothes driving a horse-drawn carriage down paved roads—perhaps with a number of cars behind him moving slowly. He may be moving toward a farm where plows are still pulled by […]
Friday, 01 September, 2017 by W. Robert Godfrey
Perhaps someone should write a book titled Silliness and Sanctification, because, sadly, church history is replete with examples of strange and silly suggestions about the pursuit of holiness. In the ancient church, pillar saints led an ascetic life living alone on a platform built on top of a column. In the contemporary church, Spirit-chasers pursue […]
Friday, 28 June, 2013 by W. Robert Godfrey
For vast numbers of people, Roman Catholicism is the religion of choice. Rome can be attractive for a wide variety of reasons. The most significant is familial, people born into and persevering in the Roman Church. But other attractions of various sorts can be readily found: theological, philosophical, liturgical, moral, psychological, and historical. Defenders of […]
Wednesday, 02 January, 2013 by W. Robert Godfrey
The last time I spoke with John Updike-well, all right, the only time I spoke with John Updike-was in May 2008. He was in Washington, D.C., to deliver the Jefferson Lecture under the auspices of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Dr. Brian Lee was in charge of his schedule and kindly introduced me to […]
Monday, 13 July, 2009 by W. Robert Godfrey
Stephen Miller is described on the dust jacket of this curious book only as "the author of the bestselling book Conversation: A History of a Declining Art." All we know about Mr. Miller, then, is that he is a student of decline. The book under review here is primarily a study of the decline of […]
Monday, 13 July, 2009 by W. Robert Godfrey
As the articles in this issue of Modern Reformation suggest, evangelicalism is experiencing a change in seasons: former evangelical statesmen are passing from the scene, new evangelicals don't seem to rally around the same issues and ideas as their forefathers, and it's increasingly difficult (if it was ever really possible) to identify clearly what an […]
Thursday, 06 November, 2008 by W. Robert Godfrey
The Heidelberg Catechism is arguably the finest catechism produced in the 16th century. Its warm piety and clear, biblical theology have made it a favorite summary of reformed Christianity for many through the centuries. The catechism was completed in 1563 in Heidelberg, the capital city of the Palatinate in Germany. It was intended to aid […]
Friday, 24 August, 2007 by W. Robert Godfrey
What is the “electronic church”? If you turn on your TV, you will find a variety of religious broadcasting, from Roman Catholic masses to traditional Presbyterian services to charismatic talk shows. Some of these programs are rather amateurish local broadcasts of local worship services. Others are sophisticated and expensive programs syndicated all over the world. […]
Monday, 20 August, 2007 by W. Robert Godfrey
Some weeks ago I attended a worship service in another state. While I was reading through the bulletin and looking at the order of worship, I was surprised to see a section of the service that had just the heading "P&W." I knew that I was getting old and was out of touch, but I […]
Thursday, 09 August, 2007 by W. Robert Godfrey
In Reformed theology Baptism is a means of grace; that is, an institution God uses to grow our faith. Yet how many Christians really see their Baptism as an important element of their Christian identity and growth? Neither Magic nor Mirage Calvin warned that when we study the Sacraments-whether Baptism or the Lord's Supper-we must […]
Monday, 06 August, 2007 by W. Robert Godfrey
Both Luther and Zwingli had crucial points to make in the debate over the Lord's Supper, but in my judgement, it was John Calvin who best resolved the question. Calvin began by agreeing with both sides on certain matters. He agreed with Zwingli that Christ is ascended and that his body is in heaven. He […]
Monday, 06 August, 2007 by W. Robert Godfrey
In the March 7, 1998, issue of the Los Angeles Times, the "Religion" section featured an article entitled, "L.A.-Area Seminary Teachers Gather to Ponder the Truth." For the fourth year, the Skirball Institute on American Values drew five seminaries together for discus-sion: St. John's Seminary of the Los Angeles Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church, […]
Thursday, 02 August, 2007 by W. Robert Godfrey