David Cheng on the topic of Law and Grace

What is the relation of the concept of Law to the concept of Grace? Are they antithetical to each other, or they parts of a whole? In this paper of his, David Cheng has written an interesting paper which puts forward a way of understanding the relation between Law and Grace. An excerpt:

The word “Law” may mean different things; a scholarly dictionary would easily give us 9 to 23 different meanings. The focus of this paper would be on the conception of the word “law” as it is found in the Christian vocabulary among common believers. The main part of law consists of the Moral Law given to us through Moses on the stone tablets, the Decalogue. It is by no means however that only the Decalogue is considered as Law. ...

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The review for David's paper would be uploaded later.

David's paper is now open for discussion.

Jason Loh on Calvin's view of the Cultural Mandate

The Cultural Mandate is the mandate to transform Creation and Culture, something which is supposedly to be found in Gen. 1:26. In this interesting paper, Jason Loh attempts to demarcate and interact with Calvin's view on the Cultural Mandate. An excerpt:

It is important to first establish Calvin’s distinction between Church and State and then only move on to discuss the implications this has for the “cultural mandate.” A distorted view of the Church and State will also lead to a distorted understanding of the cultural mandate.

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Benjamin Ho has reviewed this article by Jason as follows:

In his paper, Jason uses the role of civil government as a case in point to illustrate how the cultural mandate – in Calvin’s thought – is being articulated. This is an interesting paradigm – one that is not often explored – and Jason does a commendable job in teasing out some of the finer aspects of this relationship. Indeed, with the Western secular belief that God and politics are matters of separate and non-related realms, it is sometimes difficult to see – much less argue – how the role of civil government is related to God’s on-going sovereign rule over all of life.

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Jason's paper and Benjamin's review are now opened for discussion.

Ten Fook Seong on Calvin's Institute and The Pracitice of Pietism

Calvin's Institue of Christian Religion continued to be read and studied since they first appeared, and they have spread in new translations in modern times. It's less commonly remembered that Calvin was also both a preacher and pastor; his commentaries, sermons, prayers and letters offer important insights into piety that transformed the communities which came to be called Calvinist.

The present paper written by Pastor Ten Fook Seong seeks to trace the spiritual legacy of Calvin's piety focusing his teaching in the Institute about the human relationship with God. The purpose was to lead and challenge all who heard him, or read his writings, to realize that their true happiness consists in devotion to God for God's glory; that their salvation is assured by Christ's grace; and their lives will be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and should be given over to the service of God and their neighbour. Here are a short excerpt:

「今年恰逢加尔文诞生500周年纪念，作为一位十六世纪伟大的改革家，又是牧者，加尔文无疑在历史长河中留下深远的影响，被称为属灵伟人实是当之无愧，而他的巨著<基督教要义>更被认为是基督教经典中的经典。不过，许多人对加尔文<基督教要义>的认识，仅流于它是一本基督教教义的阐述，而非对灵性有所助益的著作。」

The review is written by brother Yong Pai Chan here in chinese, and translated by Daniel Chew here in english.

[The paper and review are now open to discussion.]

Timothy Peng on The Reformed View of Music

In his book The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren states that "Worship has nothing to do with the style or volume or speed of a song. God loves all kinds of music because he invented it all — fast and slow, loud and soft, old and new. You probably don’t like it all, but God does! If it is offered to God in spirit and truth, it is an act of worship" (p. 65). In modern Christianity, on the one hand, the new breed of Evangelicals that Warren epitomizes think that all kinds of music is good and can be used to worship God. On the other, many traditionalists behave as if only Western music composed in the Baroque to Romantic (some limit themselves to Baroque only even) era are suitable for worship. In this worship war, is there a distinctly biblical and Reformed view of music for us to consider? Are there distinctive features in music that are good and adequate for worship, while other features are inappropriate for the same purpose?

In his paper, Timothy Peng tackles the issue head-on. An excerpt:

Abraham Kuyper calls music the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the Church of Jesus Christ has been blessed tremendously as she uses music to bring her devotion and prayers to God throughout the ages. However, Christians have engaged in great controversies over the use of music in the church, with extreme diversity of opinions ranging from Zwingli’s total rejection of music to Rick Warren’s complete embrace of every style of music. The purpose of this paper is to provide guidance on how we can use music for our benefit, and impart wisdom on the way to discern the dangers hidden in its usage as we live in this fallen world. To do this, I will briefly trace the development of music theories to the ancient Greeks, then compared the ancient wisdom with the insights from the Reformers (especially John Calvin), and finally explore the natures of music in order that we can enjoy it.

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Junhao Yoong has reviewed Timothy Peng's article and his response can be seen here. An excerpt:

Timothy Peng传道在其论文里提出了许多关于圣乐之重要的论据，即现今信徒皆所忽略的。此论文中，Timothy Peng讲述了音乐在诗歌里所扮演之角色，音乐于人类历史与文化中的发展及音乐的风格、音符、节奏、诗歌的架构及词汇等都与整首诗歌所要表达的信息是息息相关的。此外，他也引用了许多圣乐作品作为例子，讲述了圣乐作品如何带出音乐于崇拜里该有的庄严与神圣两种重要的性质。在此，笔者仅能对此文略作回应，盼能借此彼此勉励，以期能够更好的在教会音乐事工中彼此配搭，敬拜事奉我们的上帝。

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Timothy Peng's paper and Junhao Yoong's review are now open for discussion.

Add: The review has now been translated to English here, as follows:

In his paper, Pastor Timothy Peng argues for the importance of many principles with regards to worship and music which has been sadly neglected by many believers today. Peng describes the role music plays in worship, the development of music through humanity’s history and culture, and argues that the character, melody, rhythm and structure of songs of worship are intricately linked to the message that the song aspires to give. In developing his argument, various pieces of church music are used as examples of how the dignity and sanctity of worship is expressed. This reviewer would like to add his appreciation on this excellent article, and wishes that good church music ministries would partner with each other in worship and service unto our God.

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Cathy Tan on The Quest for Calvin's Essence of Worship: Passion and Love of God －A Journey Away from Ritualistic Worship

One of the best ways to get at the heart of Calvin's concept of worship , preferably his idea of liturgy is to study his interpretation of the first tablet of the law. The Institutes contains a chapter devoted on the law. Surely a completely study of Calvin's theoloy of worship will also deal with his chapters on the sacraments, his chapter on prayer, the Genevan Psalter，and other documents.

This study, however deals with Calvin's theology of worship as found in his liturgy in Strasbourg. Cathy Tan, a part-time music ministry advisor for Jubilee Presbyterian Church Singapore, a choral conductor, a music educator, and a speaker and writer on music and worship，provides pratical wisdom concerning the purpose of Calvin's liturgy, calls us back to biblical worship with theological content as the priotity in today's church. She opens it this way:

「1538年，年青的加尔文接受布赛尔(Martin Bucer) 的邀请，到斯特拉斯堡(Strasbourg) 牧养日益增多的法国难民。本文要探究的，就是这间拥有数百名会众，被加尔文呢称为「小法国教会」(Ecclesiola Gallicana) 的崇拜礼仪。从加尔文在流程的修订与元素的取舍上，认识其考量的依据，希望藉此为今日教会提供一个崇拜更新的标引。」

Pastor Gao from Shanghai, a reflective pracitioner of regulative principle of worship, his review in chinese here, and english translation done by brother Daniel Chew here.

[This paper and review are now open for discussion.]

Wang Zhi Yong On Calvin and the Psalms: Singing the Songs of Jehovah

Psalm singing is experiencing a revival in our time. Why sing psalms? or the real questions should be "why not sing psalms?" Even though Luther did not limit his singing to the psalms, he did have a great appreciation of the psalms. John Calvin, on the other hand, championed exclusive psalms singing in the Reformed churches. In this paper, our conference advisor, Rev. Dr. Wang Zhi Yong gives us a very clear cut treatment of the exclusive psalmodist view, here are the opening lines:

「我自己从一九九七年开始在中国大陆牧会，也曾在多处旅行，如今在美国研修，参加多处华语教会，见到大陆以及海外华语教会中一个颇为普遍的现象就是：弟兄姐妹的敬拜虽有热心，但往往不是按着圣经中所启示的真知识。各种人所撰写的歌曲大摇大摆地进入公共敬拜，有的甚至声称是“在圣灵感动下”撰写的，大有让人非接受不可之势！有的人觉得甲某某写的哥属灵，有的人认为乙某某写的歌属灵，教会中总是不断有人为在敬拜中唱谁写的歌曲而争执不休，但却甚少有人主张唱颂上帝在圣经中亲自默示的<诗篇>！我对这种现象感到非常痛心，自己又感到困顿乏力，就向上帝多多祷告，希望华文诗篇能够早早面世，有更多的基督徒能够认识到用上帝所默示的诗篇敬拜的重要性。 」

Cathy Tan's chinese review paper here, the review has been translated into english by Daniel Chew as follows:

In his article “Singing the songs of Jehovah,” it is apparent that Zhiyong Wang relies on the Puritans’view of the Regulative Principle of Worship when discussing the issue of worship. Expressed in the 17th century Reformed confessions (the 1646 Westminster Confession of FaithChapter 21, paragraph 1 & the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith Chapter 22, paragraph 1) [More]

[The paper is now open for discussion.]

Alex Tseng on the Lapsarian Dilemna, and Karl Barth's doctrine of election

The 17th century Reformed Scholastic movement saw the beginning of what became known as the Lapsarian controversy, with the two main contenders being Supralapsarianism and Infralapsarianism (Amyraldianism and Arminianism being minor contenders in this fight). The controversy centers on the logical order of God's decrees, especially as it centers on whether the decree of Creation is logically antecedent (Infralapsarian) or consequent (Supralapsarian) to the decree of election and reprobation. This in-house debate has continued to this very time, although widespread apostasy, liberalism, and dead formalism and traditionalism have placed the subject in the background most of the time. Nevertheless, the debate still rages once in a while, and the debate continues on in our paper and review for today.

With the development of Neo-Orthodoxy by Karl Barth and his disciples such as T.F. Torrance and Bruce McCormack, as a "conservative" response to the Liberalism of their age , another element has entered into the Lapsarian debate. While keeping the terminology of the Reformed Evangelical faith tradition and claiming continuity to that tradition, Neo-Orthodoxy eviscerates the contents of the Reformed tradition. Without digressing, since Neo-Orthodoxy claims continuity with the Reformed tradition, it creates its own lapsariam scheme and thus join in the lapsarian debate — an alien as it is.

In this paper, Alex Tseng has written an interesting paper on this particular topic. Entited The Lapsarian Dilemna and Karl Barth's Christocentric Doctrine of Election, it interacts with both of the two main lapsarian scheme, as well as Karl Barth's unique lapsarian scheme. An excerpt:

Christianity affirms that God is sovereign and perfect. Understanding the sovereignty of God’s will and perfections of God’s being becomes a challenge when the presence of evil is taken seriously: How can there be evil in this world if God is good and almighty? In this paper, I will discuss Calvinism’s answer to the problem of evil and demonstrate an intrinsic difficulty in the Calvinist-Augustinian formulation of predestination played out in the lapsarian controversy of the 17th Century. I will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Karl Barth’s Christological formulation of the doctrine of election and how it hints to a way out of the lapsarian dilemma. Finally, I will appeal to John Owen’s Christological treatment of the doctrine of predestination to suggest a Reformed orthodoxy solution.

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Joel Tay has written a well thought out response to Alex's paper here. An excerpt:

In his paper, Alex Tseng affirms the sovereignty of God and presents the problem of evil as a launching pad for rejecting supralapsarianism. Having done so, he puts forward his own formulation based upon infralapsarian thought combined with elements of Barth’s doctrine of election, which supposedly covers the holes in traditional infralapsarian theology.

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This paper and its review are now open for discussion.

David Chen: Francis Turretin and Calvin's doctrine of election

Calvin versus the Calvinists — a common charge thrown against historic Dordtian Calvinism is that Dordtian Calvinists especially the Reformed scholastics in the 17th century have distorted the real teachings of the French Reformer John Calvin. This charge has continued to this very day, starting with Jacobius Arminius in the Netherlands, John Cameron and his student the French Huguenot theologian of the school of Samur Moise Amyraut (or Amyraldius), and into the modern times by "calvinists" such as R.T. Kendell, successor of Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel, London.

In this paper, Pastor David Chen has written an article on this very subject, dealing with the Reformed scholastic theologian Francis Turretin. Has Turretin been faithful to John Calvin's theology and especially his doctrine of election? Chen wrote:

The Bible is the eternal Word that doesn’t change, but human beings do change from generations to generations. New cultures, new ways of thinking, new methodology of scholarship, new ideas have always prompted a new generation of seekers to re-raise questions on the teachings of the Bible. Sometimes old doctrines need to be reformulated in new ways for new generations to appreciate what is being taught. At the same time new challenges will also force the revisiting and sometimes reframing of old doctrines to more properly clarify, rebuke, or simply elaborate what was left unsaid by earlier generations. The same applies to Calvin’s teachings. This paper will focus on Calvin’s Doctrine of Election, and how Francis Turretin two generations later had used and improved on Calvin’s doctrine. In what aspects had he followed Calvin’s teachings faithfully? Does he at the same time also further elaborates or reframes what was said by Calvin to address his own culture and the challenges of his era? In comparing and contrasting Calvin and Turretin, will there be any deviations between Turretin and Calvin that can be used to support the Calvin versus the Calvinists theory? Or will one appreciate the reasons for the changes as being faithfully Calvinistic in the core and following the trajectory that Calvin had set?

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Pastor Alex Tseng has reviewed this article as follows:

A very fine paper on Turretin’s doctrine of predestination has been written, owing to efforts of my friend David Chen. I am especially thankful for his defense of 17th-century scholasticism and his critique of the “Calvin-against-the-Calvinists” thesis, which, in fact, did not end with the Amyraut Controversy, but has persisted well into recent theological scholarship, as shown in the works of E. J. Dowey, J. B. Rogers, R. T. Kendall, etc. Since Calvin and Puritan studies are still in their infancy stages among Chinese Christians, works such as Chen’s are especially important in challenging innovative re-interpretations of Calvin and Reformed theology that explicitly or implicitly oppose Reformed orthodoxy, as found in the works of popular Chinese writers like Hong-Hsin Lin.

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This paper and its review are now open for discussion.

Ang Lai Hoe: Addressing the biblical validity of a claim against unconditional election

The biblical doctrine of election has many foes, and much misunderstanding. In this paper, Lai Hoe Ang attempts to clear up the fog over the matter, in dealing with one objection against the doctrine of election: the salvation or damnation of infants. An excerpt:

Many objections have been raised against the biblical teaching of divine election. This paper aims to address one of them, namely that “God is not fair to send non-elect infants/babies upon death to burn in hell”.

This particular objection is predicated upon a denial of Original Sin, or at least a non-consideration of that doctrine. Those who make such an objection thus reveal their error, denying the direct teachings of the Bible on the sinful nature of the baby and even the unborn (Ps 51:5) such that infants are sinners born in sin. This objection therefore does not primarily deals with the state of non-elect infants but rather on the biblical teaching of original sin. If one truly understands the doctrine of divine election and the salvation of man biblically, this objection would not be raised, for the eternal judgment of the non-elect is for the glory of God.

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Pastor Lemuel Hii reviews Ang's paper as follows:

预定论是教会历史中一直争论不休的课题，有人就知难而退，认为毕竟这是牵涉到上帝的奥秘。预定论的确会因为错误和不完整的了解，以致产生一些的危机和误解。但，就如奥古斯丁所说：“对预定论绝口不提的人，他们要用什么掩饰自己的骄傲，因为他们这样就间接指控神是愚昧的、无深虑的，就如神没有预测到他们自以为有智慧所看见的这危险？"

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The review has been translated into English as follows:

The doctrine of predestination is a contentious topic throughout the history of the Church. Some discern the difficulty in addressing it and therefore refrain from doing so, figuring that we should not transgress the hidden mysteries of God. Indeed, misunderstanding or incomplete understanding of the doctrine of predestination does indeed cause spiritual danger and doctrinal error.

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The paper is now open for discussion.

Daniel Chew on the New Evangelical Calvinism

With the publishing of Colin Hansen's book Young Restless Reformed by Crossway Books in 2008, and the formation of The Gospel Coalition around the same time, New Calvinism has emerged as a supposed revival of interest in Reformed theology. With Time magazine even giving the New Calvinism the spotlight, it seems as the next revival in Christianity has arrived - Reformed Christianity as that. However, is everything going fine in this supposed revival?

In this paper modified and submitted for the blog conference, Daniel Chew addresses certain concerns regarding this New Calvinist movement, which he sees as a descendant of the New Evangelicalism from 50+ years back. An excerpt:

A phenomenon is growing and spreading within the churches in the USA. Spurred on by the degradation of culture, the downgrade of [New] Evangelicalism, the passion and appeal of charismatic personalities such as Pastor John Piper, C.J. Mahaney and the Sovereign Grace Movement among others, and above all to the providence of God, a renewed interest in Calvinism and the reformed worldview is spreading within the Evangelical movement. Journalist Colin Hansen has researched this phenomenon and published his results in his book Young, Restless, Reformed, truly an illuminating book which shows us the growing resurgence in Calvinism in myriad sectors of the Visible Church.

As Reformed (and reforming) Christians, the current resurgence in Calvinism surely is cause for gladness. Believing with Spurgeon that "Calvinism is the Gospel and nothing else”, the turning away from the destructive errors found in modern-day bankrupt Evangelicalism with its embrace of semi-Pelagianism and Pelagianism is indeed cause for joy. Nevertheless, in observing the movement, many areas of concerns, some serious, have came up and it in this spirit that these concerns are brought up for our consideration.

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Edward Sim has reviewed the article as follows:

I read Daniel Chew's article, titled "New Evangelical Calvinism: An analysis of the Calvinist Resurgence", with mixed feelings. There is so much that one can agree with. In this article, Chew highlighted 5 major issues that he found within the recent so-called "Calvinist Resurgence". These 5 issues are summarized in 4 questions and the call to be unashamed ambassadors of Christ. The 4 questions are: Will we learn from history? Will we embrace the material principle of the Gospel without embracing the formal principle of Sola Scriptura? Will we aim for rational and lifestyle consistency? Will we reject the New Evangelical infatuation with positivity? There is a sense that there is much that we can and must embrace together. It should be said from the outset that these warnings are great reminders and should be heeded. However, am I to understand these questions as veiled (if not then apparent) attacks on the recent Calvinistic Resurgence? And if so, the validity of these charges being brought forth takes on paramount importance. The aim of this review is to examine Chew's case and leave the readers to decide whether it has been convincingly and conclusively presented.

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Daniel Chew has responded to Edward Sim's review here, as follows:

I am grateful for Edward Sim’s review of my article on the New Evangelical Calvinism. Though I would most definitely not be in agreement with him on some of the issues he raised, I appreciate his frankness and his desire for the truth. In a culture which desires peace at all costs, those who are willing to disagree and do it in a Christian manner as based upon the authority of Scripture are indeed rare, and it is in this sense that I appreciate Sim’s review (cf Prov. 28:23).

It must first be reiterated that this paper was initially written in response to the attack of Tim Challies on “watchbloggers” on his blog. This paper was not therefore intended to be a full-scale analysis of the current Calvinist Resurgence, and thus of the positives and negatives found in it. Also, being a movement, it is definitely the case that the movement is not monolithic and thus not everything stated would apply to everyone. The article therefore was meant to be a clarion call towards the New Calvinists of the concerns with regards to possible deficiencies in the movement itself, which of course may or may not apply to them as individuals. It must be said that I am sympathetic to the movement, being able to identify with them on certain issues like the need for having a dynamic and passionate faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, after all having experienced the transformation that comes with embracing the Doctrines of Grace later in the Christian life.

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[This paper is now open for discussion]

Jack Sin: The Spiritual Influence and Legacy of John Calvin to The Modern World

With this year being the 500th year of Calvin, Rev. Dr. Jack Sin has given a lecture at the Miri Reformed Church in commemoration of this event. What is the spiritual influence and legacy John Calvin gave to the world? In this succinct lecture, which was then transcribed and edited for this conference here, Dr. Jack Sin shows us Calvin's life, influence and his legacy, and calls us to likewise give our lives for God's glory.

There are a few men that made a lasting and notable impact in the world today in a religious or ecclesiastical sense. This year marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. John Calvin the renowned 16th century French reformer was one of the greatest thinkers and prime spiritual movers of the 16th century besides Luther, Zwingli, Tyndale and Knox, and his writings and teachings continue to be widely taught and propagated throughout the reformed community worldwide.

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Soon Beng Lim reviewed Dr. Jack Sin's article as follows:

John Calvin is one of the great heroes of the Reformation, whose achievements can only be described as superhuman (i.e. energized by the Holy Spirit). It would be a difficult task to try to capture everything about him in one short article. Nevertheless, Dr Jack Sin has attempted to do so, and it is a commendable effort indeed, giving us a broad historical overview of the man and his contributions to the Reformation.

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[This paper is opened for discussion.]

Stephen Chan on Calvin's Tales of Two Cities

The year 2009 marks the 500th annivesary of Calvin's birth, various events of international and interdemominational held to commemorate his life and works. In this paper, Rev.Dr. Stephen Chan gives us an insightful guide which deeply engage with Calvin's mind through his methodology in the Institute of Christian Religion, and a brief survey of it's development in the Post-reformation with a keen eye towards Mainland China, the "most strategic mission field" in the 21st century.

Dr.Chan, our conference advisor, President of Reformed Institute for Christianity and 21st Century, Associate Professor of Seattle University, his paper can be read here. Excerpt:

加尔文大概是在1534年抵达巴塞尔，据说同行的还有二至三人。巴塞尔位于法、德、瑞士的交界，距法国边界的斯特拉斯堡约有115公里，而从巴黎至斯特拉斯堡则有400公里的路程。他们一行骑着马，日夜赶路，逃避法王鹰犬的追捕。寒冬的一月让这个带有浓厚日耳曼民风的巴塞尔古城，显得更加肃穆。他们迅速地安顿下来，加尔文用托名租了一个小房子，就在古城住下一年之久。[More]

This article has been reviewed by Rev. Dr. David Cheng, newly added here. Excerpt:

Rev. Prof. Dr. Chan is one of the greatest teachers of theology in our time. His article provides us a better understanding of Calvin and his works especially in regard to Calvin’s contribution to the Reformation of the 16th century. This reviewer has found no mistake or any point for scholarly challenge. Certainly, Dr. Chan is very careful in his wording and therefore he is safe even on a couple issues which are already controversial in the scholarly literature.

[The paper is now opened for discussion.]

CREDO500会议进展

CREDO500有意在明年继续第二届的部落格会议。在这里，我们愿公开让读者们回应，特别你们对此次会议的感想和建议。我们希望能将此会议进行得更加顺畅圆满，也期望能收集各方宝贵的意见，以将来届的会议办得更好，发扬正统信仰帮助华人教会的成熟。

部落格会议的第一部分「改教神学的延续性」已告一段落，读者们还可以继续地回应。在这连续三个星期的讨论，除了知识上的丰富、更增进了主里的友谊。虽然针对每篇文章各方有不同的意见，却也展现了实事求是的精神，最终都是以「回归圣经」为目的。

文章及回应文的英译工作将由赵惠聪(Daniel Chew)负责，郑天鸣牧师(Jonah Tang)与邹泉源(Amos Chaw)则负责汉译，以方便双语的读者群。会议的第二部分「改教时代的加尔文」，其中有三篇是后来加入的文章，因此我们已将时间调整为10月3-28日。时间表如下：

PART II：改教时代的加尔文（10月2-28日）

I. 加尔文的历史遗产

Oct 3rd陈佐人，加尔文的双城记（Response: 郑哲民）

Oct 5th Jack Sin，The Spiritual Influence and Legacy of John Calvin to The Modern World （Response: Lim Soon Beng）

Oct 7th Daniel Chew, New Evangelical Calvinism: An analysis of the Calvinist Resurgence （Response: Edward Sim）

II. 加尔文的主权神学

Oct 9th Ang Lai Hoe, Biblical Consistency of Calvin’s Work on Election（Response: Lemuel Hii）

Oct 12nd David Chen，Has Turretin been faithful to John Calvin’s Doctrine of Election？(Response: Alex Tseng)

Oct 14th Alex Tseng, Karl Barth Doctrine of Election (Response: Joel Tay)

III. 加尔文的崇拜神学

Oct 16th王志勇，加尔文与诗篇：唱耶和华的歌 (Response: 陈亦君)

Oct 19th陈亦君，加尔文崇拜本质的探求：灵火焚心, 负爱一生－走出仪文的敬拜 （Response: 高爱军）

Oct 21st Timothy Peng, Reformed View of Music (Response: 杨峻豪)

IV. 加尔文的实践神学

Oct 23rd邓福祥，从加尔文<基督教要义>论敬虔操练 (Response: 杨百川)

Oct 26th郑哲民，加尔文论律法和恩典 (Response: Jason Loh)

Oct 28th Jason Loh, Calvin’s View on the Cultural Mandate (Response: Benjamin Ho)

此次新加入的贡献者包括：郑哲民牧师(加尔文论律法和恩典), Timothy Peng(Reformed View of Music), Jason Loh(Calvin’s View on the Cultural Mandate)。回应者包括杨峻豪, Benjamin Ho, Jason Loh。 以上参与者的简历可以参考这里(迟些会补上)。

陈佐人牧师（顾问）将为本部落格会议作最后的总结及展望。跟着，在10月30-31日庆祝宗教改革日，到时会公开邀请所有的参与者及读者写献辞。唯愿此部落格会议能在帮助华人教会认识加尔文及改教神学的目标上，提供微薄的贡献，促进在真道上的合一！

Tsun En Lu on Christians and the Pluralistic Society

How do Christians live in their engagement with society in the public square, especially with those of other persuasion and those in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society? In this paper, Pastor Tsun-En Lu interacts with John Rawls's idea of Justice as Fairness and criticize his views from a Christian viewpoint. An excerpt:

罗尔斯 (John Rawls) 的〈正义论〉 (A Theology of Justice) 复兴了自由主义的哲学传统，重新定义民权，不但启发了廿世纪末的宪法理论研究，并且持续地在廿一世纪影响美国的宪政精神与大众的舆论文化 之中。罗尔斯的理论对基督教产生相当的冲击，因为它以平等为名，把基督教的信仰命题相对化，并尝试跨越传统的政教分离原则，为政府和教会的传统权威中划出 一条属于自由主义的新界线，进而排斥了基督教在公众论述中诠释公义概念的机会。

[Unfortunately, this paper is in Chinese and has not been translanted yet, so sorry to English readers].

Dave Chong responds to it here.

In an increasingly pluralistic society in America, Pastor Lu’s critique of Rawlsian conception of ‘justice as fairness’ is a much-needed contribution to the ongoing dialogue on Christian engagement in the public square. How do multi-religious, multi-ethnic societies today carve out a civil space that safeguards the liberty, equity and rights for all? This burning issue is further fueled by sometimes strident attempts by secularists to keep religious faith as a private choice that has no room in the realm of politics.

This paper and review are now open for comments.

Linus Chua: Reformation and Education

Today, we would be having Pastor Linus Chua on the topic of Reformation and Education. Does the Reformed faith has anything to say about the issue of education? In this short article of his, Pastor Linus briefly discuss what the Reformation gave to the education enterprise, and the lessons we can learn and applications we can make from them to the issue of education today.

An excerpt:

History shows that there was an intimate relationship between the Reformation and education. Wherever the Reformation went, it carried the school with it and gave a strong impulse to the education of the masses. Lorraine Boettner wrote, “Wherever Calvinism has gone, there knowledge and learning have been encouraged and there a sturdy race of thinkers has been trained. Calvinists have not been the builders of great cathedrals, but they have been the builders of schools, colleges, and universities.”

The Reformers and those who followed after them recognized that true saving faith involved sound knowledge (Hebrews 11), that sanctification was through the truth of God’s word (John 17:17) and that Christians are called to love God with all their minds (Matt 22:37, Deut 6:1-9, Rom 12:1-2).

In the same document, David Chen reviews Linus' article. An excerpt:

It is indeed true that the Reformation places an emphasis on education. They did so with two convictions: 1) to bring the Word of God to all – they are convinced the Bible is not only Authoritative and Sufficient, but the Bible is also clear and the wisdom of salvation is accessible by all who are willing to read it by faith. However, a second conviction drives the education movement: to understand the world and all of its wisdom is another channel to understand God and His nature, commonly known as natural revelation.

The paper can be found here, and both Linus' paper and David Chen's review are open for discussion.

Daniel Chew on Recapturing The Vision of The Centrality of The Gospel

Rick Warren, a megachurch pastor and philanthropist in Saddleback Valley, who is courted by political and church leaders worldwide, says he thinks Christianity needs a "Second Reformation" that would steer the church away from divisive politics and be "about deeds not creeds". Here is one of the expert diagnosis which concern over Warren's treatment of Scripture in his "Purpose Driven books" and the "Forty Days Program". I can hear the author's voice from it's crying heart in this paper. Daniel Chew, who is the co-organizer of this blog conference, and the author of Driven Away By Purpose, his paper can be accessed here. An Excerpt:

Within Evangelicalism, many churches have for various reasons embraced in part or the whole of the Purpose Driven paradigm within the life of the Church. As Christians, we are to evaluate everything according to the Word of God (Acts 17: 11-12; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 1 Jn. 4:1), so how does this paradigm measure up to Scripture? More importantly, since Christianity is about Christ and the Gospel, how does the Purpose Driven paradigm measure up to Scripture in this respect?

Rev. Peter Wong, graduate from London Reformed Baptist Seminary, whom is currently a minister of Brunei Reformed Baptist Churh. His review can be read here.

Dr Rick Warren renowned , popular Pastor and author of Purpose Driven Church 1995 and the subsequent devotional book Purpose Driven life 1994 , has created quite another wave of new ways of looking at church growth and Christian life since the 1960s modern church growth movement.

[This paper is now opened for discussion.]

Benjamin Ho On Francis Schaeffer and Reformation

It is said that, Schaeffer was more into "practice" rather than "method" at which he had differences with Van Til. So once again, if apologetics has cash value in practice outside the classroom, what does Schaeffer's view of apologetic says of defense against secularism in his times? Benjamin Ho, whom working in the Singapore government service as a policy analyst had addressed the good stuff that reminds us of the remarkable man here. An Exerpt:

“What we need is a presentation of the Bible’s historical truth in such a waythat it is acceptable to today’s intellectuals…it is irrational to think thatwatertight doors exist between religion and intellectual thinking. A step of faith is no step in the dark” (Francis Schaeffer, Time Magazine, 11 Jan 1960)

Mejlina Tjoa's review here.

As elaborated in the paper, Francis Schaeffer has left a lasting impact on his generation and beyond. He demonstrated that the robust framework of reformed theology has its relevance beyond classroom theological discussions and nostalgia of former glories.

[This paper is now opened for discussion.]

Andrew Teo on Reclaiming the Biblical Care of Souls in The Body of Christ

This is another excellent piece and worthwhile reflection of the Nouthetic Counseling, which clearly identifies the issue at stake, which resists the temptation to engage with the Psychology, and which at key point keeps a continuity with the Reformation spirit of Sola Scriptura and Solo Christus in line with the modern counseling reformer Jay Adam. The paper was written by a pastor whom currently serve at Ann Arbor Chinese Christian Church in Michigan, Rev. Dr. Andrew Teo. His paper can be accessed here. An Excerpt:

The Reformation was a turning point in church history. Two great teachings of the Reformation are Sola Scriptura and the Priesthood of all believers. Sola Scriptura meansby Scripture alone. The Priesthood of all believers means that believers, guided by theWord and empowered by the Holy Spirit, are equipped and called to counsel one another in the Body of Christ.

Gideon Teo whom is now licensed in the PCA, his responds to this paper here.

The work of Jay Adams is undeniably groundbreaking. As the Father of Nouthetic counseling, Adams is arguably the Luther who began our modern Counseling Reformation. Acentral theme of Nouthetic Counseling, as presented by Pastor Andrew's essay, is that the use of Secular Psychology for biblical counseling is contrary to the principles of Sola Scriptura; therefore, Psychology must be utterly rejected.

[This paper are now opened for discussion.]

Gideon Teo on The Tradition of Counseling and Physiology through the eye of Richard Baxter and Archibald Alexander

Anyone who thinks that the Biblical/Nouthetic counseling should not be engaged with the psychology, you would definitely get some light by reading Gideon's paper here. Gideon Teo the 4th year student of Counseling in Westminster Philadelphia and Rev. Dr. Andrew Teo the Whitefield College Phd candidate(Jay Adam's school of thought) , as an academic outsider to their exchange it has been illuminating. Plus, it's encouraging to see sharp conversation handled so cordially, much to chew on... An Excerpt:

Is the Reformed faith relevant to human physiology? Harvard professor Charles Rosenberg argues, “We are no more willing, many of us, to suffer the pain of depression oranxiety than that of some more readily localized and meliorable physical ailment; in our society, neither stoicism nor traditional religious viewpoints seem ordinary to provide a context ofmeaningfulness for such ills of the soul.”

Our reviewer Rev. Dr. Andrew, is currently doing parsonage in Ann Arbor chinese church while taking his 2nd Phd in Whitefield College under Prof. Jay Adam, his review can be see here.

I am not sure where Richard Baxter and Archibald Alexander derived the word and the concept of “Melancholy” from. Since both historical figures agreed that individuals may have a unique set of traits that favors the development of Melancholy and the development of this trait was due to “black bile.” I suspect they learned this term from the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates (460-377 B.C) or physicians of their time.

And Gideon's defense here.

I appreciate Pastor Andrew's well researched response to my paper. He has given a good account of the history of medieval physiology while mentioning several important evils of modern psychology, such as “taking medication for medication.”By doing so, Pastor Andrew warns us against blindly accepting worldviews that are presented in this fallen world.

[Gideon's paper and Andrew's review are now opened for discussion.]

David Chong on Evaluate the “New Perspective” on Paul’s exposition of the doctrine of justification by faith alone

The current debates regarding justification reflect a readiness to explore new perspectives that hold the promise for ecumenical convergence or even consensus. The importance of these contemporary discussions of justification can hardly be exaggerated. This paper was written by David Chong in attempt to sort out the daunting task of the contemporary state of theological discussion regarding justification here. An Excerpt：

Since the groundbreaking work in E. P. Sanders’ monograph, “Paul and Palestinian Judaism”, a paradigm shift had taken place within New Testament scholarship with regards to the center of Pauline theology. Although by no means a monolithic movement, the New Perspective represents a fundamental rethinking of what the gospel really means. The present paper sought to analyze and evaluate New Perspective views on the doctrine of justification sola fide primarily through interaction with major proponents.

Our reviewer Pastor Lu Tsun En of the Westminster graduate, his review in chinese here, and the newly[4/10] english translated version by Daniel Chew here. Excerpt:

随着英国圣公会Durham主教与首席新约学者汤姆‧赖特（N.T.Wright）的作品陆续被翻译为中文，例如校园出版的〈再思保罗神学争议〉，近年来英美神学界「新观点派」(New Perspectives)的神学观点逐渐受到华人教会的注意。David Chong弟兄用非常简洁而流畅的文字摘要了新观点派的特色...

[This paper is now opened for discussion]