In this episode of Logos Live, I sat down with Joel Beeke to talk about the Protestant Reformation—what it was, and why it still matters today.
Reformed Theology
A Reading Plan: Reformed Systematic Theology by Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley
Crossway was kind enough to send me a review copy of Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley’s recently completed, four-volume Reformed Systematic Theology. Altogether it’s a hefty 5,216 pages.
I’ve created a reading plan that I thought I’d share in case others might benefit. The plan is currently set up with one chapter assigned per day, meaning one can complete all four volumes in a little less than seven months. However, one can adjust the spreadsheet according to preference.
Evangelism and the Sovereignty to God by J.I. Packer (Book Recommendation)
If God is going to save whomever he’s chosen, is evangelism pointless? This month’s book recommendation is Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer. In this brief work, Packer offers an examination of the topic of evangelism as clarified, grounded, and even fueled by belief in God’s absolute sovereignty.
Understanding the Debate & Differences in How We Put Our Bibles Together (Views on Covenantal & Dispensational Theologies with Brent Parker and Richard Lucas, Ep. 2)
In this episode, I continue my conversation with Brent E. Parker and Richard Lucas, editors of the forthcoming book, Covenantal and Dispensational Theologies: Four Views on the Continuity of Scripture (IVP, February 2022). In this session, we talk about what different commitments or perspectives ultimately underlie the various views, why all of this matters, how it comes to bear in our theology and practice, and how we might construct a path forward in the doing of Biblical theology for the local church.
Their book is currently available for pre-order, releasing February 8, 2022.
Access the episode here. (Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more.)
See all other content in this series.
A Survey of How Different Systems of Theology Put the Bible Together (Views on Covenantal & Dispensational Theologies with Brent Parker and Richard Lucas, Ep. 1)
How should we interpret the promises made to the people of Israel in the OT — are they being fulfilled in the church? Does God have a distinct plan for the nation of Israel separate from the church? How do Christians relate to the Mosaic Law? What does infant baptism have to do with our understanding of the Biblical Covenants? In short, these are all questions asking, How should we put our Bible’s together — and questions that both covenantal and dispensational theologies answer differently, with wide-ranging implications for how we read our Bibles, how we define the church, what we expect of the future, and how we live our Christian lives.
This episode serves as the first installment of a larger conversation on covenantal and dispensational theologies and their divergent ways of putting the Bible together. In today’s episode, Richard Lucas and Brent Parker lead us through a survey of the various view points that exist. In order of those that stress more continuity to those that stress more discontinuity, we look at:
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Theonomy / Reconstructionism [3:50]
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Traditional Covenant Theology [9:13]
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20th Century Reformed Baptist Theology [24:02]
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1689 Federalism [31:02]
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Progressive Covenantalism [40:37]
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New Covenant Theology [55:24]
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Progressive Dispensationalism [1:04:7]
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Traditional (or Revised) Dispensationalism [1:18:58]
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Classic Dispensationalism [1:34:36]
Their book, Covenantal and Dispensational Theologies: Four Views on the Continuity of Scripture (IVP, February 2022), is currently available for pre-order.
Access the episode here. (Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and more.)
See all other content in this series.
Kirk E. Miller 