Pocket Dictionary of the Reformed Tradition

Kelly M. Kapic, Wesley Vander Lugt

• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9780830884438
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: History of Christianity

Beginning to study Reformed theology is like stepping into a family conversation that has been going on for five hundred years. How do you find your bearings and figure out how to take part in this conversation without embarrassing yourself?The Pocket Dictionary of the Reformed Tradition takes on this rich, boisterous and varied tradition in its broad contours, filling you in on its common affirmations as well as its family tensions. Here you will find succinct and reliable entries on- Latin terms, such as ad fontes and sola fide- Theologians, from Calvin to Torrance- Confessions, such as the Belgic and Westminster- Doctrines, such as atonement and sanctification- Apologists, such as Francis Schaeffer and Cornelius Van TilAnd much more.The Pocket Dictionary of the Reformed Tradition is ready to assist you over the rough parts of readings, lectures, conversations and blogs. It will also be a companionable and concise introduction to one of the great Christian traditions.Designed for students and pastors alike, the short and accessible volumes in the IVP Pocket Reference Series will help you tackle the study of biblical languages, church history, apologetics, world religions, Christian spirituality, ethics, theology, and more.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank a number of people who helped make this book possible.

I, Kelly, find intense joy in seeing former students use their gifts for Christ’s kingdom. One of my great privileges in life is to work alongside them in scholarship, and this project allowed that to happen at multiple levels. I am particularly thankful that Wes was willing to work with me on this project, carrying a heavy share of the load and showing great ability not only with organizational detail but also in matters of style and substance. Proving to be not only an able theologian, Wes has also become a good friend, faithful with encouragement and prayer. This may be Wes’s first book, but it certainly will not be his last, and for that I thank God. In many ways this book was a community project. I am thankful to Covenant College for their support of this project. In particular, former students of mine Cameron Moran, Heather Greenlee McGibbon, Justin Borger, Brian Hecker, Grady Dickinson and Jimmy Myers all helped at various levels with research and initial drafting of many entries, and this dictionary simply could not have been written without their contributions. Additionally, two of my colleagues graciously helped: William Tate provided invaluable feedback on the whole manuscript, and William Davis gave thoughtful suggestions on a fair number of difficult entries. We are deeply in debt to all who contributed. As always, I am thankful to my family, Tabitha, Jonathan and Margot, as each of you in your own way reminds me of the essence of faith that doesn’t belittle scholarship but is also not dependent on it either. What a gift you three are to me. Lastly, I dedicate this book to Todd Capen and Jeff Weigum. Both men invested in me as a teenager and new believer. Under Todd’s ministry I was converted, and he powerfully cultivated in me a passion for Christ, the joy of evangelism and a love for learning theology. And Jeff, as a volunteer, poured himself into the lives of Ben, Paul, Buster and me. While he may have never reached his educational goals, the result of his love and investment in us (none of us having grown up in the church) was that now, decades later, three of us have seminary degrees, two of us have PhDs and teach, one has done urban work directed toward those in need, and the fourth serves as a Navy Chaplain. What a testimony of kingdom service, love and grace. I thank them both for taking a teenager seriously and for introducing me to the basics of faith, hope and love.

I, Wes, am immensely grateful for the opportunity to work on this project, which arose through Kelly’s gracious invitation. Beginning with the first class I took from Kelly more than ten years ago and continuing with the experience of working on this dictionary together, I have been inspired by his theological insight, encouraged by his personal example and thankful for his friendship. Kelly is the kind of theologian I long to be, someone who seeks an understanding of faith consistently working itself out in love and hope, and I look forward to more opportunities to learn from and work alongside him in the future. I would also like to thank Cameron Moran, Heather Greenlee McGibbon, Justin Borger, Brian Hecker, Grady Dickinson and Jimmy Myers for their invaluable assistance on many entries. I have appreciated their patient and gracious interaction regarding the details of particular entries, which are certainly more accurate and complete as a result of their effort. My wife, Stephanie, also made helpful comments on several entries, but I am most thankful for her constant encouragement and unfaltering support. She keeps my feet planted firmly on the ground, reminding me that the best theology impacts everyday life and builds up the church. Stephanie is God’s greatest gift to me. And finally, I dedicate this book to my parents, because of whom I have always known Jesus. For them, the Reformed tradition is not merely a system of beliefs; it is a way of life. Through a variety of hardships and challenges, they have shown an unswerving commitment to the sovereignty of God and a passionate concern for his glory. I thank them for their example of faith that is rooted in Scripture, rich in doctrine, filled with wonder and curiosity in creation, and persistent in prayer. It is a joy to have parents who are also parents in the faith. May God continue to bless them and keep them.

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accommodation. God’s appropriation of humanly intelligible means to communicate real knowledge of himself. John *Calvin addressed the problem of how finite humans may obtain genuine *knowledge of God by emphasizing condescension as the distinctive manner of God’s *revelation. God accommodates himself in creation, history and Scripture through and within the cultural and intellectual limits of humanity while effectively communicating truth and accomplishing his purposes. Some examples of God’s accommodation include the images and anthropomorphic language describing God in Scripture and the way God relates to his creatures by making covenants and giving laws. The ultimate way God accommodates to humanity, however, is through the incarnation of Jesus Christ; in and through the Son’s willing assumption of human weakness, God is able to accomplish our *salvation.

Acts of Uniformity. Edicts made by the English monarchy through Parliament to standardize *liturgy in the Church of England. The first (1548–1549) legally bound ministers to use the *Book of Common Prayer, and revised versions of the edicts required the use of subsequent editions of the Book of Common Prayer, whether under Edward VI (1551–1552), under Elizabeth I (1558–1559) or during the Restoration (1661–1662).

ad fontes. This Latin phrase meaning “to the fountain” or “to the sources” was used by *humanist scholars during the Renaissance, voicing their commitment to consult primary Greek and Latin sources in their efforts to improve modern society. Reformers employed this phrase as a call to engage directly with the Scriptures and early Christian texts in their original languages to ensure sound *doctrine within the church.

Alexander, Archibald (1772–1851). The first professor appointed at Princeton Theological Seminary at its founding in 1812. Along with Charles *Hodge and others, he helped establish what is now known as *Princeton Theology, adhering to the *Westminster Confession, arguing for the inerrancy of Scripture and advocating Scottish commonsense realism. Alexander contributed regularly to the Princeton Review and published many works of his own. A *Presbyterian pastor as well as a professor, he placed great emphasis on *piety and personal religious experience.

Ames, William (1576–1633). A leading English *Puritan theo­logian instrumental in the denunciation of the *Remonstrant beliefs at the Synod of *Dort. A student of William *Perkins at Cambridge, Ames applied the logic and philosophy of Peter Ramus to theology, viewing its primary task as classification and its goal as uncovering the mind of God. In 1610 he left Cambridge and made his way to the Netherlands where he began teaching at the University of Franeker in 1622, and his influence extended beyond Europe to North America. His best-known works are The Marrow of Theology and Conscience with the Power and Cases Thereof.

Anabaptism. Literally “re-baptism,” the most general trait of this broad and decentralized *Protestant movement is the practice of *baptism for those who have experienced *conversion, even if they have been baptized as infants. This practice, together with insisting on the separation between the magistrate and the church, are two major distinctions between Anabaptists and the *magisterial Reformation. Beginning at the early stages of the *Swiss Reformation, various groups began to form what would become the *radical Reformation. Coming into conflict with the established church and civil authorities, whether Roman Catholic or Protestant, these groups focused on fully realizing the *marks of the church as presented in the book of Acts. They stressed social equality and communal interpretation of Scripture, much like the *Bohemian Brethren, and opposed *clergy who they believed fostered intellectual elitism. As such, they were sometimes considered anti-intellectual and, at least initially, anti-patriarchal. Andreas *Karlstadt and Thomas *Müntzer involved the movement in the *Peasants’ War, during which many Anabaptists were killed. The movement expanded through refugee communities in such places as Moravia and the Netherlands. The most important figure for those who identified with its nonviolent aspects was Menno *Simmons, who helped to establish the Dutch Anabaptists and laid the basis for Mennonite communities. The modern influence of Anabaptism is as diverse as its beginnings, ranging from the Amish and Hutterites to numerous *Baptist denominations.

analogia entis. A Latin phrase meaning “analogy of being,” the medieval principle of how human language, by principle of analogy, can also be applied to God. Two reasons are usually given to defend this principle: all created reality has been ordered by God to make this possible, and humans bear God’s *image. This allows finite human minds to reason from the effect (creation) to the cause (the Creator) and to know the nature of God apart from his *special revelation. Some have argued that by identifying a metaphysical foundation linking human thought with God’s thought, the principle provides a basis for *natural theology. Rejecting this metaphysical assertion, Karl *Barth favored an *analogia fidei and emphasized the primacy of special revelation. Some, however, accuse Barth of inappropriately framing this debate in metaphysical terms rather than linguistic ones, as many medievals proposed.

analogia fidei. A Latin phrase meaning “analogy of faith,” referring to the principle that any interpretation must be in accord with the teaching of the Scripture taken as a whole. Arising out of Reformed *scholasticism, this principle posits that difficult passages of Scripture should be understood in light of general concepts derived from Scripture (e.g., *covenant or *biblical theology). This goes beyond analogia scripturae: interpreting difficult passages with clear ones. Karl *Barth revised it further by opposing it to the *analogia entis. He argued that since *revelation alone discloses a likeness between God and humanity, one cannot separate knowledge of God’s being from God’s act of revelation. Therefore, no proposition counts as *knowledge of God unless it is related to God as revealed in the *Word of God.

Anglicanism. The branch of *Protestantism associated with the Church of England, beginning with Henry VIII’s Act of Supremacy (1534), which officially launched the *English Reformation. During the reign of Elizabeth I, ministers such as John Jewel and Richard Hooker wrote important defenses of the Church of England, forging a middle way between Catholicism and the continental Reformation. Through the *Acts of Uniformity, the *Book of Common Prayer as crafted by Thomas *Cranmer emerged as the standard for public *worship and *liturgy and the *Thirty-Nine Articles gave definition to Anglican *doctrine. Today the Anglican Communion contains immense diversity and is now the third largest affiliation of Christian churches in the world.

antinomianism. The belief (from Latin, “against the law”) that Christians are free from any obligation to the law because they have been set free by *faith in the gospel. This precise term arose in a debate between Johann Agricola, Philipp *Melanchthon and Martin *Luther regarding the place of the law in the Christian life. Although Luther was criticized for making light of the law through an emphasis on *sola fide and *sola gratia, he sought to settle the debate by writing Against the Antinomians (1539), asserting that *law and gospel are not opposed. Other Reformers, such as John *Calvin, affirmed the benefit of the law in its three uses, although debate about the law’s continuing significance persisted after the *Reformation, as in the case of *Puritan Anne Hutchinson in seventeenth-century New England.

apologetics. The theory and practice of defending Christianity. Numerous apologetic tasks are recognized within the Reformed tradition, including answering objections, responding to heterodoxy, demonstrating rational coherence of theological systems, providing evidence for the faith, assuaging doubts and exploring presuppositions. At the heart of the tradition, however, is the conviction held by theologians such as *Calvin and *Barth that God’s triune *revelation, rather than human reason, is the final arbiter in apologetic arguments. Reformed methods include classical, philosophical, *presuppositional and *worldview apologetics as advocated by (among others) B. B. *Warfield, Herman *Dooyeweerd, Cornelius *Van Til and Francis *Schaeffer, respectively.

apostasy. Intentional abandonment and rejection of *faith previously professed. *Reformed theology takes biblical warnings against apostasy seriously, seeing them as a means by which God commands and empowers his people to persevere with faithful obedience. The possibility of true and total apostasy, therefore, is not viewed as contrary to the *perseverance of the saints; rather, apostasy is a real phenomenon when those who have merely professed faith outwardly and have participated in the visible *church then reject the faith either in word or in deed, making internal realities publicly known.

architecture, church. Medieval church buildings incorporated a complex system of theologically significant structures and images, an approach challenged by many sixteenth-century Reformers. *Luther argued that true *worship does not need a building, and other Reformers such as *Calvin and *Zwingli agreed that a simple meeting hall was sufficient for Christian worship. Many early Protestant congregations, however, worshiped in formerly Roman Catholic church buildings, often moving the pulpit to a more central location as well as removing statues of saints and stained glass images. The growth of *Protestantism in the early seventeenth century was accompanied by the construction of new Protestant churches, ranging in style from simple rural buildings to the extravagant baroque structures of English architect Christopher Wren.

Arminianism. A theological system based on the teachings of Dutch theologian Jacobus *Arminius and his early followers, the *Remonstrants. After Arminius’s death, the Remonstrants issued five articles summarizing their beliefs in opposition to *Calvinists, who countered with the Canons of *Dort, much later summarized by *TULIP. While originally condemned as heretics by the Synod of Dort, the Remonstrants later obtained legal toleration in Holland, and many Protestants still adhere to Arminianism today. While it has many *doctrines in common with *Reformed theology, it differs significantly in its teaching on *predestination, *free will and *atonement. The system follows Arminius’s original teachings that God’s *election is conditional on his *foreknowledge of human free choice, that God provides *prevenient grace to everyone in order to enable people to choose *faith in Jesus, and that believers are able to lose their *salvation since they always have the free will to accept or reject Christ. Contemporary Arminianism includes a wide variety of viewpoints on key issues, like whether the governmental or penal-substitutionary atonement is more accurate. Arminians today also differ at times with Arminius’s own views, such as his support of infant *baptism, which is now opposed by most Arminians.

Arminius, Jacobus (1560–1609). The Latinized name of Dutch theologian, pastor and writer Jakob Hermanszoon. He is most remembered for his views on *predestination, *free will, *grace, *atonement and *perseverance of the saints, which differed from the traditional *Augustinian and *Calvinist doctrines as expressed in the *Belgic Confession and *Heidelberg Catechism. Arminius was educated at Marburg (1575), Leiden (1576–1581), Basel (1582–1583) and Geneva (1582, 1584–1586), and studied under *Calvin’s successor, Theodore *Beza. He served as a pastor in Amsterdam from 1588 to 1603 and as professor of theology at the University of Leiden from 1603 to the end of his life. Arminius came to oppose unconditional *election and *supralapsarianism, arguing instead that God’s election was conditional on his *foreknowledge of who would choose *faith in Christ. He also taught that Christ accomplished a universal *atonement, although only those who believe in Christ are saved. He maintained that the Holy Spirit provides *prevenient grace enabling humans to believe in Christ, but that people can fall away from *salvation because of their free will. After his death, the *Remonstrants proposed five articles challenging *Calvinism, resulting in the Canons of *Dort, which later have been associated with *TULIP. Those who subscribed to Arminius’s views became known as Arminians, though the theology of contemporary *Arminianism differs in some ways from his original teachings.

assurance of salvation (assurance of faith). Confidence regarding the power and promise of God to accomplish *salvation, which follows from other Reformed *doctrines of grace, such as *election and *perseverance of the saints. Some Reformers, such as John *Calvin, were careful to distinguish between objective assurance as a gift of the Holy Spirit and subjective or psychological certainty, recognizing the presence of doubt and anxiety in the Christian life. Others argued for absolute certainty as a sign of true *faith, motivating the *Council of Trent to criticize the “ungodly confidence” of this position. In A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections (1746), Jonathan *Edwards argued that although there is no infallible sign of election, *holiness is the chief mark of true religion (i.e., *regeneration).

atonement. Describing the reconciliation of God and humanity, this *doctrine identifies the agent and means of *salvation with the work of Christ culminating at the cross. Reformed accounts typically use the structure of the covenant to describe God as the agent and Christ as the instrument of reconciliation, also emphasizing the primacy of Christ’s mediation (*solus Christus), the judicial imagery of satisfaction (*propitiation) and *union with Christ. Normally the emphasis is on the finished work of Christ in his atoning sacrifice, his death on the cross exhaustively overcoming the guilt and threat of *sin. Theologians like John *Calvin and Karl *Barth highlighted the judicial aspect of God’s *election and Christ’s atonement. Against the trend of limiting the cross to a mere moral example, ...