Consummation Anyway: A Reformed Proposal

The central claim of a Consummation Anyway (CA) model is that God could bring about eschatological consummation sans the fall—the intended telos of created humanity—apart from the incarnation of Christ. As such, the CA model is an alternative to an Incarnation Anyway (IA) model, according to which Christ’s incarnation is a necessary means by which a state of eschatological glory would be achieved sans the fall. This essay seeks to propose an argument for the CA model by drawing from the covenant theology of the Reformed tradition, and it moves in four steps. Firstly, I shall summarize Marc Cortez’s recent arguments for IA, homing in on the major moves that are most relevant for sketching a CA model. Secondly, I will highlight the challenges Cortez has offered against those interested in defending a CA model. Thirdly, I shall sketch a Reformed account of the CA model that seeks to address Cortez’s objections. Fourthly, then, I’ll consider two potential objections against the sketch I have offered for CA, inspired by a recent argument offered by James T. Turner (2019). Finally, I close with a brief conclusion that summarizes some salient features of the proposed thesis. This paper thus proposes at least one way in which the CA thesis could remain a real and live option within this debate.

Refleksi Teologi Kovenan Berdasarkan Kejadian 1-3 dan Implikasinya bagi Kehidupan Orang Percaya Masa Kini

Covenant theology is one of the most important parts of the Christian faith. Theology is God's initiative in persuading His love for man. God promises to give redemption to all men without requirement. However, advances in technology and science have harmed one's belief in God's promise. The purpose of this study was to find reflections of covenant theology found in Genesis 1-3 and its implications for today's believers. The method used in this article is library research with a descriptive qualitative approach. Through the research of the library, three covenants that God gave to man were covenants of work, redemption, and grace. The covenant can still be enjoyed by all believers today if, it can place Christ at the center of the fulfillment of god's covenant.

Calvin and the Covenant

Today, covenant theology is often equated with Calvinism. The study of Calvin’s own use of the biblical covenant motive, however, has generated a controversial interpretation of the Reformed tradition. While some scholars have recently denied Calvin a genuine theology of the covenant, so as to oppose him to Heinrich Bullinger (1504–1575) and the covenant theology developed in Zurich, this chapter emphasizes Calvin’s positive reception and integration of Zurich’s theology in his Institutes. Even if Calvin did not himself significantly contribute to the development of covenant theology, he ensured Bullinger’s theology gained an enduring place within Calvinism.

John Davenant’s Covenant Theology

This chapter situates John Davenant’s covenant theology into his broader Reformed context. Against certain misinterpretations of Reformed covenant theology, and of Davenant in particular, this chapter shows that Davenant’s covenant theology—even as it was used to defend his hypothetical universalism—was not especially noteworthy relative to other Elizabethan Reformed theologians, nor to the broader European Reformed community. To that end, the chapter details how Davenant understood both the so-called covenant of works and the covenant of grace. Special focus is given to Davenant’s insistence on the universality of the covenant of grace and the role played by his doctrine of an absolute covenant, corresponding to predestination.

John Davenant's Hypothetical Universalism

AAaJohn Davenant’s hypothetical universalism has consistently been misinterpreted and misrepresented as a via media between Arminianism and Reformed theology. This study examines Bishop Davenant’s hypothetical universalism in the context of early modern Reformed orthodoxy. In light of the various misunderstandings of early modern hypothetical universalism, including English hypothetical universalism, as well as the paucity of studies touching on the theology of Davenant in particular, this book gives a detailed exposition of Davenant’s doctrine of universal redemption in dialogue with his understanding of closely related doctrines such as God’s will, predestination, providence, and covenant theology and (2) defends the thesis that Davenant’s version of hypothetical universalism represents a significant strand of the Augustinian tradition, including the early modern Reformed tradition. In service of these two aims, this book examines the patristic and medieval periods as they provide the background for the Lutheran, Remonstrant, and Reformed reactions to the so-called Lombardian formula (“Christ died sufficiently for all; effectually for the elect”). Moreover, it traces how Davenant and his fellow British delegates at the Synod of Dordt shaped the Canons of Dordt in such a way as to allow for their English hypothetical universalism. A careful exposition of the various theses found in Davenant’s De Morte Christi makes up the central core of this book. Finally, this study explores Davenant’s covenant theology and doctrine of the divine will.

Why did Henry Dunster Reject Infant Baptism? Circumcision and the Covenant of Grace in the Seventeenth-Century Transatlantic Reformed Community

In 1653 Henry Dunster, Harvard's first President, refused to baptise his fourth child, initiating a controversy that would end in his resignation from the Harvard presidency in October 1654. This article offers an explanation for Dunster's rejection of infant baptism by re-examining the causes behind the spread of antipaedobaptism across 1640s England and New England, attributing special significance to the Anglophone reception of continental European covenant theology. Supporting this account, it presents an annotated edition of a previously unknown item in Dunster's correspondence, a letter sent to him by a concerned onlooker just months after his heterodoxy became public.

Theology

Although wisdom is usually seen as separate from Covenant Theology, a full-orbed, canonical account of wisdom will lead us to consider wisdom and covenant as linked by their common root in creation. Biblical Israel conceived of wisdom as a divine or human capacity rooted and revealed in creation, and implicitly inseparable from covenant as its theological presupposition. This chapter discusses the nature of wisdom as a concept, the presuppositions and conditions associated with it, and what it does. It situates wisdom and covenant in the created order as all three realities converge in the fear of the Lord.

R.W. Emerson's Views on the Nature of Historical Knowledge

In his moral philosophy of transcendentalism the American essayist, lecturer and poet R.W. Emerson (1803–1882) reflected the quest of a whole generation of American intellectuals for a new spirituality in the first half of the 19th century. Rooted in the heritage of Protestant faith and culture, like many of his ancestors for two centuries, Emerson received spiritual training and education and began his ministry as a pastor of one of the oldest parishes in Boston. However, later, in the course of spiritual and philosophical inquiries, he changed both his worldview and the nature of his creative activity. Emerson evolved from being a pastor for a local community to a popular lecturer to mass audiences across America's cities and states. Considering this change, the paper traces the genesis of R.W. Emerson's historical epistemology as it developed from his early writings (sermons and notebooks, including correspondence) towards his lectures and essays. We start by discussing the interest of Nietzsche in historical ideas of Emerson, identify the points at which their concepts diverge in their attitude towards doctrines of Christianity. We immerse Emerson's perceptions of history in the context of covenant theology, the meaning of Lord's Supper and the nature of Christ as expressed in the opinions of the ministers of Congregational and Unitarian Churches in Massachusetts. Special attention is paid to Emerson's concept of history denying Gospel events as the centre of the world's history and implying a possibility for an authentic and credible reenactment of historical events within the subjective experience of an individual. The analysis involves the essay History, Sermons No.5 and No.162, the Lectures on the Gospels and on the Philosophy of History.