MC 601K—Reformed Ecclesiology and Polity Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Instructor: Preston Graham Jr

Home , Andrew Purves, Archibald Alexander, Hughes Oliphant Old, John Murray (theologian), Richard Gaffin

MC 601K—Reformed Ecclesiology and Polity Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Instructor: Preston Graham Jr. Fall Semester 2007 (Fridays: 1:15-4:15)

Course Description: No extent of space interferes with the boundless energy of the Spirit, which transfuses life into us from the flesh of Christ. John Calvin, Corpus Reformatorum

A lofty conception of the sacramental nature of the church indeed! And yet it formed the basis for John Calvin’s conception of the church as the New Covenant temple of God, so much so that He would later declare,

Beyond the pale of the Church, no forgiveness of sins, no salvation, can be hoped for... and hence the abandonment of the Church is always fatal? John Calvin, Institutes (4.1.4)

This course will seek to construct an ecclesial and pastoral theology in conversation with the historic Reformed tradition together with its practical relevance to contemporary ministry. Divided into two parts, ecclesial and pastoral theology respectively, both topics will be explored beginning with a redemptive-historical analysis moving to a confessional analysis and then finally to a contemporary analysis. The theological premise reflected throughout the course concerns the sacramental nature of the gospel, or the mediated presence of God unto salvation, as this then is reflected in a “temple” theology of the church and a “priestly” theology of the pastorate, albeit reflected in the classic reformed tradition. Our theological construction will result in both a “High gospel” (gospel centered and missional) and a “High Church” (confessional, sacramental and communal) spirituality relevant to today’s emergent ministry.

Course Structure and Requirements:

Structure: The course will be set up as a readings course coupled with classroom discussions and presentations. Each week the first half of the class will be devoted to discussing the topic and corresponding reading assignments that week. The second half of class will be devoted to introducing the topic to be covered in the readings for discussion the following week. Guest ecclesial practitioners will be invited to participate in this second half of the discussion as determined by instructor and availability.

Requirements: For Pass/Fail: 1) Each Student will be required to turn in an annotated bibliography of all the assigned readings by the end of the semester 2) Each student will be required to write and present a two page review on a text of choice from the reading list.

For Grade: 3) In addition to the above pass/fail requirements, the student will prepare a 15 page paper on a relevant topic in ecclesiology or pastoral theology as approved by the instructor.

Reading Assignments::* The assigned readings for this course are divided into two categories generally: core readings and weekly readings. The core assignments can be read at any time throughout the course, perhaps the focus of reading weeks (we will have three “reading” weeks in this class). The weekly selections should be read by the assigned

1 week and will be discussed during class. It is very important that the student come to each class prepared to discuss these assignments on the assigned weeks, as this forms the basis of our classroom experience. (Some Readings will be “skim reads” and other are subject to change-TBA)

Core Readings: ! Core Readings in Ecclesiology: o John Calvin, Institutes (Selections on Ecclesiology) " Book 4, Chapters 1-4, 12:1-11, 14:1-19, 15, 16-17 o George Gillespie, 111 Propositions (skim)

! Core Readings in Pastoral Theology: o Andrew Purves, Pastoral Theology in the Classical Tradition

! Core Reading in Reformed Worship o Hughes Oliphant Old, Worship

! A Reading in Ecclesial Polity (skim) o The Polity Book of Personal Affiliation

Weekly Schedule and Reading Assignments:

Week 1 (9/7): Introduction: Post-Christendom—Present Trends and Practices in Ecclesial and Pastoral Theology Discuss o An Anonymous Ecclesial Survey (To be completed in class) o Post-Christian or Post-Ecclesiasticum? Our Present Context for doing Ecclesiology

Introduce: o A Primer in Christian Spirituality: Five Dynamics Of Salvation By Divine Presence o Ecclesial-Historical Bibliography

Week 2 (9/14): A Biblical Theology in Ecclesiology Discuss o Preston Graham Jr, A Sacramental Theology of the Gospel, Rediscovering the Saving Presence of God in the Church (especially part 1) (on reserve and available at http://www.christpresnewhaven.org/documents/A%20sacramental%20gospel.pdf o T. F. Torrance, Royal Priesthood, Chapter 2, The Function of the Body of Christ” (On reserve in GCTS library) o Lesslie Newbigin, The Reunion of the Church, Chapter 2: “The Israel of God” (On Reserve) o James Bannerman, The Church of Christ, Introduction, Chapter 1-5 (On Reserve)

Introduce: A Primer on the Confessing Church o The Dogma is the Drama o The Idea of Creedalism o A Reformed Pedigree

Week 3 (9/21): The Confessing Church (PG Gone, RL) Discuss o Dorothy Sayers, Creed or Chaos? Chapter 3, “The Dogma is the Drama” o Samuel Miller, Doctrinal Integrity... Chapter 1, “Arguments in Favor of Creeds,” Chapter 2 Answers for “Objections to Creeds”, “Concluding Remarks” o Michael Horton, Apostle Creed, Introduction o Contemporary Issues in Subscription (Good Faith...?)

Introduce: The Communal Church: Church Power and Ecclesial Relation to Society

Week 4 (9/28): The Communal Church: Church Power and Ecclesial Relation to Society Discuss o James Bannerman, The Church of Christ, Vol. 1, Part 2: Chapter 1, 3,4,5 (On Reserve) o Preston Graham Jr. The Centrality of the Church as a Social Strategy, (On Reserve) o Stuart Robinson, “The Relation of the Temporal and Spiritual Powers Historically Considered,” “Letters to Theological Students” located in Preston Graham Jr, A Kingdom Not of This World, (2001) (On Reserve) o (supplemental) " The Barmen Declaration " Richard Hayes

Introduce: A Primer on the Sacramental Church

Week 5(10/5): The Sacramental Church Discuss o E. Brooks Holifield “Mercersberg, Princeton, and the South: The Sacramental Controversy in the Nineteenth Century", Journal of the Presbyterian Historical Society, 54 (1976), p. 245ff, (On reserve) o John Williamson Nevin, The Mystical Presence...Chapter 1,Section 1: “Statement of Doctrine” (read), Section 2, “Historical Evidence” (Very Quick Skim), Chapter 3, Section 2, “The Mystical Union” and Section 3: “The Lord’s Supper” (Read carefully) (On Reserve) o John Calvin, Treatise on Lord’s Supper (On Reserve) o [Supplemental] Preston Graham Jr, A Baptism that Saves (1999) (On Reserve)

Introduce: A Primer on Pastoral Theology

Week 6(10/12): GCTS Reading Week

Week 7 (10/19): Pastoral Theology and Issues in Ordination Discuss o T. F. Torrance, The Eldership in the Reformed Church, http://eldership.org/resources/elders_sjt.html o Preston Graham Jr. A Priest With No Name (Reserve) o R. L. Dabney, “What is a Call to Ministry” Vol 2, Discussions: Evangelical and Theological (On Reserve) (also if possible, “The Standard of Ordination, Vol 3) o Martin Bucer, Concerning the Care of the Souls and Genuine Pastoral Ministry (Read as much as you can, you won’t regret it!) o Denominational Books of Church Order

Introduce: Topics of Controversy and Pastoral Ministry

Week 8 (10/26 (PG in DC) Discuss? TBD o Women in Ministry: Inter Insigniores, Declaration on the Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood (Reserve) o Sabbath: Lee Iron’s Eschatological Sabbath (Reserve) o Auburn and New Perspective?

Introduce: Missional Theology and Ecumenism

3 Week 9 (11/2) The Missional Church and Ecumenism Discus o Michael W. Goheen , “As The Father Has Sent Me, I Am Sending You’: Lesslie Newbigin’s Missionary Ecclesiology, International Review of Mission 91, 362 (2002): 345-369. o Lesslie Newbigin Readings: Religious Pluralism—A Missiological Approach, The Gospel in Today’s Global City, Can the West Be Converted, Ecumenical Amnesia (On Reserve, Online at: http://calm.bham.ac.uk/DServeA) o Preston Graham Jr. Lesslie Newbigin’s Missional Ecclesiology Explored: A Christo-Centric proposal for Ecumenism in today’s Global Context (On Reserve)

o Supplemental: --Darrel Guder The Church as Missional Community (On Reserve) --Serene Jones, Calvin and the Rhetoric of Piety, Chapter five, “Divinitatis Sensus and “Boundaries of Otherness (On Reserve)( --Tim Keller’s, Missional Church, Evangelistic Worship (On Reserve) -- Issues in Coming to Faith (c.f. www.christpresnewhaven.org/home.html, Q &A)

Introduce: Primer on Pastor’s Function in Worship

Week 10 (11/9)GCTS Reading Week

Week 11 (11/16) Pastor’s Function in Worship o R.L. Dabney, Sacred Rhetoric (selections) o Samuel Miller, Public Prayer (selections) o Old, Worship

Introduce: Pastoral Leadership and Participation in Church Courts

Week 12 (11/23) (last class) Discuss " McElrath, The Ascent of A Leader, (Selections) " Ronald Heifetz, Marty Linsky, Leadership on the Line, (selections) " David Gordon, Argument Fallacies (skim) " Samuel Miller (Conduct in Church Courts) Selections

Q & A:

See Bibliography:

4 5

Bibliography and Resources (In addition to the Topical Bibliographies as provided during class)

Suggested Online Resources and Recommended Readings Related to Christian Discipleship and Pastoral Ministry

www.christpresnewhaven.org/StudyCenterLinks.htm

Reformed Ecclesiology by T. David Gordon, P. Graham Jr. All annotations are by T. David Gordon (1991)

Presbyterian History in America

Baird, Samuel J. A Collection of the Acts, Deliverances and Testimonies of the Supreme Judicatory of Presbyterian Church, From Its Origin in America to the Present Time, with Notes and Documents, Explanatory and Historical. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1856.

Gillet, E. H. History of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. 2 vols. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publications, 1864.

Minutes of the Presbyterian Church in America, 1706-88.

Minutes of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America.

Moore, William E. The Presbyterian Digest of 1886. A Compend of the Acts and Deliverances of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board, 1886. [Moore’s first “digest” had been published in 1873. W. A. Alexander published one in 1898, and there are several others. Each of these is valuable, in permitting a student of Presbyterianism access to General Assembly actions on a variety of subjects. The limitation is that none are exhaustive, and some are inexplicably selective (sometimes including related acts of, say 1835 and 1872, but omitting an action on the same topic in 1845). Nevertheless, as a first step of research, a digest is quicker than reading through the indeces to the minutes of each Presbyterian body!]

Nevin, Alfred, ed. Encyclopaedia of the Presbyterian Church of America: Including the Northern and Southern Assemblies. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Publishing Co., 1884. [This volume is a rich mine of information regarding American Presbyterianism to 1884. There are articles on individuals, on particular churches, on distinctive doctrines, on the spread of Presbyterianism in various regions, etc.]

Presbyterian Reunion: A Memorial Volume. New York: Lent & Company, 1870. [This volume, celebrating the reunion of the Old School and New School parties in the Northern Church, contains some interesting historical material. The first chapter, written by Samuel Miller (the younger), reviews the history of the OS branch since the division in 1837; the second chapter, by Jonathan F. Stearns, reviews the NS branch for the

5 6

same period. In the third chapter, Wm. Sprague supplies biographical sketches of prominent figures in the OS; in the fourth, Z. M. Humphrey provides the same for the NS branch. William Adams then provides a chapter on the reunion, and there is a chapter on the two 1869 assemblies (in which the decision to reunite was carried by both bodies). The appendices contain some significant statistical information for the period in question.]

Patton, Jacob Harris. A Popular History of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. New York: Appleton, 1903.

Smith, Morton. Studies in Southern Presbyterian Theology. 1962. Reprint, Presbyterian & Reformed, 1987. [Those with short memories may not know that Dr. Smith, in addition to having taught at Reformed Seminary and having founded Greenville Seminary, was the first Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church in America (for 15 years). He is widely and correctly regarded as both an able student of the Southern Presbyterian Church and an able student of Presbyterianism. While this volume covers only Southern Presbyterianism, it does assist profoundly in that sphere, and includes a good amount of biographical information.]

Sprague, William B. Annals of the American Presbyterian Pulpit; or Commemorative Notices of Distinguished Clergymen of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. (2 vols). New York: Carter, 1860. [Sprague edited a multi-volume series that covered several denominations, and these two volumes are devoted to Presbyterians. It includes biographies of “distinguished” clergy who had ceased their earthly toils prior to 1855. This is somewhat unfortunate, because the volume thus necessarily omits many significant Presbyterian figures whose careers were at their zenith in 1855, e.g, Charles Hodge, Gardiner Spring, J. W. Alexander, Benjamin Morgan Palmer, John B. Adger, Robert Lewis Dabney, James Henley Thornwell. Nevertheless, it includes significant early figures, from Francis Mackemie through the Tennants, Samuel Blair, David Brainerd, Samuel Davies, John Witherspoon, Samuel Stanhope Smith, Moses Hoge, Ashbel Green, to Samuel Miller, Archibald Alexander, and Francis Scott Sampson. Most of the articles are not written by Sprague, but by those who knew the subjects well].

Webster, Richard. A History of the Presbyterian Church in America, from its Origin Until the Year 1760, with Biographical Sketches of its Early Ministers. Philadelphia: Joseph M. Wilson, 1857.

Charles Hodge, The Constitutional History of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1851)

George Marsden, The Evangelical Mind and the New School Presbyteian Experience

Brad Longfield, The Presbyterian Controversy

Trinterud, Leanard J., The Forming of an American Tradition, A re-examination of Colonial Presbyterianism, (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1949)

E.H. Gillett, History of the Presbyterian Church Vol.1-2

6 7

Robert Ellis Thompson, A History of the Presbyterian Churhces in the United States

Ecclesiastical Histories

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

Kennedy, W. A., ed. Sesquicentennial History of the ARPC. Jacob Brothers: 1951. BX 8999 .A82 A3.

Kung, Roy, A History of the ARPC Board of Christian Education, ARPC: 1966. BX 8999 .A82 K586.

Orthodox Presbyterian Church

Dennison, Charles, ed. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church 1936-86. Philadelphia, PA: The Committee for the Historian of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 1986. BX 8999 .O62 07. [Contains general articles on the OPC’s founding and history, and information on all the particular churches in the OPC as of the date of writing.]

------, and Richard Gamble, eds. Pressing Toward the Mark. Corapolis, PA: The Committee for the Historian of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 1986. BX8999 .O65 P73. [Not a history per se, though there are historical articles within it; this collection introduces fairly well the ethos of the OPC.]

Minutes of General Assembly. BX 8999 .06 A3.

Presbyterian Church in America

Hutchinson, George P. The History of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod. Cherry Hill, N. J.: Mack Publishing Co, 1974. BX 8999 .R53 H89.

------. (Forthcoming authorized history of the PCA).

Loetscher, Lefferts A. A Brief History of the Presbyterians. Fourth edition. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1983.

------. The Broadening Church: A Study of Theological Issues in the Presbyterian Church Since 1869. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1954. [This frequently-reprinted work is a history of “mainline” Presbyterianism, from a decidedly favorable perspective. As such, it is also an apology for the broadening tendencies of mainline Presbyterianism in the twentieth century. Very well-written, this is an excellent introduction into the ethos of the PCUSA.]

Marsden, George M. “Perspective on the Division of 1937.” Pressing Toward the Mark. Essays Commemorating Fifty Years of the ORthodox Presbyterian Church. Edited by Charles G. Dennison and Richard C. Gamble. Philadelphia: The Committee for the Historian of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 1986, pp. 295-328.

PCA Digest, 1973-1993. A Digest of the Minutes of the Presbyterian Church in America. 2 vols. Atlanta, GA, 1993.

7 8

Smith, Frank J. The History of the Presbyterian Church in America: The Continuing Church Movement. Manassas, Va: Reformation Educational Foundation, 1985. BX 8999 .P732 S64. [Privately published, this perspective on the PCA suggests, in its title, that the PCA is a “continuing” church, continuing the confession and heritage of the earlier PCUS.]

Smartt, Kennedy. I Am Reminded: An Autobiographical, Anecdotal History of the Presbyterian Church in America. n.p., n.d., c. 1994. [Like Williamson, Smartt was one of the founders of the PCA. This volume provides some behind-the-scenes information about events leading to the formation and history of the PCA, and also includes vignettes of some of its more colorful figures.]

Williamson, W. Jackson. History of the Presbyterian Church in America. n.p., n.d. [This is a compilation of 14 documents and addresses, collected by the first moderator of the PCA, Jack Williamson. They are primary sources, that enable one to discern something of the circumstances and ethos that produced the PCA. They are available from the bookstore at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, MS, where Mr. Williamson instructs in church polity.]

Yearbook of the Presbyterian Church in America. BX 8999 .P7 A35.

Minutes of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America. BX 8999 .P71 A3.

Christian Reformed Church

Bratt, James D. Dutch Calvinism in Modern America: A History of a Conservative Subculture. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985. BX 9495 .B73.

Heyns, William. Handbook for Elders and Deacons. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1928.

Kromminga, J. The Christian Reformed Church: A Study in Orthodoxy. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1949. BX 6815 .K75.

De Klerk, Peter, and Richard R. De Ridder, eds. Perspectives on the Christian Reformed Church: Studies in History, Theology and Ecumenicity Presented in Honor of John Henry Kromminga. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1983. BX 6809 .P47.

Manual of Christian Reformed Church Government. BX 6826 .B74.

Schaver, J. L., Christian Reformed Church Order. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1937.

------. The Polity of the Churches. 2 vols. Vol. 1 Concerns for All Churches of Christendom. Vol. 2, Concerns of Reformed Church Polity. The Christian Reformed Church. Grand Rapids: Grand Rapids International Publications, 1956.

Yearbook of the Christian Reformed Church. BX 6807.

Acts of Synod of the Christian Reformed Church. BX 6805.

8 9

Reformed Church in America

Brouwer, A. Reformed Church Roots. USA: Reformed Church Press, 1977. BX 9515 .B68. de Jong, Gerald F. The Dutch Reformed Church in the American Colonies. Author, 1978. BX 9515 .D39.

Book of Church Order. BX 9522 .A3.

Minutes of the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America. BX 9507 .A5.

Reformed Presbyterian Çhurch in North America

Delivuk, John Allen. The Doctrine and History of Worship in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary: Author, 1982. BX 8995 .D44.

Presbyterian Church in the United States (Southern Presbyterian Church)

Foote, William Henry. Sketches of North Carolina: Historical and Biographical. New York: Robert Carter, 1846. Rprt.

------. Sketches of Virginia: Historical and Biographical. Vol. 1. Philadelphia: William Martien, 1850. Vol. 2. New York: J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1855.

Johnson, Thomas Cary. A History of the Southern Presbyterian Church. American Church History Series, Vol. XI. New York, 1894.

Ministerial Directory of the Presbyterian Church, U. S. Various editions, 1941, 1951, 1967, 1975, 1983.

A Digest of the Acts and Proceedings of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. Several editions, 1887, 1898, 1910, 1922, 1944, 1965.

Smith, Morton H. How Is the Gold Become Dim. Jackson, MS: Steering Committee for a Continuing Presbyterian Church, 1973. [This volume contains a narrative of significant church-decisions in the PCUS that eventually persuaded many of its ministers and churches of the necessity of withdrawing from its communion. It is not merely a coincidence that the PCA was formed in the same year that this volume was published.]

Thompson, Ernest Trice. Presbyterians in the South. 3 vols. Richmond, VA: John Knox Press, 1963. [Thompson, who taught Ecclesiastical History at Union Theological Seminary in VA, was also one of the significant denominational figures in the PCUS from the 1950’s through the seventies. Thompson was widely regarded as a significant instigator of liberal theological tendencies in that communion.]

Sacraments, Worship, Ministry, Government

9 10

Adams, Jay E. Handbook of Church Discipline. Ministers Resource Library. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986. [Page for page (only 120) there is probably more good material here than in anything else you are likely to read. This volume is a must for officer- training, and should be read by every church-member.]

Alston, Wallace M. The Church. Guides to the Reformed Tradition, ed. John H. Leith and John W. Kuykendall. Atlanta: John Knox, 1982. BV 600.2 .A45.

Avis, Paul D. L. The Church in the Theology of the Reformers. New Foundations Theological Library. Atlanta: John Knox, 1981. BV 598 .A93.

Baird, Charles. Presbyterian Liturgies. 1855; rpt., Grand Rapids: Baker, 1960. [This volume was quite significant when first published, because it resulted from discovering a number of manuscripts in Europe convincingly demonstrating that fixed forms/liturgies were employed by Calvin, Knox, Richard Baxter, et. al.]

Bannerman, James. The Church of Christ. 2 vols. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1960; Still Waters Revival Books, Edmonton, 1991. BV 600 .B22. [This may very well be the finest single work on ecclesiology ever written in the Presbyterian tradition. It is comprehensive in scope, and historically and theologically compelling. If you can purchase one while they are still in print, do so.]

Barker, William S. “A Response to Professor George Knight's Article ‘Subscription to the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechism.’” Presbuterion 10, no. 1-2 (Spring/Fall, 1984): 64-71. [This is part of a 4-piece exchange between Barker and George Knight, see below.]

------. “Subscription to the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms.” Presbuterion 10, no. 1-2 (Spring/Fall, 1984): 1-19.

Bogue, Carl W. The Scriptural Law of Worship. With an appendix on “Church Power in Relation to Worship,” by William Cunningham. Dallas, TX: Presbyterian Heritage Publications, 1988.

Breckinridge, Robert J. Presbyterian Government, Not a Hierarchy, But a Commonwealth. Edited, with an introductory essay by Kevin Reed. Dallas, TX: Presbyterian Heritage Publications, 1988. [This essay by the influential Breckinridge addresses “whether our church constitution establishes a government under which the final power and the actual authority are in the hands of the preachers as preachers, or (in the hands) of the body of Christian people to be exercised through officers regularly connected with them…” As was common in the early-to-mid 19th century, Presbyterians expended probably more energy distinguishing themselves from Episcopacy (as was also true in the case of their forbears in the British isles) than from independency (though they did this also on occasion).]

Bridges, Charles. The Christian Ministry With an Inquiry Into the Causes of its Inefficiency. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1983. [This is a well-known treatise on the practical demands, disciplines, and privileges of the Christian ministry.]

10 11

Broadus, John A. A Treatise on the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons. 1870; reprinted many times. [This volume is justly considered a classic work on preaching, and its general similarity to Dabney’s volume indicates the widespread agreement on the nature and method of preaching in previous centuries. Often overlooked is the final chapter on the “Conduct of Public Worship,” (476-504) a valuable, wisdom-packed discussion. This chapter has separate treatment of scripture-reading, hymns and their selection, public prayer, length of services, and pulpit decorum. If nothing else, photocopy these pages and re-read them often.]

Brown, Mark R., ed. Order in the Offices. Duncansville, PA: Classic Presbyterian Government Resources, 1994. [A collection of essays on the offices in the Presbyterian form of government, especially focusing on the distinct role of minister of the Word. This collection includes several 19th-century essays by Charles Hodge and Thomas Smyth, and both new and reprinted articles from the twentieth century.]

Burroughs, Jeremiah. Gospel Worship. The Right Manner of Sanctifying the Name of God in Hearing the Word; Prayer; and Receiving the Lord's Supper. Original, 1648. Reprint, Soli Deo Gloria, 1990. [Very practical instructions regarding preparation for and participation in worship.]

Clowney, Edmund P. “Distinctive Emphases in Presbyterian Church Polity.” Pressing Toward the Mark, op. cit., 99-110. [This is a "sleeper." It is one of the briefest able expressions of the Presbyterian understanding of limited, or "regulated" government in the church, doing so, as was historically by Owen and Bannerman, by reference to the liberty of conscience.]

Cullmann, Oscar. Early Christian Worship. Trans. A. Stewart Todd and James B. Torrance. London: SCM Press, 1953.

------. and F. J. Leenhardt. Essays on the Lord's Supper. Trans. J. G. Davies. Atlanta: John Knox, 1958.

Cunningham, William. “Christ’s Kingly Office.” Sermons From 1828 to 1860. Ed. J. J. Bonar. First ed., 1872. Reprint by Still Waters Revival Books, Edmonton, 1991, 351-64. [With Bannerman and Buchanan, Cunningham was a leading figure in mid-nineteenth century Scotland, and was principal of New College in Edinburgh. In this sermon, Cunningham demonstrates that Christ functions as king when the church follows his rule exclusively.]

------. Discussions on Church Principles. First ed., 1863. Reprint by Still Waters Revival Books, Edmonton, 1991. [This volume discusses the nature and limits of church-power, esp. in the context of the struggle with Anglicanism and Erastianism].

Dabney, Robert Lewis. “What is a Call to the Ministry?”: 26-46, “Lay Preaching”: 76-95, “The Public Preaching of Women” : 96-118, “Theories of the Eldership” : 119-57, “The Revised Book of Discipline”: 312-55 and 356-92, “What is Christian Union?”: 430-446, “Broad Churchism”: 447-63, “Fraternal Correspondence” : 464-71, “Fraternal Relations”: 472-502 in Discussions of Robert Lewis Dabney, vol. 2. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1982. [In these various essays, RLD discussed a variety of ecclesiastical issues that continue to be of great practical significance in our day. His “Theories of

11 12

the Eldership,” taken with Thornwell’s “The Ruling Elder a Presbyter,” contributed to the development of a “two-office” view].

------. “The Standard of Ordination,” in Discussions of Robert Lewis Dabney, vol. 3. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1982: 47-64.

------. “An Exposition of 1 Corinthians iii.10-15,” in Discussions of Robert Lewis Dabney, vol. 1. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1982, pp. 551-74. [This sermon on “wood, hay, stubble,” would revolutionize contemporary preaching if people read it and believed it. Dabney here argues that a minister’s effectiveness cannot be measured in this life, but only upon the return of Christ, when his hearers survive the final judgment. Therefore, the goal of preaching is to prepare the hearers for such.]

------. The Westminster Confession and Creeds. Dallas: Presbyterian Heritage Publications, 1983.

------. “The System of Alexander Campbell: An Examination of Its Leading Points,” in Discussions of Robert Lewis Dabney, vol. 1. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1982, pp. 314-49. [This apparently obscure essay is actually a critique of anti-creedalism; and a defense of the propriety of confessing the faith creedally.]

------. “Dr. Girardeau's ‘Instrumental Music in Public Worship,’ a Review.” Richmond, VA: Whittet and Sheperson, 1889. [This little pamphlet, virtually impossible to obtain, is actually Dabney's own articulation of the regulative principle of worship.]

Davies, Horton. Worship and Theology in England, 5 vols. Princeton: Princeton University, 1961-1975. [Davies has been conceded to be without peer in his knowledge of worship in the British isles, both Anglican and nonconforming].

------. The Worship of the English Puritans. Glasgow: Dacre Press, 1948.

Dennison, Charles, and Richard Gamble, eds. Pressing Toward the Mark. Corapolis, PA: The Committee for the Historian of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 1986. BX8999 .O65 P73. [This is a collection of essays commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the OPC. Included are a number of articles of both theological, ecclesiological, and historical interest, not the least of which is Professor Gaffin’s argument for sabbath- observance from Hebrews 4.]

Gaffin, Richard B., Jr. “A Sabbath Rest Still Awaits the People of God,” in Dennison, Charles, and Richard Gamble, eds. Pressing Toward the Mark. Corapolis, PA: The Committee for the Historian of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 1986, pp. 33-52.

Gillespie, George. Aaron’s Rod Blossoming. 1646. Reprint, Sprinkle Publications, Harrisonburg, VA, 1985. [One of the Scottish representatives to the Westminster Assembly, Gillespie was one of the most able men of his day. In this treatise, he defends the view of the separate government of church from the state.]

------. The Works of George Gillespie. Original collection, 1846. Reprint, Still Waters Revival Books: Edmonton, Canada, 1991. [These two volumes contain an enormous amount of Gillespie’s considerable writings. HIs famous 1637 deliverance, “A Dispute Against the English Popish Ceremonies Obtruded on the Church of Scotland,” remains a

12 13

classic statement regarding the sole prerogative of Jesus Christ to govern his church, against any encroachments by Pope or State. As such, it is also a classic statement of the Protestant understanding of the liberty of the Christian conscience. Also included is the 1644 treatise, “One Hundred and Eleven Propositions Concerning the Ministry and Government of the Church,” which, as its title suggests, covers a comprehensive range of ecclesiastical matters. The posthumously-published “A Treatise of Miscellany Questions” (1649) contains 22 chapters, many of which are ecclesiastical: 4 chapters on the divine institution, election, and installation of pastors; three on whether prophesy continues; four on the sacraments; several on heresies and how to avoid them; a fascinating argument on the moral obligation of obeying the “due and necessary consequences” of scriptural revelation, etc.]

Garrison, P. J. Presbyterian Polity and Procedures. Richmond: John Knox, 1953. [A commentary on the PCUS Book of Church Order, reflecting GA actions and deliverances up to 1952. Similar in format to J. Aspinwall Hodge and John D. Leslie.]

Girardeau, John L. Instrumental Music in the Public Worship of the Church. Richmond, VA: Whittet and Sheperson, 1888 (rpt. Havertown, PA: New Covenant Publication Society, 1983). [Girardeau was a junior colleague of Thornwell at Colombia, and, in this treatise, argued against the propriety of instrumental music in public worship.]

Gordon, T. David. “Some Answers about the Regulative Principle.” Westminster Theological Journal 55 (Fall, 1993): 321-29. [A reply to an article in the previous Journal, written by John M. Frame, “Some Questions about the Regulative Principle.]

------. “‘Equipping’ Ministry in Ephesians 4?” Journal for the Evangelical Theological Society 37, no. 1 (March 1994): 69-78. [An attempt at refuting the common mistranslation of Ephesians 4: “equip the saints to work the ministry…”]

------. “The Church’s Power: Its Relation to Subscription,” in The Practice of Confessional Subscription, ed. David W. Hall (University Press of America, 1994): 293-300.

Hagemann, Howard G. Pulpit and Table: Some Chapters in the History of Worship in the Reformed Churches. Richmond: John Knox, 1962.

Hall, David W. and Hall, Joseph H., editors. Paradigms in Polity. Classic Readings in Reformed and Prebyterian Church Government. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994. [As the title implies, this is a collection of selections from primary sources, many long out-of-print, dealing with ecclesiology. It includes selections from the ancient church, from the continental Reformed churches, from the British isles, and from the United States.]

Hall, David W., ed. The Practice of Confessional Subscription. University Press of America, 1995. [This is collection of nineteen articles related to the issue of subscription to church confessions. Some of the articles are re-prints of earlier publications (e.g., of R. L. Dabney, Charles Hodge, John Murray), though the majority are contemporary. Some of the articles are historical. Others are theological, hermeneutical, and even practical!]

Hetherington, William M. History of the Westminster Assembly of Divines. 1843; rpt., Edmonton: Stillwaters Revival Books, 1992.

13 14

Hodge, Charles. The Constitutional History of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1851; rpt. American Presbyterian Press, 1983. [Interesting in its own right as an historical work, this study is especially helpful in ascertaining the intentions of early American Presbyterianism. It is frequently consulted in discussions of the American Presbyterian understanding of confessional subscription.]

------. Discussions in Church Polity, From the Contributions to the “Princeton Review”. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1878. Selected and arranged by Wm. Durant, with a Preface by A. A. Hodge. [In these over-500 pages are contained a number of Hodge’s various discussions on matters related to the church in the Review. Although understandably difficult to attain, it is a valuable work, that should be purchased if available, since it is easier to acquire it than it is to acquire 40 years of the PTR.]

Hodge, J. Aspinwall. What is Presbyterian Law as Defined by the Church Courts? Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1882. [Regrettably difficult to obtain, this book consists of a number of questions about the practical implications of the Book of Church Order, answered by reference to acts of the General Assembly. Written by Charles Hodge’s nephew, it is structured around the PCUSA Constitution of 1821.]

Jay, Eric G. The Church: Its Changing Image Through Twenty Centuries. Atlanta: John Knox, 1980.

Knight, George W. III. “A Response to Dr. William Barker's Article ‘Subscription to the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms.’” Presbuterion 10, no. 1-2 (Spring/Fall, 1984): 56-63.

------. “Subscription to the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms.” Presbuterion 10, no. 1-2 (Spring/Fall, 1984): 20-55.

------. “Two Offices (Elders/Bishops and Deacons) and Two Orders of Elders (Preaching/Teaching Elders and Ruling Elders): A New Testament Study,” Presbyterion XI (1985), pp. 1-12. [This is probably the most able attempt at justifying the two-office position of the PCA. The response to it, by Robert Rayburn, taken with this article, provide a good introduction to the current discussion. ]

Kuiper, R. B. The Glorious Body of Christ. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust. BV 600 .K957. [Not really a full-blown ecclesiology, this volume is nevertheless useful especially in demonstrating the responsibility of the church to bear witness to Truth.]

Leith, John H. An Introduction to the Reformed Tradition. Atlanta: John Knox, 1977. [While Leith’s perspective on the Reformed tradition is somewhat neo-orthodox, his understanding of the tradition is nonetheless accurate, and his appreciation is sincere.]

Leslie, J. D. Presbyterian Law and Procedure in the Presbyterian Church in the United States. Richmond, VA: Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 1930. [This volume, written by a Stated Clerk of the PCUS General Assembly, contains 951 topics regarding the law of the PCUS. Where relevant, references are made to the Westminster Standards, the Book of Church Order, and acts of General Assembly. In overall content, this is very similar to J. A. Hodge’s volume.]

14 15

MacPherson, John. The Doctrine of the Church in Scottish Theology. Ed. C. G. M’Crie. Edinburgh: NacNiven & Wallace, 1903. BV 600 M24d.

Maddex, Jack P. “From Theocracy to Spirituality: The Southern Presbyterian Reversal on Church and State.” Journal of Presbyterian History 54, no. 4, 1976. [This controversial, and highly influential, essay alleges that the distinctive doctrine of the spirituality of the church was developed during Reconstruction, not in the antebellum period, and as a result of the influence of border-state Presbyterians such as Stuart Robinson. It should have been evident to Maddex, from the work of Thornwell (who died in 1862, prior to Reconstruction) and Thomas Peck, that the doctrine of the church’s spirituality was not developed during Reconstruction. Indeed, the changing of the chapter on the civil magistrate in the Westminster Standards by the first American Presbyterian Assembly in 1789, alone should have been evidence to confirm the thesis that this doctrine was a genuine dimension of American Presbyterian commitment prior to the abolitionist movement. Cf. the refutation of Maddex in Preston D. Graham, Jr., “True Presbyterion: The Peculiar Dilemna of a Border State Newspaper”, n.p., 1992.]

Martin, R. P. Worship in the Early Church. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,1964. [This work is written by a NT scholar, and the work is both historical and exegetical.]

------. The Worship of God. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982.

Maxwell, Jack Martin. Worship and Reformed Theology. Pittsburgh: Pickwick,1976.

Maxwell, William D. Concerning Worship. London: Oxford, 1948.

------. An Outline of Christian Worship. London: Oxford, 1949.

------. A History of Worship in the Church of Scotland. London: Oxford, 1955.

------. Eglise de Geneve. Westminster: Faith Press, 1965.

Melton, Julius. Presbyterian Worship in America: Changing Patterns since 1787. Richmond: John Knox, 1967. [There is no other work like this, which contains a sweep of American Presbyterian history on the issues of worship. While the author is decidedly NS in perspective, he is very fair and comprehensive in his presentation, and even writes gracefully. You are not likely to find a copy in a used-book store, but if you do, grab it.]

Miller, Samuel. An Essay, on the warrant, Nature and Duties of the Office of the Ruling Elder, in the Presbyterian Church. Dallas, TX: Presbyterian Heritage Publications, 1987. [Miller was the second professor at the seminary at Princeton, arriving in 1813, a year after Archibald Alexander. He wrote many articles, pamphlets, and books on matters of ecclesiology.]

------. “The Sermon, delivered at the Inauguration of the Rev. Archibald Alexander, D. D. as Professor of Didactic and Polemic Theology in the Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, in United States of America.” New York: Whitting and Watson, 1812. Reprinted as The Duty of the Church to take Measures for Providing an Able

15 16

and Faithful Ministry. Edited with an introductory essay by Kevin Reed. Dallas, TX: Presbyterian Heritage Publications, 1984.

------. The Utility and Importance of Creeds and Confessions: Addressed Particularly to Candidates for the Ministry. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1839. Reprinted under the title Miller on Creeds. Greenville, SC: A. Press, 1987.

------. Presbyterianism the Truly Primitive and Apostolical Constitution of the Church of Christ, with Infant Baptism Scriptural and Reasonable: and Baptism by Sprinkling or Affusion the most suitable and edifying mode. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1835.

Mitchell, Alexander F. The Westminster Assembly: Its History and Standards. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publications, 1884. Rpt. Edmonton: Stillwaters Revival Books, 1993.

Murray, Iain H., editor. The Reformation of the Church. A Collection of Reformed and Puritan Documents on Church Issues. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1987. [A collection of primary sources, most out of print, on matters related to ecclesiology].

------. “Ruling Elders--A Sketch of a Controversy,” Banner of Truth 235 (1983), pp. 1-9. [The name of the article is accurate; here is a sketch of the controversy over whether the “ruling elders” of Presbyterianism are the presbuvteroi of scripture. The article includes summaries of all the significant individuals and arguments in the debate].

------. “The Problem of the ‘Eldership’ and its Wider Implications,” Banner of Truth 395/396 (1996), pp. 36-56. [Murray expresses considerable doubt, in this article, as to whether it will ever be possible to decide with certainty what the NT “elder” actually was, and whether any form of ecclesiastical government will be able to establish this point jure divino.]

Murray, John. “The Nature and Unity of the Church,” “The Government of the Church,” “The Form of Government,” “Arguments Against Term Eldership,” “Office in the Church,” “The Sacraments,” “Baptism,” “The Lord’s Supper,” and “Restricted Communion,” in The Collected Writings of John Murray. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1977. vol. 2: section VI: 321-386. BX 8915 .M9. [These are the more significant ecclesiastical writings of John Murray.]

------. Christian Baptism. Philadelphia: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1974.

16 17

Nichols, James Hastings. Corporate Worship in the Reformed Tradition. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1968. [This is a gem, in presenting an overview of early continental Protestant worship, emphasizing, as the title suggests, the corporate character of such worship. Sadly, this has never been reprinted, and is difficult to find.]

Owen, John. “A Brief Instruction in the Worship of God and Discipline of the Churches of the New Testament,” Works of John Owen, vol. 15: 447-530. Ed. William H. Goold. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1862. [No one familiar with Owen is prepared to take him at face-value when he refers to any of his essays as “brief;” however, this one is full of practical information, and is, indeed, catechetically-arranged. In several of the 53 questions, Owen’s congregationalism manifests itself, but this in no way diminishes the overall value of the work.]

------. “A Discourse Concerning Liturgies and Their Imposition,” Works of John Owen, vol. 15: 3-57. Ed. William H. Goold. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1862. [This is only apparently a discussion of liturgies; it is much more a discussion of their imposition. As such, it is a discourse on the nature and limits of the church’s power, and a very able one.]

------. “The Word of God the Sole Rule of Worship,” Works of John Owen, vol. 13. Ed. William H. Goold. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1862, pp. 462-506. [This little essay is probably the most concise expression of Owen's understanding of the regulative principle of worship.]

Peck, Thomas E. Notes on Ecclesiology. Richmond, VA: Presbyterian Committee on Publications, 1892. Rpt.: Greenville Theological Seminary Press, 1995. BV 600 .P 33n. [Dabney’s junior colleague and successor at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, Peck instructed for many years in ecclesiology. A true and consistent advocate of Thornwellian principles. This is a fine, brief exposition of Presbyterian ecclesiology in the Thornwellian tradition. The chapter on the diaconate is alone worth the publication’s existence, and all of it is fine and terse.]

------. “Liturgies, Instrumental Music, and Architecture,” pp. 66-77; “General Principles Touching the Worship of God,” pp. 78-89; “The Worship of the Church,” pp. 90-98. Miscellanies of Rev. Thomas E. Peck, vol. 1, edited by Thomas Cary Johnson. Richmond, VA: The Presbyterian Committee on Publication, 1895. [These essays all reflect Peck’s decided commitment to the regulative principle of worship, and its application to many of the questions of Peck’s day.]

------. “The Call to the Ministry of the Word,” pp. 97-106; “The Church and State,” pp. 266- 289; “The General Assembly of 1856,” pp. 290-330; “The Powers of our Several Church Courts,” pp. 331-360, in Miscellanies of Rev. Thomas E. Peck, vol. 2, edited by Thomas Cary Johnson. Richmond, VA: The Presbyterian Committee on Publication, 1896. [This last essay describes with great clarity the proper distinctions of the higher and lower courts, and particularly, the impropriety of requiring (de facto) the higher courts to do the business of the lower courts.]

Ramsay, F. P. An Exposition of the Form of Government and the Rules of Discipline of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. Richmond: The Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 1898. [Similar to J. Aspinwall Hodge, John D. Leslie, and P. J. Garrison, this is an exposition of the PCUS book of order in terms of GA deliverances].

17 18

Rayburn, Robert S. “Three Offices: Minister, Elder, Deacon,” Presbyterion xii, no. 2 (Fall, 1986), pp. 105-114. [This is a response to George Knight’s article on two offices. The two articles, taken together, are perhaps the quickest way to become familiar with the present debate on two or three offices. See also the forthcoming (early 1990’s) collection of essays edited by Mark R. Brown, many of which are devoted to defending the historic belief in the ministry of the Word as a separate office.]

Reed, Kevin. Biblical Church Government. An Introduction to Presbyterian Polity. Dallas, TX: Presbyterian Heritage Publications, 1988.

Robinson, Stuart. The Church of God as an Essential Element of the gospel, and the Idea, Structure, and Functions Thereof. Philadelphia: Joseph M. Wilson, 1858. [Robinson taught at the Presbyterian seminary in Danville, KY, and pastored several churches in West Virginia, Maryland, and Kentucky. He lived as an exile in Canada from 1862 until the conclusion of the war between the states, because of his articles, especially in the True Presbyterian, which argued the separation of church and state. While the overall thesis in this book is profound, especially so in our day, the entire argument proceeds from Robinson's understanding of Christ as King, revealing his indebtedness to the Scottish Presbyterians such as Cunningham, and, before him, Knox.]

------. Discourses of Redemption, 3rd edition. Richmond: Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 1866. [An interesting biblical theology in its own right, there are several appendices of significance to ecclesiological matters, esp. “The Ordinances of Public Worship as Set Forth in Scripture; Their Relation to the Idea of the Church,” pp. 471- 74; and “The Relation of the Temporal and the Spiritual Powers Historically Considered. The Scoto-American Theory,” pp. 474-88. This latter is especially significant as rebuttal to E.T. Thompson’s (and his followers) reconstructionist dogma that the Southern Presbyterian view of the spirituality of the church was a distinctly Southern novelty designed to defend the South in the War Between the States. As Robinson demonstrates, the idea is in fact Scottish in origin, and was simply reiterated by the American Presbyterians.]

Rutherfurd, Samuel. The Due right of Presbyteries, or a Peaceable Plea for the Government of the Church of Scotland. London: Whittaker and Crook, 1644. [It goes without saying that this book is rare, having never been reprinted (n.b., my copy is currently in the hands of Stillwaters Revival Books, as of January, 1993, and may be reprinted by the time you read this). It is, nonetheless, virtually the granddaddy of all defenses of Presbyterian government. While the argument is labyrinthine at points, and the grammar and vocabulary are clearly pre-Johnson, it would still be worthwhile to have this volume reprinted.]

Smith, Frank J. and David C. Lachman. Worship in the Presence of God. Greenville, SC: Greenville Seminary Press, 1992. [This is a collection of nineteen essays, plus an important appendix, covering many topics related to Presbyterian worship. The editors and contributors are firmly convinced of the guiding principles of Presbyterian worship, and their contributions touch upon both theoretical and practical matters.]

Smith, J. Henry, ed. Memorial Volume of the Westminster Assembly. Richmond: Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 1897. [This volume contains eleven addresses delivered before the 1897 GA in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Assembly. The

18 19

addresses are bibliographic and historical, theological, etc. Several are very fine, including Dabney’s on the doctrinal content of the standards, Givens Strickler’s on the catechisms (which includes both a history of catechising in the church and a defense of the practice), Eugene Daniel’s on the polity and worship of the standards].

Smith, Morton H. The Case for Full Subscription to the Westminster Standards in the Presbyterian Church in America. Greenville, SC: GPTS Press, 1992. [This consists of four essays, three by Dr. Smith arguing for full subscription on theological and historical grounds, and one, an historical essay by John Murray on creedal subscription in the American Presbyterian Church.]

Smyth, Thomas. An Ecclesiastical Catechism of the Presbyterian Church, Third edition. New York: 1843. [Recommended by R. J. Breckinridge, Addison Alexander, Samuel Miller, and Charles Hodge, this outstanding little work is arranged catechetically, with scripture proofs. This is effectively the “Clliff Notes” to Bannerman, since it consists of only 84 pages, but touches upon virtually everything. Nevin said of Smyth: “As a churchman, he was at once intensely denominational and intensely unsectarian.” As of 1993, it is available in photoreproduction from the Rev. Mark Brown, Classic Presbyterian Government Resources, 807 Peachtree Lane, Duncansville, PA 16635.]

Spurgeon, Charles Haddon. “Our Public Prayer,” in Lectures to My Students. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1977, pp. 53-71. [While obviously not as full as Miller’s Thoughts on Public Prayer, page-for-page this is an excellent essay.]

Stevenson, Robert M. Patterns of Protestant Church Music. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1953. [A very brief survey of several significant historical moments in Protestant worship, especially as regards music. Contains some fine quotes from Calvin, and includes chapters on Luther, Bach, Handel, both Wesleys, Watts, Sankey, et. al.]

Sundry Ministers of Christ within the City of London. Jus Divinum Regiminis Ecclesiastici, or The Divine Right of Church-Government. Ed. David W. Hall. Dallas: Naphtali Press, 1995. [A new edition of a 1646 original that was reprinted in 1647, 1654, and 1799; and printed in America in 1844. While technically an anonymous work, it is widely believed to have been written by commissioners to the Westminster Assembly, who had been addressed by Parliament on 30 April, 1646, with “Nine Queries.” No official reply to Parliament was ever produced by the Assembly, yet it is widely believed that this work constitutes the reply (William Hetherington, A. H. Drysdale, Thomas M’Crie, Alexander Mitchell, C. A. Briggs, William Beveridge, and John R. De Witt all attribute the Jus Divinum to members of the Assembly). The Jus Divinum is especially significant for three distinct reasons. First, its inherent worth commends it. It is thorough, patient, clear, and biblical. Second, its influence on subsequent discussions of ecclesiology has been immense. Third, it is the one volume that retains the full, “uncensored” view of the Assembly, complete with rationale. We are especially fortunate to have this volume reprinted again in our generation.]

Thompson, Bard. Liturgies of the Western Church. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1961/1985. [This volume consists of a collection of various liturgies, with introductions and explanations. A very good resource for studying liturgies.]

19 20

Thornwell, James Henley. The Collected Writings of James Henley Thornwell. vol. 4: Ecclesiastical. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1974. BX 8915 .T5. [Thornwell is widely regarded as the propagator of the (allegedly) distinctively Southern view of the church, and is widely (and erroneously) perceived as the originator of the Southern view of the "spirituality of the church." In fact, Thornwell was merely one of the more articulate and energetic defenders of the Scottish principles in the U.S., during a time when others were abandoning the same principles.]

Warfield, Benjamin B. “True Church Unity: What It Is.” in Selected Shorter Writings of Benjamin B. Warfield, ed. John E. Meeter. Phillipsburg, N.J.: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1970: 299-324. [Warfield here argues at some length that the church is one, spiritually; and that the unity of the church does not consist in its being under one earthly head, or under a common ecclesiastical government, or in its following a common liturgy or even creed.]

------. “Christian Baptism,” in Selected Shorter Writings of Benjamin B. Warfield, ed. John E. Meeter. Phillipsburg, N.J.: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1970: 325-31.

------. “The Fundamental Significance of the Lord’s Supper,” in Selected Shorter Writings of Benjamin B. Warfield, ed. John E. Meeter. Phillipsburg, N.J.: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1970: 332-38.

Witherow, Thomas. The Apostolic Church: Which is it? 1856, rpt. Glasgow: Free Presbyterian Publications, 1990. [This little pamphlet is wonderful for new-members classes or officer training. It is one of the few brief arguments for Presbyterian government. Although published in Glasgow, it is ordinarily available from the PCA Bookstore in Atlanta.]

------. “The Form of the Christian Temple.”

General Ecclesiology

Miroslav Volf, After Our Likeness, The church as the Image of the Trinity

Leslie Newbigin, The Good Shepherd

-----, The Reunion of the Church

-- Household of God

Charles Dennison and Richard Gamble, ed., Pressing Toward the Mark, Esays Commemorating Fifty Years of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church

John Leith, From Generation to Generation

An Introduction to the Reformed Tradition. Atlanta: John Knox, 1977

Edmund Clowney, The Church

Richard Gaffin, Perspectives on Pentecost

20 21

Confessional Dimension

Dorothy Sayers, Creed or Chaos?

Reinhard Hutter, Suffering Divine Things, Theology as Church Practice

David Hall, ed., To the Glory of God, A Commemoration of the 350th Anniversary of the Westminster Assembly

-----, David Hall and Joseph Hall, ed., Paradigms in Polity, Classic Readings in Reformed and Presbyterian Church Government

Hughes Oliphant Old, The Reading and Preaching of the Scripture in the Worship of the Christian Church

John Piper, The Supremacy of God in Preaching

R. L. Dabney, Sacred Rhetoric

-----, The Westminster Confession and Creeds (Reprint by Presbyterian Heritage Publications)

John Calvin, Catechism of the Church of Geneva being a Form of Instruction for Children… (

Governmental Dimension

Mark Brown, ed., Order in the Offices, Essays Defining Roles of Church Officers

Reprints by Presbyterian Heritage Publications (PHP)

Samuel Miller, The Ruling Elder…

-----, Conduct in Church Courts….

Worship Dimension

Ralph Martin, Worship in the Early Church

-----, The Worship of God

Hughes Oliphant Old, The Reading and Preaching of the Scripture in the Worship of the Christian Church

-----, Leading in Prayer, A Workbook For Worship

Terry Johnson, Leading in Worship

Thompson, Bard, Liturgies of the Western Church

21 22

Dawn, Marva, Reaching out without Dumbing Down… (and several others after this)

Missional Dimension

Keller, Timothy, ----, The Missional Church

-----, The Evangelistic Worship

-----, The Centrality of the Gospel

Guder, Darrell L. (Editor), Lois Barrett, Missional Church : A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America (The Gospel and Our Culture Series) (Eerdmans, 2000)

C. George, Preparing Your Church for the Future

Michael Green, Evangelism Through the Local Church

Ed Dobson, Starting a Seeker Sensitive Service, How Traditional Churches Can Reach the Unchurched

Redeemer Urban Church Planting Manual

.Engel and W.Dyrness, Changing the Mind of Missions

Jack Miller, Powerful Evangelism for the Powerless -----, Outgrowing the Ingrown Church

Ecclesial Ethics, Mercy Ministry and Holistic Ministries

Hays, Richard B., Ecclesiology and Ethics – In 1 Corinthians (WWW…)

Miroslav Volf, Exclusion and Embrace, A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness and Reconciliation

-----, Soft Difference – Theolgocial Reflections on the Relation Between Church and Culture in 1 Peter (www…

Harvey Conn, Planting and Growing of Urban Churches

-----, Evangelism, Doing Justice and Preaching Grace

-----, The American City and the Evangelical Church

Timothy Keller, Ministries of Mercy

Wayne Gordon, Real Hope in Chicago,

22 23

John Perkins, ed., Restoring At Risk Communities

John Perkins, Let Justice Roll Down

-----, A Quiet Revolution

-----, Beyond Charity, The Call to Christian Community Development

Raleigh Washington, Breaking Down Walls

Robert Lupton, Theirs Is The Kingdom

-----, Return Flight, Community Development Through Reneighboring Our Cities

Christian Mircroenterprise Development, A Handbook Chalmers Center

Amy Serman, Sharing God’s Heart For the Poor

----, Restorers of Hope: Reaching the Poor in Your Community with Church-based Ministries That Work (Crossway Books, 1997).

Ray Bakke, The Urban Christian

Robert D. Darle and Louis A Decare, ed., Signs of Hope in the City, Ministries of Community Renewal

Donald Rogers, ed., Urban Church Education

Misc. Topics

Bonnidell Clouse and Robert Clouse, ed., Women in Ministry

Bruce Ray, Celebrating The Sabbath

Other Resources on the Web:

Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics www.wts.edu/resources/index.html

Historic Church Documents www.reformed.org/documents/index.html

Ecclesiology http://www.reformed.org/ecclesiology/index.html

Westminster Resource Links http://www.wts.edu/resources/headresources.gif

Redeemer Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Reformed Resources

23 24 http://www.redeemeropc.org/resources.html

Christ Presbyterian Church Links http://www.christpresbyterian.org/links/

Book of Church Order, PCA http://www.pcanet.org/bco/

Westminster Confession of Faith, PCA http://www.pcanet.org/general/cof_preface.htm

ACE Links page http://www.alliancenet.org/intro/links.html

Calvin’s Institutes… http://www.reformed.org/books/institutes/index.html

Calvin’s Commentaries http://www.ccel.org/c/calvin/commentaries/commentaries.html

John Knox Writings http://www.swrb.com/newslett/FREEBOOK/JKnox.htm

The Cyber Hymnal http://www.cyberhymnal.org/

PCA News http://christianity.com/pcanews

PCA Official Website http://www.pcanet.org/

Orthodox Presbyterian Church Official Website http://www.opc.org/

Christian Reformed Church http://www.crcna.org/cr/crwb/index.htm

United Reformed Church www.iserv.net/%7Ebethany/URC.htm

PCA Historical Society http://www.pcanet.org/history/

Christian Community Development (CCDA) (mercy ministry and community revitalization) www.ccda.org/

Chalmers Center For Economic Development (faith based economic and community revitalization) www.chalmers.org/

24 25

Faith in Communities (resources for Holistic Ministry) www.hudsonfaithincommunities.org

Reformed University Ministries www.ruf.org

RUF Sounds www.ruf.org/sounds/sounds.html