Replacing a Teetotaller

Yes, I'm British. English actually. Which apparently makes me sound about 20% more intelligent than I really am, to some Americans. I should move there maybe, and get paid 50% more than I deserve. 

Yes, I have some connection to Westminster Seminary and teach church history at a Reformed seminary -- currently a bit of medieval fun, and modern church (1700-2000). My students get to hear my scary lecture on Zwingli's struggle with celibacy, and Meet the Puritans, next term.

Yes, I like John Owen, and have published a little on him in various places (and did my PhD on his Hebrews commentary). I'm also a fan of Gottschalk, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Puritans, Whitefield, Toplady, and have written a little book on Gresham Machen.

But no, I'm not a clone of Carl Trueman, or his younger (more handsome) brother. Even though I went to school in Gloucester (like Carl, and Jim Packer, and George Whitefield), and am likewise contentedly not from the social upper classes of the British elite. Even though I'm also a pastor-scholar type, keen to be involved in the life of the church and not just the halls of academia.

No, I'm not like Carl, even though I'm taking his spot in the Ref21 car park. After all, I'm an Anglican. Which means, of course, that I know more about Reformation21 than he does. You know what they say, that the historian's study of war is like the teetotaller's study of drink. What then can a mere Reformation historian from the Only Pure Church know about actual reformation in the 21st century, compared to someone who has to battle for it every day in a messy, imperfect, impure church (like the actual Reformers did)?

I'm also much happier than Carl to use emoticons, to seemingly lessen the impact of cheeky or hyperbolic claims. <insert smiley winkey face here>