Theology: General

Editor's Note: The views expressed by the author are not necessarily the views expressed by Ref21 or the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. Meals cannot be rated like movies. Marriages cannot be audited like companies. Jesus Calling cannot be assessed as a Christian Devotional. The marketing has...
The world has about eight billion people distributed over its surface in remote villages and massive congested cities. Estimates vary but it is believed there are about four thousand recognized religions in the world with Christianity first with 2.5 billion adherents, Islam comes in second with 1.9...
In my previous two articles ( here and here ), I have maintained that the word “cessationism” needs to be used in the way it was given to us by the Westminster Divines. My critics have stated that the Divines weren’t perfect here, and thus revision is in order. They seem to think the historic...
Occasionally, I see and hear comments about the relationship between Reformed theology and the pagan world. Some are nervous and hesitant to appreciate non-Christian authors whereas others sometimes express deep appreciation and admiration for those who do not profess the faith but say things that...
In 2016, there was an eruption in conservative Evangelical and Reformed theologians surrounding the doctrine of the Eternal Functional Subordination of the Son (EFS). There’s no need to rehash what has already been said, as that has been summarized helpfully elsewhere . Needless to say, it was the...
On a recent visit to a bookstore in Gothenburg, I came across an early edition of Bonaventure’s commentary on Lombard’s Sentences . The following week in Copenhagen I bought a 1586 edition of Thomas’s Summa . Re-visiting those works caused me to ask myself, “Where have all the theologians gone...
Welcome to Ref21! It probably sounds strange to be welcomed to a page that you have read for nearly twenty years! Ref21 has been a staple of daily Christian reading for literally thousands of believers. So, why act as if we are meeting for the first time? The answer is, we are. My name is Jeff...
What Hath Athens to Do With Jerusalem? What does philosophy have to do with theology, the Church, and Christian doctrine? Should Christians be interested in philosophy, and—if so—why? To address these questions, Jonathan and James invited a good friend and former colleague. Bob LaRocca is an...
Things have shifted a bit, as James is now thriving on the West Coast while Jonathan remains in the Southeast. Regardless of the distance and time difference, both are delighted to welcome a friend and former colleague Gary E. Schnittjer. Gary joins them to discuss one of the most anticipated books...
PCRT and Praying to the Triune God The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is renowned for its long-standing yearly conference: PCRT, the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology. Once again, the event has been compelled to move online due to COVID restrictions. This year’s PCRT theme is...