The Westminster Assembly Divines was convened in 1643 after years of tension between Charles I and his increasingly Puritan Parliament. Meeting under the chairmanship of the learned William Twisse against the king’s express wishes, the original vision of the assembly was to effect closer uniformity of faith and practice throughout Charles’ realm. The original task […]
Dr. Henry Bruinsma was professor of music at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Many of his harmonizations of psalm tunes can be found in the Psalter Hymnal of the Christian Reformed Church. His wife, Grace Hekman Bruinsma, was Dean of Women at Calvin College. Both were early contributors to the Torch and Trumpet. These articles […]
The November election turned out to be far more than a political tug-of-war. It was a fierce struggle between two conflicting world and life views: relativism versus the rule of law of absolutism. It was a clash between a philosophy that says we must follow the rules even […]
Laurie Vanden Heuvel began writing for The Outlook in February, 1968 with her article, “Sing To the Glory of God” (later published in pamphlet form and distributed widely). In 1969, her two articles entitled, “Is the Psalter Out of Date?” appeared, followed in 1970 by the article, “Is This the Bride Christ Bought?” and in […]
This is the Forward by Sinclair Ferguson for the newly published book of Dr. Comelis P. Venema. It is a pleasure to introduce Comelis Venema’s exceptional book, The Promise of the Future. Dr Venema is Professor Doctrinal Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary. For some time now his acumen as a theologian […]
Dr. Van Til, affectionately called “Oom Kees” [Uncle Case] by students and friends, was a minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and a frequent contributor to the Torch and Trumpet in its earliest years. For 43 years he served as professor of apologetics at Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia, PA, being known for his strong and […]
In a previous article in The Outlook, I summarized the argument of Boyd’s God of the Possible. Written for a popular audience, Boyd’s study presents a case for what has come to be known as the “open view” of God. Contrary to the classical understanding of God, which teaches that God exhaustively knows the future, […]
In the article last month, we witnessed a strong confrontation between John Calvin and Jerome Bolsec over the doctrine of predestination. That controversy provides a remarkable window on the character and meaning of the Reformation. The modern reader is certainly struck by the rhetoric of the discussion and the very strong language used. This matter […]
Recently, the deacons of the church I serve asked me to help them develop an assessment tool, an interview document to help them determine both the resources that people have at their disposal, and the needs they have. Part of the document would serve to explain our philosophy of ministry, a philosophy based on Scripture. […]