Natural Law and Scriptural Authority
Although Protestants are well-familiar with the classical Protestant insistence on the doctrine of sola Scriptura, they are less familiar with the equally important teaching of the Reformers that God reveals himself through the “two books” of Scripture and nature. As Paul teaches in Romans 1 and 2, God has revealed enough of his nature to render…
Protestant Moral Theology
Protestant moral theology is memorably summed up by Martin Luther’s dictum, “The Christian is the most free lord of all, subject to none. The Christian is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to everyone.” In this course, we will unpack this profound dialectic, explaining the true shape of Christian liberty that flows from…
Philosophy for Theology
What has Athens to do with Jerusalem? Quite a lot, it turns out. This course will introduce students to the philosophical grammar that God’s people have found useful throughout the ages in grasping the content of their faith. The road between philosophy and theology has been a two-way street from the earliest days of the…
Philosophy as a Way of Life
What does it mean to study philosophy? Is it the act of studying philosophical texts (whether ancient or modern)? Does it predominantly involve memorizing arguments and counter-arguments about the big questions, and then trying to make some positive case for one’s own vision? Moreover, what is a philosopher? Is it simply someone who does the…
Reformation and the Modern World
Once upon a time, Protestants liked to take credit for the glories of the modern world: freedom, prosperity, civilization. As attitudes on modernity have soured, many have been quick to turn the narrative around and blame Protestantism for the licentiousness, greed, and exploitation that we see around us. Influential books by Catholic scholars have told…