Reformed Confessions Harmonized: With an Annotated Bibliography of Reformed Doctrinal Works
Reviewed by Robert P. Mills, November 20, 1999
My first reaction to this book was “Why hasn’t someone thought of this before?” In columns spread across facing pages are parallel passages from the Westminster, Belgic and Second Helvetic Confessions; the Heidelberg and Westminster Longer and Shorter Catechisms; and the Canons of Dort.
While Presbyterians may have wished for the inclusion of the Scots Confession and Episcopalians for the Thirty-Nine Articles, these documents, produced between 1561 and 1648, represent the historic confessional consensus that has distinguished the Reformed theological tradition from that of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and other Protestant churches.
The selections are arranged topically, under the doctrines of God, man, Christ, salvation, the Church and the last things. Subheadings listed in the index, such as “The Holy Trinity,” “Creation,” and “Providence,” help readers readily locate specific topics.
Keyed to the articles of the Belgic Confession, the oldest included in this harmony, the annotated bibliography briefly discusses significant theological works from the Reformation to the present, from Calvin’s Institutes to J.I. Packer’s Knowing God. This delightfully opinionated survey includes pointers on where to begin and, occasionally, what to avoid.
All who value the Reformed theological heritage, particularly those who preach and teach, will quickly find this harmony an especially useful resource.