Assembly at Westminster: Reformed Theology in the Making
Overview
The Westminster Confession stands as an important part of the church’s theological dialogue, shaping those in the Reformed tradition. John Leith focuses on the background and character of the assembly that wrote this document. After placing the Confession in its historical, political, cultural, and theological contexts, Leith examines its major themes—the Bible, the lordship and sovereignty of God, the covenant, and the Christian life. Finally, he looks at the question of the Westminster Confession as normative, authoritative theology.
The Westminster Confession should be neither idolized nor rejected, says Leith. “It should be accepted for what it is, a remarkable theological achievement of the Reformed community in the seventeenth century, and received with gratitude for the guidance that it may give for the theological task today.”
Top Highlights
“As a historical achievement, the Westminster Confession should be neither absolutized nor rejected. It should be accepted for what it is, a remarkable theological achievement of the Reformed community in the seventeenth century, and received with gratitude for the guidance that it may give for the theological task today.” (Page 18)
“These new methods of analysis and criticism enable men to discover ‘what has actually happened’ in contrast to what is thought to have happened.” (Page 17)
“They knew that every statement of faith is very historical and limited by the finiteness and sin of man” (Page 19)
“It also replaced the Book of Common Prayer with a Directory for Worship, that, in place of fixed forms, contained directions for worship, some of which were compromises or were ambiguous. The real consensus of the Assembly was in the area of theology, and in the Confession and Catechisms it reached its highest technical achievement.” (Page 27)
“No theology today achieves this high level of technical competence. Yet the irony of the Westminster Assembly’s work was that its very greatness was its downfall. History soon demonstrated that the Confession was too precise and too comprehensive.” (Page 14)
- Title: Assembly at Westminster: Reformed Theology in the Making
- Author: John H. Leith
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Print Publication Date: 2008
- Logos Release Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Westminster Confession of Faith; Calvinists
- ISBNs: 9781556359002, 1556359004
- Resource ID: LLS:SSMBLYWSTMNMKNG
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T03:09:31Z