DeVine, M. (2020). Promising the Impossible: Baptist Church Covenants Then and Now. Criswell Theological Review, 18(1), 83–104.
DeVine (2020) discusses the historical and modern significance of Baptist church covenants in this article. He contends that covenants have been essential to Baptist doctrine and practice, serving to convey the responsibilities shared by church members as well as by God and his people. DeVine examines the development of Baptist church covenants across time, tracing their beginnings to the seventeenth century and noting the ways in which they have been utilized to inspire accountability, establish unity among believers, and nurture spiritual progress. He also talks on the difficulties that modern churches have in carrying out covenants, such as the necessity for greater flexibility and clarity in their wording as well as the danger of legalistic or coercive interpretations.
Fesko, J. V. (2022). The Covenant of Redemption and the Ordo Salutis. The Master’s Seminary Journal, 33(1), 5–19.
Fesko (2022) looks at the connection between the Ordo Salutis (the orderly sequence of salvation) in Reformed theology and the Covenant of Redemption. As the cornerstone of God’s plan of salvation for his chosen people, he contends that the Covenant of Redemption is a key idea in Reformed soteriology. Fesko investigates how the Covenant of Redemption has evolved through time, tracing its roots to the pactum salutis, a medieval theology that was later developed by Reformed theologians like Francis Turretin and Herman Witsius. Additionally, he responds to some of the accusations levied at the Covenant of Redemption, such as claims of speculation and a lack of biblical support. Fesko concludes by demonstrating the relationship between the Covenant of Redemption and the Ordo Salutis, making the case that it serves as the cornerstone for comprehending the orderly progression of God’s restorative activity in the lives of particular believers. Fesko’s article offers a comprehensive and straightforward exposition of a crucial theological idea within the Reformed tradition as a whole.
Lieuwen, R. (2022). Not in the Oldness of the Letter: Marrow Theology on the Believer’s Relationship to God’s Law. Puritan Reformed Journal, 14(1), 52–66.
Lieuwen (2022) examines the idea of Marrow theology and how it affects how a believer interacts with God’s commandments. The eighteenth century witnessed the emergence of marrow theology as a reaction to Scottish Presbyterianism’s perceived legalism and moralism. Lieuwen talks about the beginnings and growth of Marrow theology, tracing its origins to discussions in the seventeenth century about the characteristics of saving faith and the connection between law and gospel. The idea that the gospel is not a message of a new law but rather a message of free grace that frees believers from the weight of legalism is one of the main ideas of Marrow theology that he also discusses.
Michna, G. (2020). The Long Road to Sainthood: Indian Christians, the Doctrine of Preparation, and the Halfway Covenant of 1662. Church History, 89(1), 43–73.
Michna (2020) looks at the effects of the 1662 Halfway Covenant on Indian Christians in early New England. Children of churchgoers who had not gone through a conversion experience were given partial church membership and were able to partake in some sacraments thanks to the Halfway Covenant. According to Michna, the Halfway Covenant was a response to the problems in upholding rigid church discipline in a rapidly shifting social and cultural environment as well as the obstacles faced by Indian evangelism. He also examines the notion of preparation and how it influenced Puritan soteriology as he examines the theological foundations of the Halfway Covenant. Michna demonstrates how the Puritan conception of conversion was impacted by the theory of preparation.
Newson, R. A. (2019). The Promise and Temptation of Covenant Ethics. Perspectives in Religious Studies, 46(1), 79–94.
Newson addresses covenant ethics and how it could influence people’s moral perceptions and behavior in modern settings. He contends that covenant ethics offers a paradigm for thinking about justice, compassion, and caring for the other in the context of mutual obligation and accountability in human relationships. In order to demonstrate how the idea of a covenant is essential to the Bible’s view of human society and the relationship between God and humans, Newson investigates the biblical roots of covenant ethics, focusing on both Old and New Testament texts.
Stewart, W. C., Seiple, C., & Hoover, D. R. (2020). Toward a Global Covenant of Peaceable Neighborhood: Introducing the Philosophy of Covenantal Pluralism. The Review of Faith & International Affairs, 18(4), 1–17.
Stewart, Seiple, and Hoover offer “covenantal pluralism” as a philosophical framework for encouraging peaceful cohabitation across various cultures and countries in this article. They contend that covenantal pluralism offers a perspective on interpersonal interactions in terms of respect, cooperation, and shared accountability and can act as a foundation for bridging ideological, cultural, and political divides and fostering cooperation. The authors’ idea of covenantal pluralism, which emphasizes the importance of covenantal connections in forming humanity and the need for a shared commitment to fundamental values and principles, is developed using biblical and theological sources.