The Presbyterian Church resides in the Reformed Protestant tradition of theology and faith. Contrary to the belief of some churches that split from it, this tradition is a living, broad tradition that continues to reform itself. That is, it recognizes that it continues to develop historically as new challenges confront the church – and humanity. It also is an open faith that does not claim a monopoly on the truth. Its historic creeds are published in the Book of Confessions, and this book seeks to interpret them to become more understandable to those in church leadership. Ascribing to the general tenants of this belief system is required for all those serving in (“ordained” in) church leadership.
The Presbyterian Church comes out of Scotland but has also been influenced by developments on the European continent. It has influenced the American religious landscape significantly. It holds to historic creeds of the Christian faith, like the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed. Yet it also has a long, post-Reformation tradition of trying to summarize theology in a way that universalizes it and generalizes it as much as possible. Of course, such acts are ultimately impossible, but the attempt to coordinate theology globally makes its tradition especially helpful to study for those looking for more intellectual depth in religion.
Author John Burgess is a former pastor who teaches at the Presbyterian seminary in Pittsburg. He approaches the doctrines topically and compares what different confessions say about important topics, including death, the Lord’s Supper, understanding the Bible, and salvation. He uses the twelve confessions in the Book of Confessions. He analyzes these historically in light of the events of the day and closely focus on where their nuances venture in different directions. He aims to educate the reader about the Christian faith, not indoctrinate a rigid belief system into the reader’s mind. He also contrasts Reformed beliefs with other Christian denominations, but notably, he does not seem to address the Anglican tradition (which also fed the Methodist/Wesleyan tradition). This is an important shortcoming because Reformed Protestant writings helped to form the Anglican Prayer Book.
The title of the book explains its audience: church leaders, especially Presbyterian church leaders. Not just for those in religious work, it’s meant for laypeople who need to understand their faith in more depth. That said, it can be helpful to any Christian – especially any Presbyterian – who wonders what the Reformed faith is about. Notably, it addresses “mainline” Presbyterians (USA), not those in the conservative PCA which does not recognize modern creeds. This easy read provokes much thought through a level of abstraction expands beyond just the “reader friendly” version of popular religion books. It can inform English-speaking lay readers about the Reformed faith for a generation.
Confessing Our Faith: The Book of Confessions for Church Leaders
By John P. Burgess
Copyright (c) 2018
Westminster John Knox Press
ISBN13 9780664503116
Page Count: 172
Genre: Religion, Christianity
Sponsored link to www.amazon.com