9th Grade Theology

You may tire of hearing about my children's education, but it occupies many of my thoughts and experiences while school is in session.

Last night, as I went upstairs to "tuck-in" my big boys - who still love a nightly backrub - my 13-year-old was working on homework. He informed me that he was writing a thesis statement for Theology class. The topic: the blending of speculative divinity and spiritual divinity...WHAT?! When I told him I didn't know what that meant, he thought he was pretty cool to explain it to me. "Basically," he says, "speculative divinity is what we can see in nature that reveals there is a god, but only leaves us with problems and unanswerable questions. In order to make sense of it, we must have the Bible, which is the spiritual divinity aspect. We are supposed to argue whether either one can be effective apart from the other." Oh, so it's a "natural revelation vs. special revelation" thing...why didn't you just say so? Well, apparently he was speaking in the terminology of Jonathan Edwards, whose essay they just read: Christian Knowledge: or, The Importance and Advantage of a Thorough Knowledge of Divine Things.

"So," says I, "what else do you have in that there Supplemental Theology Reader?" As I perused the Table of Contents, I was astounded at the breadth of knowledge of his 26-year-old theology teacher. This guy just graduated from Covenant Seminary last May and hopes to someday pastor in the "Free Church of Scotland Continuing." Yep, that's the denominational name! Anyway, he is creating a 4-year-cycle of theological study for PCA's School of Rhetoric...this is year II: God and Man. Here, much to my delight, are the other readings he's incorporated into the study:

William Shedd, "The True Method in Theological Science," and "Plan, Divisions, and Subdivisions" From Dogmatic Theology, Volume I

Maurice Roberts, "God of Wonders" From Great God of Wonders

Jonathan Edwards, "God The Best Portion of the Christian" From The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume II

John Calvin, "The Knowledge of God and That of Ourselves Are Connected. How They Are Interrelated," "What It Is to Know God and To What Purpose the Knowledge of Him Tends," "The Knowledge of God Has Been Naturally Implanted in the Minds of Men," and "The Knowledge Is Either Smothered or Corrupted, Partly by Ignorance, Partly By Malice." From Institutes I:1:1-4

Louis Berkhof, "The Doctrine of the Trinity" From The History of Christian Doctrines

Tertullian, Against Praxeus

John Calvin, "In Scripture, From the Creation Onward, We are Taught One Essence of God, Which Contains Three Persons" From Institutes I:1:13

John Flavel, "Meditations Upon Trees," and "Meditations Upon a Garden" From Works, Volume VI, (1770)

John Calvin, "The Knowledge of God Shines Forth in the Fashioning of the Universe and the Continuing Government of It," and "Scripture Needed as Guide and Teacher for Anyone Who Would Come to God the Creator" From Institutes I:1:5-6

Louis Berkhof, "The Doctrine of Sin and Grace and Related Doctrines" From The History of Christian Doctrines

Thomas Boston, "A View of the Covenant of Works from the Sacred Records" From Works, Volume XI

Charles Hodge, "The Conviction of Sin" From The Way of Life

O-K, so altogether, not too shabby a collection. When I approached this teacher this AM and asked how old he was, he very sweetly, as though I were a grandmother or something, asked, "Am I being reproved?" And I believe he would have received reproof as humbly and graciously as he received my thanks and admiration for the work he's doing.

By the way, this guy teaches theology to my older one, but is the primary classroom teacher for my 6th Grader! Boy are they blessed! Thanks be to God for committed, sacrificial teacher-servants who are providing our sons with a thoroughly Christian education!!