Category Archives: Confessionalism

NCC in 2013?

So, obviously, the Outhouse has been especially lonely lately. A new year is coming up, and since my family’s catechesis has also fallen on hard times over the past few months, I am considering taking the family through NCC in … Continue reading

Posted in Catechesis, Compare and Confess, Confessionalism, Confessions, Family, Reformed piety, Review, Tim Keller | 4 Comments

Non-Westminster Catechism

Speaking of creating a new catechism… I’m in favor of revising confessions and catechisms, in principle. For instance, I think we could use some language about male ordination. And how about nailing down IAOC? It would be nice to replace … Continue reading

Posted in Catechesis, Compare and Confess, Confessionalism, Confessions, DG Hart, Education, Family, Links, Old Life, Spiritual discipline, Tim Keller | 12 Comments

WCF Says No on Gay Marriage

To pull a trick from Zrim’s bag, I think it’s time for a re-post, revised and expanded for our current times (because if the Outhouse is about anything, it’s about Relevance!) The question came up what (R/W/Z)2K’ers think of the … Continue reading

Posted in American Conservative, Applied Christianity, Church and State, Civil religion, Confessionalism, Confessions, Conservatism, Culture War, Family, Liberty, Liberty of Conscience, Natural Law, News and culture, Reformed Confessionalism, Spirituality of the Church, Two-kingdoms | 200 Comments

Maundy Thursday

Since I’ve been really busy lately, I thought I’d take a break from Thesis Thursday. (Even though we’re in the home stretch — just three lectures left!) Everybody knows about Good Friday, the day of the crucifixion, but for a … Continue reading

Posted in Baptism, Calvin, Calvinism, Compare and Confess, Confessionalism, Confessions, History, Protestantism/Catholicism, The Lord's Supper, Worship | 12 Comments

Thesis Thursday

We’re up to Lecture 35, and Thesis XXII, where it seems that Walther is rejecting prevenient, resistible grace (but using different words). It is a great and awful sin not to draw any soul that has been entrusted to us … Continue reading

Posted in Compare and Confess, Confessionalism, Gospel, History, Law/Gospel Distinction, Lutheranism, Pietism, Protestant piety, Protestant preaching, Protestant slogans, Protestantism/Catholicism, Quotes, The gospel, The Protestant Reformation, Thesis Thursday | Leave a comment

Thesis Thursday

In Lecture 34, Walther continues rejecting Ex Opere Operato: At our last meeting we barely began to discuss the important contents of the twenty-first thesis, viz., that Law and Gospel are not properly divided, the one from the other, when … Continue reading

Posted in Calvinism, Church relations, Compare and Confess, Confessionalism, Confessions, Gospel, History, Law/Gospel Distinction, Lutheranism, Protestant preaching, Protestant slogans, Quotes, Thesis Thursday | Leave a comment

How We Know Sola Fide is So Important

It seems that at some point we’ll have to have some discussion here in the ‘house of the most recent Frame job. Horton, in his response, captures very well a thought I’ve had before: This is ironic…that someone who is … Continue reading

Posted in W2K, Compare and Confess, Confessions, Confessionalism, Law/Gospel Distinction, Church relations, Horton, Two-kingdoms, The gospel, Quotes, Lutheranism, Sanctification, Protestant slogans, Mike Horton, Books, The Protestant Reformation, Justification, Westminster Seminary, John Frame, Federal Vision | 8 Comments

Thesis Thursday

We have now come to Lecture 6 and Thesis III Rightly distinguishing the Law and the Gospel is the most difficult and the highest art of Christians in general and of theologians in particular. It is taught only by the Holy … Continue reading

Posted in Confessionalism, Gospel, Law/Gospel Distinction, Lutheranism, Protestant piety, Protestant preaching, Protestant slogans, Quotes, Thesis Thursday | 2 Comments

Here’s to You, Mr. Robinson

In the current debates over confessionalism and pietism, Edwards gets a few wraps on the knuckles, but John Williamson Nevin is mainly cautioned against. One can’t help but get the feeling it is because the Federal Visionaries, who can be … Continue reading

Posted in Confessionalism, Covenant Theology, Ecclesiology, High church calvinism, Quotes, Stuart Robinson | 3 Comments

Two Great Tastes that DO Go Great Together

The latest from OHS Horton is a must-read. Is he rebuking the Outhouse in the following concluding points? 1) Regardless of the historical accuracy of our definitions, what we call “pietism” today is different from the piety exhibited in the … Continue reading

Posted in Calvinism, Christian life, Compare and Confess, Confessionalism, Confessions, Ecclesiology, High church calvinism, History, Horton, Introversion, Mike Horton, Nevin, Pietism, Quotes, Reformed Confessionalism, Reformed piety, Revivalism | 94 Comments

Two Great Tastes That Could Go Great Together

  It isn’t altogether surprising that Kevin DeYoung has concluded that confessionalism and pietism need each other.  One could see that coming from two or more posts away. It rather appeals to the democratic-egalitarian-American way of doing not only culture … Continue reading

Posted in Confessionalism, Ecclesiology, High church calvinism, Reformed Confessionalism, Reformed piety, Revivalism, under-confessionalism | 18 Comments

Sola Lutherianus

From an article by Pastor Bryan “Theological Bull Rider” Wolfmueller of Table Talk radio entitled “Lutheran Exceptionalism“: Here is a simple question: What do Lutherans believe and confess that no one else does? Lutherans have a unique history, unique texts, … Continue reading

Posted in Baptism, Calvin, Calvinism, Compare and Confess, Confessionalism, Confessions, Ecclesiology, Gospel, Lutheranism, Protestant preaching, Protestantism/Catholicism, Quotes, Reformation Day, Reformed Confessionalism, Revivalism, The Lord's Supper | 18 Comments

Doing Justice to Equity

Our old friend Kazooless has been serializing his talk from Hoagies & Stogies: Open Mic Night about the historicity of Theonomist thought throughout the Reformation. The fourth and latest installment has quotes from Calvin, which made me think in a … Continue reading

Posted in Church and State, Confessionalism, Confessions, Constantinianism, Culture War, Quotes, Theonomy, Transformationism | 2 Comments

The Best Thing to Happen to Lutheranism Since Calvinism

I may have tacked notices to the side of the Outhouse before about resources (in particular, audio resources), but this time, seriously, this is my Favorite. Is WHI too stodgy for you? Is WWDTM not theological enough? Well, from Pirate … Continue reading

Posted in Calvinism, Catechesis, Christian life, Compare and Confess, Confessionalism, Don Matzat, Education, Evangelism, Family, Gospel, History, Humor, Law/Gospel Distinction, Lutheranism, Plugs, Resources, Review, Some fun, Table Talk Radio, The gospel, The Protestant Reformation, The White Horse Inn, Theology of the Cross/glory, Two-kingdoms | 5 Comments

Structured Shorter Catechism

Are you looking for a super-cheap Christmas present for that confessional-type person in your life who is dissatisfied with traditional pocket-size bookets of the Shorter Catechism because (a) the paragraph-shaped jumble of words and scripture proofs does nothing to reveal … Continue reading

Posted in Catechesis, Christian life, Confessionalism, Confessions, Education, Family, History, Reformed Confessionalism, Reformed piety, Resources, The Protestant Reformation | 1 Comment