Engaging With Thomas Aquinas

On Monday we met at the Pastors Academy in Finchley once again for our reading group. Our subject was Leonardo De Chirco's book on engaging with Aquinas. I was leading so I'll reproduce the questions I prepared below. About ten of us met. We were all quite favourable towards the book which we found helpful though not essential. We decided next time to look at a couple of C S Lewis books.

Questions

How much did you know about Aquinas before reading the book? Have you read any of his work? What did you think of de Chirico's book? Who would benefit best from it?

Introduction 1-11 Are you aware of the evangelical love story with Thomas? (5) How would you answer the five questions on page 6? (“What should we make of this entire discussion? … ie sifting what is good and rejecting what is deviant?”) Also a sixth question as we move on to page 7?

1 The life and work of Thomas Aquinas 12-31 How do you tend to think of the Middle Ages? Is your ultimate goal to see God or to love him? Which is most important - the true or the good? (18) Why is Thomas better remembered than Bonaventure? (19-21) What do you make of Thomas's 1273 mystical experience? (25) How impressive is 8 million words? (26) [Dickens – 4.6m, Shakespeare – 884,000, Bible – 780,000]

2 Sources and synthesis of Thomas Aquinas's thought 32-67 Does a good theologian need a good knowledge of science? (33) Was Thomas's use of Aristotle a theologically compromised use of the Christian faith? (34) Is Aristotle of any use to us? Are some truths of faith accessible to reason? (38) What do you think of Thomas's five attitudes to the Word? (42) Have the inspired apostles and prophets ever said anything contrary to the dictates of natural reason? (44) Did Thomas understand justification by faith? Did he understand total depravity? Is the exitus-reditus motif of any use? (55-57) How do we relate nature and revelation? (59) What do you make of Thomas's five arguments for God? (62) Was Thomas too optimistic? (65-67)

3 Roman Catholic appropriations: from veneration to magisterial affirmation 68-93 Should the accrued venerations of medieval spirituality towards Thomas affect our attitude to him? Is there a Protestant equivalent to Thomas ie someone accepted as the standard representation of Protestantism? How important is the difference between Thomas and Thomism? What is the significance of the legend of the Summa and the Bible? (76) Is Thomas useful to Protestants in proving the incompatibility of Rome and the Reformation? (78) What is wrong with John of St Thomas's approach to Thomas? (80) Why did Thomistic trends from Trent onwards provide the best apologetics for the Roman status quo intellectually and symbolically? (81) What can you learn from Rome's opposition to modernism? (84) What is the significance of Pope Pius XI's 1923 encyclical? (85) “The irony was… neo-Thomism... built a… system that, to fight against the Enlightenment, ended up assimilating the rationalistic outlook of its plausibility structures.” Discuss. (86) What about Thomas's “theological guide” status? (89) Is de Chirico right to note the lack of reference to Protestant theologians in FR? (91) Is the reference to Thomas's Mariolatry significant? (92, 93)

4 Protestant readings of Thomas: circling around evangelical eclecticism 94-124 What are the implications of Schaff's statement? (94) Which approach to Thomas is best – that of Luther (95-100) Calvin (101) Zanchi, Dorsche (102, 103) Bucer, Vermigli (105ff) Melanchthon, etc (109) Turretin and Owen (110ff)?? What about Kuyper's approach? (114) and Bavinck (116ff) and Van Til and Schaeffer (119ff)? How about A Vos and Geisler (121ff)? Can and should evangelicals learn a great deal from Thomas? (123) Was Thomas a Proto-Reformer? (123)

5 Legacy and critical issues… contours... trajectories of Thomas's architectural thought 125-158 Are people naturally open to God? (125ff) Does grace scrap nature or bring it to perfection? (128) How important is it to distinguish common and special grace? (131, 135) How important is what is said about the development of the understanding of nature and grace by Rome? Where does general revelation sit in your theology?Any remarks on what is said about Vatican II? (145-149) Does Christianity need Greek philosophy? Is Bavinck's comment helpful? (150-153) “Updating without changing” – how well does that seem to sum up Romanism? (157)

6 Thomas Aquinas for evangelicals today 159-172 What colour hat for Thomas? (159) Can an evangelical be a Thomist? (160) Thomas on the doctrine of God: Frame or Trueman? (161-164) Can de Chirico's principles be improved, modified, increased? (165-172) Have you been avoiding conversation with Thomas? What is the significance of his having an integrated system? (169) Did you expect more reference to Sproul and apologetics? (171) Are you being mature about this?

Day Off Week 3 2025

More of a traditional day off this week after holidays and Carey in the first two weeks. It was unsual in that I have agreed to lead a discussion at the Pastors Academy on January 27 so I needed to finish the book and draw uo a set of questions which took up my morning. The book is by Leonardo de Chirico and is an introduction to Thomas Aquinas for evangelicals. This meant I had to postpone my walk on the Heath until the afternoon but I managed to get it done by sundown. Bumped into George Platt pastor of neighbouring Highgate Road Chapel with his new baby, Teddy. In the evening we watched the first two Silent Witnesses of the new season. It's an odd programme, quite pro-life in its own way.

Christopher Ash on The Psalms at The Pastors Academy

I have remarked I am sure on the blessing of living near to the London Seminary/Pastors Academy. They had another of their special lecture weeks this week nnd I went along. Christopher Ash has a four volume commentary out on the Psalms and was able to draw on that to provide two and two half-days of lectures for Seminary students adn others. Ash is a mild mannered fellow and not Ivory-towered at all. I enjoyed his stab at the psalms, looking at their theology, the history of their exposition and other matters. I am very sympathetic to his view that we should see Christ everywhere in the Psalms (as opposed to Philip Eveson and others who are much more cautious). There were no major break throughs for me but something like the paralllels between Psalms 1 and 2 I'd missed (see below).

1. They are both untitled, something which is unusual in the first book of the Psalter.

2. There is an inclusio which uses the word happy or blessed at the start of Psalm 1 (1:1) and the end of Psalm 2 (2:12).

3. Both refer to ‘the way’ - 1:1 and 2:12 again.

4. Both use the Hebrew word hagah in a manner central to the psalm’s ‘argument’. In 1:2 it is often translated meditating and in 2:1 as muttering. In both places it could be translated as murmuring; in the former case the positive murmuring of torah and in the latter, negative language as in the English idiom of ‘under one’s breath’.

5. The pious individual in Psalm 1 parallels the anointed of Yahweh in Psalm 2.

6. The wicked, sinners and mockers in Psalm 1 parallel the rebellious kings and rulers in Psalm 2.

(I couldn't reach ten!)

Dr Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture 2024 Welsh Revivals

It is a blessing to live so near the London Seminary. I especially like to be at the annual Dr Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture. I think I've been at them all, all the way back to 2008. (It would be nice to be asked to do one but that is not likely to happen). This time round it was Jonathan Thomas (the third time a Welshman has been the lecturer). His subject was Welsh Revivals and he gave a very helpful and straightforward reminder of some of the many revivals that have happened in Wales between 1735 and 1905. It is important to keep going back to this subject because it is easy to forget that God works in this way. Besides the references to Lloyd-Jones, the best part of the mesasge was perhaps the application where Jonathan reminded us of the importance of personal revival and reminded preachers that success is not all down just to good preaching. There needs to be a place in our thinking for God and revival.

Day Off Week 42

This week's day off was a little different in two ways. Firstly, in that I decided to do some intentional walking. This will be part of my weekly routine from now on I hope. I caught the bus and train to Gospel Oak and walked back to Kenwood House, where I had a coffee then headed home. Also, it was different in that in the evening we were celebrating my esteemed father-in-law's 86th birthday. We had a Chinese take-away and then went to hear Jonathan Thomas at the London Seminary. More on that anon. The rest of my time was mainly taken up with reading a fascinating Magnus Magnusson book on fakers and frauds which I recently found on my bookshelves. More on that too some time.

Five Lies of our Anti-Christian Age Rosaria Butterfield

The Pastors Academy reading group gathered again recently. About ten of us gathered, led by Peter Day, to discuss Rosaria Butterfield's latest tome, Five Lies of our Anti-Christian Age. The five lies are as follows

Lie #1: Homosexuality Is Normal (Chapters 1-4)

Lie #2: Being a Spiritual Person Is Kinder than Being a Biblical Christian (Chapters 5, 6)

Lie #3: Feminism Is Good for the World and the Church (Chaoters 7-10)

Lie #4: Transgenderism Is Normal (Chapters 11, 12)

Lie #5: Modesty Is an Outdated Burden That Serves Male Dominance and Holds Women Back (Chapters 13-16)

Like me, several thought the book badly edited and too long, (I even spotted a spelling mistake on page 220 and a grammatical error on page 236). Some thought she has grown rather harsh since previous books. Maybe. While recognising this is a book for American women not British men we thought that it made some excllent points and it led to some good discussion among us, eg on whether women should be submissive in the realm of the state (we all agreed they should be in church and in the home).

It was a nice surprise to see a friend of mine from University days. He has recently retired and someone in the same position he knows invited him (we were in fact four Aber graduates - two slightly older men, a pastor and an elder, now also in the London area). I made some suggestions for the next book to do and we agreed to look at one of them next time - Leonardo de Chirico on Thomas Aquinas. Our chairman (Brad Framnklin) deftly volunteered me to lead. That meeting is January 27, 2025.

Rumours of a Better Country

I was back at the Pastors Academy in Finchley on Monday for the reading group. This current book didn't draw the crowds as the book last time did but there were 9 or 10 of us and we enjoyed talking through the book  Rumours of a better country by veteran traveller and Schaefferite March Moyle. we all agreed that the book is rather quirky and a little hard to get into but felt that a willingness to stick with it bore fruit in time. The book looks at the ten commandments ina fresh and interesting way, as an apologetic directed at the interested unbeliever. Mostyn Roberts (no stranger to things Schaefferian) chaired. Next time we are back to Rosaria Butterfield and her book Five lies of our anti-Christian age. We meet next September.

Pride at the PA

We had a bumper turn out at the reading group at the Pastors Academy in Finchley last Monday. We must have been around 16 and had to remove from the Library to the Lecture room where there is more space. Spencer Cunnah chaired. The book under consideration was Matthew Roberts' book on the whole subject of culture's obsession with identity. Many were quite positive about the book but several, nevertheless, felt a little nervous in places. It was hard to tease this out really but we were generally agreed that the approach to homosexuality that has dominated the evangelical scene needs refuting as this book does. Anyway very stimulating. We will meet again in May, God willing, when we will look at Rumours of a better country by Marsh Moyle.

Pastors Academy Christmas Reformed

 

Had a very nice morning at the seminary last Thursday with about 15 others in the capable hands of Garry Williams. There are various approaches to the season for churches and I have long held my own view but it was good to hear Garry tackle it theologically. The view is basically that it is perfectly appropriiate to look at the theme od the incarnation at any time of the year and that inckudes December. We were warned against infantilising the story and misunderstanding what actually happened. This was all bulked out with some solid expostion of Matthew 1, much appreciated as that is the very place I hope to preach from this Christmas.

Calvin's Sermons on Titus

Up at the Pastors Academy on Monday for the reading group. The book this time was the recent translation of Calvin's sermons on Titus, published by Banner (by Robert White). About ten of us met to discuss the book, led by Phil Heaps. We agreed that these were excellent and apposite sermons for their time though not without their flaws and idiosyncracies. Next time (January) we plan to look at Matthew Robertson's book Pride.

Day Off Week 36

The holidays over it was back to a more formal day off this week. There were the common components - an art book (Michelangelo this time - stunning genius indeed), some cheese from Waitrose (Jarlsberg this time) and some TV in the evening (BBC). I also read some more from Calvin on Titus, the book for the reading group at the Pastor's Academy at the end of this month. I also took an hour or so out to chat over hot drinks to a very interesting Iranian man who has started to come along to us. I alos made a start on a paper I'm giving in November.

Two Books on the Lord's Supper

Up at the Pastors Academy recently for the reading group. The main book this time was a beautifully presented volume of reflections on Baptist sacramental church history by Michael Haykin Amidst us our beloved stands. This was supplemented by a brief work on similar subjects from Robert Letham covering the same ground and other matters. Both books take the Calvinist view so popular at present and oppose the so-called  Zwinglian memorialist view. The books strengthened me in my Zwinglian convictions (if that's what they are) despite themselves. About a dozen of us met to discuss the subjects raised in the books and athough most appeared to be Calvinist many of Letham's statements, such as those on John 6, were questioned. A good time.

The last two Mondays

I suppose it has been a busy time to some extent recently. We had our son and his family here for a few days at one point and we visited the natural history museum with them. I had a zoom committee meeting about the work in Cranford on January 26. On February 1 we had our first fraternal walk of the year on the Heath. Only four of us. I have also started some baptism classes for our Iranian friends. Then I have also been busy on the last two Mondays in different ways.

Firstly, on Monday Jan 23, I spoke on zoom for the Evangelical Library on Samson Occom and his time in Britain which I am also serialising as articles in In writing, It is a very interesting story and I hope I was able to get it over. A recording is available from the Library. We also had a Library committee on zoom in the afternoon.

Secondly, on Monday Jan 30, I was up at the Pastors Academy for the latst reading grop. We looked at Mez McConnell's book The leat, the last and the lost. We had a bumper turn out. No-one was entirely satisfied with it but most were more willing to give it consideration than I was. I was put off by the amouont of pagan sociology the book contains. I suppose I should see past that and benefit from the content. Hard to do sometimes. Next time we will be looking, God willing, at Michael Haykin's Amidst us our beloved stands.

Godly Conversation

After a long, long break the Theological Reading Group that is under the umbrella of The Pastors Academy met under the chairmanship of Brad Franklin to look at the book Gdly conversation by Joanne J Jung. The book is a converted PhD thesis subitled rediscovering the Puritan practice of conference. Five of us gathered. It would have been nice to have more. We agreed that the book has some peculiarites, most due to the demands on PhD students but the basic point that conversation under God can be a means of grace was accepted and it would be good to do what can be done to promote that idea. We plan to meet again in January to look at Mex McConell's doorstopper The Least, The Last, and The Lost.

Dr Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture 2022 Jesus the Preacher

It was great to hear the Dr Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture from Dr Peter Williamd of Tyndale House last night. He spoke very helpfully on Jesus as a preacher, bringing many useful things to light. I guess there were about a hundred or so there. You can hear more or less what Dr Williams had to say on five YouTube videos, the first of which is found here. (These include questions at the end which we did not have last night),

Hermeneutics and The Great Tradition

On Monday I was at the Pastors Academy in Finchley for our reading group. We had a decent turn out and enjoyed discussing Interpreting Scripture in the Great Tradition by Canadian Craig Carter who was in The London Seminary a short while back. Whenever we read these books I imagine I will be out on a limb in my thinking but I seldom am. It's not surprising really when I think how most of us are Reformed and Baptist for that matter. THis time rounf was typical. We all liked much of the book but thought it a bit prolix and full of generalisations and open to challenge at certain points. So worth a read and helpful both for itself and in introducing us to other writers old (Augustine, Aquinas, etc) and new (Webster, Boersma, etc). Next meeting on Richard Hays, Reading backwards.

Last Things First

Back up to the Pastors' Academy today for the latest meeting of the reading group. The book was J V Fesko's Last things first. The book basically says let's forget the arguments over creation (paradovically doing more to inflame them rather than dampen them down) and let's see what we can learn about exchatology and the sweep of Scripture. He looks at Man in the Image of God, the Garden-Temple of Eden (ala Greg Beale), the Covenant of Works (Which is how he understandds Adam in the Garden), shadows & types of the Second Adam, the Work of the Second Adam and the Sabbath. Seven of us were present including a lady from East London there for the first time. We weregerally happy with Fesko without accepting every jot and tittle. Keith Holmes led us. Next time we will go for Craig Carter's Interpreting Scripture with the Great Tradition: Recovering the Genius of Premodern Exegesis.

Dr Lloyd-Jones Memorial Lecture 2019 Preachers and Preaching

I am sorry not to have written this up before now but last Tuesday we had a very special meeting at the Pastor's Academy in Finchley when Sinclair Ferguson delivered to a packed audience the annual Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones lecture. The year 2019 is the fiftieth anniversary of the delivering of the lectures in Westminster Seminary that became the book Preachers and preaching.

It was a long paper but the momentum never sagged. There were three parts - the lectures themselves, the preaching of the preacher and the preacher who wrote the book.

Sixteen lectures were given over six weeks with two final sessions for questions and answers. Lloyd-Jones liked preaching books with plenty of anecdotes and his own lectures are packed with them. One of his greatest concerns was with the matter of what is most often called unction. Dr Ferguson suggested that while we may reject Lloyd-Jones's exposition we cannot deny the evidence of church history which suggests that his view that we need the Spirit always to preach and sometimes he comes powerfully is correct. Lloyd-Jones favourite story of this was that of John Livingstone at the Kirk o' Shotts when some 500 were either converted or something similar Livingstone himself wrote

It is most probable that no gift, no pains, a man takes to fit himself for preaching, shall ever do good to the people or himself, except a man labour to have and keep his heart in a spiritual condition before God, depending on him always for furniture and the blessing. Earnest faith and prayer, a single aim at the glory of God and good of people, a sanctified heart and carriage, shall avail much for right preaching. There is sometimes somewhat in preaching that cannot be ascribed either to the matter or expression, and cannot be described what it is, or from whence it cometh, but with a sweet violence, it pierceth into the heart and affections, and comes immediately from the Lord. But if there be any way to attain to any such thing, it is by a heavenly disposition of the speaker. A man would especially read the writings, and labour to follow the gifts, of those whom God hath, in the most eminent manner, blessed with the converting and confirming of their hearers, rather than those who seem to have rare gifts for learning and delectation, without such success.

As for Lloyd-Jones as a preacher Ferguson singled out the humbling of his natural pride and his new understanding of the cross when someone showed him that he was preaching regeneration but failing to point people to Christ. On Romans 5 Lloyd-Jones says "The Christian life is in many ways a matter of logic, a matter of deduction" and he famously spoke of preaching as logic on fire or eloquent reason. His reading of Calvin, Edwads and Warfield confirmed him in this. Providentially he had a medical training and made use of this in his approach to preaching. However, it was more than that. As Dr Ferguson pointed out there have been many preachers with a medical training who did not preach like Lloyd-Jones. More important then, it was suggested, was his taking up of the recommendation of Lord Horder, his medical mentor, that his students read Jevons on logic. As for eloquence Plato's emphasis on logos, ethos, pathos was again important. Lloyd-Jones had the logos but believed he lacked pathos (as most preachers do). Ethos is to do with the integrity of the preacher and his message – and ourselves your servants for Christ’s sake.

We ended with some personal reminiscences and a reference to a picture of Lloyd-Jones being introduced to the Queen. At the end I felt like I did when I finished reading the two volume biography. This was a truly holy man, an eloquent preacher used by God. Only to be like him to some extent.

Pastors' Academy 2019 Sons of Jacob Day 2

Numbers were slightly down for day 2. We had such a good day yesterday, it was hard to keep up the pace and the first two of the three papers were quite demanding. First, Mark Garcia continued his exploration of Genesis 38, especially taking in the story of the other Tamar in 2 Samuel 13. He sought to connect the reference to Joseph's long sleeved garment to that of Tamar in 2 Samuel and that, with much else he said, was very stimulating. Sadly, there was less discussion time on this second day and so we had no chance to discuss.

After lunch it was a change of pace as we were in the hands of Yannick Imbert from Aix en Provence who spoke on the remark in Genesis that God intended it for good. This was a thorough an academic, highly nuanced look at a difficult subject.

We ended the day with David Green who looked with us at the references to Egypt in Genesis. This was typically thorough and provocative. He argued for a nuanced understanding of this world and our place in it as believers. We had a good discussion to follow before parting.

This is a really worthwhile conference and one wishes it was better attended.

Pastors' Academy Conference 2019 Sons of Jacob Day 1

We had a very good first day of conference at the seminary today with Academy leader Garry Williams giving us two sessions and US based Mark Garcia, president of Greystones Theological Institute. About 40 of us were present. Garry spoke on the subject of typology, giving a brief and interesting history and urging a cautious but willing use of typology. His focus was on the story of Joseph. He sought to lay down parameters for the employment of this tool. We had a good couple of discussions on the subject with several taking part.

Mark Garcia spoke at the end of the day on Genesis 38. He began with these observations

1. We should be happy to admit that its placing is jarring and unexpected at first sight
2. Tamar reminds us of Eve and her desire to be blessed with children and to see Messiah
3. There is also the link forward to David and his family, including a namesake Tamar
4. Tamar is the first woman mentioned in the New Testament
5. At the very end of the canon we meet the final king Christ on his throne, the lion of the tribe of Judah who has a glorious bride, which takes us back not just to Eve but to Tamar.

The story is a smaller type scene of the larger Joseph type scene. Dr Garcia focussed on the moment where Tamar asks Judah to recognise whose beongings she had. This echoes the request of Jacob's sons to him to recognise Joseph's coat.

At the end of Ruth Tamar is remembered in reference to fruitfulness

Here in Genesis 38 is a type scene 

Expectation is followed by deception and counter-deception, admission of guilt and final denoument. There are many examples of this in Scripture.

Judah deceives Tamar just as his son has. It is Judah who in the wider Joseph narrative is the spokesman for the deception toward Jacob. Again in th wider narrative we have Joseph remaining unknown to his brothers adn so on, leading to a similar revealing and resolution moment.

When preaching we might want to back further and point out how the story refects the history of the world. Thecross is the final resolution.

Very stimulating stuff, and a good discussion again to follow.