Christ the Center
286 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★★ - 115 ratingsChrist the Center is an audio program centered on Christian reformed theology. In each episode a group of informed panelists discuss important issues and stimulate listeners to critical thinking and a better understanding of reformed doctrine designed to yield godly living.
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Episodes
Caring for Ministers
June 25, 2021 04:00 - 46.1 MBRev. John Fikkert speaks about providing specialized care for ministers. Rev. Fikkert is the director of the OPC’s Committee on Ministerial Care, which provides a range services for ministers such as counseling and diaconal aid, financial planning assistance, webinars on a range of topics, and funds for sabbaticals. Participants: Camden Bucey, John Fikkert
Seeker’s Progress
June 18, 2021 04:00 - 40.4 MBRob McKenzie speaks about the Christian life and a variety of apologetic encounters he has woven into his book Seeker’s Progress. In this novel, McKenzie explores the world that John Bunyan created in his classic book, The Pilgrim’s Progress. There is another man from the City of Destruction who follows after Christian also seeking to […]
The Life and Legacy of R. C. Sproul
June 11, 2021 04:00 - 22.9 MBDr. Stephen J. Nichols speaks about the life and legacy of Dr. R. C. Sproul. Dr. Nichols has written a biography of Dr. Sproul, which has recently been published by Crossway. This biography details R. C.’s family history and early life in Pittsburgh, through his seminary education and early ministry all the way to the […]
Vos Group — Seeking and Saving the Lost
June 04, 2021 04:00 - 34.4 MBWe turn to the third sermon in Grace and Glory, a collection of sermons Geerhardus Vos preached at the Miller Chapel of Princeton Theological Seminary. In “Seeking and Saving the Lost,” Vos preaches from Luke 19:10, wherein Jesus describes his ministry to redeem sinners and to bring them into communion with the one true and […]
Redemption Accomplished and Applied
May 28, 2021 04:00 - 53.6 MBLane Tipton is in the studio with Camden Bucey to discuss the doctrine of salvation and union with Christ from the eschatological perspective of redemption accomplished and applied. On the heels of recording a new course on the topic with Dr. Tipton, they discuss the foundational categories of historia salutis and ordo salutis as well […]
The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament
May 21, 2021 04:00 - 45.5 MBDrs. G. K. Beale and Benjamin Gladd speak about their book The Story Retold: A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament (IVP Academic) in which they seek to couch every major passage of Scripture within the broad history of redemption, making sense of the New Testament in light of the Old. New Testament introductions typically either […]
Vos Group #69 — Emotions and Affections
May 14, 2021 04:00 - 48.7 MBWe turn to pages 255–256 of Geerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider the ways in which the Old Testament prophets use anthropomorphism to describe God. The “emotional” or “affectional” dispositions of Jehovah’s nature is the next set of attributes. He says, as a guiding principle, “we are here in a sphere full of […]
The Sufferings and Glory of Jesus the Messiah in Acts 2–3
May 07, 2021 04:00 - 49.4 MBWe welcome Dr. Rita Cefalu to speak about the rich biblical-theological themes regarding Christ in Acts 2–3. Dr. Cefalu has written, “The Sufferings and Glory of Jesus the Messiah in Acts 2–3,” which appears in The Seed of Promise: The Sufferings and Glory of the Messiah: Essays in Honor of T. Desmond Alexander (Glossa House), […]
Christian Reconstruction in the Pacific Northwest
April 30, 2021 04:00 - 46.3 MBDr. Crawford Gribben speaks about his book, Survival and Resistance: Christian Reconstruction in the Pacific Northwest (Oxford University Press), in which he describes the migration of conservative evangelicals to the Northwest of the United States, where they hope to resist the impact of secular modernity and to survive an anticipated breakdown of society. Discussing figures […]
Christology and Christocentrism in Herman Bavinck
April 23, 2021 04:00 - 45.5 MBRev. Dr. Bruce Pass discusses Herman Bavinck as a sytematic theologian and the role Christology plays within his theological system. Throughout his career, Bavinck identified different central dogma but developed his theology around Christology as a “middle point” to which all other doctrines relate. Dr. Pass holds a doctorate in systematic theology from the University […]
The Diet of Worms
April 16, 2021 04:00 - 38.1 MBThe main events of the Diet of Worms relating to Luther took place from 16 to 18 April 1521. This year marks the 500th anniversary of the Diet of Worms, and on this occasion, we welcome Dr. Herman Selderhuis to rehearse the events of the diet and share his thoughts about its enduring significance for […]
Typology and Covenant Membership in Hebrews
April 09, 2021 04:00 - 54.7 MBWe pick up on our conversation from episode 655 with Jeremy Boothy on covenant theology in the book of Hebrews by focusing upon Vos’s Triangle and the heavenly-centered understanding of typology expressed by the author of Hebrews. This leads us to discuss a redemptive-historical hermeneutic as well as the nature of new covenant membership in […]
Vos Group #68 — The Nature and Attributes of Jehovah: Righteousness
April 02, 2021 04:00 - 34.7 MBWe turn to pages 250–255 of Geerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to consider God’s righteousness—particularly as it is revealed during the time of the Old Testament prophets. Vos speaks of God’s righteousness as “midway between the transcendental and communicative attributes” (250). God is the righteous judge. In human terms, a judge is […]
Trends in Christian Education
March 26, 2021 04:00 - 38.3 MBAll Christian parents are called to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). In Deuteronomy 6:4–9, the Lord commands his covenant people, Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul […]
New Course: Van Til’s Trinitarian Theology
March 19, 2021 04:00 - 30.5 MBLane Tipton discusses “Van Til’s Trinitarian Theology,” the latest on-demand video course released with Reformed Academy. Designed to equip the student to engage critically central issues in trinitarian theology, this course will focus on the architectonic significance of the Trinity both in Van Til’s theology and apologetics. Special attention will be given to Van Til’s […]
Michel Foucault
March 12, 2021 05:00 - 52.3 MBDr. Christopher Watkin joins us to speak about his book, Michel Foucault, published by P&R Publishing in the Great Thinkers series. Michel Foucault (1926–1984) was a French philosopher, historian of ideas, writer, political activist, and literary critic. Although he was widely influential during his lifetime, Foucault’s philosophy has come to even greater influence and applicability in recent […]
Vos Group Excursus: Hungering and Thirsting after Righteousness
March 05, 2021 05:00 - 32.2 MBDanny Olinger, Lane Tipton, and Camden Bucey discuss Geerhardus Vos’s sermon, “Hungering and Thirsting after Righteousness” from Matthew 5:6. This sermon is included in Grace and Glory: Sermons Preached at Princeton Theological Seminary. Participants: Camden Bucey, Danny Olinger, Lane G. Tipton
From Adam and Israel to the Church
February 26, 2021 05:00 - 49.5 MBBenjamin Gladd, associate professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi joins us to speak about his book, From Adam and Israel to the Church: A Biblical Theology of the People of God, which is in the Essential Studies in Biblical Theology series from IVP Academic. Dr. Gladd is also the editor of the […]
J. Gresham Machen’s Theological Method
February 19, 2021 05:00 - 42.3 MBDr. William Dennison, pastor of Emmanuel OPC in Kent, Washington, speaks about J. Gresham Machen’s theological method as disclosed through his radio addresses just a few years prior to his death. Machen understood that the modern world and the church were in a state of emergency. While many of Machen’s listeners would have thought about […]
What Happens When We Worship
February 12, 2021 05:00 - 43.7 MBJonathan Landry Cruse speaks about worship. Cruse has written What Happens When We Worship (Reformation Heritage Books). Many churchgoers assume that worship is inherently boring, something we need to make exciting. But Cruse seeks to demonstrate that churchgoing only seems monotonous and mundane because our eyes are blinded to the supernatural wonder that is taking […]
Van Til Group #3 — Anthropology and the God-man Relation
February 05, 2021 05:00 - 30 MBOn pages 29–34 of The Defense of the Faith, Cornelius Van Til continues to describe the basic Reformed doctrines that lay the foundation for his apologetic. It is evident even in this introductory material how he considers his project. He is neither seeking to be idiosyncratic nor original (in the sense of developing something foreign […]
God or Baal: Calvin’s Letters on Worship
January 29, 2021 05:00 - 36 MBRev. Dr. David Noe joins us to speak about John Calvin, God or Baal: Two Letters on the Reformation of Worship and Pastoral Service (Reformation Heritage Books), which includes translations of two letters: We Must Flee the Forbidden Rites of the Wicked and Maintain the Purity of the Christian Faith The Christian Man’s Obligation to […]
1 Corinthians 3:1–9 — God’s Fellow Workers
January 27, 2021 05:00Paul once again admonishes the church in Corinth over its division into rival parties with some following Paul, and other Apollos. Paul rebukes them because this behavior is of the flesh and they have elevated the minister of the gospel to an unwarranted and unbiblical position. Ministers are but servants used as instruments in the […]
David Dickson’s Sermons on Lamentations
January 22, 2021 05:00 - 36 MBMatthew Vogan speaks about David Dickson’s Sermons on Jeremiah’s Lamentations (Naphtali Press Special Editions & Reformation Heritage Books). Mr. Vogan is General Manager of Reformation Scotland, a charitable trust whose aim is to promote the restoration of the Christian Church in Scotland by informing, educating and promoting understanding of our Reformed heritage through film, print […]
Vos Group #67: The Holiness of God in the Prophets
January 15, 2021 05:00We turn to pages 245–250 of Geerhardus Vos’s book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to discuss the prophet’s view of God’s holiness. Vos contrasts the concept of holiness found in pagan religions with that of the biblical prophets. The concept of holiness in Scripture is God-centered. It begins with the Lord, his transcendence, and […]
The Spirituality of the Church
January 08, 2021 05:00 - 51.4 MBC. N. Willborn speaks about the spirituality of the church, the doctrine which affirms that the Church is a spiritual institution with spiritual aims. It is not administered according to the kingdom of this world. This has a direct bearing upon the work of the church, which is explicitly described and defined by Christ himself […]
Highlights from 2020
January 01, 2021 05:00 - 55.3 MBSince Christ the Center began nearly thirteen years ago, we have taken time to look back on the highlights of the year. Continuing the update to our tradition from last year, here this year’s top ten clips from Christ the Center as determined by YouTube views. Ep. 633 – What Is Christendom? with David VanDrunen Ep. 655 – 1689 Federalism and […]
The Nativity Hymns in the Gospel of Luke
December 25, 2020 05:00 - 52 MBOne of the highlights of the Christmas season is singing the Christmas hymns. Singing songs about the nativity of Jesus is one of the oldest traditions in the Christian church, and dates to the beginning of the New Testament church—even to the birth of Christ himself. Luke includes four such songs: Mary’s (1:46–55), Zechariah’s (1:68–79), Simeon’s […]
James Ussher and the Covenant of Works
December 18, 2020 05:00Harrison Perkins discusses the theology and historical context of James Ussher with particular attention to the development of the confessional understanding of the covenant of works. Ussher was the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland between 1625 and 1656. He was a prolific scholar and significant church leader. Perkins is the author of Catholicity and […]
Herman Bavinck’s Use of Friedrich Schleiermacher
December 11, 2020 05:00 - 45.2 MBCory Brock describes how Herman Bavinck interacted with and appropriated the theology of Friedrich Schleiermacher throughout his academic career. There is a significant shift toward a more pronounced and direct use of Schleiermacher later in his life. But any appropriation of Schleiermacher by Bavinck may surprise people. Schleiermacher (1768–1834) is recognized as the father of […]
The Use of Irony in Redemptive-History
December 04, 2020 05:00Dr. G. K. Beale speaks about the use of irony in redemptive-history, which is the subject of his book Redemptive Reversals and the Ironic Overturning of Human Wisdom (Crossway). The Bible is full of ironic situations in which God overturns the world’s wisdom by doing the opposite of what is expected―people are punished by their […]
Covenant Theology in Hebrews
November 27, 2020 05:00Dr. Robert Cara, Provost and Chief Academic Officer of Reformed Theological Seminary and Hugh and Sallie Reaves Professor of New Testament at RTS Charlotte, discusses the covenant theology evident in the letter to the Hebrews. God has one plan and purpose for his people throughout history, and he mediates this relationship through successive covenants, ultimately […]
Vos Group Excursus: The Wonderful Tree
November 20, 2020 05:00In this episode of Vos Group, we turn to Vos’s sermon, “The Wonderful Tree,” in the collection of his sermons, Grace and Glory: Sermons Preached at Princeton Seminary. Preaching on Hosea 14:8, Vos describes the nature of religion as consisting of what God is for man and of what man is for God. Hosea features […]
Constitution and Covenant in 1 Corinthians 1–4
November 13, 2020 05:00 - 43.5 MBDr. Bradley J. Bitner, associate professor of New Testament at Westminster Seminary California, speaks about constitution and covenant in ancient Corinth and how these inform Paul’s argument to the Corinthians. Dr. Bitner has written a thorough study of the subject titled, Paul’s Political Strategy in 1 Corinthians 1–4: Constitution and Covenant (Cambridge University Press). In […]
Van Til Group #2 — The Doctrine of God
November 06, 2020 05:00 - 41 MBLane Tipton, Carlton Wynne, and Camden Bucey discuss pages 25–29 of Cornelius Van Til’s book, The Defense of the Faith. In this section, Van Til details the doctrine of God that structures his apologetic thought. A Reformed apologetic seeks first to understand the nature of the God it seeks to set forth and defend. In […]
The Sexual Revolution and the Rise of the Modern Self
October 30, 2020 04:00 - 49.7 MBDr. Carl R. Trueman joins us to speak about his significant new book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution (Crossway), in which he addresses the factors undergirding modern culture’s obsession with identity. Sexual identity in particular has dominated public discourse since the landmark […]
A Critical Edition of the Westminster Confession of Faith
October 23, 2020 04:00 - 32 MBDr. John Bower speaks about constructing a critical edition of the Westminster Confession of Faith using four historical authoritative texts and several other sources. Bower has done a tremendous service to the church and the academy. Both will benefit greatly from his careful scholarship. With Chad Van Dixhoorn, Dr. Bower is co-editor of Principal Documents […]
Vos Group #66 — God’s Relation to Time and Eternity
October 16, 2020 04:00 - 40.4 MBWe turn to pages 243–244 of Geerhardus Vos’s book Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments to discuss the prophet’s view of God’s relation to time and space. In terms of God’s relation to time and space, two relations occur. What we have to affirm first of all is that God is everywhere present in all […]
A Critical Biography of Herman Bavinck
October 09, 2020 04:00 - 49.2 MBDr. James Eglinton speaks about the life and thought of Herman Bavinck. Eglinton has written a superb biography of Bavinck that has been published by Baker Academic. Bavinck and other Dutch people of his era were accustomed to chronicling their lives. Herman Bavinck’s father wrote an autobiography. Herman wrote in journals. These became primary sources […]
A History of Dispensationalism
October 02, 2020 04:00 - 56 MBRev. Michael J. Glodo, Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Dean of the Chapel at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, speaks about dispensationalism and its development in light of several historical, sociological, and theological contexts. Rev. Glodo is the author of “Dispensationalism” in Covenant Theology: Biblical, Theological, and Historical Perspectives edited by Guy Prentiss […]
A Diaconal Ministry “Proportioned in Number”
September 25, 2020 04:00 - 42.5 MBC. N. Willborn describes the importance of a faithful and active diaconal ministry within the church. Building upon contributions from Thomas Chalmers and other insightful theologians, Willborn describes a ministry “proportioned in number,” or segmented in order that the diaconate may faithfully carry out its duties both to the brotherhood and the neighborhood. Willborn argues […]
The Resurrection in Acts
September 18, 2020 04:00 - 48.4 MBDr. Brandon Crowe speaks about the centrality of the resurrection in the book of Acts. Dr. Crowe has written The Hope of Israel: The Resurrection of Christ in the Acts of the Apostles (Baker Academic, 2020) in which he explores the historical, theological, and canonical implications of Jesus’s resurrection in early Christianity and helps readers […]
History and Theology in the Thought of John Witherspoon
September 11, 2020 04:00 - 43.1 MBJohn Witherspoon (1723–1794) was an eighteenth-century Scottish-American Presbyterian minister and signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. In this episode, we speak with Robert S. Null about Witherspoon’s theology and understanding of history through four unstudied manuscripts of his lectures at the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University). In his dissertation, John Witherspoon’s […]
Van Til Group #1 — The Defense of the Faith
September 04, 2020 04:00 - 45.1 MBIn the spirit of our Vos Group episodes, we begin a concurrent venture into Cornelius Van Til’s book, The Defense of the Faith. Carlton Wynne joins Lane Tipton and Camden Bucey to discuss the theology and apologetics of this significant twenty-first century Reformed apologist. Participants: Camden Bucey, Carlton Wynne, Lane G. Tipton
The Shape and Shaping of the Book of the Twelve
August 28, 2020 04:00 - 61.5 MBWill Wood, Assistant Professor of Old Testament at RTS Atlanta, discusses the shaping of the book of the twelve, the canonical collection of the minor prophets (Hosea through Malachi). The Book of the Twelve is a grouping of twelve individual prophets into a single intertextually related and thematically integrated work that spans the course of […]
Vos Group Excursus — Grace and Glory: Sermons of Geerhardus Vos
August 21, 2020 04:00 - 44 MBIn 1922, Reformed Press published six sermons by Geerhardus Vos in a volume titled Grace and Glory. In 1994, Banner of Truth published the same collection with ten additional sermons, which were discovered and edited by James Dennison. Banner has now brought this full collection back into print with a new edition: Grace and Glory: […]
Karl Barth and Idealism
August 14, 2020 04:00 - 46.9 MBJim Cassidy speaks about Karl Barth and his relationship with idealism. On the heels of Lane Tipton’s recent course, Introduction to the Theology and Apologetics of Cornelius Van Til, the panel compares and contrasts Barth’s ontology and doctrine of revelation in the Christ-event with Van Til’s critique of idealism and warnings of correlativism. Participants: Camden […]
Vos Group #65 — The Nature and Attributes of God
August 07, 2020 04:00 - 36.1 MBWe turn to pp. 238–243 of Vos’s book, Biblical Theology, to speak about the Old Testament prophets and their understanding of the nature and attributes of God. Vos affirms that God is Spirit. This brings into view not that God is immaterial per se, as Vos notes, but rather the “energy of life in God.” […]
The Call to Worship and Benediction
July 31, 2020 04:00 - 48 MBGlen Clary speaks about the biblical basis and covenantal context of the call to worship and benediction. These elements of worship are rooted in Christ’s work on behalf of his covenant people. In the call to worship, God calls his people to have covenant communion with him in his heavenly temple. He calls us to […]
Discussing a New Course: Introduction to the Theology and Apologetics of Cornelius Van Til
July 24, 2020 04:00 - 37.4 MBIn this episode, we discuss a new online course wherein Dr. Lane G. Tipton teaches a thorough introduction to the theology and innovative apologetic method of Cornelius Van Til (1895–1987), a pioneer in a distinctly Reformed approach to defending the faith. This course investigates the context, structure, and significance of Van Til’s theology and apologetics. […]