Three Tiers of Reformed Theology Reading List // Are You Reformed? Part 2

I get asked frequently, am I reformed? Is this author reformed? Or, is this book reformed? So I made a video about what that means, and this is part 2! In this video I posted the notes to my first video, summarize the three tiers, and have put together a book list for those who want to dive deeper into each one of the three tiers I shared in part 1.

If you have questions or insights about the topics covered in this video or have recommendations for future videos let me know in the comments.

Links:

Part 1 Video, Are You Reformed?

Blog Link to My Notes:

Calvin's Institutes Video:

Calvinism: A Biblical and Theological Critique Book Review:

Database of Reformed Standards of Unity:

Section Titles:
0:00 - Welcome & Video Content
0:44 - Why This Video?
0:54 - Notes on my Blog!
1:40 - Channel Purpose
1:57 - Three Tier Overview
4:25 - Book List
4:56 - Tier 1 Books
7:00 - Tier 2 Books
8:42 - Calvin's Institutes Aside
10:33 - Tier 2 Books Continued
14:57 - Tier 3 Books
17:55 - Feedback & Final Thoughts

#Back2theWord, helping you read, treasure, and follow the Word! This channel exists to equip and encourage you to read the Bible, good books, and have conversations that truly matter.

[emmanueljoseph]

1st comment. Reformed baptist and I like your channel and I'm blessed with your online ministry keep it up !

[kparks]

Thank you, Joe ... great content and really helpful and I will use these notes.

[sigeberhtmercia]

Early on, as an initial introduction to Reformed Theology, I came across the following in no particular order, which I found very helpful:
The Sovereignty of God, A. W. Pink,
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J. I. Packer,
God Centred Evangelism, R. B. Kuiper,
The Christian View of Man, J. Gresham-Machen,
Summary of Christian Doctrine, Louis Berkhof,
Human Nature in its fourfold state, Thomas Boston,
Sermons on the Shorter Catechism, Thomas Watson, 3 vols. "A body of Divinity", "The Ten Commandments", and "The Lord's Prayer".

[Pacemasterx]

Redemption accomplished and applied is really good for the 5 points

[willydihar]

Thanks for uploading. "Five Points" by John Piper is also a good resource for an introductory study of the Doctrines of Grace 🙂

[austinbridge]

Right there in the middle with you, brother. Trying to dig into church history and specific aspects of theology right now to really solidify my beliefs outside of the essentials.
Do you like Concise Theology by J.I. Packer? I very much appreciate how it is broken down into 3 parts and subtopics within those parts. Very easy to digest to get a broad understanding of viewpoints.

[bethvaughn]

I love Creeds, Confessions & Catechisms: A Reader's Edition! But the most comprehensive that I know about is We Believe: Creeds, Catechisms & Confessions of Faith. Published by Ligonier Ministries, it has 20 (that's twenty) and it does give a little background on each. And the App: Reformed Companion. Not the CCC themselves but a little book: Know the Creeds & Councils.

[JesusSaviourALL]

Hi I’m new to reformed teaching and go to a reformed baptist church which is amazing, what’s the very first book to get into for basics but not too hard to read - thanks!

[shawngillogly]

Would much more strongly recommend James Renihan's To the Judicious and Impartial Reader as an exposition of the 1689.

He also has an exposition of the 1644, titled: For the Vindication of Truth.

Also, if you want to understand 1689 Federalism as a Theological System, I would suggest Sam Renihan's: The Mystery of Christ

[skyahn]

What would you recommend for a deeper dive into Totally Depravity? I have been questioning if Total Depravity = Total Inability. And where that fits with everyone’s ability to recognize what is good and evil.

[sincerelygideon]

Robert Shaw’s The Reformed Faith is by far the best exposition of the Westminster Confession. Sproul and Dixhorn, being modern guys, leave a lot out that is there in the confession. Shaw is better in my opinion. Look for it at Reformation Heritage Books.

[doctoralex]

I think divorcing a Calvinistic soteriology from reformed confessionalism has led to a lot of confusion, misunderstanding and error.

You see so many people online hating on and arguing about “Calvinism” which has become synonymous with a 5 points of TULIP, which in my opinion, in this isolated form does not represent a healthy reformed theology or that of John Calvin himself.

[steverobinson]

The History & Theology of Calvinism by Curt Daniel

[goldenarm]

Sola Scriptura or Scripture and the Institutes 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[pedroguimaraes]

Are Reformed Baptist Reformed?

John Calvin:
"For those who, on pretense of the incapacity of infants, exclude them from baptism, not only unjustly DEFRAUD them of the grace of divine adoption, but WICKEDLY tear away from them that which had been given them by God. For the promise of salvation, which is contained in baptism, is not less applicable to the children of believers than it was to the infants of the Jews under the Old Testament."
(Institutes of the Christian Religion, 4.16.8)

Charles Hodge:
"The children of believing parents have, therefore, as much right to the ordinances of the church as adults. To deny them this right is to OBLITERATE one of the grand peculiarities of the plan of redemption." (Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, p. 588)

B. B. Warfield:
"The Anabaptist SECTS... deny that the children of believers have a right to be admitted to membership in the church. In doing so, they undermine the continuity of the covenant of grace, which is a cornerstone of Reformed theology." (The Plan of Salvation, Chapter 4)

Francis Turretin:
"The visible church is defined as the society of those who profess the true religion and their children. That infants belong to the church and ought to be counted among its members is expressly proved… It cannot be denied without subverting the covenant." (Institutes of Elenctic Theology, 18.6.3)

The Synod of Dort:
"Since we must make judgments about God's will from His Word, which testifies that the children of believers are holy, not by nature but in virtue of the covenant of grace in which they are included with their parents, godly parents ought not to doubt the election and salvation of their children whom God calls out of this life in infancy." (Canons of Dort, First Head, Article 17)

Heinrich Bullinger:
"The sacraments of the Old and New Testaments are the same in substance... Therefore, baptism has come in place of circumcision." (Decades, Fourth Decade, Sermon 9)

The Westminster Confession of Faith:
"Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one or both believing parents are to be baptized." (Westminster Confession of Faith, 28.4)

Herman Witsius:
"The covenant made with Abraham in Genesis 17 is the same covenant of grace revealed in the New Testament... The right of infants to the covenant sign remains." (The Economy of the Covenants Between God and Man, Book 4, Chapter 9)

I appreciate your effort, excitement, and teaching with this video, but I can't say you're part of the same theological tradition as me (Reformed) and be intellectually honest at the same time. It is really a different tradition. As you can see, Infant Baptism is an essential issue for our tradition.