I am seriously considering purchasing this book, which deals with the issue of images of God in Reformed churches. The author is the Rev. Danny Hyde, a pastor in the United Reformed Church. There is even a free download of the introduction available. I particularly liked these comments in the intro:
To be “Reformed” means so much more than simply being tied to some obsolete tradition. … [T]o be a part of a Reformed church means to be reformed according to Scripture. The Protestant reformers confessed the great doctrine of Scripture alone (sola Scriptura), which is the sufficient source for Christian belief, life, and worship. Because of this emphasis on getting back to the source of divine truth in the Scriptures, the Reformers proclaimed passionately that sinners are justified before the judicial bar of an almighty and holy God by faith alone (sola fide) in Christ alone (solus Christus). These twin truths of Scripture and faith, sola Scriptura and sola fide, were codified in the Reformation catechisms and confessions such as the Three Forms of Unity—the Belgic Confession (1561), Heidelberg Catechism (1563), and Canons of Dort (1618–19)—and the Westminster Standards—the Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger and Shorter Catechisms (1647). This is so important for our day, in which we are seeing many come to the Reformation faith, life, and worship from the mass of evangelical churches dotting our land.We certainly rejoice in this, but must also be aware that for many of these zealous Calvinists, to be Reformed means that they have come to learn about the so-called “five points of Calvinism,” or, as it is better described, “the doctrines of grace.”Many think that this is Reformed theology. To have a “Reformed theology” means so much more than believing in the acronym TULIP. To be Reformed means to be confessional. This means that we confess the Bible as the Word of God alone and as it is summarized faithfully for us in the ancient Christian creeds of the church and in the Reformation catechisms and confessions mentioned above. These documents define for Reformed churches who they are and why they are who they are.
As Derek Thomas is fond of lamenting, “We’ve lost that battle.” We have too, along with the whole RPW discussion. We need to remain the few and the faithful until the others get it.
And drag the Reformed folk back, kicking and screaming if we have to, to the Confession.
“You mean it actually says that….”