The Confession of Faith: A Critical Text and Introduction (Principal Documents of the Westminster Assembly) - Hardcover

John R. Bower

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1601782438 ISBN 13: 9781601782434

Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books, 2020

Synopsis

The Confession of Faith stands as one of the three major doctrinal standards produced by the Westminster Assembly. It has become one of the most recognizable and influential confessions of the Reformed tradition. In his historical introduction, John Bower provides an extensive survey of the Confession’s creation, a formative process spanning the Assembly’s most active years of 1643–1648. The heart of the volume is Bower’s critical text of the Confession.

Painstakingly restored, the critical text is supported by a parallel comparison of the document’s four authoritative sources and a detailed list of textual emendations. Moreover, the book’s historical and textual sections are accompanied by a glossary, bibliography, catalog of proof texts, and a critical edition of the Assembly’s often overlooked revision of the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England. Bower’s text is sure to be the benchmark for future study, modern editions, and foreign translations for years to come.

Contents

Foreword
Series Preface
Preface
Acknowledgments
List of Tables and Figure

Introduction: The Making of the Confession of Faith

1. Revising the Articles
2. Hastening the Confession
3. The Plan of Redemption
4. The Application of Redemption
5. Parameters of Service
6. Serving the Church
7. From Manuscript to Press
8. Bibliographical Details
9. Methods and Conventions

A Critical Edition of the Confession of Faith

Comparison of the Four Authoritative Texts

The Order of the Confession of Faith Compared with That of the Irish Articles

The Revised Thirty-Nine Articles: A Critical Text

Selected Bibliography
Glossary
Scripture Index
Subject Index

About this title

About the Author

John R. Bower, MD, ThM, is adjunct professor of church history at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh and associate professor of pediatrics at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. His special interest is the history and bibliography of the Westminster Assembly and its members. Dr. Bower is co-editor of the Westminster Assembly Project's series of Assembly-related works and documents.

From the Back Cover

The Confession of Faith stands as one of the three major doctrinal standards produced by the Westminster Assembly. It has become one of the most recognizable and influential confessions of the Reformed tradition. In his introduction, John Bower provides extensive historical background for the making of the confession.

The heart of the volume is Bower's critical text of the confession. Painstakingly checked and indexed, the critical text is supported by a four-column comparison of the authoritative manuscript and printings. It also contains a glossary, a bibliography, a catalog of proof texts, and an appendix covering the Assembly's discussion on the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England. Bower's text is sure to be the benchmark for future study, modern editions, and foreign translations for years to come.

Edition details

• Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
• Publication date: 2020
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1601782438
• ISBN 13: 9781601782434
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 436