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For the Explication of Reformed Theology
As you may know, the Foundation grew out of the Fund for the Explication and Application of Reformed Theology. It has occurred to me that by characterizing the "explication" of Reformed theology as the "study" of Reformed theology, I have been missing an important point. Yes, explication requires study, but it also involves more than study.
One temptation in the church today is to ignore and to set aside the faith, learning, theology, and wisdom of the past. Clearly the Foundation stands against that. But another temptation is to carry the articulations of the past forward, without alteration, and to assume that they can and do apply directly and without remainder to the faith and life of the church today. The Foundation does not endorse that, either.
As Dr. Leith wrote, "The purpose of this Foundation is the recovery of this tradition in the idiom of contemporary life" (emphasis added). That is to say, in order for the Reformed tradition to be recovered today, it is necessary first to study and learn it but then also to explicate it and make it clear in our own day.
Explication is a middle step. It lies between study and application. It has to do with the assimilation of what is learned, with the appropriation of what is read, and with the making one's own of what is studied. Without explication, the goal of study is not complete. And without explication, application is not well grounded.
Perhaps this was already obvious to everyone else. But in case it was not, I am writing to invite all of us to realize it, to remember it, and to include it in the Foundation's work and program. For instance, how can we, in our seminars, not only read and learn the Reformed theology of the past, but also absorb it and articulate it faithfully and intelligibly in our own day?
In light of this, I have revised the opening statement on the home page of our website to present very briefly what we do, how we do it, and why we do it. I hope this is accurate, helpful, and communicative. Perhaps you will even find it a helpful way to share with others about the Foundation.
I invite you to see this statement at the following link and to let me know what you think:
Foundation for Reformed Theology
Thank you!
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Grace and Peace,