Greetings!
Why do we study Reformed theology? Why do we pursue it, seek to recover it, and try to apply it to the life of the church today? Why do we have it at all? And why does it lead us to be so critical of the church?
The nature of Reformed theology--the what of it--is, of course, to be reformed "according to the Word of God." To say this the other way around, the Word of God continues to speak to us, to correct us, and so to reform our theology.
Given this nature of Reformed theology, the purpose of Reformed theology--the why of it--is to reform the church, or rather to be a way of hearing and presenting the Word of God in the service of the Word itself reforming the church. The very presupposition of the Protestant Reformation was that the church was disobedient and corrupt and needed to be reformed.
The continuing presupposition of our ongoing efforts at Reformed theology today is that the church is still disobedient and corrupt and needs to be reformed. Otherwise, there would be no need for Reformed theology.
Thus it is an inherent part of the recovery, explication, and application of Reformed theology that it is critical of the church. That is what Reformed theology does. This is what it is all about. If theology did not criticize the church, it would not be Reformed.
If the church were good, faithful, obedient, and perfect, there would be no need for reform and therefore no need for Reformed theology. Criticism would be out of order. If you believe that the kingdom has already come, then the mission and work of the Foundation for Reformed Theology probably will not be of interest to you.
But since the church is not yet good, faithful, obedient, or perfect, there is an ongoing need for reform and therefore for Reformed theology. Perhaps the mission and work of the Foundation will be of vital interest to you and be worthy of your generous and even sacrificial support. To learn more about this, please click on the following links:
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Please give generously to help us advance the mission of the Foundation to recover Reformed theology and to apply it to the church today. Information about how to give is available at this link:
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 Thank you for your prayers and support!Grace and Peace,
Dr. James C. Goodloe IV, Executive
Director
Foundation for Reformed Theology
4103 Monument Avenue
Richmond, Virginia 23230
Better Preaching, Teaching, and Pastoral Care
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