The Westminster Confession of Faith: A Study Guide for the 21st Century

Book Description

Rowland S. Ward's guide has served as an invaluable resource for many wishing to understand the rich theological tapestry of the Westminster Confession. In this revised and expanded volume, Ward has sought to bring further clarity to, and appreciation for, this great summary of doctrinal truth. If you are looking for an easy to read exposition of the Confession with sharp analysis of its contents and relevant discussion questions -- look no further.

Author

Rowland S. Ward was born and raised in Melbourne. He holds the BA and Hons BTh degrees from the University of South Africa, and the Diploma of the Free Church of Scotland College, Edinburgh (which he attended 1972-75). In 1994 he was awarded the degree ThD from the Australian College of Theology, Sydney for his dissertation on “Divisions and Unions in Australian Presbyterianism 1823-1901 with Special Reference to the Church’s Attitude to its Creed”. Brought up in the Presbyterian Church of Victoria, Rowland moved to the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia in 1968 due to the widespread liberalism of the PCV at that time. Rowland is Church History and Research Lecturer at the Presbyterian Theological College, Melbourne.

Endorsements

“Rowland Ward’s The Westminster Confession of Faith: A Study Guide has, in its various editions, been a constant and indispensable companion to me for a quarter century as I have taught the Westminster Standards in the seminary and church. There is really no modern commentary like it. If you have Robert Shaw, A.A. Hodge, Chad Van Dixhoorn, and Rowland Ward on the Confession, you really have the core library you need to unlock and apply the riches of the Confession’s articulation of the Christian faith. I am thrilled that a new edition is coming back into print. Dr. Ward continues to improve an already superb and supremely helpful resource. The concision and accuracy of the theological background and summary that Ward provides, as well as the balance and insight of his historical and theological assessments, make this a “go to” volume for people who want to know what the Assembly intended in their formulations. I have pointed pastors, professors and students to this book for 25 years, and I will be recommending this edition in the years to come.”
--Ligon Duncan, Chancellor/CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary and the John E. Richards Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology.

“While older commentaries on the Confession are standard, there is a freshness about Rowland Ward's Study Guide that appeals immediately. Its information is up-to-date, and takes account of modern formulation of biblical doctrines. It is also designed as a study guide, which makes it suitable for group use as well as for individuals. Anyone looking for a good introduction and reliable guide to the Confession should get this book.”
--Allan M. Harman, Research Professor of Old Testament, Presbyterian Theological College, Melbourne, Australia.

"In the rapidly changing times in which we live, it is more important than ever that Christians are catechized in the whole counsel of God. And there is surely no better way of doing this than studying the great creeds and confessions of the past. Yet often these documents can seem alien and obscure to the contemporary mind. That is why it is so useful to have reliable guides to their teaching. Rowland Ward is one such, and this book is the fruit of a lifetime of believing and teaching biblical truth as summarized in the Westminster Confession of Faith. A great tool for personal and group study, and a sound handbook for ministers."
--Carl Trueman, Professor of Biblical & Religious Studies Lecturer at Grove City College, Pennsylvania.

"There are several very useful study guides to the Westminster Confession of Faith currently available, but Rowland Ward’s volume stands apart. Dr Ward combines an acute theological mind and a warm pastoral heart, both of which contribute to this updated version of his widely used study of the Confession. The Westminster Divines, with their deep biblical knowledge and reverent submission to the Scriptures, produced one of the greatest summaries of doctrine in the history of the Christian Church. Most readers, however, need help to mine these riches, and that is where this study guide comes into its own. Dr Ward has a thorough grasp of the debates in the Assembly which lie behind the text of the Confession and makes good use of this knowledge to expound each chapter of the Confession. He knows too that these truths are to be lived out and so doctrine is applied with wisdom and grace. All in all, this is an excellent resource both for personal study and also for the instruction of those who want to understand and be transformed by the Word of God."
--David McKay, Professor of Systematic Theology, Ethics and Apologetics at the Reformed Theological College, Belfast, and minister of Shaftesbury Square Reformed Presbyterian Church, Belfast.

Additional Information

Cover: Softcover
Number of Pages: 410
Publisher: Tulip Publishing
Publication Date: 2021