Confessing the Faith Today: A Fresh Look at the Belgic Confession

With the understanding that confession is a witness to the gospel Confessing the Faith Today investigates how a sixteenth-century Reformation confession the Belgic Confession can assist contemporary Christians testify to the truth of Gods gracious turn toward creation and do so in the context of the twenty-first centurys competing claims. A close examination of the internal coherence of the Belgic Confession along with an exploration of how that confession might engage contemporary life offers fresh insight into how Christians might articulate what is at stake in the gospel. Janssen encourages the church to enter a conversation with the forebears of the faith acknowledging the historical nature of not only the confession but of Gods involvement in all creation. This fresh and lively reading of the Belgic Confession is doubly welcome. First although the Belgic Confession is one of the great national confessions of the sixteenth century very few commentaries on it have appeared over the past century. And second Janssen not only explains the text of the Belgic Confession in its original context but more importantly shows how it can still be confessed in our context today. On both counts he succeeds admirably. --Lyle D. Bierma P. J. Zondervan Professor of the History of Christianity Calvin Theological Seminary Janssen carefully follows the contours of this time-tested confessional treasure from the way we know God generally through creation to a particular and special knowledge of God through the one true son of God Jesus Christ. But he doesnt end there because the Church of Jesus Christ doesnt end there. As reformed believers we play a role in our larger culture and Jannsen helps us see this! I will make this must-reading for my students! --Timothy Brown President and Henry Bast Professor of Preaching Western Theological Seminary Allan J. Janssen retired from the pastoral ministry in the Reformed Church in America is an affiliate professor at New Brunswick Theological Seminary and a General Synod Professor of the Reformed Church in America. He is the author of several books including Kingdom Office and Church (2006).