Worship is central to the Christian life. But how should the church order its worship to honor God and enrich his people? Gore assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the Puritan regulative principle of worship in light of biblical teaching, the Westminster Standards and Directory, and Calvin's view, with special attention to adiaphora. Gore submits this work, the product of twenty years of research, reflection, worship, and dialogue, ...not as the final word on the regulation of worship, but as a modest attempt to further the discussion. An excellent work....will both stimulate thought and help resolve some current controversies over worship. There is a good balance of appreciation and criticism of the Puritan heritage....A formulation that needs to be considered in our circles. --William S. Barker

The Lord's Service is a description and defense of covenant renewal worship.

Covenantal Rights is a groundbreaking work of political theory: a comprehensive, philosophically sophisticated attempt to bring insights from the Jewish political tradition into current political and legal debates about rights and to bring rights discourse more fully into Jewish thought. David Novak pursues these aims by presenting a theory of rights founded on the covenant between God and the Jewish people as that covenant is constituted by Scripture and the rabbinic tradition. In doing so, he presents a powerful challenge to prevailing liberal and conservative positions on rights and duties and opens a new chapter in contemporary Jewish political thinking. For Novak, "covenantal rights" are rooted in God's primary rights as creator of the universe and as the elector of a particular community whose members relate to this God as their sovereign. The subsequent rights of individuals and communities flow from God's covenantal promises, which function as irrevocable entitlements. This presents a sharp contrast to the liberal tradition, in which rights flow above all from individuals. It also challenges the conservative idea that duties can take precedence over rights, since Novak argues that there are no covenantal duties that are not backed by correlative rights. Novak explains carefully and clearly how this theory of covenantal rights fits into Jewish tradition and applies to the relationships among God, the covenanted community, and individuals. This work is a profound and provocative contribution to contemporary religious and political theory.

Guides readers through the themes, central texts, prayers, festivals, and practices of ancient Israel's worship traditions in the Old Testament.

Many are aware of the debate about infant baptism without knowing the biblical and theological case for it. In this pastoral introduction to the topic, Jason Helopoulos argues from Scripture for infant baptism in the context of the covenant God enters into with his people and the great blessings that flow from it. The practice of infant baptism benefits the children themselves, their parents, and the congregation as a whole. As do all books in the Blessings of the Faith series, this short volume concludes with answers to frequently asked and pertinent questions on the topic. Informative and encouraging, this brief book will serve as a helpful primer and quick reference tool regarding Presbyterian baptism for pastors, elders, prospective new church members, parents, and family members of children.

This introduction to Reformed apologetics explores foundational principles and offers practical guidance for talking with unbelievers.