Book Reviews
Extracted from Ordained Servant vol. 3, no. 1 (January 1994)
Commentary on the Shorter Catechism by Thomas Boston (2 Vol.); and Commentary on the Larger Catechism by Thomas Ridgeley (2 Vol.); both reprinted by Still Waters Revival Books, 4710-37A Ave., Edmonton, AB, Canada T6L 3T5, 1993. Available from Great Christian Books for $35.95 and $34.95, respectively. Reviewed by the editor.
When I was a student at Pittsburgh-Xenia in the early ’50s I used to haunt the second-hand bookstores. It was there that I found A. A. Hodge’s Commentary on the Confession of Faith and two or three other old volumes on the Shorter Catechism. But I never found anything like the volumes under consideration here. I mention this to try to underline the sense of gratitude that I have because better days have come.
I have not read either of these extensive works through, of course, but have been consulting them at various times in my own sermon preparation. Of the two works—each of which has about 1300 pages of material—I have found Boston’s exposition the most useful. Of the writers of that era he has always come across to me as one of the clearest and most succinct. But this is not to minimize the value of the two volumes by Ridgeley. As we all know, there is important material in the Larger Catechism which is not covered to the same extent in the Shorter Catechism. And so, even though I usually turn to the volumes by Boston first, I also find that it is worth my time to then see what Ridgeley says also.
We of the American Presbyterian tradition are not known for “catechetical preaching,” and it is my hope that we will continue to resist the kind of catechetical preaching wherein the sermon becomes an exposition of the text of the catechism. No catechism is the word of God, no matter how excellent it is (and the Westminster Shorter Catechism is in some respects unexcelled). It is therefore never to be treated as if it was equivalent to the Scripture itself. But to use the catechism as a guide to the selection of the Bible texts to be expounded, as Boston did, is a way of catechetical preaching that we heartily endorse. It is because Boston did this so well, and because Ridgeley supplements Boston with valuable added material, that we heartily recommend these volumes.
All in all these volumes are fine additions to the growing list of books published by Still Waters Revival Books as a part of its “Classic Collectors Edition.”
The Westminster Confession for the Church Today by Rowland S. Ward, published by the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia, 1992 (248 pages). Available from the author ($12 postpaid) 358 Mountain Highway, Wantirna, Victoria 3152, Australia. Reviewed by the editor.
One of the papers presented at the 1993 meeting of the ICRC in Zwolle, Holland, was Rowland Ward’s discussion of recent criticisms of the Westminster Confession . It was clear from that paper, as it is from this interesting book, that Rev. Ward has given careful attention to the work of the Westminster Assembly over many years.
The book begins with a brief introduction to the history of the Westminster Assembly. It then gives a summary outline and discussion of each chapter of the Confession. It is here that I find the greatest value. Rev. Ward has kept in close touch with all the literature on the Westminster Standards, and uses his knowledge to good effect. He briefly but effectively traces, for example, the history of the criticisms that Briggs made of the Princeton view of inerrancy, and then goes on to some of the modern criticisms by such scholars as J.B. Rogers and J.W. Montgomery. Another example of the usefulness of this book is found in his brief discussion of some of the revisions that have been made to the Confession, such as the deletion of the last sentence of Chapter XXIV, iv.
Another interesting feature of Ward’s book is the inclusion of what he calls ‘Thoughts from Other Minds.’ These are generally well chosen comments by other writers from the past and present that Ward has found helpful in elucidating the various doctrines of the Confession.
The English spoken—and written—by the Westminster divines was the common language of that era. But it is not the language of today. Rev. Ward, recognizing this, has given his own modern English rendition of the Confession. Since this reviewer has worked for the last several years in helping to produce a Modern English Study Version of the Westminster Confession, it will hardly surprise anyone to learn that—here and there—we would not want to say it quite like he does. It goes a little too far in the direction of paraphrase in our humble opinion. But this in no way detracts from the value of this book. I very much appreciate the faithful work that Rev. Ward has done and commend it heartily to our readers.