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Jared Poulton joins Camden Bucey to discuss Van Til’s Counseling Movement: A Critical Analysis of Jay Adams and Biblical Counseling. They trace how Cornelius Van Til’s presuppositional apologetics supplied key theological instincts for Jay Adams and the modern biblical counseling movement, including the God-relatedness of every human problem, dependence upon divine revelation, and confidence in Scripture’s sufficiency for pastoral ministry. The conversation also examines tensions within contemporary biblical counseling. Camden and Jared consider the antithesis, common grace, the relation of the book of nature to the book of Scripture, and the danger of either rejecting all extra-biblical knowledge or baptizing secular methods without sufficient theological scrutiny. Throughout, they argue that faithful counseling should serve the church’s disciple-making mission and bring every claim about human life under the authoritative framework of God’s Word. ResourcesVan Til’s Counseling MovementInstitute for Reformed Biblical Counseling Chapters00:00 Introduction03:12 Jared Poulton’s path into biblical counseling09:12 What is biblical counseling?17:44 The sufficiency of Scripture and pastoral counsel23:09 CCEF, David Powlison, and Van Til27:29 A Van Tilian foundation and an identity crisis32:48 Competing trajectories in biblical counseling41:02 Robert K. Rudolph and Jay Adams44:02 Three streams that shaped Adams50:57 God is man’s environment55:58 Presuppositions and borrowed terminology61:37 The antithesis and secular psychology67:06 Scripture’s framework for counseling72:59 Common grace and the two-book approach75:56 Counseling in service of the church’s mission77:42 Conclusion Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX Christ the Center 1000 Summit Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Hebrews never pits the covenants against one another as law versus gospel; it presents them as grace and grace—the same house, the same people, the same promise. Yet the old was always preparatory: shadow giving way to substance, promise to fulfillment. Marcus A. Mininger traces that organic development and shows why the unity of the one covenant is precisely what makes Hebrews’ warning so urgent. The address closes where the letter does—on persevering within the covenant and resting in the sole sufficiency of Christ. Dr. Marcus A. Mininger is professor of New Testament at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, with research on Paul and the General Epistles—including a forthcoming study of the warning passages in Hebrews. Delivered at the 2026 Reformed Forum Theology Conference, “The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose,” at Lakeland Church in Gurnee, Illinois, on September 26, 2026. Watch this address: https://youtu.be/DMhQflaD8PM Watch the full conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJykAlOwqPCA reformedforum.org Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000

Few passages have unsettled readers like Hebrews’ warning that it is “impossible … to restore again to repentance” those who fall away. Does it teach a sin beyond forgiveness? Marcus A. Mininger clears away the common misreadings and names the real danger the author confronts: the temptation to abandon Christ and re-lay a foundation in the old covenant alone. The warning, rightly heard, is not about a sin too great to forgive but about the impossibility of going back—and it sets up the covenant question taken up in the session that follows. Dr. Marcus A. Mininger is professor of New Testament at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, with research on Paul and the General Epistles—including a forthcoming study of the warning passages in Hebrews. Delivered at the 2026 Reformed Forum Theology Conference, “The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose,” at Lakeland Church in Gurnee, Illinois, on September 26, 2026. Watch this address: https://youtu.be/9B4fCp9fems Watch the full conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJykAlOwqPCA reformedforum.org Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000

A greater Joshua has come. Benjamin L. Gladd takes another look at Jesus’s exorcisms, reading them against the Old Testament backdrop of Israel’s conquest. Where Joshua led a people into an earthly rest by the sword, Christ leads his people into a greater rest by the Spirit and the word, defeating the powers that held them captive. The kingdom does not advance by force but by the triumph of the one Savior who gathers one people to himself, and the exorcisms are a preview of that greater conquest. Dr. Benjamin L. Gladd is executive director of the Carson Center for Theological Renewal and formerly professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson. He edits the Essential Studies in Biblical Theology series and has written widely on the use of the Old Testament in the New, including works co-authored with G. K. Beale. Delivered at the 2026 Reformed Forum Theology Conference, “The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose,” at Lakeland Church in Gurnee, Illinois, on September 26, 2026. Watch this address: https://youtu.be/UeBRopgfpmI Watch the full conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJykAlOwqPCA reformedforum.org Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000

When does the long-promised restoration of Israel take place? G. K. Beale gives particular attention to Acts 1:8 and its use of the Old Testament and argues that the restoration is already under way in the church's Spirit-empowered witness to the nations. God fulfills his covenant promises to Israel in Christ and carries them to the ends of the earth, as the one Savior gathers one people to himself. The answer has direct consequences for how we understand the church, the nations, and the promises of the covenant. Dr. Gregory K. Beale teaches at Reformed Theological Seminary, Dallas. He is a leading New Testament scholar known for his work on biblical theology, the use of the Old Testament in the New, and the temple theme across Scripture. Delivered at the 2026 Reformed Forum Theology Conference, "The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose," at Lakeland Church in Gurnee, Illinois, on September 26, 2026. Watch the full conference: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJykAlOwqPCA https://reformedforum.org Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000

Mark Gilbert joins Camden Bucey to examine what Protestants and Roman Catholics mean when they speak of Christian unity. Drawing on Gilbert’s conversion from Roman Catholicism, they contrast a unity grounded in the Spirit’s work through the Word with Rome’s institutional claim to mediate grace and gather humanity into one visible communion. The conversation turns to Vatican II and Karl Rahner’s doctrine of the “anonymous Christian.” Camden and Mark consider Rahner’s anthropology, his account of God’s self-communication, and the influence of this framework on Roman Catholic inclusivism. They conclude with a pastoral call to speak with clarity and charity and to offer the assurance found only in the finished work of Christ. ResourcesTalking with Catholics About JesusThe Nicene CreedThe Nicene Creed and the Nature of Christian Unity Chapters00:00 Introduction03:48 Mark Gilbert’s journey from Roman Catholicism10:50 The Rome Scholars and Leaders Network15:04 Catholic inclusivity after Vatican II20:36 Institutional and spiritual views of unity26:43 The church as a continuing incarnation28:58 Vatican II and Karl Rahner35:36 Van Til, Rahner, and the image of God45:18 The “anonymous Christian”47:30 Roman Catholicism in a pluralistic world52:06 Inclusivity, gender, and doctrinal development58:19 Rahner, Ratzinger, and competing Catholic trajectories61:28 The Roman Catholic Church as a “sacrament of unity”65:33 Unity in truth and evangelizing Roman Catholics70:14 Resources for churches and small groups72:59 Conclusion Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX Christ the Center 1000 Summit Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000 Summit

The covenant of grace has its source in eternity, in the covenant of redemption: the eternal agreement of Father, Son, and Spirit to save a people. In "Before the Foundation of the World," Camden Bucey traces the historical covenant of grace back to that eternal counsel. Following Herman Bavinck, he shows that the covenant revealed in time rests on an unchanging foundation in the counsel of the triune God. Before creation and before the fall, God purposed one redemption with one Savior at its center, and the unity and certainty of the covenant of grace rest on that purpose. This opening address gathers up the first two conferences in the trilogy and lays the foundation for the addresses that follow. Download the handout (PDF) Dr. Camden M. Bucey is executive director of Reformed Forum and host of Christ the Center. He is the author of Karl Rahner in P&R’s Great Thinkers series and Defending Our Hope: An Introduction to Christian Apologetics. Delivered at the 2026 Reformed Forum Theology Conference, “The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose,” at Lakeland Church in Gurnee, Illinois, on September 26, 2026. Watch the full conference reformedforum.org Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000

We welcome Eli Ayala, host of Revealed Apologetics, to discuss Christian apologetics in the digital public square. Drawing an analogy to the Areopagus of Acts 17, Camden Bucey and Ayala consider YouTube’s remarkable reach, its dangers, the spiritual dimension of apologetics, the union of biblical content and method, current movements in online apologetics, and the pastoral task of guiding young people who encounter theology online. Ayala recounts his path from a Spanish Pentecostal upbringing to Reformed theology and presuppositional apologetics, including the decisive influence of the Greg Bahnsen–Gordon Stein debate. He also explains the origins of Revealed Apologetics and reflects on the opportunities and distortions created by algorithmic media. Links Episode pageRevealed ApologeticsRevealed Apologetics on YouTubeDefending Our Hope Chapters 0:00 Introduction2:03 YouTube as the Modern Areopagus3:43 Eli Ayala’s Background and Work8:39 Spiritual Warfare and Apologetics12:47 An Apologetic Awakening17:06 The Bahnsen–Stein Debate and Presuppositionalism20:42 The Origins of Revealed Apologetics25:35 YouTube’s Promise and Peril36:31 Biblical Content, Method, and Character43:13 The Online Apologetics Landscape47:33 Eastern Orthodoxy and Presuppositionalism49:32 Islam and Christian Apologetics Online50:52 Roman Catholic Apologetics Online54:11 Guiding Young People through Online Theology1:01:13 Conclusion Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000 Summit Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX Christ the Center 1000 Summit

We welcome Andrea Ferrari to discuss his book The Fall and Redemption of Conscience: A Reformed Biblical Theology. Ferrari, pastor of the Chiesa Riformata di Perugia in Italy, explains why conscience has received comparatively little attention in modern Protestant theology and considers the influence of psychology, Karl Barth, John Webster, and John Calvin on contemporary accounts of conscience. The conversation develops a biblical and theological account of conscience from creation to new creation. Ferrari addresses whether Adam possessed a conscience before the fall, the Old Testament vocabulary of heart, kidneys, and clean hands, Calvin’s sensus divini judicii, the Trinitarian basis of human self-awareness, and the effects of justification and sanctification upon a guilty conscience. The episode concludes with practical implications for preaching, counseling, and the Christian life, along with an update on Ferrari’s ministry in Perugia. Links Episode pageThe Fall and Redemption of ConscienceChiesa Riformata di Perugia Chapters 00:00 Introduction03:12 Andrea Ferrari’s Ministry in Perugia12:43 A New Study Center near the University19:11 The Fall and Redemption of Conscience24:33 Why Conscience Disappeared from Modern Theology28:41 Karl Barth and General Revelation32:12 Did Adam Have a Conscience before the Fall?49:27 Conscience in the Old Testament58:53 Defining Conscience as Perceptual Awareness64:23 Calvin’s Sensus Divini Judicii65:27 The Trinitarian Context of Conscience74:23 The Fallen Conscience and the Imagination80:10 Training the Senses in Hebrews 5:1481:47 The Justified Conscience86:43 Sanctification and the Healing of Conscience93:23 Pastoral Counseling and Preaching to the Conscience100:02 Ministry Reflections and Conclusion Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX Christ the Center 1000 Summit Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Recorded before a live audience at Cahaba Park Church during Discovering Christ in All of Scripture, a Reformed Forum seminar hosted in conjunction with Birmingham Theological Seminary, Camden Bucey moderates a panel with Dan Ragusa, Derrick Brite, and Lane G. Tipton on the importance of biblical theology for the life of the church. The panel defines biblical theology in the tradition of Geerhardus Vos, explains its organic and progressive character, and shows how the whole history of special revelation reaches its center and goal in Jesus Christ. The conversation turns to preaching, discipleship, the unity of the covenant of grace, Christ-centered interpretation, practical resources for reading the Old Testament, and the need for churches to recover the accomplishment of redemption as the great context for every biblical passage. In the audience Q&A, the panel also addresses ministry in small and struggling churches, church revitalization, and the pilgrim ethic needed for faithful pastoral service. Links Episode pageBirmingham Theological SeminaryReformed Academy Chapters 00:00 Introduction and panel03:55 Why biblical theology matters09:28 Defining biblical theology15:39 Derrick Brite’s formation and pastoral ministry22:20 Dan Ragusa and the Dutch Reformed tradition26:09 Biblical theology in a diverse congregation30:09 Avoiding moralism and subjectivism31:27 Hermeneutical foundations35:56 The trans-testamental gospel40:24 Christianity, liberalism, and supernatural history43:54 God’s redemptive words and deeds48:37 Christ, the one mediator51:11 One gospel for Abraham and the church52:56 Audience questions53:23 Lane Tipton’s conversion and call to ministry58:40 Teaching people to see Christ in the Old Testament63:25 The exodus at the Transfiguration67:16 Reading passages within the history of salvation73:56 Christocentrism and Christotelism77:11 Biblical theology and small-church ministry82:58 The pastoral shortage and a pilgrim ethic88:10 Conclusion

Artificial intelligence does more than raise technical questions; it presses the deeper question of what it means to be human. Camden Bucey speaks with Jason Thacker, author of The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity, about human dignity, the image of God, and the crucial distinction between a human person and a machine. They consider how Christians can receive technology as a tool under God’s providence without confusing imitation with intelligence, convenience with communion, or productivity with personal worth. The conversation also explores how technology forms its users, why embodied life and genuine relationships matter, and how transhumanism redirects the human longing for life beyond death toward technological self-salvation. Against both utopian promises and dystopian fear, Thacker points to the sufficiency of Scripture and the hope of the risen Christ. Christians can engage emerging technologies wisely because human identity is given by the Creator, human dignity cannot be earned or erased, and Christ remains Lord over every age. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:19 Meet Jason Thacker 03:24 From public policy to AI ethics 06:05 Teaching ethics, philosophy, and technology 09:53 AI’s anthropological challenge 12:58 What has changed since The Age of AI? 14:55 Humanizing machines and dehumanizing people 19:55 The image of God and human dignity 25:39 AI companionship and simulated relationships 28:11 How technology forms and disciples us 34:00 Embodiment, materialism, and personal identity 42:20 Transhumanism and the longing for immortality 48:35 Engaging Pope Leo XIV’s AI encyclical 53:22 Technology as ecological change 54:43 Scripture, Christian hope, and the future Learn more: https://reformedforum.org/ctc975 Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX Christ the Center 1000 Summit Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Camden Bucey speaks with economist Shawn Ritenour about what makes an account of economics distinctly Christian. They discuss economic law as part of God’s created order and the biblical principles shaping stewardship, private property, labor, capital, exchange, and care for those in need. Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas provides the occasion for a searching conversation about the universal destination of goods, Big Tech, data, subsidiarity, sphere sovereignty, GDP, and human dignity. The conversation presses beneath policy to theology. Neither markets nor governments escape the effects of sin, and material prosperity must never be confused with sanctification. Christians seek just and prudent arrangements in this age while recognizing that scarcity, exploitation, and disordered desire will not finally be overcome by human construction. The church’s hope rests in the crucified and risen Christ and the consummation of his kingdom. Topics DiscussedEconomic law, creation, and Christian stewardshipPrivate property, labor, capital, exchange, and human dignityLeo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas and Catholic social teachingGDP, inequality, and the common goodThe universal destination of goodsData, privacy, Big Tech, and non-rivalrous goodsSubsidiarity and Kuyperian sphere sovereigntyUniversal basic income and the economic disruption of AISin, scarcity, eschatology, and Christian hope Learn more: https://reformedforum.org/ctc974 Chapters00:00 Introduction02:09 What makes economics Christian?09:52 Economics at Grove City College14:01 Introducing Magnifica Humanitas19:23 GDP and the dignity of the human person23:46 The common good, inequality, and economic law29:36 Private property, markets, and solidarity35:12 The universal destination of goods43:20 Data, privacy, and non-rivalrous goods50:21 Subsidiarity and sphere sovereignty55:04 Big Tech, state privilege, and central banking58:02 Labor, capital, and human worth63:26 Universal basic income in the age of AI72:33 Economics between the fall and the consummation80:03 Resources and conclusion Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX Christ the Center 1000 Summit Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000 Summit

What does it mean to cultivate a life of Reformed piety? Camden Bucey speaks with Joel Beeke about the ordinary practices by which God forms reverential love for himself in Christian homes: Scripture reading, prayer, singing, biblical meditation, family worship, and faithful participation in the church’s public worship. Dr. Beeke explains why meditation serves as a “halfway house” between Bible reading and prayer, how deliberate meditation gives rise to spontaneous reflection throughout the day, and why small, repeated habits often bear their richest fruit over decades. The conversation offers practical encouragement for parents, spouses, pastors, and every believer who desires an integrated life of devotion—one in which home, church, and daily vocation are oriented toward the glory of God and maturity in Christ. Topics DiscussedReformed piety as reverential love for GodBuilding durable habits of family worshipReading Scripture, praying, singing, and instructing childrenPraying with one’s spouseDeliberate and spontaneous biblical meditationCarrying the ministry of the Word from church into the homePreparing the family for the Lord’s DayThe long-term fruit of ordinary spiritual disciplines Learn more: https://reformedforum.org/ctc973 Chapters00:00 Introduction01:41 Puritan Reformed Seminary, Reformation Heritage Books, and current ministry06:24 Recent and forthcoming books15:05 Cultivating Reformed piety in the home16:22 Family worship and the Family Worship Bible Guide24:46 Prayer with one’s spouse and family27:22 Biblical meditation between reading and prayer34:03 Recommended writers on Reformed piety40:04 Connecting church, home, and school45:51 The Lord’s Day as an uninterrupted exercise of piety51:13 Beginning family worship simply53:58 Cultivating spontaneous prayer and spiritual conversation55:50 Conclusion Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000 Summit Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Camden Bucey speaks with Derek C. Schuurman, professor and chair of computer science at Calvin University, about Christian wisdom in the age of artificial intelligence. Drawing upon Shaping a Digital World, Schuurman explains why technology is never neutral: people shape their tools, and those tools in turn reshape habits, institutions, and communities. The conversation sets contemporary AI within the biblical story of creation, fall, redemption, and new creation. Bucey and Schuurman contrast Christian hope with technicism—the belief that technology can solve humanity’s deepest problems and build a technological heaven on earth. They also discuss human nature, transhumanism, responsible design, Christian higher education, autonomous weapons, and the need to keep human moral judgment and accountability in the loop. Chapters00:00 Introduction03:41 Derek C. Schuurman’s path from engineering to Christian higher education08:29 Technology, cultural change, and the need for wisdom11:45 Technology is not neutral14:36 How tools reshape people and societies18:08 Reading technology through creation, fall, redemption, and new creation20:18 Two cities, two loves, and the biblical story22:22 Babel, idolatry, and the temptation to build heaven on earth23:21 Technicism and the promises of Silicon Valley26:52 Transhumanism and a Christian account of humanity29:14 Practical frameworks for responsible technological design30:36 Dooyeweerd’s non-reductionistic view of creation33:19 Eight norms for faithful design37:34 Integrating Christian faith throughout education41:21 Liberal arts, AI, and well-rounded technical formation42:29 AI, labor, and the human calling to work43:42 Autonomous systems, accountability, and just-war questions45:55 Why moral judgment requires a human in the loop49:12 Faithful presence and wise Christian vocation51:41 Resources for engineers, designers, pastors, and parents53:24 Calvin University’s “Wisdom in the Age of AI” conference55:36 Conclusion ResourcesShaping a Digital World: Faith, Culture and Computer TechnologyA Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and DesignersWisdom in the Age of AI Conference, Calvin University, October 8–10, 2026Magnifica HumanitasEpisode resources Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000 Summit Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX Christ the Center 1000 Summit

Camden Bucey speaks with Daniel R. Hyde about A Christian’s Pocket Guide to the Presence of God (Christian Focus, 2026), tracing this great biblical theme from Eden’s garden sanctuary through the tabernacle, temple, exile, incarnation, church, and new creation. Scripture’s map leads not to a sacred location or a fleeting spiritual sensation, but to Jesus Christ, the true temple and the glory of God dwelling among us. The conversation also offers pastoral help for seasons when God feels distant. Feelings ebb and flow, but the Lord’s covenant promises remain sure. Through the Holy Spirit, Christ meets his people in the ordinary means of grace and gathers them as his body. The Christian hope reaches its fullness in Revelation 22:4: the redeemed will see God’s face in the risen and glorified Christ. Chapters00:00 Introduction00:58 A Christian’s Pocket Guide to the Presence of God01:39 Ministry at Oceanside United Reformed Church02:59 The biblical theology series and the book’s origins05:28 Augustine and discovering the Bible’s great theme08:18 Is God’s presence a feeling?11:32 A map to a person, not a place12:59 Omnipresence and covenant presence16:42 God’s presence as blessing and judgment17:58 The presence of God across redemptive history18:29 Eden as the first earthly temple21:14 Edenic imagery in the tabernacle and temple24:49 Worship, geography, and reversing exile29:29 Exile and the departure of God’s glory32:45 Jesus Christ as the return of the glory33:05 When believers feel that God is distant37:34 The ordinary means of grace38:01 The Holy Spirit as a divine person40:57 God’s presence in the gathered church46:03 Seeing the face of God in Christ50:40 Living as the people of God’s presence52:49 Michael Morales’s book in Rome54:07 Conclusion ResourcesA Christian’s Pocket Guide to the Presence of GodEpisode resources ParticipantsCamden Bucey and Daniel R. Hyde Mentioned in this episode: Christ the Center 1000 Christ the Center 1000 Summit Christ the Center 1000 Live in Austin, TX Christ the Center 1000 Summit