“Not very long ago, evangelical Protestants in the United States regarded the theology of Old Princeton Seminary as a source of wisdom and inspiration because of its scholarly rigor and theological depth”

It’s an Ivory Tower subject with vital practical implications for ordinary Christians in the pews of today’s churches: Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary’s upcoming annual theology conference will examine the historic contributions of Old Princeton Seminary to the world of Reformed theology.

“Only with the establishment of Princeton Seminary in 1812 did signs of zeal for Reformed Protestantism surface in a substantial way,” writes conference speaker Dr. Darryl G. Hart (Ordained Servant Online).

Dr. Hart, visiting professor of History at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, will be among a slate of scholars discussing the impact of Old Princeton Seminary at the 2012 Greenville Seminary Spring Theology Conference in South Carolina in March.

The founders of Greenville Seminary consciously adopted Old Princeton’s approach as the foundation of instruction at GPTS. For this reason, the 2012 GPTS Spring Theology Conference (coinciding with the 200th anniversary of Princeton’s founding and the 25th anniversary of Greenville Seminary’s founding) will be devoted to an assessment of Princeton and the practical lessons for the church today. “The aim is to shape the discussion in a functional way that will benefit all who attend,” conference organizers say.

The conference will be held on March 13-15, 2012 at Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church in Simpsonville, S.C. Early Bird registration is available through February 3, for discounted prices. For complete information and registration, visit the conference pages of the GPTS web site.

“Not very long ago, evangelical Protestants in the United States regarded the theology of Old Princeton Seminary as a source of wisdom and inspiration because of its scholarly rigor and theological depth,” Hart has said. “Today’s evangelicals often view Old Princeton in a very different and antagonistic light, as wooden, rationalistic theologians who have little to teach those living in post-modern times.”

The upcoming conference will show otherwise.

Dr. Hart will be presenting two lectures during the conference: “Princeton and 19th Century Crosscurrents: Hodge, Finney, and Nevin” on Wednesday, March 14, and “Machen and the End of Old Princeton” on Thursday, March 15.

Dr. Paul Helseth, associate professor of Christian Thought at Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minn. , and Greenville Seminar President Dr. Joseph Pipa Jr. will be the featured speakers at the Tuesday and Wednesday evening services that are open to the public without conference registration.

Topics and speakers for the conference include:

• Princeton: A Brief History of Origin and Contributions of Archibald Alexander – Dr. James Garretson
• Samuel Miller’s Pastoral Theology – Pastor Andrew Webb
• Scripture, Inerrancy, and the Role of Reason at Princeton – Dr. Paul K. Helseth (Tuesday evening)
• Princeton and the Old Testament – Dr. Benjamin Shaw
• Princeton and Missions – Dr. Tony Curto
• Ecclesiology: The Hodge/Thornwell Exchange – Dr. Nick Willborn
• Princeton and 19th Century Crosscurrents: Hodge, Finney, and Nevin – Dr. Darryl G. Hart
• Biblical Rationale for a Reformed Seminary – Dr. Joseph Pipa Jr. (Wednesday evening)
• Princeton and Evolution/Creation – Dr. Fred Zaspel
• Theological Assessment of Warfield (with brief biographical sketch) – Dr. Carl Trueman
• Machen and the End of Old Princeton – Dr. Darryl G. Hart

“Old School Presbyterians such as Princeton theologians Archibald Alexander and Charles Hodge believed that doctrinal orthodoxy was of primary importance in Christian faith,” conference organizers say, adding that the Princeton theologians were convinced that their theology faithfully reflected Reformed doctrines and this orthodoxy should be central in American Presbyterianism, indeed in all Christian teaching and preaching.

In the words of W.A. Hoffecker in the Elwell Evangelical Dictionary, “They contended that their Calvinism was historically aligned with the Westminster Confession of Faith, John Calvin, Augustine, and the Bible itself. The very term ‘Old School theology’ indicates that its adherents wanted to retain traditional Reformed doctrines. They wanted a ‘consistent Calvinism’ and developed distinct views on confessionalism, revivalism, and church polity.”

As its promotional motto “An Uncommon School for Uncommon Times” indicates, Greenville Seminary presents itself to the contemporary church as an “Old School” institution, proud of that heritage and confident of its necessity and efficacy for the future of the church.

——–

Garry J. Moes is director of development and recruiting at Greenville Seminary.