As I ponder the future, I’m increasingly concerned that the Reformed theology of many within the movement is little deeper than five points of Calvinism that describe salvation. This is troubling because Reformed theology is not merely a few points of doctrine we believe but a theological stream we enter into. It doesn’t address only questions about salvation but also about life and church and everything. Reformed theology has a present and a future, but it also has a deep past. As we move forward we need to keep looking back.

The last few years have seen a great resurgence of interest in Reformed theology. It went from very much in the background of Christianity to being very much in the mainstream. Suddenly it was on the cover of Christianity Today and TIME and was the theme of hundreds of books and blogs. People across the world were discovering the ancient doctrines of grace and building a new and widening community of Reformed believers. These were exciting days.

But ever since this thing began, I’ve been wondering about its future and what will remain after The Next Big Thing inevitably comes along. As I ponder the future, I’m increasingly concerned that the Reformed theology of many within the movement is little deeper than five points of Calvinism that describe salvation. This is troubling because Reformed theology is not merely a few points of doctrine we believe but a theological stream we enter into. It doesn’t address only questions about salvation but also about life and church and everything. Reformed theology has a present and a future, but it also has a deep past. As we move forward we need to keep looking back.

Let me provide an example. In the past couple of years, inside and outside the church, we’ve seen an increased emphasis on social justice. When an emphasis like this springs to the forefront of our conversation, we have an ideal opportunity to remind ourselves that we are part of a theological tradition. Our first instinct as Reformed Christians ought to be to consult our theological stream. This is because we are not the first generation of Reformed believers, and many great minds have already considered what it means to be most fully consistent with this theology. This often gives us a helpful starting place for our big questions. So, for example, question and answer one of the Heidelberg Catechism asks famously, “What is your only comfort in life and death?” The answer begins with “that I am not my own but belong in body and soul both in life and death to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.” After beginning theologically, the answer ends practically: “Therefore, by his Holy Spirit … he makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live for him.” Thus, already in 1563, Reformed Christians were thinking about Christian truth and its practical outworking in life.

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