In God's School
Foundations for a Christian Life
Translated by Howard Griffith
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
In God's School (A L' Ecole de Dieu) is foundational Christian instruction. It follows the outline of John Calvin's Geneva Catechism along with the Heidelberg Catechism. According to the ancient practice of the church, In God's School instructs in doctrine, expounding the Apostles' Creed. It enriches common evangelical treatments of these subjects by including fine sections on the church and the ministry of Word and sacraments as means of grace. It lays out basic Christian ethics by expounding the Ten Commandments. It teaches Christian worship by explaining the Lord's Prayer.
This book may be used over the course of a school year. Students read a chapter each week. It also familiarizes students with the fine catechetical materials of the Protestant Reformation. Each chapter is divided into daily readings that include Scripture, so the student receives doctrinal teaching along with daily Bible study.
Perhaps the greatest strength of In God's School is the presentation of the Commandments and Prayer. John Calvin's stress on the grace of God shines through ethical exhortation. Maturity in Christ comes from a growing knowledge of God through the gospel of his Son, a clearer understanding of the life he calls us to walk before him, and the Spirit's love and strength. With spiritual wisdom and rigor, Pierre Marcel leads us in knowing God.
Pierre Charles Marcel (1910-1992) was Pastor of the Reformed Church of St. Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, until his retirement in 1969. He is the author of The Biblical Doctrine of Infant Baptism, Sacrament of the Covenant of Grace, and The Relevance of Preaching.
Howard Griffith is Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington DC. He is coeditor, with John R. Muether, of Creator, Redeemer, Consummator: A Festschrift for Meredith G. Kline (Wipf and Stock, 2007).
"This work's availability in English is most welcome. Building on classical Reformed catechisms (Calvin and Heidelberg), Marcel adapts their rich statements of biblical truth to the needs and issues of the present. The result is a valuable instructional resource for the life of a congregation, for serious inquirers as well as its own members."
--Richard B. Gaffin Jr.
Emeritus Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology
Westminster Theological Seminary
"Taking its bearings from the Heidelberg Catechism, Pierre Marcel's In God's School is an outstanding aid for teaching the Christian faith to young and old alike. Motivated by a deeply pastoral interest in communicating the riches of Christ, with a lively sense of the personal as well as corporate dimensions of our faith, this work is of enormous contemporary value. Similarly motivated, Dr. Howard Griffith has put us in his debt for making available this clear and elegant translation. This is not simply a book to be read, but a trellis that winds our hearts toward God."
--Michael S. Horton
J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics
Westminster Seminary California
"Marcel's book, In God's School, is a rich vein of pastoral encouragement (and hitherto untapped resource for English speakers). This little book excavates from the quarry of the Reformation and its deep pastoral theology. Howard Griffith has given us a spiritual gold mine by his masterful translation of this French treasure. Read it, meditate on it, and your soul will glitter with blessing."
--Frank A. James III
President and Professor of Historical Theology
Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando