- Home
- Studies in Christian History and Thought
- religion
- The Presbyterian Creed
The Presbyterian Creed
A Confessional Tradition in America, 1729–1870
Studies in Christian History and Thought
Foreword by David B. Calhoun
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
296 Pages, 6.00 x 9.00 x 0.59 in
- Paperback
- 9781606084809
- Published: February 2009
$40.00 / £35.00
BuyOther Retailers:
The American Presbyterian creed up until the second half of the twentieth century has been the confessional tradition of the Westminster Assembly (1643-48). Presbyterians in America adopted the Westminster Confession and Catechisms in 1729 through a compromise measure that produced ongoing debate for the next hundred years. Differences over the meaning of confessional subscription were a continuing cause of the Presbyterian schisms of 1741 and 1837. The Presbyterian Creed is a study of the factors that led to the ninteenth-century Old School/New School schism and the Presbyterian reunions of 1864 and 1870. In these reunions, American Presbyterians finally reached consensus on the meaning of confessional subscription that had previously been so elusive.
S. Donald Fortson III is Associate Professor of Church History and Practical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte, North Carolina. He earned his BA at Covenant College and his MDiv and DMin at Columbia Theological Seminary. He lives in Charlotte with his wife Nancy and children Caroline and Samuel and is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
"Shedding much new light on the meaning of confessional subscription in American Presbyterian history, Donald Fortson's book contributes to understanding of a continuing controversial issue among conservative Presbyterians."
- William S. Baker is Professor of Church History, Emeritus, Westminster theological Seminary Philadelphia
"This book will interest Presbyterians and those who love history, the church, and theology. It gives an intriguing glimpse of intellectual activity and ecclesiastical politics during the tumultuous nineteenth century. And it shows how history can help shape and guide our thinking today."
- David B. Calhoun is Professor of Church History, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, from the Foreword
"As a Presbyterian who regularly teaches a graduate seminar on the Confessions of the Christian Church, the publication of Professor Fortson's fascinating new study is a welcome event. With careful research and even-handed analysis, Fortson has enriched our understanding of this important area and has opened some interesting new possibilities for further study. You can be sure that The Presbyterian Creed will find a prominent place in my seminary syllabi."
- Garth M Rosell is Professor of Church History, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton