# Who are the top 5 contemporary reformed authors in your opinion?



## passingpilgrim

Just wondering....


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## Notthemama1984

Of those I have read the ones whom I have benefited the most from are:

Sproul
Horton
Riddlebarger
Chapell on Preaching
Richard Bacon


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## Fly Caster

Iain Murray
David W. Hall
Joel Beeke
Sinclair Ferguson
Last spot is a toss up between R.C. Sproul, Jerry Bridges & J.I. Packer

Honorable mention goes to Doug Kelly-- better than some in the last spot, not as voluminous in output, but always worthwhile.


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## Zenas

No love for Doug Wilson? I know there are some areas where he's batty, but I hear tell he has some really good books on other subjects out.


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## Steve Curtis

Joel Osteen
Kenneth Copeland
Benny Hinn. . .
 wrong list!


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## Andres

John Piper's got to be on the list.


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## Zenas

Actually, the caveat is "Reformed." Due to some of Wilson and Piper's views, one might place them outside of that label.


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## CalvinandHodges

Hi:

Beeke
Trueman
Roberts
Hamilton
Venema

Blessings,

Rob


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## Notthemama1984

I honestly can't stand reading Piper. It is something about his style. I can only read 40 or so pages before I just put it away.


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## PuritanCovenanter

R. C. Sproul
Michael Horton
Joel Beeke
Sinclair Ferguson
J. I. Packer

Those are contemporary guys whose books most people read in my opinion.


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## greenbaggins

Ferguson, Sproul, Horton, Venema, and Muller. It's much easier to choose the top 20 than the top five. If 20 were the figure, I'd include Iain Duguid, Dale Ralph Davis, John Currid, John Mackay, P.T. O'Brien, Guy Waters, Richard Gaffin, Joel Beeke, Joey Pipa, Vern Poythress, Doug Kelly, Derek Thomas, Phil Ryken, Rick Phillips, and John Fesko.


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## py3ak

Depends on the criteria: but for help understanding the Reformed tradition I think I would say, in no strict order:
Richard Muller
David Steinmetz
Carl Trueman
Sinclair Ferguson
Anthony N.S. Lane


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## Andres

Zenas said:


> Actually, the caveat is "Reformed." Due to some of Wilson and Piper's views, one might place them outside of that label.


 
True. I personally am not a big Piper fan anymore. I used to eat his stuff up when I was first becoming reformed, but now...not so much. Perhaps we could label Piper a "gateway" minister to becoming TR.


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## Zenas

I would put Sproul in that camp as well. They're both gateway dru... I mean ministers.


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## N. Eshelman

Thank God for "gateway ministers." 

I am not sure who I would put in the top 5; but just wanted to say that I would rather be a gateway to TR than TR and have little influence for Christ's Kingdom.


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## Andres

Zenas said:


> I would put Sproul in that camp as well. They're both gateway dru... I mean ministers.


 
i disagree on Sproul. I still thoroughly enjoy him and his ministry.


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## CharlieJ

You can construct this list according to different critieria. One criterion is whether their work is recognized as high quality even by those of different theological persuasions. I'm not being super strict on what "Reformed" entails:

1. John Frame
2. Michael Horton
3. Richard Muller
4. Alvin Plantinga
5. James K. Smith


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## Covenant Joel

If we're referring to most influential Reformed authors, then the list would be a little different than the authors I think are the most confessionally Reformed and influential etc. In terms of who simply are the most influential under the broad designation Reformed in the Reformed world, I would say these five:


John Frame
R.C. Sproul
Michael Horton
John Piper (if we consider him Reformed in some sense)
Tim Keller


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## Andres

Covenant Joel said:


> If we're referring to most influential Reformed authors, then the list would be a little different than the authors I think are the most confessionally Reformed and influential etc. In terms of who simply are the most influential under the broad designation Reformed in the Reformed world, I would say these five:
> 
> 
> John Frame
> R.C. Sproul
> Michael Horton
> John Piper (if we consider him Reformed in some sense)
> Tim Keller


 
ooh forgot about Keller. He may be most popular overall in just terms of books sales. It's funny how the majority of evangelicalism would view him as conservative, but reformed groups tend to see him as liberal.


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## kvanlaan

Authors? I would have to say:

Dr Joel Beeke, Dr David Murray, Cornelius Pronk, Bartel Elshout (for his translation work) and Dr Joel Beeke again.



> ooh forgot about Keller. He may be most popular overall in just terms of books sales. *It's funny how the majority of evangelicalism would view him as conservative, but reformed groups tend to see him as liberal.*



Uh-oh, I feel a tangent coming on. Tim Keller is about the biggest  in the reformed camp that I can think of.


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## Andres

Top Ten  in the reformed camp - who ya got? Go!


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## Zenas

Andres said:


> Top Ten  in the reformed camp - who ya got? Go!


 
1. Tim Keller
2. Sabbatarianism
3. Baptism
4. YEC v. OEC
5. Whether Adam had a belly button. (Credit to my wife.)
6. Presuppositionalism v. Evidentialism
7. R.J. Rushdoony (Theonomy)
8. Greg Bahnsen (Theonomy again.)
9. Pot?
10. Rat brains (I ran out of material at #9, obviously.)


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## kvanlaan

> 4. YEC v. OEC



Disagree. It's settled. No  about it.


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## Romans922

Is Keller reformed, I don't see it? Frame denies the RPW!

Being in the PCA doesn't make one reformed...

Joey Pipa
Joel Beeke
Sinclair Ferguson
Derek Thomas
Other people who just quote puritans...


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## Damon Rambo

This is really subjective, because as we know we all define the term "reformed" differently; then we also have another subjective element; i.e. which books are better, or who wrote more books? Is the guy that wrote two books that were absolutely profound, better than the guy that pumps out 20 "decent" books a year?

This being the case, I am going to post my top five in the broader "reformed" sense, which would include us LBC'ers, and based upon the _quality_ of the writings, rather than _quantity_...

1) Albert Mohler 
2) J.I. Packer
3)John Macarthur
4) R.C. Sproul
5) Mark Dever (I debated this last one. But his works have had such a profound reforming affect on so many of my Baptist brethren, that though his works are not as in-depth, he gets a bump for the impact he has made)

Go ahead; let the "What is reformed?" debate begin...


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## Backwoods Presbyterian

Joel Beeke
Carl Trueman
Cornelis Venema
Joe Morecraft
J.I. Packer


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## Andres

Zenas said:


> Andres said:
> 
> 
> 
> Top Ten  in the reformed camp - who ya got? Go!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 1. Tim Keller
> 2. Sabbatarianism
> 3. Baptism
> 4. YEC v. OEC
> 5. Whether Adam had a belly button. (Credit to my wife.)
> 6. Presuppositionalism v. Evidentialism
> 7. R.J. Rushdoony (Theonomy)
> 8. Greg Bahnsen (Theonomy again.)
> 9. Pot?
> 10. Rat brains (I ran out of material at #9, obviously.)
Click to expand...

 
good list. how about 2nd commandment violations? RPW? what about the family shepherding movement or whateva it's called?


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## MarieP

Chaplainintraining said:


> I honestly can't stand reading Piper. It is something about his style. I can only read 40 or so pages before I just put it away.


 
I'm with you! I never finished Let the Nations Be Glad. Reading Piper can be like (there are exceptions) watching someone chew a nice, big, juicy steak that you really would like to enjoy for yourself. He tends to repeat himself and look at things from every possible angle. Thankfully, his preaching is not like that!

I think everyone's named all the people in my list! Don't forget blogs though...what would the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement be without the internet?!

Tim Challies
Justin Taylor
Ray Ortlund
Green Baggins!
Um...some....Pilgrim Board?? Pelican Board? Uhh??


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## Notthemama1984

MarieP said:


> Chaplainintraining said:
> 
> 
> 
> I honestly can't stand reading Piper. It is something about his style. I can only read 40 or so pages before I just put it away.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm with you! I never finished Let the Nations Be Glad. Reading Piper can be like (there are exceptions) watching someone chew a nice, big, juicy steak that you really would like to enjoy for yourself. He tends to repeat himself and look at things from every possible angle. Thankfully, his preaching is not like that!
> 
> I think everyone's named all the people in my list! Don't forget blogs though...what would the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement be without the internet?!
> 
> Tim Challies
> Justin Taylor
> Ray Ortlund
> Green Baggins!
> Um...some....Pilgrim Board?? Pelican Board? Uhh??
Click to expand...

 
I can't listen to his preaching that much either. I can listen to his conference lectures all day, but only two or three sermons a month. I really don't have a reason why, just something about the style rubs me.


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## MarieP

He gave a wonderful exposition of the Pharisee and Tax Collector at TGC this year!!

Did Jesus Preach the Gospel of Evangelicalism? 2010 Together for the Gospel Conference - Desiring God

So wonderful that Salvador Gomez, a pastor of a sister church in the Dominican Republic, got permission to share his notes on it with us in SS right after!

SermonAudio.com - A Gospel Picture of Jesus


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## Covenant Joel

Romans922 said:


> Is Keller reformed, I don't see it? Frame denies the RPW!
> 
> Being in the PCA doesn't make one reformed...



Well I suppose it all goes back to determining what that means. If you take some version of Dr. Clark's view, then those two would probably be excluded from having that label. But with how Dr. Frame uses the term (see his review of Clark's book for an example), then surely they would be. Obviously, he doesn't take the position of the Wesminster divines on the RPW, so if that is essential to being Reformed, then no. But certainly he has been a very influential writer in the Reformed world for quite a while, whether or not all of his positions are Reformed or biblical.

What specifically in Tim Keller's teaching do you think is not Reformed? I'm no expert on Keller, but off the top of my head, the only thing that jumps out is his view of creationism, etc., though if I'm not mistaken, even Dr. Clark doesn't think that should determine whether someone is Reformed or not. I'm not challenging your view of Keller, I'm just curious, as I haven't had a huge amount of exposure to his writings.


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## au5t1n

MarieP said:


> Um...some....Pilgrim Board?? Pelican Board? Uhh??


 
Marie! You need to post here more often. You crack me up. I shall be referring to this board as the "Pelican Board" from now on!


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## Ivan

Zenas said:


> Andres said:
> 
> 
> 
> Top Ten  in the reformed camp - who ya got? Go!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 1. Tim Keller
> 2. Sabbatarianism
> 3. Baptism
> 4. YEC v. OEC
> 5. Whether Adam had a belly button. (Credit to my wife.)
> 6. Presuppositionalism v. Evidentialism
> 7. R.J. Rushdoony (Theonomy)
> 8. Greg Bahnsen (Theonomy again.)
> 9. Pot?
> 10. Rat brains (I ran out of material at #9, obviously.)
Click to expand...


You forgot about how many angels can dance on the head of a needle.....and as to the Top Five, where is Rick Warren?!?!


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## coramdeo

TOO MANY! Gee, I wish ya'll had not done that list thing. Too many I haven't read yet! My Bucket list of Books / Authors is already way too full!


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## Romans922

Covenant Joel said:


> What specifically in Tim Keller's teaching do you think is not Reformed?




Creation is one thing, the purpose of the Gospel is another.


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## greenbaggins

MarieP said:


> Chaplainintraining said:
> 
> 
> 
> I honestly can't stand reading Piper. It is something about his style. I can only read 40 or so pages before I just put it away.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm with you! I never finished Let the Nations Be Glad. Reading Piper can be like (there are exceptions) watching someone chew a nice, big, juicy steak that you really would like to enjoy for yourself. He tends to repeat himself and look at things from every possible angle. Thankfully, his preaching is not like that!
> 
> I think everyone's named all the people in my list! Don't forget blogs though...what would the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement be without the internet?!
> 
> Tim Challies
> Justin Taylor
> Ray Ortlund
> Green Baggins!
> Um...some....Pilgrim Board?? Pelican Board? Uhh??
Click to expand...

 
Okay, this is embarrassing! I made it on to a top 5 list? You gotta be kidding!


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## KMK

In no particular order...

Winzer
Keister
Buchanan
L.
Rafalsky
Zartman
Johnson
Hicks
Coldwell
Severson

to name a few...


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## Fly Caster

I see that several have mentioned Trueman. He hasn't written a lot, and the little that I have read didn't strike me as particularly impressive.

Is there something really great that he has written that I have missed?


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## Zenas

KMK said:


> In no particular order...
> 
> Winzer
> Keister
> Buchanan
> L.
> Rafalsky
> Zartman
> Johnson
> Hicks
> Coldwell
> Severson
> 
> to name a few...


 
Hicks just quotes other people a lot.


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## Covenant Joel

Romans922 said:


> Creation is one thing, the purpose of the Gospel is another.



Could you elaborate? I assume you mean that to be Reformed one must hold to 6-day creation? 

What do you mean about what he believes about the purpose of the gospel?


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## KMK

Zenas said:


> KMK said:
> 
> 
> 
> In no particular order...
> 
> Winzer
> Keister
> Buchanan
> L.
> Rafalsky
> Zartman
> Johnson
> Hicks
> Coldwell
> Severson
> 
> to name a few...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hicks just quotes other people a lot.
Click to expand...

 
'Quoting' is a big part of the Reformed tradition. Besides, he is responsible, I believe, for the notion of 'rat brains'. Although it is not 'yet fully orbed', promises to be an important nuance to the Reformed paradigm.


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## py3ak

Fly Caster said:


> I see that several have mentioned Trueman. He hasn't written a lot, and the little that I have read didn't strike me as particularly impressive.
> 
> Is there something really great that he has written that I have missed?



His series of posts on Martin Luther is free and I thought it was very good.
This is the first one. If you go back through his posts from there it shouldn't be hard to find the whole series.


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## Jeffriesw

I am not very well read, but i do like Sproul, Horton and Sinclair Ferguson.

---------- Post added at 04:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:45 PM ----------




Chaplainintraining said:


> I honestly can't stand reading Piper. It is something about his style. I can only read 40 or so pages before I just put it away.


 
I am glad someone else feels this way, I have found him to be very difficult to listen to or read. I was wondering if it was just me or what...


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## PresbyDane

R.C. Sproul
Michael S. Horton
Sinclair B. Ferguson
Joel Beeke
Tim Keller


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## Romans922

Covenant Joel said:


> What do you mean about what he believes about the purpose of the gospel?




The main purpose of the Gospel for keller is to change the culture.


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## Andres

Romans922 said:


> Covenant Joel said:
> 
> 
> 
> What do you mean about what he believes about the purpose of the gospel?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The main purpose of the Gospel for keller is to change the culture.
Click to expand...

 
and he has women deacons.


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## dudley

I like R. C. Sproul, Michael Horton, Carl Trueman ,Sinclair Ferguson and Anthony N.S. Lane


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## Covenant Joel

Romans922 said:


> The main purpose of the Gospel for keller is to change the culture.


 
Hmm, can you provide some citations or references on this? I'm not trying to be a pro-Kellerite here or something, I'm not particularly familiar with his work. But in the stuff that I have read of his, he's seemed pretty clear on the gospel and its purpose. Clearly, he indicates that the gospel, when applied in the lives of God's people, ought to change the culture. But I'm not sure that that's something particularly new, nor outside of the Reformed tradition (Kuyper, Bavinck, and others). I'd be interested to see where he's ever said that that is the _main purpose_ of the gospel.


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## devonturnbaugh

MarieP said:


> look at things from every possible angle.



This can get somewhat redundant, but I think for shear ability to get others to think critically (from every angle) about an issue he is definitely a keeper. I love to read him, you just have to not read every page of his books because of this but for the most part very helpful in my opinion.


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## CharlieJ

Puritan Board law #6: In any thread in which admiration for people are expressed, the only sustained conversation will be about what's wrong with some of the persons mentioned.

BTW, Dudley, as a church history guy, I love Anthony Lane. What a mind for detail.


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## Notthemama1984

Jeffriesw said:


> I am glad someone else feels this way, I have found him to be very difficult to listen to or read. I was wondering if it was just me or what...



Nope it isn't just you. Just to clarify it isn't WHAT Piper is saying, just HOW he says it.


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## Romans922

Covenant Joel said:


> Romans922 said:
> 
> 
> 
> The main purpose of the Gospel for keller is to change the culture.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hmm, can you provide some citations or references on this? I'm not trying to be a pro-Kellerite here or something, I'm not particularly familiar with his work. But in the stuff that I have read of his, he's seemed pretty clear on the gospel and its purpose. Clearly, he indicates that the gospel, when applied in the lives of God's people, ought to change the culture. But I'm not sure that that's something particularly new, nor outside of the Reformed tradition (Kuyper, Bavinck, and others). I'd be interested to see where he's ever said that that is the _main purpose_ of the gospel.
Click to expand...

 
Well, I have gone and looked up where I knew this from. It was an audio recording, but I have been asked not to post it. So you can do two things with what I said... You can either forget what I said and believe Keller doesn't actually teach anything like that OR you can search keller's teaching yourself to see where he clearly teaches that the Gospel's purpose is to transform the city/culture.


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## Covenant Joel

Romans922 said:


> Well, I have gone and looked up where I knew this from. It was an audio recording, but I have been asked not to post it. So you can do two things with what I said... You can either forget what I said and believe Keller doesn't actually teach anything like that OR you can search keller's teaching yourself to see where he clearly teaches that the Gospel's purpose is to transform the city/culture.


 
Ok, well, it's not that I had a problem with looking stuff up on my own, I just figured it would be helpful to have a citation/direction, since he's written and taught a lot. But anyhow, I will go do some searching. Though you may be intrigued by this comment, which seems fairly clear (posted after I asked you the question, fyi).


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## Romans922

I can be more helpful. Look up Gospel Eco-systems on google search.

Nice comment from Keller.


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## Covenant Joel

Romans922 said:


> I can be more helpful. Look up Gospel Eco-systems on google search.
> 
> Nice comment from Keller.


 
Thanks. Yeah, it was a little surprising.


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## nicnap

CharlieJ said:


> Puritan Board law #6: In any thread in which admiration for people are expressed, the only sustained conversation will be about what's wrong with some of the persons mentioned.



Well said, sir.


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## Zenas

Tim Keller is rumored to like cats. (If you'll refer to Calvin's Institutes, 2nd Book, p. 673, paragraph 3, 2nd sentence, it states explicitly that Roman Catholics like cats, whereas Christians like dogs.)


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## py3ak

CharlieJ said:


> Puritan Board law #6: In any thread in which admiration for people are expressed, the only sustained conversation will be about what's wrong with some of the persons mentioned.



Excuse me, Charlie, I believe that's actually #8.


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## Zenas

Ruben is too uptight.


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## kvanlaan

> Tim Keller is rumored to like cats. (If you'll refer to Calvin's Institutes, 2nd Book, p. 673, paragraph 3, 2nd sentence, it states explicitly that Roman Catholics like cats, whereas Christians like dogs.)



Then we've got enough evidence for a speedy trial, no? Who's bringing wood, who's bringing oil, and who's got marshmallows?


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## Romans922

Zenas said:


> Tim Keller is rumored to like cats. (If you'll refer to Calvin's Institutes, 2nd Book, p. 673, paragraph 3, 2nd sentence, it states explicitly that Roman Catholics like cats, whereas Christians like dogs.)


 
I'd bring any man up on charges for that...


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## Bethel

Piper, MacArthur, and Sproul were definitely the top reformed authors that led me husband and me to reformed theology. I think their influence as "gateway ministers" has to do with their internet presence and free resources. We also read Tim Challies' blog and listened to the Wretched Radio podcast with Todd Friel which helped us learn the reformed "lingo". As adult converts into a traditional Baptist church, we had no training in church history or theology for our first 15 years as Christians. I'm amazed at how much God has shown us this past year.

I still listen to Sproul and Todd Friel as well as read the Challies' blog, but I've also moved on to reformed leaders that I think do a better job in expository preaching. Right now, I'm listening to sermon podcasts from Sinclair Ferguson and sermon downloads from Art Azurdia.

Bessings,


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