Reformed Scholasticism: Recovering the Tools (McGraw)

[RamistThomist]

McGraw, Ryan. Reformed Scholasticism: Recovering the Tools of Reformed Theology.

Aim: to introduce the research methodology and characteristics of Reformed scholastic theology (McGraw 3). While there are several fine books on Reformed Scholasticism, McGraw’s takes farther the goal of teaching the student how to research the Reformed scholastics. Not only does McGraw devote more space to explaining the “hows” of scholastic methodology, he approaches as a teacher explaining to his students.

Scholasticism, as McGraw makes clear, “promotes clarity and precision in thinking” (4). By itself it suggests no added content to the faith, either good or bad.

Whereas Willem Van Asselt wrote a fine introduction to Reformed Scholasticism, Ryan McGraw shows the reader how to do research in Reformed Scholasticism.

I will forgo the standard review format and focus on the tools for writing.

Choosing a Topic of Study

1. Pick a topic that interests you. Separate what interests you from what is feasible.
2. Answer historical questions rather than contemporary ones. For example, avoid asking whether Owen’s Trinitarianism is Eastern or Western. Owen would not have cared.
3. Read widely in primary source literature.
4. Read secondary sources related to your topic. Even if secondary literature cannot replace primary sources, it can add focus to the topic.
5. Develop the argument from primary sources “first and foremost.”
6. Set your subject in the international context of Reformed theology.

Writing Historical Theology: Opening considerations

1. A theological foundation for history is not the same as a theological interpretation of history.
2. Ask historical questions of a topic/person rather than contemporary ones.
3. Delay value judgments.
4. Neutrality is impossible; objectivity is not.
5. Avoid anachronisms, usually the reading of current terminology into a historical figure.
6. To better analyze the data, minimize block-citations.
7. Show development, continuity, discontinuity, and trajectory.

Beginning to Write

1. Narrowing the thesis. Consider using terms of relationship between a figure and x.
2. Provide a preliminary bibliography.
3. It is better to start writing quickly than to drown in information.
4. Do not raise questions you do not intend to answer.

Conclusion

Both Van Asselt and McGraw give fine overviews of Reformed Scholasticism, and both books should be read. Van Asselt's book is cheaper and will probably be read by a wider audience. McGraw, on the other hand, goes into detail on how to write a thesis.

 

[Pomopu]

Thank you very much for this informative blurb!