Reformed Forum

In this episode, we introduce Camden Bucey’s new book, Defending Our Hope: An Introduction to Christian Apologetics, and trace its development from an adult Sunday school class at Hope Presbyterian Church to a twelve-lesson Reformed Academy course and now a beautiful hardcover volume. Camden and Ryan Noha explain why the book is intended as an accessible on-ramp to a distinctly Reformed approach—one grounded in the doctrines of God, revelation, and humanity rather than an imagined realm of neutral reasoning.
The conversation returns again and again to the living hope of 1 Peter 1:3 and the call of 1 Peter 3:15. Christian apologetics is not chiefly about winning arguments or mastering a script; it is about bearing faithful witness to Jesus Christ, who lived, died, and rose for our salvation. Because the power belongs to God and works through his Word, ordinary believers can speak the truth in love with gentleness, respect, and genuine confidence.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:04 Introducing Defending Our Hope
02:12 Upcoming Reformed Forum events
04:03 The story behind the book
04:28 The book and course as an accessible on-ramp
07:58 Formed through the local church
13:28 Apologetics in the community
21:57 Friendship, community, and everyday witness
24:31 Ordinary Christians and the hope within us
27:09 The apologetic context of 1 Peter 3:15
30:04 Always prepared—with gentleness and respect
31:37 The living hope of resurrection
33:39 Apologetics and evangelism
34:39 Why doctrine determines apologetic method
41:28 Scripture as the self-attesting Word of God
50:09 Starting anywhere in God’s world
52:36 Faithful witnesses who tell the truth
60:56 Using the book with the free Reformed Academy course
62:30 Further study and ordering information
65:42 Closing remarks

Resources
Episode resources and Defending Our Hope
Free Reformed Academy course: Defending Our Hope
Reformed Forum bookstore

Mentioned in this episode:
Join Us In Person: Four Upcoming Reformed Forum Events
Before today's episode, Camden Bucey shares four opportunities to gather with Reformed Forum in person over the coming months:
Apologetics and Evangelism Seminar — August 4–5, 2026, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Taylors, SC. Camden Bucey and Carlton Wynne lecture on apologetics and evangelism for the pastor at the GPTS Summer Seminar. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/apologetics-and-evangelism-seminar-greenville-sc/
Discovering Christ in All of Scripture — August 28–29, 2026, Cahaba Park Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL. A Friday evening and Saturday morning seminar exploring how every part of Scripture reveals God's redemptive plan in Jesus Christ. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/birmingham-alabama-seminar/
2026 Annual Theology Conference — September 25–26, 2026, Lakeland Church, Gurnee, IL. The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose, featuring Dr. G. K. Beale. Early-bird pricing ends August 31. Register: https://rf26.reformedforum.org/
Christ the Center 1000th Episode Celebration — February 19–20, 2027, Hilton Austin, Austin, TX. A live recording of episode 1,000, a shared dinner, and conversations with longtime friends of the ministry. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/christ-the-center-1000th-episode-celebration/
Seats are limited — register today at https://reformedforum.org/events

This is the third lesson in Dr. Lane G. Tipton and Rev. Adam York’s Reformed Academy course, The Unfolding Mystery: A Reader’s Guide. It was originally recorded for one of Reformed Forum’s International Cohort Reading Groups. This lesson covers Chapters 3–4 of Edmund P. Clowney’s The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament, addressing the following topics:
00:00 Genesis 15: The Lord Our Shield and Reward
07:26 The Covenant Ceremony and the Valley of Death
15:04 The Gospel Pattern: The Lord Bears the Curse
18:39 Mount Moriah and "The Lord will Provide"
29:23 Jacob and the Heir of Promise
39:00 Bethel, the Gate of Heaven
Register for this free on-demand course on our website to track your progress and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to dozens of additional video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedacademy.org/course/un...
Your donations help us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you worldwide: https://reformedforum.org/donate/
#biblicaltheology #gospel #reformedtheology #biblestudy
Mentioned in this episode:
Join Us In Person: Four Upcoming Reformed Forum Events
Before today's episode, Camden Bucey shares four opportunities to gather with Reformed Forum in person over the coming months:
Apologetics and Evangelism Seminar — August 4–5, 2026, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Taylors, SC. Camden Bucey and Carlton Wynne lecture on apologetics and evangelism for the pastor at the GPTS Summer Seminar. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/apologetics-and-evangelism-seminar-greenville-sc/
Discovering Christ in All of Scripture — August 28–29, 2026, Cahaba Park Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL. A Friday evening and Saturday morning seminar exploring how every part of Scripture reveals God's redemptive plan in Jesus Christ. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/birmingham-alabama-seminar/
2026 Annual Theology Conference — September 25–26, 2026, Lakeland Church, Gurnee, IL. The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose, featuring Dr. G. K. Beale. Early-bird pricing ends August 31. Register: https://rf26.reformedforum.org/
Christ the Center 1000th Episode Celebration — February 19–20, 2027, Hilton Austin, Austin, TX. A live recording of episode 1,000, a shared dinner, and conversations with longtime friends of the ministry. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/christ-the-center-1000th-episode-celebration/
Seats are limited — register today at https://reformedforum.org/events

We welcome David Noe and Chad Van Dixhoorn to discuss the first volume in Reformation Heritage Books’ new edition of The Works of Samuel Rutherford: Arminianism: A Systematic and Theological Response. Noe translated the work from Latin, while Van Dixhoorn serves as general editor of the series and edited and introduced this volume.
The conversation explores Rutherford’s significance as a leading theologian of seventeenth-century Scotland and a commissioner to the Westminster Assembly. Rather than treating Arminianism as merely five disputed points of salvation, Rutherford examines it as a theological system reaching into the doctrine of God, divine simplicity, providence, human freedom, ecclesiology, and the sacraments. The guests also discuss the challenges of translating scholastic Latin, recovering manuscripts, correcting citations, and preparing a projected twenty-volume edition.
Learn more at reformedforum.org/ctc969.
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
2:08 David Noe joins the conversation
5:45 Translation projects and Calvin’s Latin Bible
12:41 Reformed worship and the declaration of pardon
15:29 The Works of Samuel Rutherford, Volume 1
17:47 A twenty-volume publishing project
22:22 Samuel Rutherford and the Westminster Assembly
23:54 Why Rutherford addressed Arminianism
27:54 Why the book is more than an “examination”
30:23 Arminianism as a theological system
31:58 Divine simplicity and the doctrine of God
33:56 Middle knowledge, freedom, and providence
36:03 Rutherford’s pastoral and rhetorical power
41:57 Ecclesiology, sacraments, and scholastic method
45:02 The craft and challenges of translation
49:16 Difficult texts and inaccurate citations
54:38 A second manuscript enters the project
56:04 Translating Homer and the meaning of polytropos
60:16 How to read Rutherford fruitfully
62:55 Chad Van Dixhoorn joins the conversation
63:19 Rutherford’s stature in Scottish theology
66:10 Arminianism involves more than five points
68:20 The origins and scope of the Rutherford series
70:38 The search for unpublished letters and sermons
73:35 Rutherford’s final years and posthumous legacy
76:59 Assessing Rutherford’s polemical judgments
82:02 Why the volume remains valuable today
83:30 What is next for the series
85:02 Conclusion

Mentioned in this episode:
Join Us In Person: Four Upcoming Reformed Forum Events
Before today's episode, Camden Bucey shares four opportunities to gather with Reformed Forum in person over the coming months:
Apologetics and Evangelism Seminar — August 4–5, 2026, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Taylors, SC. Camden Bucey and Carlton Wynne lecture on apologetics and evangelism for the pastor at the GPTS Summer Seminar. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/apologetics-and-evangelism-seminar-greenville-sc/
Discovering Christ in All of Scripture — August 28–29, 2026, Cahaba Park Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL. A Friday evening and Saturday morning seminar exploring how every part of Scripture reveals God's redemptive plan in Jesus Christ. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/birmingham-alabama-seminar/
2026 Annual Theology Conference — September 25–26, 2026, Lakeland Church, Gurnee, IL. The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose, featuring Dr. G. K. Beale. Early-bird pricing ends August 31. Register: https://rf26.reformedforum.org/
Christ the Center 1000th Episode Celebration — February 19–20, 2027, Hilton Austin, Austin, TX. A live recording of episode 1,000, a shared dinner, and conversations with longtime friends of the ministry. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/christ-the-center-1000th-episode-celebration/
Seats are limited — register today at https://reformedforum.org/events

This is the second lesson in Dr. Lane G. Tipton and Rev. Adam York’s Reformed Academy course, The Unfolding Mystery: A Reader’s Guide. It was originally recorded for one of Reformed Forum’s International Cohort Reading Groups. This lesson covers Chapters 1–2 of Edmund P. Clowney’s The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament, addressing the following topics:
00:00 Clowney’s Hermeneutical Approach
18:12 Adam, Christ, and the Covenants
24:25 The True Israel and the Temptation Pattern
30:01 Genesis 3 and the Lie
43:04 Genesis 3:15 and the Promise of the Seed
53:24 The Chosen Seed and the Generations
59:56 Jacob’s Wrestling as Preview of Coming Messiah
Register for this free on-demand course on our website to track your progress and assess your understanding through quizzes for each lesson. You will also receive free access to dozens of additional video courses in covenant theology, apologetics, biblical studies, church history, and more: https://reformedacademy.org/course/un...
Your donations help us to provide free Reformed resources for students like you worldwide: https://reformedforum.org/donate/#biblicaltheology
#gospel #reformedtheology #biblestudy
Mentioned in this episode:
Join Us In Person: Four Upcoming Reformed Forum Events
Before today's episode, Camden Bucey shares four opportunities to gather with Reformed Forum in person over the coming months:
Apologetics and Evangelism Seminar — August 4–5, 2026, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Taylors, SC. Camden Bucey and Carlton Wynne lecture on apologetics and evangelism for the pastor at the GPTS Summer Seminar. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/apologetics-and-evangelism-seminar-greenville-sc/
Discovering Christ in All of Scripture — August 28–29, 2026, Cahaba Park Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL. A Friday evening and Saturday morning seminar exploring how every part of Scripture reveals God's redemptive plan in Jesus Christ. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/birmingham-alabama-seminar/
2026 Annual Theology Conference — September 25–26, 2026, Lakeland Church, Gurnee, IL. The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose, featuring Dr. G. K. Beale. Early-bird pricing ends August 31. Register: https://rf26.reformedforum.org/
Christ the Center 1000th Episode Celebration — February 19–20, 2027, Hilton Austin, Austin, TX. A live recording of episode 1,000, a shared dinner, and conversations with longtime friends of the ministry. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/christ-the-center-1000th-episode-celebration/
Seats are limited — register today at https://reformedforum.org/events

In this free-for-all episode of Christ the Center, Camden Bucey is joined by Derrick Brite, Lee Hutchings, and Dan Borvan for a wide-ranging conversation following the summer season of Presbyterian and Reformed assemblies. They reflect on the PCA General Assembly, the OPC General Assembly, and the URC Synod, considering overtures, church order, the spirit of deliberation, and the practical realities of Presbyterian polity.
The conversation also turns to Reformed witness in Italy, Roman Catholicism, and the need to speak the truth clearly and charitably. Camden previews upcoming discussions on Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, Catholic social teaching, artificial intelligence, human dignity, and the need for a sound Reformed anthropology in an age of rapid technological change.
Mentioned in this episode:
Join Us In Person: Four Upcoming Reformed Forum Events
Before today's episode, Camden Bucey shares four opportunities to gather with Reformed Forum in person over the coming months:
Apologetics and Evangelism Seminar — August 4–5, 2026, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Taylors, SC. Camden Bucey and Carlton Wynne lecture on apologetics and evangelism for the pastor at the GPTS Summer Seminar. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/apologetics-and-evangelism-seminar-greenville-sc/
Discovering Christ in All of Scripture — August 28–29, 2026, Cahaba Park Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL. A Friday evening and Saturday morning seminar exploring how every part of Scripture reveals God's redemptive plan in Jesus Christ. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/birmingham-alabama-seminar/
2026 Annual Theology Conference — September 25–26, 2026, Lakeland Church, Gurnee, IL. The Covenant of Grace: One Savior, One People, One Purpose, featuring Dr. G. K. Beale. Early-bird pricing ends August 31. Register: https://rf26.reformedforum.org/
Christ the Center 1000th Episode Celebration — February 19–20, 2027, Hilton Austin, Austin, TX. A live recording of episode 1,000, a shared dinner, and conversations with longtime friends of the ministry. Details: https://reformedforum.org/event/christ-the-center-1000th-episode-celebration/
Seats are limited — register today at https://reformedforum.org/events