Treasuring Scholastic Piety

Were the Scholastics just dry and dull academics? In this brief clip from his teaching series A Survey of Church History, W. Robert Godfrey explains how, at their best, the Scholastics were passionate about true faith being built up in the church. Watch this entire message for free.

Transcript

Now, one of the charges always brought against the scholastics was, they were dry, they were dead and they were deadening. That’s just not true. They weren't dry, they weren't dead and they weren't deadening. They were tough, but they were profound, and they were helpful. And personally they were very concerned about piety, and that needs to always be borne in mind. They were great preachers. Francis Turretin was a great preacher, the people heard him gladly in Geneva, because he didn't take his theology book into the pulpit and read, he preached to the hearts and lives of the people. He knew the difference between scholastic he knew the difference between scholastic theology and preaching. He knew the difference between theological graduate students and lay people in the churches. He knew how to change the way in which he communicated from one to the other. And he was passionate about piety and true faith being built up in the hearts of the people; that's what the scholastics were like at their best, and it's worth remembering and treasuring what they’ve done for us.