I have been associated with Davenant almost from the start, being involved in a roundtable discussion on the future of Protestantism that Davenant co-sponsored with the magazine First Things at Biola University in 2014, spoken at an annual colloquium, and watched with pleasure the ever-growing number of books, classic and contemporary, it has published.
In a time like ours, when the temptation is to subsume the Christian faith under some larger political agenda, or to instrumentalize the gospel in pursuit of earthly power, it is important that churches, ministers, and Christian in general are prepared. They need to have an informed understanding of their confessional traditions, to be focused upon the transcendent truths of God, and to grasp how to use historic resources in addressing both the big questions of our day and of eternity.
Davenant, through its educational programs and publishing ventures, seeks to do all of these things. For example, it has reprinted Oliver O’Donovan’s classic work, Begotten or Made?, helping Christian think through the manifold ethical questions surrounding reproduction. A modern English version of a work by Thomas Traherne introduces Christians to thinking about virtue from a classically Protestant perspective. And a fine English edition of the classic Synopsis Purioris Theologiae has made available a sweeping treatment of classical Protestant theology to a new audience.
But Davenant is about more than the reprinting and recovery of the riches of the Protestant tradition for today’s church. It is also oriented towards helping real pastors come together in order to think through the challenges of pastoral ministry in the twenty-first century. Thus, we have a prestigious Lilly grant that has facilitated a project to address the problems and the opportunities that our online, interconnected world now presents.
Republishing classic theology. Commissioning new books. Overseeing pastoral symposia. These are all ambitious projects. But they are all part of the vision that animates the Davenant Institute. We want to see pastors and churches thrive. In a time of social disruption and cultural chaos, we believe that the church should be an oasis of stability, nurturing her people and preparing them to live here in ways that glorify God and prepare them to enjoy him forever.
That is a great vision but it requires resources and so we would ask you to consider a charitable gift to the institute today as 2024 draws to a close.
Carl Trueman
Professor of Biblical & Religious Studies, Grove City College
Davenant Institute Board Member