This site presents resources for understanding the Federal Vision controversy. The creators of this site have an editorial point of view, recognizing the controversy, yet also believing that those associated with the views in question have maintained the proper, reformational boundaries in their theologizing. In many ways, the so-called "FV" views are being caught in the crossfire of other internecine conflicts over sacramental theology, covenant theology, and sanctification that have always been "research problems" in various Reformed bodies. Hopefully the resources below will aid the reader in understanding the issues involved and why the "FV" theologians feel that their views have been unfairly characterized.
Joint Statement
- Joint Federal Vision Statement (PDF)
Statement sketching the general "federal vision" perspective on Reformed Theology, signed by John Barach (minister, CREC), Randy Booth (minister, CREC), Tim Gallant (minister, CREC), Mark Horne (minister, PCA), Jim Jordan (minister ARC, Director of Biblical Horizons, member CREC), Peter Leithart (minister, PCA), Rich Lusk (minister, CREC), Jeff Meyers (minister, PCA), Ralph Smith (minister, CREC), Steve Wilkins (minister, PCA), Douglas Wilson (minister, CREC)
General Orientation
- Within the Bounds of Orthodoxy?: An Examination of the Federal Vision Controversy
Joseph Minich - Presbyterian Identity Crisis (PDF)
Peter Leithart - Systems and Sub-Systems (PDF)
Peter Leithart - Who Defines 'Reformed'? (PDF)
Peter Leithart
Positive, FV Work
- Sacramental Piety
Peter Leithart
2007 PCA General Assembly Committee Report
- 2007 PCA General Assembly Report (audio of debate)
- 30 Reasons Why It Would be Unwise for the PCA General Assembly to Adopt the Federal Vision Study Report and Its Recommendations (PDF, HTML)
- 12 Reasons Not to Adopt the Federal Vision Study Report & Its Recommendations, an abridgement by Jeffrey Meyers of the "30 Reasons".
- Steve Wilkins' Letter to Louisiana Presbytery Regarding the "9 Declarations" of PCA General Assembly's Ad-Interim Committee's Report on the Federal Vision/New Perspective" (PDF)
- Peter Leithart's Letter to Pacific Northwest Presbytery
Official PCA Presbytery Conclusions on the "Federal Vision"
Note: other actions exist, but these represent the fairest and best reasoned responses to the controversy. We especially commend the report of the Missouri presbytery - a committee consisting of sound theologians from the PCA's official seminary and St. Louis area pastors. It was a true committee effort with the kind of collegial give and take that we would expect.
- Report of the PCA Missouri Presbytery (pdf)
- Report of the PCA Pacific Northwest Presbytery on Peter Leithart (pdf)
- Report of the PCA Louisiana Presbytery on Federal Vision and Steven Wilkins
- 12/8/2006 Written responses by Wilkins to Presbytery Committee Questions
- Audio of Wilkins's Examination: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 (MP3)
Responses to Woodruff Road Conference: "Analyzing the Federal Vision"
- Official Conference Lectures: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (All in .m4a format)
- Responses by Xon Hostetter: Part 1, Part 2
Responses to Guy Waters's Book "The Federal Vision and Covenant Theology"
From those criticized in the book:
- Responses by Peter Leithart: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
- Response by John Barach
- Response by Joel Garver
- Responses by Douglas Wilson: pdf
- Response by Ralph Smith: pdf
From third parties:
- Review by Bill Smith (pdf)
Responses to the OPC Report
The "Committee to Study the Doctrine of Justification" presented its report to the 2006 General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church on Saturday, June 24th. The OPC decided to "commend the report for study." Lusk's essay is probably the most detailed and points out the way in which people are reading past each other.
- Response by Rich Lusk: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 (pdf)
- Response by Peter Leithart (pdf)
- Response by Ralph Smith (pdf)
- Response by Norman Shepherd: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 (pdf)
Responses to the Mississippi Valley Presbytery Report (PCA)
This report (pdf) was an initial critique of the Federal Vision based on the work of Guy Waters and Ligon Duncan. Most of the targets of the report felt misrepresented, and here are a few of their responses.
- Timeline of the MVP Committee's Activities
- Response by Paul Owen (pdf)
- Response by Peter Leithart (offsite)
- Responses by Joel Garver: Part 1, Part 2 (offsite)
- Response by Mark Horne (pdf)
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