About

Greetings!

Welcome to The Reformed Realist blog. The Reformed Realist is a collaboration between friends who are interested in reading and discussing theology, philosophy, literature, church history, and much more. All of the contributors are professing Christians within the Reformed and Presbyterian traditions, and all subscribe to the Westminster Standards. Although there are similar resources presently available on the internet, our desire is to simply share with readers those things that we currently find helpful, edifying, and that tend to the glory of the Triune God.

Why have we called our blog "The Reformed Realist"? In short, because we take seriously the testimony of God's written Word and what He has revealed in the created order. We believe that there is really a world outside the constructs of our own minds and that its Determiner and Creator is the Triune God of Christian Scripture. The name also suggests that we prefer to see ourselves within the "Great Tradition" of the Christian church as we attempt to stand on the shoulders of thinkers like Saint Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, the Protestant Reformers/Post-Reformation Protestant Orthodox/Scholastics, and beyond. Above all, our desire is to remain thoroughly biblical and confessional in our understanding and articulation of the content that we present, and we invite you to join in on the discussion. Thank you for stopping by!

Meet the contributors:

Dylan Rowland: A very great sinner saved by the redemptive grace of God in Jesus Christ. He is also the husband of an incredible woman and is father to five beautiful children. Dylan currently serves as the pastor at Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Mansfield, OH. He enjoys reading Saint Augustine, Anselm, Matthew Henry, Richard Sibbes, William G.T. Shedd, and C.S. Lewis.

Josh Smith: A man continuing to receive from the Lord in order to give to His people and with the hope of proclaiming and displaying Jesus Christ to the world. He has a beautiful, intelligent, godly wife and three children. Josh is a member of the local church family at Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Mansfield, OH, and works during the week as an Engineer. He is burdened to do his part to renew and advance the orthodoxy and scholasticism of the Reformed tradition, especially from within the local church setting, in which Reformed orthodoxy is taught and implemented. Accordingly, in an effort to assist in the ongoing movement that is retrieving the thought of early modern Protestant orthodoxy, he strives to study, make known, and appropriate the philosophy of early modern Reformed orthodoxy/scholasticism.

Daniel Burdine: Through Divine providence and faithful parents, Daniel has been a student of the Word of God from his youth.  He is married to a wonderful woman and is the Father to four children. He attended Seminary at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where God continued to increase his love of theology, in general, and Reformed Orthodoxy, in particular.  Daniel currently attends Harvest PCA and is under care at the OH Presbytery of the PCA.  Daniel loves to read the classics both of the Faith and of western literature.  He enjoys reading the works of the Inklings, Bavinck, Van Mastricht, John Brown of Haddington, Calvin, Junius, Augustine, Aquinas, and many others. His desire is to increase the love of the Reformed tradition, to appreciate our position in the Great Christian tradition as reformed catholics,  and to increase the appreciation of the classics of Christianity and the Western tradition.  

Caleb Satterfield: Currently a member at Covenant OPC in Mansfield, OH, Caleb has been in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church since he was young. He enjoys reading C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Thomas Traherne, and William G.T. Shedd. Through the writings of these men and others he has found inspiration to pursue a more heavenly-minded perspective even in the midst of a staunchly materialistic modern culture.