In 1938, the first issue of Westminster Theological Journal appeared in its now trademark beige paper cover. The issue was prefaced with a message from the editors that outlined the spirit that would motivate WTJ for the next 85 years:
But while we cling tenaciously to the heritage that comes to us from the past we must ever remember that it is our responsibility to present the Christian Faith in the context of the present. The position we maintain, therefore, necessarily involves the bringing of every form of thought that may reasonably come within the purview of a theological Faculty to the touchstone of Holy Scripture and the defining of its relations to our Christian Faith.
2023 marks the 85th anniversary of WTJ doing this work. 85 years is an incredible spell for a print theological journal in the USA. In that time period journals, magazines, and blogs have come and gone, but WTJ has steadfastly held fast to its mission. It’s not a glamorous one, but it is influential. Just take a look at the words of Kevin DeYoung, Joel Beeke, Dick Gaffin, and Robert Letham. Then check out the footnotes in your favorite theology books—WTJ has been a seedbed for orthodoxy in theological academia for generations.
To commemorate this anniversary, we reached out to WTJ staff, past and present, for their thoughts and stories: Moises Silva (former Editor), Vern Poythress (former Editor), K. Scott Oliphint (Editor), Brandon Crowe (Book Review Editor), and Randall Pederson (Managing Editor).
Westminster Magazine (WM): Can you describe, in broad strokes, the genesis of Westminster Theological Journal? What precipitated its founding in 1938?
Randall Pederson (RP): At that time a lot of academic journals were being discontinued and the faculty at Westminster felt the need to have a conservative voice given the widespread and increasing chorus of modernism.
Brandon Crowe (BC): . . . I suspect its genesis was the fundamentalist/modernist controversy in some respect.
“We are called by God to love him, inter alia, with all our mind. In this respect, the cultivation of serious thought on an academic level is vital for the good of the church in proclaiming and defending the gospel. The WTJ has played a significant part in this throughout its life.” —Robert Letham, author, The Holy Spirit
WM: How has WTJ helped to fulfill the mission of the seminary over the last 85 years?
Moises Silva (MS): First, the journal provided a scholarly outlet for many, including our own faculty. Second, it extended the seminary’s outreach beyond what could be done locally with students.
BC: Faculty have historically published in the Journal, helping to disseminate their ideas to a broader audience. . . many may know the name of Westminster Theological Seminary because of the Westminster Theological Journal.
RP: The relationship between WTJ and WTS is an intimate one. The editor has historically been a faculty member and both faculty and students at Westminster routinely contribute to it. The journal further exists to advance to mission of Westminster and promote serious Reformed scholarship that addresses the need for robust academics as well as tackling issues relevant to the life of the church.
WM: What have been some defining moments in the life of WTJ?
K. Scott Oliphint (KSO): For me, it was the 1995 edition which commemorated 100 years since Cornelius Van Til’s birth.
RP: Given its long history, there are likely many. I have been part of WTJ for almost 13 years, which seems like a long time (and it is!), but given the journal’s 85-year history, it’s just an inkling of that time. In my research into the journal’s past, defining moments (for me) have to do with the initial founding of the journal as well as the time when Moises Silva took over leadership of the journal and moved it into a more fine-tuned academic direction. . .
WM: What is the current mission of WTJ? How is it similar or has it evolved from the editors’ original intent?
MS: I do not know that there has been a significant change over the years.
Vern Poythress (VP): Though other evangelical theological journals have now arisen, our mission is still the same. We publish scholarly essays in all the theological disciplines, but we especially provide a platform for writers who are advancing the cause of Reformed theology. We have published some specialized material related to the history and theology of WTS that might have found it difficult otherwise to find a proper platform for publication.
RP: The current mission of the WTJ is the same as it was in 1938. While society has changed and the broader church has become more liberal, the journal is one of the few theological publications that has stayed true to its founding mission. And I think that is a testimony to Westminster as an institution committed to its own founding mission to train pastors and educators for the church and academy. WTJ has not caved into broader societal pressures to become “relevant,”
“The Reformed faith has always emphasized the church’s calling to love God with all our mind and soul. Therefore, part of our worship consists of rigorous reflection on biblical interpretation, doctrinal formulation, and practical application, informed by the great writings of Christian history. For eighty-five years, the Westminster Theological Journal has been at the forefront of promoting scriptural orthodoxy and intelligent piety—the two requisites of any good seminary and journal, as John Murray once said. I hope and pray that Westminster Seminary (my alma mater to whom I owe a huge debt of gratitude) and its flagship journal of Reformed orthodoxy will continue to do so for many years to come!” —Dr. Joel R. Beeke, president, Puritan Reformed Seminary
WM: What is the value of a twice annual print academic journal in the age of digital media?
MS: My guess is that its subscribers (and most other readers) appreciate having an actual book in their hands.
VP: Scholars and libraries still need a permanent record, and many serious readers prefer hardcopy.
BC: It promises to be a much more valuable use of time. . . . It also serves as a physical (and digital) record of important conversations that can much more easily be accessed by future generations than a “hot take” on social media.
RP: I don’t think TikTok will be around 85 years from now. It’s a societal fad that doesn’t really offer any long-term benefit, at least when it comes to thinking more deeply about life and one’s faith. TikTok probably doesn’t help people develop the concentration necessary to think well and to write well either.
WM: What does the future hold for WTJ? How does the journal plan to approach its next 85 years?
VP: To continue in the same way.
RP: I am hopeful that WTJ will continue to find a constituency in the church and the academy, that pastors, academics, and informed lay readers will find value in the articles and book reviews published; in short, that thinking more deeply about our Reformed faith and heritage will be something that is welcomed for a very long time to come. The moment we lose the robustness of our faith, and the intent to publish serious scholarship, is the moment we’ve lost our founding mission.
WM: What is, in your opinion, the most important, or best, piece that WTJ has published?
VP: Meredith G. Kline, “The First Resurrection,” WTJ 37/2 (1974-75) 366-75. It was a decisive argument in favor of amillennialism.
KSO: Gaffin’s article in the Van Til Centenary, also Murray’s article on who raised Jesus from the dead.
BC: Moises Silva’s “Perfection and Eschatology in Hebrews,” and Meredith Kline’s “First Resurrection.”
RP: WTJ has published a lot of good stuff over the years, so it’s hard (if not impossible) to just pick one and say, “This is it.” But I would give honorable mention to Dr. Poythress’s article “Time in Genesis 1,” published in WTJ 78.2. Other than Poythress’s article previously mentioned, I have a particular fondness for Richard Muller’s “Calvin on Divine Attributes,” published in WTJ 80.2.
“I’ve benefited from the Westminster Theological Journal for years. I subscribe to more than a dozen journals, and WTJ is the only one I read virtually cover to cover every issue. If someone was going to subscribe to only one theological journal, I’d recommend WTJ.” —Kevin DeYoung, author, Taking God at His Word
WM: What is the importance of academic journals for the Reformed community. How has/does WTJ participate in that broader relationship of church and academy?
MS: It keeps pastors up-to-date on important issues and helps them retain theological sensitivity in the midst of many responsibilities.
VP: Pastors find that there is a danger of growing intellectually stale if they do not have some engagement at a challenging academic level.
KSO: “Average Pastors” need theological “updating.” That is what the WTJ is for. When I was in pastoral ministry, I always greatly anticipated the next issue!
BC: 1. It provides reviews of new books with an intentionally Reformed perspective; 2. It widens a pastor’s expertise by introducing him to topics he may not otherwise encounter; 3. In the scope of the length of an article the pastor can follow and assess a sustained argument in much less time than it takes to read a whole book.
RP: By making pastors think through difficult issues and assess topics from varied angles, they can better articulate the Christian faith, and challenges to it, in a coherent, cohesive, and unbiased way. One of the beauties of the Reformed faith is its relationship to the medieval scholastic tradition, a tradition not without fault, but one that had stressed the importance of using one’s mind fully in its reflection on Scripture and defense of the faith.
“The Journal originated from the early faculty’s conviction that it would have a valuable role in the Seminary’s mission to foster Reformed theology faithful to Scripture. The successful maintenance of that conviction in the decades since has made the Journal one of the premier theological periodicals it is today.” —Richard B. Gaffin, Jr., Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, Emeritus
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