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Books by K.J. Drake

Oxford University Press, 2021

The extra Calvinisticum, the doctrine that the eternal Son maintains his existence beyond the fle... more The extra Calvinisticum, the doctrine that the eternal Son maintains his existence beyond the flesh both during his earthly ministry and perpetually, divided the Lutheran and Reformed traditions during the Reformation. This book explores the emergence and development of the extra Calvinisticum in the Reformed tradition by tracing its first exposition from Ulrich Zwingli to early Reformed orthodoxy. Rather than being an ancillary issue, the questions surrounding the extra Calvinisticum were a determinative factor in the differentiation of Magisterial Protestantism into rival confessions. Reformed theologians maintained this doctrine in order to preserve the integrity of both Christ's divine and human natures as the mediator between God and humanity. This rationale remained consistent across this period with increasing elaboration and sophistication to meet the challenges leveled against the doctrine in Lutheran polemics.

The study begins with Zwingli's early use of the extra Calvinisticum in the Eucharistic controversy with Martin Luther and especially as the alternative to Luther's doctrine of the ubiquity of Christ's human body. Over time, Reformed theologians, such as Peter Martyr Vermigli and Antione de Chandieu, articulated the extra Calvinisticum with increasing rigor by incorporating conciliar christology, the church fathers, and scholastic methodology to address the polemical needs of engagement with Lutheranism. The Flesh of the Word illustrates the development of christological doctrine by Reformed theologians offering a coherent historical narrative of Reformed christology from its emergence into the period of confessionalization. The extra Calvinisticum was interconnected to broader concerns affecting concepts of the union of Christ's natures, the communication of attributes, and the understanding of heaven.

Papers by K.J. Drake

Presbyterion, 2024

How can baptism and the Lord’s Supper deepen our devotion to God and reshape our Christian lives?... more How can baptism and the Lord’s Supper deepen our devotion to God and reshape our Christian lives? "Cultivating Reformed Sacramental Piety" explores how these sacraments—far from being mere rituals—are divine gifts central to Christian discipleship. Drawing on Reformed Confessions and theologians, this essay addresses cultural obstacles like individualism and pragmatism, offering ways to recover the sacraments' transformative power. By highlighting practices such as “improving our baptism” and preparing for the Lord’s Supper the Reformed church can rekindle reverence and faith. The Reformed church today should re-embrace these sacred means of grace as central to piety and mission.

Neocalviniana, 2024

Herman Bavinck’s view of the intermediate state and the theological anthropology underlying it ma... more Herman Bavinck’s view of the intermediate state and the theological anthropology underlying it maintains the traditional view of a provisional, disembodied existence of the dead while integrating the Neocalvinist emphases of the goodness of creation, dualistic holism, and the ultimate hope in creational renewal (grace restoring nature). His doctrine is not susceptible to some of the recent challenges to traditional expressions of the doctrine such as those by J. Richard Middleton and Michael D. Williams. Bavinck’s theological anthropology based on the image of God is self-consciously set apart from a Platonic hierarchical view of the body and soul, and gives proper regard for the goodness and necessity of embodiment for full human life.

Reformed Theological Review, 2024

Scholarship on Zwingli is divided regarding the prominence of Christ's humanity in the Swiss refo... more Scholarship on Zwingli is divided regarding the prominence of Christ's humanity in the Swiss reformer, with scholars like W. P. Stephens arguing that Christ's divinity overshadows his human nature and others like Gottfried Locher contending that the human nature of Christ holds a critical place in Zwingli's thought. This article, building upon Locher, argues that the humanity of Christ serves a unifying function in Zwingli's theology to preserve both the exclusivity of Christ's mediation and a theocentric religion. According to Zwingli, Jesus Christ is the elect Mediator who, in his true humanity, defines the human relationship to the Triune God and brings coherence to Zwingli's theology. As the seed of the woman, suffering sacrifice, ethical exemplar, and exalted representative, Christ qua man ensures that salvation is a divine work from creation through the eschaton to the glory of the Triune God.

The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology , 2023

Machen saw the distinction between traditional Christianity and liberal theology as striking at t... more Machen saw the distinction between traditional Christianity and liberal theology as striking at the heart of the gospel. This article expounds how Machen saw this divergence in the doctrines of sin, atonement, and the instrument of salvation as well as the implications of these ideas to the contemporary evangelical church.
Essay written in honor of the 100-year anniversary of Machen's Christianity and Liberalism.

Calvin Theological Journal, 2022

Fasting was an essential part of the medieval penitential system as well as the fabric of medieva... more Fasting was an essential part of the medieval penitential system as well as the fabric of medieval life with set times and seasons of fasting enforced by clerical authority and canon law. The rejection of the official fasts and the papal and clerical underpinnings thereof was an indispensable element of the Reformation’s project; however, scholarly study of the theological reconfiguration of fasting in this period is overall lacking. This article fills out this picture by surveying the understanding of fasting in the works of Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin. The Reformation movement had to reconceive of the fast along the lines of the gospel. The reformers rejected the medieval fast for encouraging hypocrisy, violating both sola Scriptura and Christian liberty, and undermining salvation by grace through faith. Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin resituated the fast under the rubric of Christian freedom. They continued to encourage fasting as a Christian practice as an auxiliary to piety. However, even with this continued usefulness of the fast, the reformers rejected any merit in the act itself and detached it entirely from a sacramental penitential system. A true reformed fast was directed not to itself but to proper ends prescribed by Scripture as an aid to prayer and a means of humbling oneself before God, both privately and communally.

Westminster Theological Journal, 2021

Ulrich Zwingli’s understanding of the person of Christ suffered from a fatal flaw, or so many sch... more Ulrich Zwingli’s understanding of the person of Christ suffered from a fatal flaw, or so many scholars maintain. They contend Zwingli fell into the error of separating Christ’s person (Nestorianism) owing to an underlying dualism between spirit and flesh driving this thought. This assessment of Zwingli’s christology is erroneous because scholars have failed to account for the complex relationship of spirit and flesh within Zwingli’s theology and have ignored the maturation of his christology over time. Zwingli presents three distinct dualities of spirit and flesh within the domains of anthropology, ethics, and creational causality. None of these dualities exert pressure upon his christology to separate the person of Christ. The charge of Nestorianism fails to account for the ongoing development in Zwingli’s thought by focusing on his earlier writing in The Commentary on True and False Religion or his opening salvo in the eucharistic debate, On the Lord’s Supper, which exhibit a deficient account of the hypostatic union. These critiques, however, neglect the more nuanced christological discussions of Zwingli’s later works, Friendly Exegesis, Fidei Ratio and Fidei Expositio, in which he closes the door on Nestorianism with further reflection on the hypostasis of Christ.

Journal of Reformed Theology, 2017

Scholars have recognized T.F. Torrance as a ressourcement thinker in his later work while overloo... more Scholars have recognized T.F. Torrance as a ressourcement thinker in his later work while overlooking his earlier historical studies. In this article, I argue that in Calvin’s Doctrine of Man (1949) Torrance presents a rereading of Calvin in order to advance contemporary theological understanding and facilitate the reception of Karl Barth in postwar Scotland. In that work, Torrance attempts to resolve the debate between Brunner and Barth over natural theology by reinterpreting Calvin’s anthropology. Torrance accounts for Brunner’s claims regarding Calvin’s complex use and understanding of the imago dei while ultimately affirming Barth’s rejection of natural theology.

The Flesh of the Word, Introduction, 2021

This introduction presents the state of the question of the extra Calvinisticum in contemporary s... more This introduction presents the state of the question of the extra Calvinisticum in contemporary scholarship, defines the term and concept of the extra, and lays out the plan and method of the study. Previous scholarship has unduly focused on the doctrine of the extra in John Calvin to the neglect of other figures in the sixteenth century and largely failed to account for the historical context of polemics with Lutheranism. This book seeks to answer two main questions: When and why did Reformed theologians first articulate the extra, and how did the form and function of the extra Calvinisticum develop over the course of the sixteenth century? This work goes beyond previous studies by extending the discussion beyond Calvin by investigating the formulation and rationale for the doctrine in the works of Ulrich Zwingli and Peter Martyr Vermigli and in Reformed orthodoxy.

The Flesh of the Word, Chapter 1

This chapter demonstrates not only that Ulrich Zwingli was the first theologian of the Reformatio... more This chapter demonstrates not only that Ulrich Zwingli was the first theologian of the Reformation period to articulate the extra Calvinisticum in its full form but that, contrary to common scholarly opinion, this doctrine was not a reaction to Martin Luther’s doctrine of ubiquity but preceded it. Through analysis of Zwingli’s works before the Marburg Colloquy the chapter demonstrates that Zwingli articulated the extra as one plank in his goal to reform the Zurich church and elaborated it over time in response to Lutheran polemics. At stake for him was nothing less than the soteriological role of Christ as the Mediator between God and man. Zwingli articulates the extra through reflection upon the logic of satisfaction, the ascension of Christ, the hypostatic union, and communicatio idiomatum to defend his understanding of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist.

The Flesh of the Word, Chapter 2

This chapter investigates the historical and theological development of the extra Calvinisticum f... more This chapter investigates the historical and theological development of the extra Calvinisticum from the Marburg Colloquy (1529) to the Consensus Tigurinus (1549). During this period, the proponents of the emerging Reformed tradition expanded the theological basis for the extra by incorporating additional arguments from Scripture, the church councils, and the church fathers. First, the chapter investigates the debate at the Marburg Colloquy demonstrating that the christological divergence between Zwingli and Luther was rooted not only in theological and hermeneutical method but also in the doctrines of God and anthropology. The chapter analyzes Zwingli’s final works, Fidei Ratio and Fidei Expositio, in which he presents a more robust understanding of the hypostatic union. The final section addresses the Consensus Tigurinus, written by Heinrich Bullinger and John Calvin, which offers the confessionalization of the extra in the Reformed tradition and effectively marks the definitive p...

The Flesh of the Word Ch. 3

This chapter expounds the extra Calvinisticum in Peter Martyr Vermigli during the second eucharis... more This chapter expounds the extra Calvinisticum in Peter Martyr Vermigli during the second eucharistic controversy and in polemical dialectic with the Lutheran doctrine of ubiquity. The chapter expounds Vermigli’s mature christological work, The Dialogue on the Two Natures of Christ, written against Lutheran theologian Johannes Brenz. Vermigli brought together various aspects of theological and philosophical argumentation to produce a coherent account of the extra. He continued the trajectory of the extra found in previous works by prioritizing Christ as Mediator, deploying a sophisticated doctrine of the hypostatic union, and articulating a doctrine of the communicatio idiomatum precluding a sharing between the natures themselves. Vermigli contributes to the doctrine in two main ways, corresponding to his training in humanism and scholasticism. He broadened the sources for the doctrine by attending to conciliar christology and patristic testimony, and he incorporated certain aspects ...

The Flesh of the Word, Chapter 4

This chapter investigates the extra Calvinisticum in the Reformed tradition after the shift to sc... more This chapter investigates the extra Calvinisticum in the Reformed tradition after the shift to scholastic theology in the 1580s by investigating the work of French theologian Antoine de la Roche Chandieu. Chandieu is widely considered one of the fathers of Reformed scholasticism and produced the most extensive work on the extra in this period. In De Veritate Humanae Naturae Christi (1585) he offers an exposition and defense of the extra in response to the christology of Lutheran theologian Martin Chemnitz. Chandieu’s work is distinguished from other treatments of the extra in both scope and depth, utilizing scholastic methodology, scriptural exegesis, and the church fathers. The work of Chandieu demonstrates the ongoing development of the extra in the period of early Reformed orthodoxy, which is in continuity with the precedent tradition and uses the new scholastic method not to unmoor it from the biblical witness but to secure it more firmly.

Book Reviews by K.J. Drake

Presbyterion, 2023

A Review Essay on Michael Allen's The Fear of the Lord and The Knowledge of God

Journal of Reformed Theology, 2023

Jesus and Classical Theism sets forth the fundamental compatibility of orthodox trinitarian dogma... more Jesus and Classical Theism sets forth the fundamental compatibility of orthodox trinitarian dogmatics and Chalcedonian Christology both exegetically and in the face of modern and contemporary challenges that call for a christological reconfiguration of theology proper.

International Journal of Systematic Theology, 2023

International Journal of Systematic Theology, 2021

the Almighty. It would be useful to know how the best contemporary work in developmental psycholo... more the Almighty. It would be useful to know how the best contemporary work in developmental psychology might bear on how plausible that would be, and what the consequences of those scientific studies might be for a theology of sin and responsibility, not least as otherwise so compellingly offered here. It is a particular delight to come across a work of theology so well versed in science. Perhaps even more worthy of celebration, here is an author who recognizes that theological attention to science should be grounded in the detail of theological tradition. In addition to that, the publication of this book announces the arrival of a Thomist of stature, as rooted in the tradition of Aquinas as he is creative in putting it to work.

Presbyterion, 2020

Grounded in Heaven sets forth a critique of the Neo-Calvinist tradition from within-a tradition w... more Grounded in Heaven sets forth a critique of the Neo-Calvinist tradition from within-a tradition which, according to Michael Allen, has become overly focused on the goodness of creation and the physicality of the eschaton while unwittingly eliding God as the ultimate object of faith and worship both in the present and eternally. This work continues Allen's project with Scott Swain to forge a Reformed Catholic theological framework by leveraging the resources of the Reformed and broader Nicene traditions in service of theological renewal in the present. 1 Allen's main goal is to "offer a series of reflections here regarding how we might consider the Christian hope in a way that does acknowledge the breadth of Reformational and even Neo-Calvinist reflection without losing sight of the spiritual center of that hope in life with God" (8). The book is structured in two parts, beginning with two main chapters setting the dogmatic foundations for the project, first in eschatology and then in a christological account of the beatific vision. The final two chapters build upon this toward an account of an ethic and a Reformed ascetic practice. Allen begins by diagnosing the contemporary predicament of neo-Calvinist, or perhaps better, Neo-Kuyperian eschatology. The key target of Allen's critique is Richard Middleton's A New Heavens and New Earth but also the popular reception of Kuyperian thought as presented in N. T. Wright's Surprised by Hope. 2 While Allen sees these works as presenting a fulsome corrective to previous world-denying and escapist theologies, he warns that such figures have brushed up against what Allen labels "eschatological naturalism" that has filtered down to popular Reformed religion. This error focuses too narrowly on the goodness of creation and the materiality of the eschaton while neglecting the centrality of the worship and glory of God that figures in Scripture and the broader Christian tradition. Allen defines eschatological naturalism as "a theological approach that speaks of God instrumentally as a means or instigator of an end but fails to confess substantively. .. God's identity as our one true end (in whom only any other things are to be enjoyed)" (39). To correct this imbalance, Allen conducts a retrieval project in conversation with Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, and John Owen to reestablish a theocentric vision of the eschaton, the beatific vision, and life on pilgrimage. The heart of this account is a discussion of the vision of God and the visibility of God's work in Christ, which reorients our minds, hearts, and will to ultimate reality. Allen supports this reorientation by appealing to John Owen's account of a Christ-mediated vision of God in the eschaton as the ultimate telos of human existence and sine qua non of human flourishing in this life. Allen seeks not to return the church to some sort of escapist eschatology, but to correct for a one-sidedness of Neo-Calvinist thought that speaks mainly of the materiality of our destiny and God's desire for human flourishing while neglecting the primacy of God and Christ as the ultimate end of human existence. This is not to separate eschatology from ethics but to properly order these concepts. The Christian is called to a life of heavenly-mindedness and the

Oxford University Press, 2021

Presbyterion, 2024

Neocalviniana, 2024

Reformed Theological Review, 2024

The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology , 2023

Calvin Theological Journal, 2022

Westminster Theological Journal, 2021

Journal of Reformed Theology, 2017

The Flesh of the Word, Introduction, 2021

The Flesh of the Word, Chapter 1

The Flesh of the Word, Chapter 2

The Flesh of the Word Ch. 3

The Flesh of the Word, Chapter 4

Presbyterion, 2023

A Review Essay on Michael Allen's The Fear of the Lord and The Knowledge of God

Journal of Reformed Theology, 2023

International Journal of Systematic Theology, 2023

International Journal of Systematic Theology, 2021

Presbyterion, 2020

Modern Reformation, 2022

Why does the church and the average congregant need the work of the theologian? And how might the... more Why does the church and the average congregant need the work of the theologian? And how might the theologian seek to bless the church in general? Ideally, scholars in general seek to understand the truth about reality. The Christian scholar, in particular, pursues understanding about God and His creation through a disciplined exercise of intellect with the goal of sharing insight with the Christian community and world to the glory of God. The Christian theologian approaches this task with a specific goal. As John Webster reminded us, "Theology is a comprehensive science, a science of everything. But it is not a science of everything about everything, but rather a science of God and all other things under the aspect of createdness."[1] How is this "comprehensive science" to come into contact with the Church organic, as both an object of study-the Church is the creature of God-but also as an object of the theologian's service, order to the ultimate service of the Triune God. The theologian's work, here concretely understood as written texts, takes different forms depending on the intended audience and purpose. Therefore, one must understand the various levels of scholarship and how they relate before explaining its relation to the church. Levels of Theological Writing

Credo Magazine, 2022

A discussion of the extra Calvinisitcum in Thomas Aquinas and its significance for classical Chri... more A discussion of the extra Calvinisitcum in Thomas Aquinas and its significance for classical Christology.

Mere Orthodoxy, 2022

Reformed tradition and Eastern Orthodoxy more broadly. Rather, I will engage Schmemann's thought ... more Reformed tradition and Eastern Orthodoxy more broadly. Rather, I will engage Schmemann's thought with theological hospitality as if reflecting on sitting at the feet of an elder theologian and seeing what one has learned, even if this was not necessarily what he or she sought to teach. Alexander Schmemann (1921-1983) was one of the foremost twentieth century Eastern Orthodox theologians in the United States and a founding leader of the Orthodox Church in America. For over thirty years, Schmemann was professor and dean at St. Vladimir's Theological Seminary, which was the chief vector of Eastern Orthodox theology into the Anglophone world since WWII. Schmemann must be understood within the broader trends of mid-century Russian Orthodox theology that regrouped in Paris after the Russian Revolution around St. Sergius Orthodox Institute. The most influential strand of this movement attempted to reinvigorate the Orthodox tradition via a retrieval project of the Patristic inheritance. This situates him firmly within the Neo-Patristic revival of Georges Florovsky, Vladimir Lossky, and John Meyendorff, who sought to synthesize the mind of the Church Fathers to enliven the contemporary church-the most obvious fruit of this movement for those outside Orthodoxy has been the St. Vladimir's Popular Patristics Series. The Neo-Patristic movement is of a piece with the broader transconfessional ressourcement or retrieval movement(s) from the 1920s onward including the Catholic Novelle Theologie (e.g. De Lubac, Yves Congar, Hans Urs van Balthasar) and Protestant Neo-Orthodoxy (e.g. Karl Barth, Emil Brunner, and T.F. Torrance). Thus Schmemann is a theologian looking to the past to equip the present church, which makes him a worthy conversation partner for evangelical retrieval theology today.

Modern Reformation, 2020

A reflection on the Chalcedonian Logic of the extra Calvinisticum and the mystery of Christmas.

Credo Magazine, 2021

The Athanasian Creed or Quicunque Vult was once, alongside the Apostle's and Nicene Creeds, consi... more The Athanasian Creed or Quicunque Vult was once, alongside the Apostle's and Nicene Creeds, considered one of the three great creeds of the early church. It has found almost universal acclaim in the Western Church being accepted as ecumenical by the Roman Catholic Church and received as authoritative in confessional Protestantism (The Book of Concord, The Belgic Confession, The Thirty-Nine Articles, etc.). However, in the previous century, the creed has almost entirely dropped out of the consciousness of the church liturgically and academically.