Contending for the Faith by Joel Beeke and William Boekestein

Contending for the Faith takes readers back to the English Reformation and the origins of the Westminster Confession.

Contending for the Faith: The Story of the Westminster Assembly by William Boekestein and Joel Beeke. Reformation Heritage, 2022, 34 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 8-12

The English Reformation is a colorful story featuring some of England’s most famous kings and queens, along with treachery, perfidy, and martyrdom. It culminated in a civil war that deposed and beheaded a king. Amid all this drama—even while war was raging—some of the most prominent Protestant ministers of the time gathered in London, at Westminster Cathedral, to hammer out a consistent and authoritative statement of faith. Their stated objective was to revise and expand the 39 Articles of the state church. But, as in the story of the US Constitution, the project evolved to much larger achievement: five new documents known as the Westminster Standards, still in use among Presbyterian and Reformed churches today.

As with William Boekestein’s previous books on historic Reformed confessions, this brief book makes a complex history understandable to young readers. It also provides a basic outline of the topics addressed in the Westminster Confession, Larger and Shorter Catechisms, Form of Church Government, and Directory for Public Worship. These documents have shaped Reformed faith and worship for centuries and are still relevant today. Confessional parents and churches will appreciate this clear explanation of their origins.

Overall Rating: 4.25

• Worldview/moral value: 5
• Artistic/literary value: 3.5

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Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Resource: Don’t miss our Reformation Day Holiday Traditions post!
• Reviews: Reformation ABCs is a fun browsable picture book for kids of all ages. And see our review of William Boekestein’s The Glory of Grace, the Story of the Canons of Dort.

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