As I wade into Turretin, I am impressed by two things. I always thought that Turretin was in the main systematizing the Reformed Faith (and he certainly is!). I am surprised, however, that the form and the structure make it seem much more like an answer to Thomas' Summa. The scholastic form (of which this is one of the last examples--no one in the reformed tradition today would write like this) is not mimicking, but is built on Thomas' form and structure in the Summa.

Also, he caught me off guard yesterday by answering this question: "Is theology more of a theoretical or practical science?" Make your guesses.....

He answers that it is more practical than theoretical. He is taking issue with Thomas here who claimed that it was mixed but more theoretical. Thomas was taking issue with the Platonic Medievals who saw theology as all theoretical mainly because they wanted it to be the highest science an they looked at theoretical things as being higher than practical things. Turretin is also taking aim at the roots of what will become theological liberalism and shockingly (although clearly in light of Turretin) broad evangelicalism both of which explicitly or implicitly maintain that it is all about me (my reason as judge or the movement of my heart as judge).

Turretin also presupposes that his readers will have a classical education. He talks about logic in ways that expect that it is understood.