During my doctoral studies, I was surprised to discover that a significant portion of our Reformed heritage, exegetical and doctrinal, had not made its way into the English language, but yet remains locked up in Latin tomes. In former generations, this was not as problematic, inasmuch as pastors regularly learned Latin as part of their general education; but this is no longer the case, and the loss is significant.

With this problem in view, a handful of years ago I began a translation of Matthew Poole’s Synopsis Criticorum (1669-1676). To say that it is five volumes hardly does it justice; it is seventy-five pounds of Bible Commentary, a verse-by-verse history of interpretation, and summary of Reformed exegesis up to Poole’s day. Although each of the works summarized by Poole deserves its own translation (the work of many hands), the translation of Poole seemed like an economical way to reintroduce the history of Reformed exegesis to the English-speaking world.

Just this year I began a translation of Bernardinus de Moor’s Commentarius (1761-1778), a massive, seven volume Systematic Theology, summarizing the nearly three centuries of Reformed theology preceding him. Again, although most of the great systems produced by the Continental Reformed have yet to be translated, de Moor’s work seemed like an economical way to present in summary fashion the fruits of the others.

Currently we are training other translators (a lengthy process), and endeavoring to raise funds for these and future projects: the fourth volume of Turretin’s Opera (his disputations with Rome), Wendelin’s syllogistic theology, Johann Heinrich Heideggers’ covenantal theology, etc.

How you can help:

In former ages, when it was doubtful that book sales would recover the cost of labor and materials, publishers would raise subscriptions to fund such projects; and we are adopting this model. Please prayerfully consider a donation of $30 per month for the funding of these projects. With a minimum donation of $30 per month, we will send you three volumes per year (almost a thousand pages of translation), two volumes of Poole and one volume of de Moor. Of course, this $30 per month is more than you would spend simply purchasing the volumes, but your contribution not only secures these works for your own personal reading, but also for the rest of the English-speaking church.

Samples of our current projects are available at:

http://matthewpoole.net/blog/ & http://www.bernardinusdemoor.com/

If anyone has any questions please write to me at dildaysc@aol.com. Donations can made by contacting me at dildaysc@aol.com.

Thank you for your prayerful consideration of this matter.

Yours in Christ’s Service,