Occasionally, studying “outside” my own confessional tradition is a bit disorienting. It sometimes takes a sharper mind than I can claim to reappraise theological issues from within a different context, one with its own history, paradigms, and terms of engagement. Having to stretch my theological imagination has been a great experience. Even so, my Reformed evangelical roots run deep, and it’s been interesting to observe the shifts in that tradition from the outside.
I’d be curious to hear other opinions on the trajectory of the contemporary Reformed tradition. For what it’s worth, I sketched out some of the trends and areas of development that I’ve noticed during my readings and various conference-goings. Separated out by theological loci, here are some of the more interesting contemporary scholars working within (or alongside) the Reformed tradition:
Systematics have always been the strong suit for the Reformed. That trend won’t change anytime soon. John Webster has to appear at the top of any list like this. His work is consistently original, while also deeply resonant with the historical tradition. Younger Reformed (and evangelical) scholars draw on Webster regularly, and with good reason. Wheaton’s Kevin Vanhoozer has already produced some excellent and provocative works on metaphysics, theodramatics, and issues of interpretation. 
Todd Billings at Western Reformed wrote one of the best works on Calvin in recent memory, drawing the reformer into conversation with Milbank, Tanner, and Pickstock, among others. Both Billings and another Wheaton don, Daniel Treier, have made forays into the theological interpretation of Scripture — a move which promises to renew and rearticulate the Reformation doctrine of sola Scriptura. Other promising systematicians might include: Edwin Chr. van Driel, whose work on the incarnation and supralapsarianism makes some fascinating connections in contemporary theology (despite the daunting infra-supra subject matter); Oliver Crisp at Bristol is doing great work in Christology and on Jonathan Edwards; Paul Dafydd Jones‘ recent work on Barth’s Christology has been well-received and opened some interesting lines of thought. Thanks to scholars like James K.A. Smith, Michael Horton, Paul DeHart, and Peter Leithart, the Reformed tradition has ramped up the dialogue with various movements in contemporary theology, including Radical Orthodoxy, postliberalism, and liturgical reform.
The temptation toward hagiography isn’t unique to the Reformed tradition, but it’s had a stifling effect. However, there have been some excellent and honest developments in recent scholarship. 
At the top of the list, Richard Muller’s reappraisal of the Reformed scholastic tradition has opened up countless other possibilities in historical scholarship. While I’m skeptical about some other reclamation projects (which tend to be more partisan and unconcerned with social history), it’s great to uncover the historical connections between the late medieval and early Reformed traditions. Apparently, Calvin can interact politely with Aquinas (see also John Bowlin’s 1999 work on Aquinas). In the past couple years, Bruce Gordon has moved to Yale and released what looks to be the new standard biography of John Calvin (but apparently left some Calvinists dissatisfied). Closer to the heart of the more classical Calvinists is the stellar work of Paul Helm on the 16th century reformer. Shifting continents, Mark Noll’s vast scholarship, while more broadly evangelical and American, also demands the attention of anyone interested in the cross-Atlantic currents of the Reformed tradition.
I’ve posed questions before about the prospects for a renewal of moral theology in the Reformed tradition. While I still think that ethics is a significant lacuna in our theology, I do see many reasons for hope. I have reservations about the overall project, but the ressourcement of natural theology by Calvinists like David VanDrunen and Stephen Grabill is very encouraging in the sense that they’ve reopened a vital conversation. On a related note, the resurgence of virtue ethics over the past generation has somehow evaded the broader Calvinist tradition. Some argue that this was inevitable, considering our pedigree, as N.T. Wright asserts (see Horton’s critique; or, for a more persuasive argument, see Jennifer Herdt’s Putting On Virtue). As far as I can tell, virtue is a still a black hole in the Reformed tradition. Calvinists have been more productive in the sub-field of political theology. The soon-to-be-retiring Oliver O’Donovan is still profoundly influential on both historical and constructive work in this field. John Witte and Phillip Benedict have done good historical work on Calvinist social history. Eric Gregory and Peter Leithart both look to offer provocative contributions to political theology. A list of other theologians making forays into moral theology might include Horton, Gerald McKenny, Eric Gregory, John Bowlin (and his forthcoming book on tolerance and forbearance), George Hunsinger, and Philip Ziegler. And there are still, of course, the prolific neo-Calvinists (talk about the Protestant work ethic), who enjoyed a brief pre-9-11 moment of influence through Bush’s faith-based charity initiatives.
