To the Sources: Retrieving the Christian Theological Tradition: Part 2
Today’s post is the second part of an essay that posted this past Monday. Webber is best known for his four-volume project known as the “Ancient-Future series.” This series includes an introductory volume, followed by titles on evangelism, spiritual formation, and worship.[1] The introductory volume subtitled “Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World,” best demonstrates Webber’s specific aim: The fundamental concern of this...
To the Sources: Retrieving the Christian Theological Tradition
(This essay is adapted from a presentation given by Jackson Watts at the 2014 National Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society) Arguably the dominant mark of the 15th and 16th centuries was the call of ad fontes (lit. “to the fountains”). This period witnessed a resurgence of interest in Greco-Roman culture, as well as classical Christian sources from the Patristic period (roughly the first five centuries A.D.). This return to...
Practicing Christian Doctrine: Book Review
Over the last several years, my studies and ministry have taken me through a fascinating exploration of the relationship between beliefs and practices. Unfortunately, I’ve discovered that evangelicals have not emphasized this subject as much as it probably deserves. Even in lamenting the unhealthy disconnect between thinking and living, it’s difficult to avoid the suspicion that part of the blame is due to the way that theology is...
Thomas Oden on “Theology”
I’ve often been intrigued by the range of definitions that are suggested for the word “theology.” I recently came across one by Thomas Oden in his memoir which I think does a nice job of combining the academic, teleological, and doxological aspects of theology: “Theology is the study of God. The study of God is simply to be enjoyed for its own incomparable subject, the One most beautiful, most worthy to be praised. Life with God...
Pastoring the Aging Church
Aging is no simple matter. At one end of life, a year’s passage ignites celebration and signals newfound freedom; on the other, it signals the difficult, inevitable nearing of the end. If we focus on this latter end, we observe that aging reaches a point where forgetfulness, unpleasant physicals, and a decline in efficiency become regular experiences. The elderly have their own jargon (geriatrics), institutions (assisted/retirement...
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