andygoodliff

Paper Proposal

Sean has been blogging about paper proposals, which reminds me I've got to make a decision about what I'm going to offer for the Baptist doing theology in context gathering at the end of August. I have three ideas I'm considering - the first two are essays I'm working for my MTh.

1. What impact has the change of understanding of ministry as leadership had on Baptist ecclesiology?

2. A critical analysis of the christology found in four contemporary Christian worship song writers.

The third is an idea for a short paper that will help towards my proposed dissertation on a baptist theology of children, which will be looking at how Baptists theologians viewed children in the twentieth century.

3. From dedication to presentation: a study of Baptist orders of service for infants

Baptist History and Thought

I've set up another blog where I'm posting the contents pages of books on baptist history, thought and theology. Paternoster's Studies in Baptist History and Thought is a fantastic series, but you can't see what's in a book without buying it. I'm hoping it might be helpful to those interested in baptist history and theology and wanting to find out what might have been written on a topic. You can find the blog here.

Baptist Assembly 2008

This year's Assembly was in Blackpool.  It was, as expected, a mixed-bag. Craig Gardiner's Whitley Lecture was excellent, as was John Colwell's George Beasley-Murray Lecture (I'll blog some more on these later).  It was good meeting new people and catching up with old friends - this seems to be the best reason for going to Assembly. I made it to the Regent's Park College reunion.

My main issues with Assembly are the main sessions. There are the special moments where we recognise new ministers and we remember those who have died. The worship is largely untrinitarian - what the theologian Sallie McFague has called 'jesusoltary' - and has no real space for confession, intercession or lament and more concerning no reading of scripture (this, which seems the common practice today, was tacked onto the beginning of the talk, rather than, being able to stand alone). You come away thinking as Baptists surely we can do better! We have see Gathering for Worship - which I think was only used during communion.  Extemporary prayer is important part of Baptist spirituality and worship, but there is also a need for the crafted and thought about prayer. Perhaps the most shocking moment was when we say 'These are the Days of Elijah' despite John Weaver raising some questions about the song during his talk. (Others who hoped we wouldn't sing it, must have been happy!!)   

I had a fair number of comments that went along the lines 'Andy Goodliff, I read your blog', which makes me wonder, if they read the paragraph above. what their feelings are with regards the state of Baptist worship at Assembly. I'm probably too harsh. I'm looking forward to hearing the thoughts of other bloggers.

Catriona has posted here and here, Geoff here.

Until next year, which will be in Bournemouth.

Baptist Hermeneutics Colloquium

This looks an excellent line-up of Baptists to think around how Baptists approach scripture. Before you get too excited, its invitation only, so we will have to wait for the book that will follow ... I wish there were more baptist theological gatherings like this. Although I shouldn't forget the next Baptists doing theology in context consultation taking place at the end of August at Northern College, which I'm looking forward too, not sure what my paper will be on ...

Baptists Stuck on Ministry Questions

Kez has been blogging on yesterday's discussion at BU Council, which I'm also at. Council was discussing whether children's workers should be 'recognised' in a similar way to youth specialists and evangelists. The difference being that they would not be accredited ministers, but recognised in a similar way to 'lay pastors.' The language here can get very confusing - as we discovered - and ultimately the Council decided against going forward (at the moment) with recognising children worker's in this way, although they wanted to affirm the valuable ministry of children's workers and to finding ways to appropriately supporting and encouraging them. It would be interesting to see what would have happened, as Kez suggests, if a children's worker had been present and shared their perspective. What also the discussion raised was the deep disagreement on what 'accredited ministry' is. The discussion also reflected the difficulties in having a complex theological discussion once you start including the different Greek words and terms like 'priesthood of all believers.' I think it highlighted also perhaps the questions of whether youth specialists or evangelists should be accredited as ministers. An order or doctrine of ministry remains a difficult questions for Baptists - I would want to follow the recent work of Paul Fiddes and John Colwell.

The 2008 Whitley Lecture

The 2008 Whitley Lecture will be given by Rev Dr Craig Gardiner. He is Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Canton , Cardiff and has a PhD from Cardiff University.

Wednesday 13th Feb 2008 (South Wales Baptist College)

"How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song?  Worship in and out of the church "

A good title. Looking forward to either hearing it or reading it.

catholic-minded baptists: a transatlantic conversation?

Curtis Freeman, research professor of theology and baptist studies, duke divinity school posted a comment last week saying hello. Curtis is part of a growing group among US baptists who are becomming more catholic-minded. You can find some of curtis' papers here. He's put me in touch with one blog run by some of his students called mere faith, which looks good and also a website/blog called Summa Aesthetica. Let me encourage you british baptists to check them out and see what transatlantic conversations we can have.

Others in the catholic-minded baptists are steve harmon, elizabeth newman and philip thompson. See especially Steve Harmon's Towards Baptist Catholicity (2006).  Elizabeth  Newman has just published Untamed Hospitality: Welcoming God and Other Strangers, which sounds really good.

In the UK, with John Colwell describing himself as a 'catholic' baptist and others like Steve Holmes, Nigel Wright, Chris Ellis and Paul Fiddes probably not adverse to it either ... this all bodes well for the future of baptist theology and life.

incarnate network: church planting and emerging church

I spent the day at Baptist house in Didcot at an Incarnate Network steering group meeting. This is still a fledging network, although over 200 have register on the website and 50 or so attended their houseparty last year. There is a lot of potential to get Baptist churches and the BUGB more focused on church planting and emerging church. One thing that is sorely needed is financing. The Anglicans and Fresh Expressions are way ahead of the game on this.  I have to wonder where the BU is with regards to church planting and emerging church. It doesn't seem to be on many people's radar. Where are these kinds of conversations taking place? Council? Assembly? Regional areas? Baptist House?

This is a group of people who are passionate about mission and reaching people outside of the church. I think they are a pretty rare bunch. I will be at the houseparty this year and hope to contribute to the network through some writing and other stuff. There hoping to get some regional gatherings started for anyone interested or currently involved in church planting.

Sean Winter on Gal 3.26-28

Sean has very kindly for a short time made available his bible study on Galatians 3.26-28 from this year's Baptist Assembly. Click here.  I loved the ending:

What would it mean for the inexorable logic of God's inclusive story to work itself out in us, among us and through us? In Christ, there is neither rich nor poor; neither single mother or the hard working family; neither big church nor small church. In Christ, there is neither north or south, european or african, muslim or hindu. In Christ there is neither gay or straight, neither young or old, pastor or people. In the words of Chris Ellis's hymn: 'here is a vision, new world begun, here is a family, made to be one.' Amen.

assembly review

Back from assembly. As usual it's a mixed bag, but overall it was good being there. Highlights were Sean's Whitley Lecture on baptist hermeneutics (which I hope to blog about separately) and his bible study on Gal 3.26-28 (I sensed Douglas Campbell's Quest for Paul's Gospel might have helped him a little!) and the prism bible study on Gal 5.13-16. I also went to seminar on how to make our church meetings better and another one on toddler-shaped church (some good stuff in both, but could have been improved by having some more discussion). It was good to catch up with people - james, graeme fancourt, adam eakins, amie, chris ellis, sean winter, nick lear and others. It was also good to see some younger leader people - claire, clare and lynsey - get their handshake as they became baptist ministers. The bookstall was disappointing. Last year I got 2 or 3 bargins, nothing like the same this year. (But on the way home we stopped in st alban's and got myself a copy of Mike Higton's Christ, Providence and History: Hans Frei's Public Theology (2004, T & T Clark) cheap. Next year it's Blackpool.