Geoff Colmer is a Regional Minister in the Central Baptist Association. After many years lurking (reading without commenting), Geoff has taken the plunge and started a blog. Geoff's a wise thinker and I'm looking forward to reading his thoughts as he joins the world of blogging and the ever increasing group of baptist bloggers.
I've been working on two new blogs.
First for Alan Spence (author of Incarnation and Inspiration) and Terry Wright (doctoral student, Spurgeon's College) who are organising a conference next summer on the theology of John Owen
And second for Suke Wolton (tutor in politics, Regent's Park College) and Myra Blyth (chaplain and fellow in pastoral studies, Regent's Park College) on ASPIRE, the new project being partnered by CTBI Racial Justice network, Regent's Park College and Canterbury Christ Church to encourage black people to aspire to higher education, especially to places like Oxford. This was the main reason Jesse Jackson was in Oxford this week.
They are receiving some finishing touches, but I'll let you know the blog addresses soon.
The publishers T & T Clark have started a blog.
Since our founding in 1821, T&T Clark has published some of the most influential and important works in the fields of theology and biblical studies. Karl Barth? Gerhard von Rad? Elaine Pagels? Yeah, that's us. Now, we are very excited to enter the 21st Century and bring to you online the latest about the best and cutting edge scholarship. We hope that this blog will serve as not only a place where you can read about and discuss our new and forthcoming titles, but also learn what our authors and colleagues are up to, as well as what is going on in the world of religious studies.
Our editors will be posting about their books that will be coming out as well as offering their own personal interests and observations. T&T Clark offers a diverse array of books and it goes without saying that our editors are just as unique. Of course, we'll let them introduce themselves a little later. We'll let you know when we're out and about at various conferences and gatherings and what we're up to. As this blog takes shape, we hope that you will offer your insights, feedback, and input about the goings on of religious publishing and the field of religious studies.
There's an interesting discussion of sorts around on-line and real relationships. Kester Brewin has blogged here and here on facebook. Jonny Baker has talked about facebook oppression. Brodie writes about information overload. Andrew Jones is currently unblogging. This has all got me thinking about why I blog?
Brodie in response to Fernando comments that the reason he began blogging was 'to actually converse, but to converse outwith our normal narrow frame of associates. So for me, while I also at times tire of both reading and writing, I want to stick at it because....well those who comment and those whose blogs I read have become friends, albeit a particular kind of friend.' This resonates with why I blog. Blogging has introduced me to many people in different places - other baptists (many of the best being scots), others interested in theology (I like the way people share theology), others interested in emerging church and worship (blogging has given me idea after idea - HT especially to Jonny and Steve). These people are particular kinds of friends, we don't share life in all its complexity, but we do share a common interest or purpose. Blogging has been a great way to network. Some of these on-line friendships will remain on-line, others have already become face-to-face and this is where conferences and greenbelt make these things happen.
I guess my blog itself has been changing over the last few months. There's a lot more stuff on books and shift towards more theology. I'm trying in different ways to be a place for theology news and a resource (so all the new pages). As I spend the next few years at Regent's, I plan to blog a little of my journey. In many ways my blog is a record for myself - I blog something for future reference. I think like others who blog regularly I will continue to carve out the time to read and write, because there's always a new blog (I think this year of Jim Gordon's Living Wittily) or an older blog like Mark Goodacre's NT blog or Maggi Dawn) worth reading.
I've actually found it sad when some blogs closed down - I think of Richard Sudsworth's sudslaw and also hopeful amphibian and possibly Chris Erdmans's odyssey, all of which helped me think about a whole range of issues.
I've not yet linked to Kim Frabricius' Ten Propositions on Being a Minister. A definite must read. In his Ten Propositions series, Frabricius consistently helps explain what theology and this one on ministry is no exception.
Also Jim Gordon's post today on theology, theologians and Tom Torrance's doctrine of God is good, especially the set of questions at the end. He asks:
Chris Erdman blogs here about his new book on preaching called Countdown to Sunday (published later this year) and Paul Fromont helpfully links to where you can download contents and sample chapters here. The book looks really good and some of it is based on posts from Chris' blog over the last few years.
asbo jesus is a great blog full of things that get you thinking ... I like some of the them ... but I thought I'd shared this one with you ...
Here's the A-Z of all uk baptist blogs I know. Anyone I missed?
Alan Mair (harrogate bpatist church)
Andy Amos (wakefield baptist church)
Andy Goodliff (bunyan baptist, stevenage / regent's park college)
Andy Scott (hanbury hill baptist church)
Angela Almond (kirby muxloe)
Bob Almond (kirby muxloe)
Brodie McGregor (queen's park baptist church, glasgow)
Catriona Gordon (hugglescote baptist church)
Christopher Luff (wycliffe baptist church, colchester)
David Lewis (hutton and shenfield union church)
Geoff Colmer (regional miniser, CBA)
Glen Marshall (northern baptist college)
Graham Bell (prison chaplain)
Graham Doel (stanley road baptist church)
Graham (kings heath baptist, northampton)
Jim Gordon (scottish baptist college)
Jonathan Langley (Baptist Times)
Jonathan Somerville (bromley baptist, london)
Julie (Revmusings) - (Leicester)
Keiza Lama (wakefield baptist church)
Lucy Wright (ministerial student, bristol baptist college)
Marcus Bull (trinity church, rawdon)
Michael Bird (highland theological college)
Nigel Coles (regional minister, WEBA)
Paul Lavender (tanterton christian fellowship, preston)
Pete Leveson (london baptist association)
Richard Pool (cotton end baptist church, bedford)
Richard Jevons (cottingham road baptist church, kingston-upon-hull)
Sean Winters (northern baptist college)
Simon Jones (bromley baptist church, london)
Steve Holmes (st. andrew's university / st. andrew's baptist church)
Stuart Blythe (scottish baptist college)
Stuart Jenkins (ikley baptist church)
Tim Hyde (st. helen's baptist church)
Trevor Coultart (bunyan baptist, stevenage)
It seems blogging by uk baptists is on the rise and the discussion of baptist identity and theology flourishing. Some of the baptist bloggers out there are sean, stuart, brodie, simon, pete, marcus, catriona and in the last month jim gordon, principal of the scottish baptist college has decided to join in. I like this comment from brodie on baptist identity
historically baptist identity has flown from the synergy of different practices that are not unique to baptists but that baptists blend in perhaps a unique way
Hopefully we will continue to see some good conversations generated as we reflect on a range of topics from a baptist perspective.
My brother Nick has just started blogging properly. He's into photography, apple macs and films. So I'm looking forward to some good stuff. Nick very kindly does a lot of my graphic design stuff for me, being just a bit good with computers. Check him out here.
One of the new blogs I've begun reading regularly is Fernando Gros. He has been posting a series on his experiences of baptist ecclesiology: 1, 2, 3, 4. In the second post he suggests that many of his fellow ministerial students were 'Baptists-by-chance, rather than Baptists-by-choice'. I wonder if this reflects most people who belong to a baptist church. He says also that 'it was quite obvious that for most of my contemporaries, being Baptist was secondary or even inconsequential to their theological and ecclesiological identity.' I find this interesting, it is certainly my experience. Baptist identity is given scant regard by many, either through ignorance or indifference. Which is interesting when attention to baptist history, thought and identity has perhaps never been higher. I've moved form being a baptist-by-chance to being a baptist-by-choice. This does not mean I am not uncritical about baptist theology and ecclesiology, but that it identifies what church should and could be. Fernando says he is going to blog at some point about the baptist ideal versus the baptist reality, which should be good.
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