John has kindly allowed me to ask him a few questions.
What theologian/book has had the most influence on your theology?
Hard to reduce to one: Barth, Gunton, Hauerwas, Trible, Aquinas.
What was the last book you read?
I’ve just finished Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (probably not what you wanted). I’m presently reading Eugene Rogers' After the Spirit: A Constructive Pneumatology from Resources Outside the West
What do you think will be major discussion points in baptist theology over the next 10 years?
I hope that the twin pressures of post-denominationalism and ecumenical relationships will compel us to think more consistently about sacramentality in general and the nature of ministry and the Church in particular. However, I suspect (sadly) that discussions will be dominated by issues of sexuality.
What do you think is the greatest challenge for those in ministry today?
The coherence and credibility of the Church as a distinct culture/society.
Can you tell us anything about your current writing project?
I’m trying more resolutely to integrate doctrine, worship, and ethics – others must judge the degree of success.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Either ‘tall, dark, and handsome’ or ‘eccentric, provocative, and funny’ - take your pick
John is a provocative theologian, who is unafraid to speak his mind on a subject, which is probably why I like him so much.
Tutor in Christian Doctrine and Ethics, Spurgeon's College (1994-2009)
Senior Research Fellow, Spurgeon's College (2009-)
John completed his Ph.D at King's College London under Colin Gunton.
Selected Publications:
___ 'A Radical Church? A Reappraisal of Anabaptist Ecclesiology', Tyndale Bulletin, 38 (1989): 119-41
___ Actuality and Provisionality: Eternity and Election in the Theology of Karl Barth (Rutherford House, 1989 / Wipf & Stock, 2011)
___ 'Alternative Approaches to Believer's Baptism (from the Anabaptists to Barth)', Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology 7 (1989), 3-20
___ 'Proclamation as Event: Barth's supposed "universalism" in the context of his view of mission' in Mission to the World: Essays to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ordination of George Raymond Beasley-Murray to the Christian ministry edited by Paul Beasley-Murray (Baptist Historical Society, 1991), pp.42-46
___ 'The Contemporaneity of the Divine Decision: Reflections on Barth's Denial of "Universalism"' in Universalism and the Doctrine of Hell edited by Nigel M. de S. Cameron (Baker Book House, 1993), 139-60
___ 'Christ, Creation and Human Sexuality' in The Way Forward? Christian Voices on Homosexuality and the Church edited by Timothy Bradshaw (Hodder & Stoughton, 1997 / SCM, 2003), 88-98
___ 'Characterisation and Character: an ethic of integration in Anthony Trollope's The Warden', Studies in Christian Ethics 10.2 (1997), 1-12
___ 'Perspectives on Judas: Barth's implicit hermeneutic' in Interpreting the Bible: Historical and Theological Studies in honour of David F. Wright edited by A. N. S. Lane (Apollos, 1997), 163-179
___ 'Baptism, Conscience and the Resurrection: A Reappraisal of 1 Peter 3:21' in Baptism, the New Testament and the Church: Historical and Contemporary Studies in Honour of R. E. O. White edited by S. E. Porter and A. R. Cross (Sheffield Academic Press, 1999), 210-27
___ (ed.) Called To One Hope: Perspectives on Life to Come: Drew Lectures on Immortality (Paternoster, 2000)
___ 'The Glory of God': Justice and the Glory of God's Grace: Contemporary Reflections on the Doctrine of Hell in the Teaching of Jonathan Edwards', in Called to One Hope (Paternoster, 2000), 112-29
___ Living the Christian Story: The Distinctiveness of Christian Ethics (T & T Clark, 2001)
___ 'Offending in Many things: a comparison of John Wesley and Thomas Aquinas on the nature of sin in the believer' in Wesley Papers: Papers presented to The Wesley Fellowship Conference in 2000 edited by Paul Taylor (The Wesley Fellowship, 2002), 3-14
___ 'The Sacramental Nature of Ordination: An Attempt to Re-engage a Catholic Understanding and Practice' in Baptist Sacramentalism edited by Anthony R. Cross and Philip E. Thompson (Paternoster, 2003), 228-46
___ Promise and Presence: An Exploration of Sacramental Theology (Paternoster, 2005)
___ 'The Church as Ethical Community' in The Bible in Pastoral Practice edited by Paul Ballard and Stephen R. Holmes (DLT, 2005)
___ 'Mission as Ontology: a question of theological grammar', Baptist Minister's Journal (July 2006), 7-12
___ 'In Defence of Christendom', Baptist Minister's Journal (April 2007), 21-29
___ The Rhythm of Doctrine: A Liturgical Sketch of Christian Faith and Faithfulness (2007, Paternoster)
___ 'The Church as Sacrament: A Mediating Presence' in Baptist Sacramentalism 2 edited by Anthony R. Cross and Philip E. Thompson (Paternoster, 2008), 48-60.
___ 'Catholicity and Confessionalism: Responding to George Beasley-Murray on Unity and Distinctiveness', Baptist Quarterly 43.1 (2009)
___ 'The Coherence of freedom: can Church and state ever be truly free?' in Challenging to Change: dialogues with a radical baptist theologian. Essays presented to Dr Nigel G. Wright on his sixtieth birthday edited by Pieter J. Lalleman (Spurgeon's College, 2009)
___ Why Have You Forsaken Me? A Personal Reflection on the Experience of Desolation (Paternoster, 2009)
___ 'Provisionality and Promise: Avoiding Ecclesiastical Nestorianism?' in The Theology of Colin Gunton edited by Lincoln Harvey (T & T Clark, 2010)
___ 'A Matter of Conscience: A Quest for Otherness' in Questions of Identity: Essays in Honour of Brian Haymes edited by Anthony R. Cross and Ruth Gouldbourne (Regent's Park College, 2011)
___ 'The Word of His Grace: What's So Distinctive about Scripture?' in The "Plainly Revealed" Word of God? Baptist Hermeneutics in Theory and Practice edited by Simon Woodman and Helen Dare (Mercer, 2011)
___ 'Theology, Piety and Prayer: On the Study of Theology', European Journal of Theology 20.1 (2011), 51-59
___ 'What is Truth? Evangelicalism, Foundationalism and a Hermeneutic of Witness' in Grounded in Grace: Essays to Honour Ian M. Randall edited by Pieter J. Lalleman, Peter J. Modern and Anthony R. Cross (Spurgeon's College and Baptist Historical Society, 2013)
___ 'A Conversation Overheard: Reflecting on the Trinitarian Grammar of Intimacy and Substance', Evangelical Quarterly 86.1 (January 2014)
___ '"In the Beginning was the Word ...": On Language and Presence' in Within the Love of God: Essays on the Doctrine of God in Honour of Paul S. Fiddes edited by Anthony Clarke and Andrew Moore (Oxford, 2014)
___ 'Doctrinal Ethics', Baptist Ministers' Journal 332 (October 2016)
___ 'Integrity and Relatedness: Some Critical Reflections on Congregationalism and Connexionalism', Baptist Quarterly 48.1 (January 2017)
___ 'Indwelling the Gospel Story', Baptist Ministers' Journal 342 (April 2019)
___ '"A profound mystery": The Real, the Mystical, and the Sacramental' in Baptist Sacramentalism 3 edited by Anthony R. Cross and Philip E. Thompson (Pickwick, 2020)
___ 'The Lord's Supper: A Personal Journey Through a Confusing Ecclesial Landscape', Baptist Quarterly (2022)
___ 'Colin Gunton' in British Evangelical Theologians of the Twentieth Century edited by Jason Sexton and Thomas Noble (IVP, 2022)
___ 'Ministry as Prayer' in Ministry in Conversation: Essays in Honour of Paul Goodliff edited by Andy Goodliff and John Colwell (Wipf & Stock, 2022)
I don't think I know of anyone who can swing from the sublime to the ridiculous as well as John. I'm sure that if I were to list my favourite and least favourite writings, he would feature in both!
As it is, I push 'Living the Christian Story' on people as often as I can. I'm baffled that it's not more well known.
Posted by: graham | April 18, 2006 at 02:54 AM
Living the Christian Story has been a formative book for me. The chapter 'indwelling and identity' is brilliant. What by him would feature in your least favourite writings?
Posted by: andy goodliff | April 18, 2006 at 09:27 AM
Probably 'The Contemporaneity of the Divine Decision: Reflections on Barth's Denial of Universalism', though - to be fair - I think I read it before I really got into Barth.
It justs reeks of everything that people expect/fear from a professional Christian thinker.
Posted by: graham | April 20, 2006 at 02:16 AM
John left Spurgeon's in 2009 to become the minister of a local church in Devon. His successor at Spurgeon's in Dr Graham Watts.
Posted by: Pieter J. Lalleman | February 28, 2011 at 09:44 PM
Pieter thanks for noticing I hadn't updated that. I was aware.
Posted by: Andy Goodliff | February 28, 2011 at 10:14 PM