andygoodliff

Centre for Christianity and Culture, Michaelmas Term 2007

New Directions and Metaphors in Mission
Tuesdays, 5pm, Regent's Park College, Pusey Street, Oxford

16 October: Mission as Hospitality
Dr Catherine Rae Ross, John V Taylor Fellow in Missiology, Regent's Park College

23 October: Church Mission Society: A New Direction?
Canon Tim Dakin, General Secretary, Church Mission Society

30 October: Mission, Culture and Art
Dr He Qi, former professor at Nanjing Union Theological Seminary;
Independent Artist working to change the foreign image of Christianity in China

6 November: The Holy Spirit in the World: a global conversation
Dr Kirsteen Kim, chair of the British and Irish Association for Mission Studies, York

13 November: Kenya: A Case Study in IndigenisingMission
Revd. Francis Omondi, Founder of Sheepfold Ministries, Kenya

20 November: Resourcing Mission: the cultural hermeneutic of book groups, coffee shops and parental choice
Dr Helen Cameron, Director of the Oxford Centre for Ecclesiology and Practical Theology, Ripon College Cuddesdon

27 November: The Tranformation of Christianity in the 20th Century
Professor Andrew Walls, Director Emeritus of the Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World, University of Edinburgh

New Books for 2007: Oxford Handbook of Systematic Theology

At the end of this month OUP will publish their Handbook of Systematic Theology edited by the former Oxford Professor John Webster, Kathryn Tanner and Iain Torrance. The line-up looks pretty good:

John Webster: Introduction: Systematic Theology

I. Doctrines
William Abraham: The Existence of God
Fred Sanders: The Trinity
Stephen R. Holmes: The Attributes of God
David Fergusson: Creation
Charles M. Wood: Providence
Katherine Sonderegger: Election
David H. Kelsey: The Human Creature
Ian McFarland: The Fall and Sin
Oliver D. Crisp: Incarnation
Paul S. Fiddes: Salvation
Dawn DeVries: Justification
Douglas Farrow: Resurrection and Immortality
Michael Welker: The Holy Spirit
Ralph Del Colle: The Church
Michael A. Fahey, SJ: Sacraments
Reinhard Hutter: The Christian Life
Richard Bauckham: Eschatology

II. Sources
Ben Quash: Revelation
Stephen E. Fowl: Scripture
A. N. Williams: Tradition
Bryan D. Spinks: Worship
Andrew Moore: Reason
Ellen T. Charry: Experience

III. Conversations
C. Kavin Rowe & Richard B. Hays: Biblical Studies
Duane Stephen Long: Moral Theology
Rebecca Lynam: History
Oliver Davies: Hermeneutics
Gordon Graham: Philosophy
Kathryn Tanner: Cultural Theory
Nancey Murphy: Natural Science
William A. Dyrness: The Arts

IV. Prospects
John Webster: Theologies of Retrieval
Ian S. Markham: Revisionism
Walter J. Lowe: Postmodern Theology
Christopher Rowland: Liberation Theology
Francis X. Clooney, SJ: Comparative Theology
Joy Ann McDougall: Feminist Theology

Book Review: Christology and Scripture

Christology and Scripture: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, edited by Andrew T. Lincoln and Angus Paddison (London: T & T Clark, 2007), 226pp (with thanks to T & T Clark for a review copy)

This collection of essays have emerged from a symposium on christology and scripture at the University of Gloucestershire. The participants are gathered from biblical studies and systematic and historical theology. The aim of these essays is to explore the relationship between Scripture and the person and work of Christ in the context of the recent interest in a theological interpretation of Scripture.

As we any collection of essays some are better than others. The papers that really stand out are by the theologians John Webster and Paul Nimmo and the  New Testament scholar Andrew Lincoln. John Webster, in a style that we have been accustomed to, argues that theological interpretation must be grounded in Scripture as the address of Jesus Christ. He takes some shots at historical criticism, stuck in the past and argues for an ontological account of Scripture. Paul Nimmo's paper on Barth and his approach to exegesis stands out mainly because its so well written. Nimmo argues that for Barth scriptural exegesis is how God brings the Word of God alive in the present. (Reading the chapter makes me interested in Nimmo's recently published Being in Action: The Theological Shape of Barth's Ethical Vision). Andrew Lincoln's contribution is a discussion of the virgin birth - how do we read the scriptural accounts in Matthew and Luke and what are the theological implications. Lincoln argues that a literal adherence to the virgin birth is actually theologically problematic (it makes Christ less than fully human) and to read the reference in the creed to 'born of the virgin Mary' metaphorically  in 'the attempt to read Scripture faithfully and honestly and to rethink Christological doctrine coherently' (p.102). He says this is a ground-clearing exercise to a larger project (p.86, p.102).

In some chapters the book doesn't really live up to its title and this perhaps reflects my preference for a more systematic approach. The difference between the disciplines of biblical studies and systematic theology is evident here. Stephen Fowl's (whose other work I've enjoyed) contribution seems a bit out of place in this book. Its an OK essay on how Paul encourages the Ephesians to see themselves as Gentiles, but doesn't really connect with a book on Christology and Scripture.  Steve Holmes' chapter begins with an interesting discussion of the doctrine of inerrancy and then christological questions around how we read Luke 22.42, but then, probably due to word limits, rushes some of the argument. In other words some of the implications and the argument of the chapter need a longer treatment.

There are some important and useful chapters in the book and for this reason its well worth a read. How we interpret and read scripture remain vital questions for the church and as Webster, and also Nimmo's reading of Barth, show a theological account of scripture and hermeneutics is necessary.

The trinitarian turn in Colin Gunton's theology

Steve Holmes' paper at the Colin Gunton conference argued for a shift in Gunton's thinking in the early 1990s with regard to the doctrine of the Trinity. In the first half of his career the doctrine of the Trinity mattered in Gunton's theology, but only because it helped with other parts of theology. The One, the Three and the Many (published in 1993 based on his 1992 Bampton Lectures) is regarded widely as Gunton's best work, but Colin himself believed it didn't contain enough theology. For Colin it wasn't trinitarian enough. Holmes argued that this book marks the end of one approach to the doctrine of the Trinity, to which the rest of the 90s and early 2000s saw Gunton go in a different direction. The subtitle to Enlightenment and Alienation (1985, although finished in 1982) is 'An Essay toward a Trinitarian Theology' and his collection of essays published in 1991 is called The Promise of Trinitarian Theology. These titles perhaps reveal that Gunton was looking for a way to do theology in a more trinitarian manner.

What we detect in the early 1990s (as Holmes showed) was the introduction of Irenaeus notion of the Son and the Spirit as God's two hands (the first time it is referenced is in Christ and Creation. The 1990 Didsbury Lectures published in 1992). From this point onwards Irenaeus' two hands is in constant use and Colin begins to develop a trinitarian theology of mediation. In A Brief Theology of Revelation. The 1993 Warfield Lectures (1995), The preface to the second edition of The Promise of Trinitarian Theology (1997), The Triune Creator (1998), Intellect and Action (2000), The Christian Faith (2002), Act and Being (2003) and Father, Son and Spirit (2003) (which is interestingly subtitled 'Toward a Fully Trinitarian Theology') references to meditation and Christ as mediator can be found frequently. A trinitarian theology of mediation enabled Colin to articulate a trinitarian theology, which would have witness most fully in his projected dogmatics.

The first part of Colin's dogmatics (which was finished in draft) is still to be published, but Jenson said he hoped it wouldn't be too long before the editing is finished.

The Promise of Aquinas' Theology?

One of the interesting things during several of the question and answer sessions at yesterday's Colin Gunton conference was the concern about how Thomas Aquinas, more so in the States, is fast-becoming for some the theologian above all theologians. For some Aquinas is becoming the last word in an argument: Aquinas says it, so it must be so. Several people seemed worried, while I think a lot of people, like me, were not what all the fuss was about. I don't think it is because they believe Aquinas to be a bad theologian, but just that he shouldn't be lifted above others as the touchstone of orthodoxy.

New Pages (update)

Selected Modern Theologians

Colin E. Gunton
John Zizioulas
Robert Jenson
Jurgen Moltmann
Christoph Schwoebel
John Webster
Wolfhart Pannenberg
David Ford
Daniel W. Hardy
James B. Torrance
TF Torrance
Miroslav Volf
Stanley Hauerwas
Oliver O'Donovan
Nigel Biggar

Books on Karl Barth

Best of IJST
British Centres of Theology
Theology Book Series

Colin Gunton

Colin Gunton on Barth
Criticism of Colin Gunton
KCL PhDs completed under Colin Gunton

Stanley Hauerwas: Criticism

John Webster starts his Kantzer Lectures

John Webster today begins his first of six Kantzer Lectures at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School on Perfection and Presence: God With Us According to the Christian Confession. They sound good and hopefully some who are present will do some blogging. A book version will follow.

This will be Webster's third conference in a row (like poor old Steve Holmes yesterday), having given a paper on 'The Eternal Begetting of the Son' at the Edinburgh Dogmatics Conference and a paper at a symposium on the work of Hans Ulrich.

Other theology news: Esther Reed has moved from St. Andrews to Exeter (replacing Rachel Muers who has moved to Leeds). Nigel Biggar moves to Oxford as Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology from Trinity College Dublin at the beginning of October.

Kim Fabricus has written a great review of Colin Gunton's The Barth Lectures here.

Notes from Colin Gunton One-Day Conference

(L to R: Douglas Knight, Robert Jenson, John Colwell, Steve Holmes)

Today was a great day, with four good papers on Colin Gunton's theology, lots of good conversation and memories of Colin. Robert Jenson talked us through some of the theological choices Colin made. Right from Becoming and Being (1978) Colin said no to classic theism (supernatural, timelessness, chain of being) and no to Hartshorne in favour of Barth. Colin chose the Cappadocians over Augustine and also Barth. Colin chose to say that the eternal Son is always Jesus of Nazareth. Colin chose to define his christology through his doctrine of the Spirit (learnt from John Owen). Jenson suggested that although perhaps Colin's critique of Augustine ultimately was over-done, Colin was still right to make it.

John Colwell's paper took us a journey through Colin's references to and paper on ecclesiology. Colwell argued for a ecclesiological hesitation in Colin's theology which ultimately ended up as pneumatological occasionalism, by which Colwell means that Colin did not want to claim to much for the church. So from 'time to time' the church is the body of Christ when the Spirit, but not always. Colwell argued that a theology of promise (like that which he develops in his own work) can allow us not to fall into ecclesiastical nestorianism (the belief that Christ and the church are unrelated).

Steve Holmes' paper traced Colin's trinitarian development showing how early on the doctrine of the Trinity did not play a major part in Colin's thought. However from his inaugural lecture as Professor of Christian Doctrine in 1985 onwards we see an increasing trinitarianism to Colin's theology (the inaugural lecture can be found in The Promise of Trinitarian Theology). The inaugural lecture introduces the words 'person' and particularity', which became very important concepts in his theology, in addition to the concept of mediation, which first appears in the 1990 Didsbury Lectures and then the 1993 Warfield Lectures, from which point onwards it is a major dimension to Colin's theological work. Steve argued that Colin's theology sought to answer two questions: how do we speak of God? to which he answered, God is triune, which led to the second question, what difference does the Trinity make? Steve ended by commenting that Colin had taught him how to do theology, although he was increasingly finding himself taking different positions to Colin, especially with regard to Augustine and Aquinas.

Douglas Knight's paper argued for the importance of theology - Christian doctrine - in the church witnessing to the world and the university and how Colin was the kind of theologian who did precisely that. Colin's theology can be described as a sustained treatise on the doctrine of God for God's sake. Douglas argued that the theology of the kind that Colin was doing, i.e Christian doctrine, remains vital (for the sake of the church's witness) and we need to find more places for it to happen.

It was good to see the likes of Brian Brock (University of Aberdeen), Nigel Wright (Spurgeon's), Neil Macdonald (University of Roehampton), Terry Wright (Spurgeon's), Simon Perry (Bloomsbury Central Baptist) Tom Kraft (T & T Clark), Lincoln Harvey (KCL), Alan Spence and Tom Smail as well as others.

Book Review: More Than A Symbol

Stanley K. Fowler, More Than Symbol: The British Baptist Recovery of Baptismal Sacramentalism (Paternoster, 2002, reprinted by Wipf and Stock, 2006), 276pp. (with thanks to Wipf and Stock for review copy)

Stanley Fowler is one of the recent Baptist theologians to recover a baptist theology of baptism that goes beyond seeing baptism as a mere symbol and arguing for a sacramental understanding. The book is first and foremost a history of baptist views of sacramentalism. Fowler's chief argument is that the emphasis on baptism as sacrament in the 20th century articulated by many, but especially by H. Wheeler Robinson (a past principal of Regent's Park College) and George Beasley-Murray (a former principal of Spurgeon's and internationally renowned New Testament scholar), was a return to the original roots of Baptist thought in the seventeenth century. Fowler goes on to make his own analysis of  baptism in the New Testament and concludes that 'a baptist-sacramental exegesis of the New Testament references to baptism is readily defensible' (p.195). 

This is a well-written and well-researched historical study that roots baptismal sacramentalism in the baptist tradition and the New Testament. As some (perhaps too many) Baptists continue to be confused about the what and why of baptism, Fowler helpfully shows that a baptist theology of baptism is properly a sacramental theology.

Theological Beginnings - where did you start?

Can you remember the first theological book you read? Where did your theological journey begin?

One of the first theological books I ever read was The Openness of God by Clark Pinnock and others, which challenged the traditional doctrine of God and his emphasis of the Greek philosophical terms of omniscience, omnipotence and immutability. Did God really know the future? I really enjoyed this book at the time, although now I think any doctrine of God has to much more trinitarian.

The second book was Evangelicals in Exile by Alistair Ross. I liked this book because it was a narrative, the story of the author's own spiritual journey and disillusionment with evangelicalism. It was a voice I resonated with and still do.

I read both these books during my final year at school, before I went on to study theology. In my first year at King's I read little bits here and there. Looking back at my essays I was quoting a lot from 20th Century Theology by Stanley Grenz and Roger Olsen, Faith Seeking Understanding by Daniel Migliore and from parts of Francis Watson's Text, Church and World and Text and Truth. It wasn't until my second year that I began to consume everything by Colin Gunton and Douglas Campbell.