andygoodliff

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 ...

McGrath moving to King's

(HT to Jason)
Alister McGrath is moving to King's in a newly created role of Professor of Theology, Ministry and Education. This will see him join Luke Bretherton, Pete Ward and Andrew Walker in the growing area of theology and ministry courses King's has begun running over the last few years in the school of education, although in partnership with the theology and religious studies department.  In recent years, perhaps with the lack of internationally renowned British theologians working in England, McGrath has become increasingly high profile. He's giving the Gifford Lectures in 2009. McGrath is a prolific writer, keeping pace, if not surpassing, that other prolific of writers, Tom Wright. It's an interesting move because McGrath has said he could see himself no where else but Oxford, where he was principal of Wycliffe Hall and more latterly Professor of Historical Theology, based in Harris Manchester College. For more see here. 

The importance of the Christian year

Halden posts here a fantastic set of five theses on the Christian year.

Other stuff:

Mike Bird posts about his forthcoming books, including this:

The Faith of Jesus Christ: Exegetical, Biblical, and Theological Studies (with Preston Sprinkle) . Milton Keynes: Paternoster, Jan/Feb 2009. I just got the last essay for this today and it will be at proof and copy editing stage in the next couple of weeks. If you are into Pauline studies this will be THE book of 2009 as we have a cast of all-stars going head-to-head and mano-e-mano. The Pistis Christou debate will never be the same.

Douglas Knight has finished the editing of Zizoulas' Christian Dogmatics and is now involved in editing a collection of essays on the theology of Gunton (including those presented at last year's one day conference).

Book Review: The Wondrous Cross

Stephen R. Holmes, The Wondrous Cross: Atonement and Penal Substitution in the Bible and History, Paternoster, 2007, 130pp. £9.99.

In this book Steve Holmes shows that not only is he fast becoming, if not already, one of the leading (and busiest) British theologians in the UK (and a Baptist at that), but that he a is a theologian who can speak to the wider church. One of the great weakness for many theologians is their inability to write and communicate, beyond the academic circle (and sometimes within the academic circle). The best theologians are those who preach, who are forced to make their theology speak to the lives of real people. (Steve remarks elsewhere that Colin Gunton used to say to him, 'You can always tell when a theologian has stopped preaching; their work loses something vital').

Steve Holmes is also a theologian who doesn't shy away from the difficult theology - he has written on ghosts, divine simplicity and here he contributes to the discussion on atonement and penal substitution. As well as being a book on penal substitution,  the book works as a good introduction to the history of atonement theology. It shares in lots of ways the approach of Colin Gunton's The Actuality of Atonement.  Steve makes a lot of sense and helpfully shows why we shouldn't be too quick to throw penal substitution out the window, but also why penal substitution is only a partial way of viewing the cross - in this he speaks to both those who want to defend the doctrine and those who want to reject it.

I remain with those who find penal substiution more unhelpful and inadequate, but Steve makes the case for why many of criticisms that are made against it do not actually hold weight. I still find it troubling because it seems to have no need for the Holy Spirit or the resurrection and I think fundamentally Paul's language of atonement is participatory (with Douglas Campbell) - atonement is our sharing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - and so Paul's constant use of 'in Christ' language (which is much more prevalent across his letters than justification language).  So I guess I remain unconvinced whether penal substitutionary is truly biblical.         

I got hold of a copy of Steve's book when it first came out last year, and apart from a quick skim read, this is the first time I've read it and I'm glad I have and would encourage others to put it on a wish list. 

Wisdom and Healthcare: Centre for Christianity and Culture Lectures

This term's set of lectures at the Oxford Centre for Christianity and Culture, Regent's Park College is on Wisdom and Healthcare. The first lecture this coming tuesday (5pm) is by John Swinton, Professor in Practical Theology and Pastoral Care, Aberdeen. I've enjoyed reading John's work and looking forward to hearing him.  The lecture week after is by Regent's own Professor Paul Fiddes. This will be the first time that I get to hear Paul give a paper. I'll post the full order of speakers and titles when they become available.

Krister Stendhal (1921-2008)

Halden shares the news that Krister Stendhal has died. Stendhal was a New Testament scholar must famously known for his groundbreaking essay “Paul and the Introspective Consciouness of the West” (first published in 1963 in the Harvard Theological Review), which later appeared in his most celebrated book, Paul Among Jews and Gentiles. In this essay he challenges the "Lutheran" reading of Paul, which is early precusor to much that has followed in Pauline theology (Sanders, Dunn, Wright, Watson, Stowers, Campbell).

Penal Substitution: A Recent Bibliography

For
1. The Cross of Christ by John Stott (1986)
2. The Wondrous Cross by Stephen Holmes (2007)
3. Pierced for Our Transgressions by Mike Ovey and others (2007)
4. Aspects of the Atonement by I. Howard Marshall (2007)
5. Where Wrath and Mercy Meet edited by David Peterson (2001)
6. The Message of the Cross by Derek Tidball (2001)
7. What Did the Cross Achieve? The Logic of Penal Substitution by J I Packer (1974, 2002)
8. The Glory of the Atonement edited by Charles Hill and Frank James (2004)
9. Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem (1994)
10. 'The Cross and Substitutionary Atonement' by Simon Gathercole in Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology (2003)
11. 'Can Punishment Bring Peace? Penal Substitution Revisited' by Stephen Holmes in Scottish Journal of Theology (2005)

Against
1. Recovering the Scandal of the Cross by Joel Green and Mark Baker (2000)
2. Atonement Today edited by John Goldingay (1995)
3. Actuality of Atonement by Colin Gunton (1988)
4. Past Event and Present Salvation by Paul Fiddes (1989)
5. The Non-Violent Atonement by J. Denny Weaver (2001)
6. The Radical Evangelical by Nigel Wright (1996)
7. Consuming Passion edited by Simon Barrow and Jonathan Bartley (2005)
8. God's Just Vengeance by Timothy Gorringe (1996)
9. Atonement for a Sinless Society by Alan Mann (2005)
10. Jesus and the Victory of God by NT Wright (1996)
11. The Rhythm of Doctrine by John Colwell (2007)
12. Once and for All by Tom Smail (1998)

For / Against
The Atonement Debate edited by Derek Tidball and others (2008)

Sarum Lectures 2008: Rethinking Christianity

This year's speaker is Professor Keith Ward, formerly Regius Professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford.

Science and Christian Belief: Are modern science and Christianity in conflict?
Tuesday 6 May

Christianity among the Religions: Is Christianity the only true religion?
Thursday 8 May

Faith and Reason: Is Christianity rationally defensible?
Tuesday 13 May

Faith and Morals: Is Christianity immoral?
Thursday 15 May

For more see here.

Early this year, Keith Ward also gave the 2008 Hensley Henson Lectures, Oxford.

New books for 2008 | The Atonement Debate

In 2005 the London School of Theology with the Evangelical Alliance held a two-day symposium on the doctrine of atonement in response to the public debate that had been occurring since the publication of Steve Chalke and Alan Mann's book The Lost Message of Jesus (2003). The papers from symposium have now beeen brought together and published. First few pages can be read here.

1. atonement, evangelicalism and the evangelical alliance: the present debate in context - david hilborn
2. the redemption of the cross -  steve chalke

Biblical Foundations
3. the theology of the atonement  - i. howard marshall
4. atonement in the old testament  - christopher j. h. wright
5. the atonement in the new testament  - geoffrey grogan
6. why did christ die? an exegesis of isaiah 52:13 – 53:12  - sue groom
7. penal substitutionary atonement in paul: an exegetical study of romans 3:25 – 26 - rohintan k. mody
8. the atonement in hebrews - steve motyer

Theological Contributions
9. must we imagine the atonement in penal substitutionary terms? questions, caveats and a plea -  joel b. green
10. penal substitution: a response to recent criticisms - garry williams
11. atonement, creation and trinity - graham mcfarlane
12. the logic of penal substitution revisited - oliver d. crisp
13. towards a unified theory of the atonement - david t. williams

Historical Perspectives
14. bernard of clairvaux: theologian of the cross - tony lane
15. ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven: evangelical accounts of the atonement - stephen r. holmes
16. “live much under the shadow of the cross”: atonement and evangelical spirituality - ian randall

Contemporary Perspectives
17. the message of the cross is foolishness: atonement in womanist theology. Towards a black british perspective - lynette j. mullings
18. atonement in contemporary culture: christ, symbolic exchange and death - anna m. robbins
19. penal substitution: a pastoral apologetic - derek tidball

British Baptists and the Old Testament

British Baptists have a long history of producing internationally-renowned Old Testament scholars.

H. H. Rowley, Assistant lecturer in Semitic Languages in University College, Cardiff (1930-1935), Professor Semitic Languages, University College of North Wales, Bangor (1935-1945), Professor of Semitic Languages and Literatures, Manchester (1945-1959). Author of The Missionary Message of the Old Testament (1944), The Biblical Doctrine of Election (1950), The Unity of the Bible (1953)

Theodore Henry Robinson Baptist minister and Professor of Semitic Languages, Cardiff (1927-). Author of Prophecy and the Prophets in Ancient Israel (1923)

Henry Wheeler Robinson Baptist minister and Principal of Regent's Park College, University of Oxford (1920-1942).

G. Henton Davies (DD, Glasgow, 1958) Baptist minister and Tutor in Hebrew and Old Testament Studes, Bristol Baptist College (1938-1951), Professor of Old Testament, Durham (1951-1958) and Principal of Regent's Park College, University of Oxford (1958-1974)

Ronald Clements (PhD Sheffield, 1961) Baptist Minister and Lecturer in Old Testament, Edinburgh (1960-1967), Lecturer in Old Testament, Cambridge (1967-), Samuel Davidson Professor of Old Testament, King's College London (1984-1992). Author of Prophecy and Covenant (1965), Wisdom in Theology (1996)

Rex Mason (PhD King's College London 1973) Baptist minister and tutor in Old Testament, Spurgeon's College London (1964-1975), Lecturer in Old Testament, Regent's Park College, University of Oxford (1975-1983). Author of Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi (1977), Micah, Nahum and Obadiah (1991), Zephaniah, Habakkuk and Joel (1994)

Paul Fiddes (DPhil Oxford, 1976, DD 2004) Principal of Regent's Park College, University of Oxford (1989-2007), Professor of Systematic Theology, Oxford (2002-) Author of '"Where Shall Wisdom be Found?" Job 28 as a Riddle for Ancient and Modern Readers', in After the Exile: Essays in Honour of Rex Mason (1996)

Ernest Lucas (PhD Liverpool 1989) Baptist minister and tutor in biblical studies, Bristol Baptist College (1994-). Author of Exploring the Old Testament: Psalms and Wisdom (2003)

Deborah Rooke (DPhil Oxford 1996) Lecturer in Old Testament, Lampeter (1995-1998), Lecturer in Old Testament, King's College London (1998-). Author of Zadok's Heirs: The Role and Development of the High Priesthood in Ancient Israel (2000)

Nathan MacDonald (PhD Durham 2001) Lecturer in Old Testament, St. Andrew's. Author of Deuteronomy and the Meaning of ‘Monotheism’ (2003).