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SJT, August 2008

Resurrection as surplus and possibility: Moltmann and Ricoeur - Devin Singh

Maimonides, Aquinas and Ghazali: distinguishing God from the world - David Burrell

From Hilary of Poitiers to Peter of Blois: a Transfiguration journey of biblical interpretation - Kenneth Stevenson

The Barthian heritage of Hans W. Frei - John Allan Knight

The Struggle between 'the image of God' and Satan in the Greek Life of Adam and Eve - Rivka Nir

Torture and the Christian Conscience: a response to Jeremy Waldron - Jean Porter

Reviews include I. Howard Marshall's Beyond the Bible; D. Stephen Long's John Wesley's Moral Theology; Sam Well's Improvisation, amongst others.

Baptist Quarterly, July 2008

EDITORIAL: FRIENDS AT WORK 
Edward Milligan, Biographical Dictionary of British Quakers in Commerce and Industry, 1775-1920, The Sessions Book Trust, Ebor Press, Huntington Road, York, UK, YO31 9HS, 624pp, 2007, £30 + £5.00 p&p UK, or £7.50 p&p overseas

BAPTISTS AND CREATION CARE Keith G. Jones  
In spite of a few outstanding exceptions, Baptists down the years and into the present have not focused much on care for the created world. Dr Jones challenges individuals, churches and BUGB to address these concerns seriously. This paper was given to the Baptist Historical Society seminar at the Baptist Assembly, Blackpool 2008.
Keith Jones is Rector of the International Baptist Theological Seminary, Prague, Czech
Republic

ROBERT JAMES McCRACKEN: Theology of Mission.  Kenneth Roxburgh 
This paper explores the life and ministry of Robert James McCracken, a pastor and theologian from Scotland whose ministry in Scotland, Canada and New York City illustrates the importance of a theology of mission that connects the gospel of Jesus Christ with the contemporary world.
Ken Roxburgh is Armstrong Professor and Chair of Department of Religion at Samford
University, Birmingham, Alabama. He was formerly Principal of the Scottish Baptist College.

THE PEOPLE CALLED GHANAIAN BAPTISTS Frank Adams
The late Frank Adams was General Secretary of the Ghana Baptist Convention. He presented this short history to the Heritage Commission of the Baptist World Alliance meeting in Durban, South Africa, in 1998. Frank Adams’ doctoral studies were undertaken through the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies. The article has been updated from the ‘Brief History of Ghana Baptists’ delivered by Kojo Osei-Wusuh at the BWA Heritage and Identity session in Ghana, July 2007.

REVIEWS
Sibyl Phillips, Glorious Hope, Women and Evangelical Religion in Kent and Northamptonshire, 1800-1850, Northampton, Compton Towers Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-954547-0-2
Reviewed by Karen Smith, Tutor, South Wales Baptist College 
The Theology of John Smyth by Jason K.Lee (2003) Mercer University Press, xiv + pp310
Reviewed by Stephen Copson, Secretary, Baptist Historical Society
Anthony R. Cross, The Evangelical Sacrament: Reforming Baptism, Friends of Bloomsbury Inaugural Lecture, London: Bloomsbury Baptist Church, 2007.
Reviewed by John E. Colwell, Spurgeon’s College
Aurel Mateesco, Persecution in Romanian Baptist Life, Emanuel University Press, 137pp, 2007. Obtainable Dr Dr Cornelius C. Simut, [email protected].
Reviewed by John Briggs, Regent's Park College

Doctor Who

Flip! Doctor Who is getting good. Tonight's episode 'Midnight' watch here was fantastic - best yet - in its simple set-up and reminded me of classic Buffy Vampire the Slayer episodes, like 'Hush'.  The more I see of Russell T. Davies Doctor Who the more I see the influence of Joss Whedon's Buffy series (and its spin-off Angel - so Torchwood).  This fourth series has been excellent, the two previous episodes before tonight's, were also fantastically written and acted. In a time when American TV is producing quality dramatic series like
Lost, Damages, Mad Men and House, Doctor Who is the sole offering we have that compares in terms of quality.

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

worship leaders and the displacement of Christ

Where it appears, the title of "worship leader" should be critiqued, for it suggests a model of worship in which Christ has been displaced from his rightful place. In the Middle Ages it was the priest, now it is worship leader. Christ' displacement is accentuated by the focus, either implicitly or explicitly, on the leader's personality, charisma and gifts. In this regard, it is noticeable how the leader's causal greeting has replaced the traditional call to worship in many services. It is almost as though the worship leader is the host, welcoming people as he/she woudl to his/her home. Also interesting to observe is the role of the "worship team", usually consisting of a music group, whose task it is to open worship with a "worship time". This consists of a bracket of worship choruses, interspersed with the leader's exhortations, humorous asides and extempore prayers. A lot of effort goes into creating the right atmosphere. Music has come to assume a priestly role in much worship, insofar as it is regarded almost as the primary vehicle by which people enter the presence of God.

(Graham Redding, Prayer and the Priesthood of Christ, T & T Clark, 2003, p. 298n.30)

Johm Owen Today Conference announes paper titles

There are several updates to the John Owen Today conference blog - main paper titles, short paper titles and conference promotions.