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Thursday December 31, 2009 ~ 8 Comments
I am a bit of a wonk when it comes to theology, and I like a good top ten list. So, when Christianity Today's Collin Hansen does a "top ten theological story" list, I think it is worth sharing. And, since I am now a contributing editor for CT, it seems only right that I use large portions of their copyrighted text in my blog posts. ;-) Collin gets it (mostly) right. You can read his full list here. Below some of the stories and some of his comments. My comments are in italics after his. In order to avoid a nasty letter from the CT attorneys and a rebuke from editor Ted Olsen, I am not reproducing all of it on my blog, so be sure to go to the magazine website and read it in full. Here is his list with my comments: 1. Both NIV and TNIV Will Be Phased Out This is a major story. Glad that he indicated that this story has just started (again). The work of the translation committee will be followed closely. I am pleased the committee has promised openness. 2. SBC Seeks a Great Commission Resurgence Old rifts were healed. New vows were made. There was a lot to cheer when the Southern Baptist Convention created a task force that would explore how to faithfully fulfill the Great Commission. Other denominations will be watching to see how the task force streamlines mission agencies that have been cutting back due to the economic downturn. The GCR Declaration drafted by Johnny Hunt and Danny Akin deserves a wide reading among evangelicals. I have been told many times: As goes the SBC, so goes evangelicalism. Thus, the evangelical world rightly watches the SBC. The SBC has had some dramatic shifts over the last five years. Honestly, I have been surprised (pleasantly) at so much of what has happened. But, this story is also unfinished. The next convention is in Orlando and it will answer not one, but two very important questions: will the SBC approve the recommendations of its GCR task force (I predict yes) and will it elect a President who continues down the current path being set (I predict yes). 3. and 4. (Go read Collin's article-- I can't duplicate it all right here!) 5. Manhattan Declaration Prods Culture, Invites Pushback Collin has described it well. I would make some additional observation. Some of the signers of the Manhattan Declaration were critical of signers of the Evangelical Manifesto and the Common Word statements. Now, they are being criticized for signing a different document. Although I have chosen to not sign the document, I understand the position and passions of those that did. And, I share all their concerns for social justice and the need to stand for biblical morality and values. 6. Adoption Push Gains Steam I think this is a great movement, and had the privilege of speaking at Together for Adoption, but I am surprised it made a top ten list. I look forward to the day when orphan care is just a normal part of local church ministry. 7. Rick Warren Prays at Obama Inauguration I would have put this one closer to the top. First, I think Rick Warren continues to make headlines at an unprecedented level. And, those headlines often flow from the inaugural prayer. Second, the fact that it is news shows how out of touch so many are with American culture. As LifeWay Research has shown, 48% of Americans are willing to say that homosexual behavior is sinful (45% indicated it was not sinful). Read the rest of the research here. America is divided on the issue, but Rick Warren's position is mainstream (not to mention orthodox) even if it is not affirmed by the media. 8. I don't think number 8 was a big a story as Collin does. 9. Split Widens Between U.S. Episcopalians and Anglican Communion Number 9 is big news although it seems like old news. It is not. Just last Friday, there were more developments. And, increasingly, it appears that the Episcopal Church (the historic Anglican presence in North America) may soon have a second-tier status within global Anglicanism. Don't think that the new Anglican alignment in North America is waiting. They are planning to plant 1000 churches. (And yes, for full disclosure, I will be joining Archbishop Robert Duncan and other leaders at the launch of that initiative.) 10. 'Coming Evangelical Collapse' Predicted The articles Michael wrote are here. The shorter (but more widely circulated) article is in the Christian Science Monitor here. Leith Anderson wrote a response, "The Coming Evangelical Future." It was generally helpful, though his introduction was unnecessarily personal and, I think, unhelpful. It was a major story. And, even though I do not think there is an imminent evangelical collapse, I do believe we are in a season of evangelical malaise. It is my hope that this will drive us to prayer, the gospel, and the mission... but that is for an article on another day. While on the subject, let me add that the author of the article, Michael Spencer (aka Internet Monk) is very ill with cancer and just returned from the hospital yesterday. Please be praying for him. Collin, a helpful list. Thanks for the writing it and giving me the opportunity to interact with it! Feel free to weight in with your thoughts below... Posted on December 31, 2009 at 7:33 AM ~ 8 Comments Subscribe via RSS or Follow us on Twitter
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love to hear your reasons for not signing the Manhattan Declaration...i have been reading through it and am not the fence myself.
Terry,
I might write on that another time, but not today.
Ed
Ed --
Doesn't #5 seem more like an attempt to maintain relevancy for certain factions of the Evangelical world rather than an actually-relevant event?
If 300,000 people in Arkansas signed a petition in 30 days for topics X, Y and Z, that's a groundswell of reaction using a politically-viable medium for change. When 300,000 people in the whole US affix their name to something in 30 days, that's not even a blip on the map. Even in the pool of "likely voters" that's only 0.2%. And this thing is not even an actual petition.
It's hard for me to see #5 as even in the same class as #1 or even #7 or #9.
...
Happy New Year, anyway.
Frank,
To me, part of the fact that it was "newsworthy" was that is brought together some odd bedfellows. And, as I mentioned, some of them have been critical of others signing different documents and statements. So, I thought that made it newsworthy.
Also, the call to civil disobedience was unusual.
But, yes, several reporters I talked to asked, "Is this really even big news?"
I'd say it is, but probably for different reasons than most people.
Ed
I am now officially dying to read your analysis of the MD.
:-)
Frank,
I think the verse, "Even a fool is considered wise when he keeps silent, discerning, when he seals his lips" (Proverbs 17:28) is a good place to start for me.
Regardless, I am not an important voice in such issues. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was asked to attend the "launch" meeting for the document. I declined to attend due to a scheduling conflict-- not a statement of disagreement. You can correctly assume that nobody missed me!
But, here are my thoughts in brief. My opinion is probably not worth a separate blog post.
First, when you sign documents, you then have to defend them. And, often you spend the next few weeks explaining, "That is not what we were saying." That is what happened here.
For many evangelicals, they lost the focus on the social and moral concerns in the document and ended up debating the issue of co-belligerence and Christian identity. That is an essential discussion, but the focal issues of the document were lost in subsequent discussions.
So, I generally don't sign documents unless I help write them. Also, I don't sign them unless I am available to spend the next several weeks defending the statement from those who express concerns about what we did not intend to say.
Second, we live in an evangelical world where too many live to "announce" their positions. There is a time and a place for such, but now it not the time (at least for me).
Others have already clearly articulated their concerns and I agree with some of them.
Let me add that I am glad to see some of the critics have expressed their concerns graciously-- showing more graciousness than some of the signers of the Manhattan Declaration did while criticizing the signers Evangelical Manifesto and the Common Word statements, for example.
The best critics have expressed their concern while giving the benefit of the doubt to the signers. I would hope that is a pattern that we all use (but that was lacking in some other recent conversations).
So, I agree with the social and moral concerns of the signers and will stand with them on these moral concerns. And, I am focusing on the fact that many of these godly Christian leaders were seeking to take a moral (and not a theological) statement.
My hope: we will all make less pronouncements and take more actions and, when we criticize others, do so fairly rather than seeking to demonize those trying to do good.
God bless,
Ed
Ed,
I am wondering where CT gets there information on the SBC. In #2 he wrote, "Old rifts were healed.... Southern Baptist Convention created a task force that would explore how to faithfully fulfill the Great Commission. Other denominations will be watching to see how the task force streamlines mission agencies that have been cutting back due to the economic downturn."
I didn't know the GCR was going to streamline the mission agencies. I would hope they would have recommendations on strenthening and building up the missions agencies.
I also missed hearing that old rifts were healed. Did the SBC apologize for their break with the BWA? Did Paige and Keith apologize for sending letters to the IMB trustees critical of our missionaries and Jerry Rankin's leadership? I wonder what rifts CT was talkng about.
I enjoyed getting to know you in Taiwan. I am back in the states now and hope we get to visit sometime this year.
It is understandable that cash makes people autonomous. But how to act when one doesn't have money? The only one way is to receive the personal loans or just student loan.