Theological News On-Line

Issue 26 March 2004	'Promoting Biblical Truth by Networking Theologians'

Published by Theological Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance

Editor: David Parker dparker@pacific.net.au
email distribution: Dr.Paul C. Murdoch Murdoch@ead.de

Welcome to WEA Theological News On-Line - this is the on-line version of our printed quarterly, WEA Theological News (ISSN 0260-3705). WEA TN On-Line is issued approximately monthly. The content of the printed and on-line versions overlap but are not identical. We also publish Evangelical Review of Theology. For more information, visit our website www.worldevangelical.org/tcpubs.html#ert

We welcome news reports on theological matters for both versions - they can cover theological institutions, conferences, publications, faculty, trends and developments, etc. of interest to evangelical theologians around the world.

For more information on the work of the Theological Commission, contact the Executive Chair, Dr Rolf Hille at rolf.hille@albrecht-bengel-haus.de

In this issue:

•  World Evangelical Alliance/Roman Catholic talks statement published
•  WEA Theological Commission 30th Anniversary Features
•  Former TC Study Unit leader writes on 'Our Vision for Future'
•  TC Member Publishes Survey of Evangelical Statements of Faith

World Evangelical Alliance/Roman Catholic talks statement published

The statement 'Church, Evangelization, and the Bonds of Koinonia' from the last session of the current round of talks between the WEA Theological Commission and the Roman Catholic Church held in February 2002 has been published in two Roman Catholic periodicals. They are the Information Service of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), Vol 113 Nos. 2-3, pp. 85-101 and Origins, a publication of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in the U.S., 16 Oct 2003 Vol. 33, No. 19, pp. 310-320. The PCPCU Information Service report also contains a commentary on the statement (pp. 102-110) by Bishop Basil Meeking (retired Bishop of Christchurch, New Zealand), who was co-secretary on the Catholic side in the "Evangelical-Roman Catholic Dialogue on Mission" (ERCDOM) 1977-84; the co-secretary on the Evangelical side of that discussion was Rev Dr John Stott.

The WEA-Roman Catholic talks began in October 1993 and the fifth session was held at Swanwick, England. The document prepared at Swanwick is not an official statement by either the WEA or the Pontifical Council (in fact, both bodies will evaluate the document). Rather, it is study document designed to help explore key issues in relations between Evangelicals and Roman Catholics. The Theological Commission looks forward to receiving comments from various regions in the world, especially since Evangelical-Roman Catholic relations vary greatly from place to place. Copies of the statement are available on request to Dr George Vandervelde, chair of the TC Task Force on Ecumenical Issues (george.vandervelde@utoronto.ca) fax 416-979-2332. Address: Institute for Christian Studies, 229 College Street, Toronto ON Canada M5T 1R4. Comments and responses are also to be forwarded to this same address.

WEA Theological Commission 30th Anniversary Feature

The April issues of our printed WEA Theological News and Evangelical Review of Theology continue to present feature articles to mark the 30th anniversary of the Theological Commission as an organised body. ERT includes the first part of a short history of the Theological Commission, 'Discerning the Obedience of Faith' covering the period 1968 to 1986. Subsequent periods will be covered in the second and third parts to be published in the remaining issues of 2004.

The first chairman was Dr Byang Kato, who was appointed in 1975 but served only a few months before his accidental death by drowning later that year. Born in Nigeria in 1936, he was converted and after initial training at a local Bible college and service as a youth worker, counsellor and teacher, studied at London Bible College (BD) and Dallas Theological Seminary (STM, ThD). He served as General Secretary of Evangelical Churches of West Africa and of The Association of Evangelicals of Africa and Madagascar (AEAM - now AEA). He was also Vice-President of the WEF.

Kato was the first evangelical African to gain a doctorate, but although he had to do this at an overseas institution, he was committed to developing an African theology and opportunities for high level theological study in the African context. He was concerned about the dangers of importing western ideas and theologies. At a time when there was a great emphasis on traditional religions and culture, Kato took a firm line against syncretism and believed that 'the Bible must judge every culture.' He aimed for a biblical theology rather than a western or an African one.

He was an excellent scholar, and had he lived longer, he would have been an influential force for evangelicalism in Africa and beyond. As it was, he made a significant contribution through his ministry as a Bible school teacher and evangelical leader. Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology and Bangui School of Theology (BEST) both are indebted to his vision.

His writings which are not numerous or extensive, include Theological Pitfalls in Africa (Kisumu, Kenya: Evangel Publishing House, 1975); African Cultural Revolution and the Christian Faith (Jos: Challenge (SIM, 1975); Theological Perspective in Africa: A Collection of Papers and Addresses. (African Christian Press, 1985); Biblical Christianity in Africa (Africa Christian Press, 1985) and 'The theology of eternal salvation', in Issues in African Christian Theology (edited by S. Ngewa, M. Shaw and T. Tienou (East African Educational Pub, 1998).

ERT's first number (Oct 1977) included his article, 'Black theology and African theology', and 'Christianity as an African Religion' appeared a short time later in Vol 4 No 1 Apr 1980. An evaluation of his theology by Dr Paul Bowers appeared in Vol 5 No 1 Apr 1981, 'Evangelical Theology in Africa: Byang Kato's Legacy.' Our anniversary feature article by Dr Kato in the April 2004 issue of ERT is reprinted from Theological Pitfalls in Africa.

Dr Ronald Sider was convenor of the Ethics and Society Study Unit of the WEA Theological Commission from its inception in 1977 to 1986. During this time he led the Unit in a range of progressive and fruitful activities including conferences, publishing, lecture tours and the journal Transformation which remained with the TC until 1988 when it was sponsored by others.

Dr Sider is best known for his book, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger: A Biblical Study (1977, 5th edition in preparation) which quickly became a popular and influential text on the simple life style. Much of his work with the TC Study Unit was focused on this theme. Some of this work appeared in books edited by Dr Sider for the TC, including Lifestyle in the Eighties: An Evangelical Commitment to Simple Lifestyle (Paternoster, 1982) and Evangelicals and Development: Towards a Theology of Social Change (Paternoster, 1981).

His anniversary greeting for the TC is as follows:

Greetings to all the participants in the Theological Commission. I have wonderful memories of my years on the Theological Commission and coordinator of the Unit on Ethics and Society (1977-1986). What an incredible privilege to meet and dialogue with evangelical Christian leaders and theologians from all around the world. And we did have lively debate! I think of the 1980 international conference (co-sponsored by the WEF's Unit on Ethics and Society and the LCWE's theological unit chaired by John Stott) discussing the pledge to adopt a simple lifestyle made by the many thousands of evangelical leaders who signed the Lausanne Covenant. Or the conference the very next week, also in the UK, on evangelicals and development.

We are pleased to present a recent article by Dr Sider in the April issue of ERT originally published in Christians and Politics beyond the Culture Wars: an agenda for engagement, edited by David P. Gushee (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2000). Building on the gains of his earlier work in raising the level of awareness of evangelicals in holistic mission, Sider's vision in this essay is to 'translate the theoretical theological agreement on holistic ministry into successful, practical, concrete programs' at the grass roots level of the congregation and every day politics, without losing any of the passion for evangelism.

(see below for a further message from Dr Sider on his 'Vision for the Future')

Dr Sider is currently President of Evangelicals for Social Action, Professor of Theology, Holistic Ministry and Public Policy at Eastern Seminary (Philadelphia, USA) and Director of the Sider Center on Ministry and Public Policy at Eastern Seminary/Eastern University. Holding MA and PhD degrees from Yale University, he is also author of many other books, including Just Generosity (1999) and Churches that Make a Difference (Baker, 2002).

The Theological Commission gets established

Although the Theological Commission itself as an organisation is 30 years old, it had a pre-history extending back to 1968 when Mr. (later Rev. Dr.) Bruce Nicholls was appointed Theological Advisor to the World Evangelical Fellowship (as it was known then) at its 5th General Council meeting. As a theological teacher based in India since 1955, he had addressed the WEF on some of the key theological issues facing the world, and especially Asia. Inspired by his analysis and insights, the WEF created the position of Theological Advisor.

Over the next few years, Bruce Nicholls, assisted by John Langlois of Guernsey, developed the WEF 'Theological Assistance Program' (TAP) which made its mark on evangelical theological work worldwide. By 1974, it had already sponsored many activities and encouraged the growth of numerous institutions, including TAP-ASIA which later became the Asia Theological Association. In that year, the WEF formed the Theological Commission with 12 members and Bruce Nicholls as the founding Executive Secretary. Its first Consultation was held in London in 1975. With the continued assistance of John Langlois, Bruce Nicholls led the WEF Theological Commission, finally retiring in 1986. Since then he has retained a lively and active interest in its work. His latest article, 'Our Christian Response to the Global Environmental Crisis' appears as an anniversary feature in our April 2004 issue of ERT.

One of the key mentors of the TC, and an official advisor at its inauguration, was Rev. Dr. John R. W. Stott. Here is his greeting for the 30th Anniversary of the Theological Commission.

Although I have never been a member of the WEA's Theological Commission, I have admired its work, and I have been thankful for its courage in tackling controversial issues. I also remember with gratitude those theological consultations in the nineteen-seventies and eighties which were jointly sponsored by the Lausanne Committee and the WEF. So I send you my thankfulness for what has been accomplished, and my best wishes for future enterprises.

The second chair of the Theological Commission was Rev. Dr. Arthur M. Climenhaga. He was part of the original movement to form the TC and became Vice-Chair in 1975. With the accidental death of the first chair, Dr. Byang Kato, in 1975, Dr. Climenhaga took over leadership, serving from 1975-80. He was Vice-Chair again 1980-83 serving with Bishop David Gitari. Dr. Climenhaga worked as a Bishop of the Brethren in Christ in Zambia and Zimbabwe in the 1950s and then as President of Messiah College, Grantham, Pa. - 1960-64 and Executive Director, National Association of Evangelicals, Wheaton , Ill. - 1964-67. He later took up church leadership in his denomination again, and served in academic roles at Western Evangelical Seminary, Portland, Oregon and at Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio. In his retirement, Dr. Climenhaga is Representative-at-Large for Brethren in Christ World Missions and exercises a Bible teaching and evangelistic ministry under the umbrella title of 'Resource Ministries.'

While NAE Executive Director in the 1960s Dr. Climenhaga delivered a paper on universalism at the Wheaton Congress on the 'Church's World-wide Mission' and also at the Berlin Congress on Evangelism. While the particular illustrations and references in the paper date to that period, the main theme and insights are surprisingly up to date and relevant.

The full text of that paper was published in the January 2004 issue of Evangelical Review of Theology as one of the special features marking our 30th Anniversary. That issue also contains an article by the current chairman, Dr Rolf Hille, rector of Albrecht Bengel House, Tuebingen, Germany 'A Biblical-Theological Response to the Problem of Theodicy in the Context of the Modern Criticism of Religion.'

Other TC leaders have responded to an invitation to participate in our anniversary features and their contributions will appear in our publications throughout the rest of this year.

Former TC Study Unit leader writes on 'Our Vision for Future'

Dr Ronald Sider, who led the WEA TC Study Unit on Ethics and Society from its inception to 1986 when it was engaged an extensive program of creative work (see above) writes especially for our 30th Anniversary on 'our vision for the future.'

Something quite astonishing has happened in the last thirty years. Thirty years ago, most evangelical leaders would have said that the primary mission of the church was 'saving souls.' That is where most of our time and money for mission should go. Today virtually every evangelical leader agrees that biblical Christians must engage in both evangelism and social action. In that same period, evangelical leaders have recovered some of the force of the biblical concern for the poor, and vast, successful evangelical relief and development agencies have emerged. That represents enormous progress.

How do we build on those gains in the next couple decades? We need a lot more work to translate the theoretical theological agreement on holistic ministry (combining evangelism and social ministry) into successful, practical, concrete programs at the grass roots, congregational level. We also need a lot more analysis to know much more about the different ways that evangelism and social action fit together. And we need continuing vigilance to make sure that in our growing evangelical social concern, we not lose our passion for and vigorous sensitive practice of evangelism.

We also need a lot more evangelical preaching and teaching about God's special concern for the poor. I doubt that one evangelical preacher and teacher in ten (at least in affluent nations) talks as much about justice for the poor as the Bible does. As affluence (in itself a good gift) spreads among Christians all around the world, heretical gospels of wealth and practical neglect of the poor become increasingly powerful temptations.

The global evangelical community also desperately needs much deeper theological and socio-economic reflection on the whole area of politics. All around the world, as the number of evangelicals explodes, evangelicals are jumping into politics-often with disastrous results because we have not taken the time to study what the Bible and Christian history have to teach us about wise, biblical political engagement. The Bible seems to care both about the poor and the sanctity of human life, both about the family and racial justice and care for creation. Why then are not most evangelical political voices pro-life and pro poor, pro-family and pro-creation care and pro-racial justice?

Finally, I think we urgently need to take seriously the oneness of the worldwide body of Christ and work out better, more effective ways for different parts of the global church to listen to each other. American Christians need to hear what Christians in the South think about global economic trends and American military and political power. North American and European churches urgently need to hear from African and Asian Christians on human sexuality, family life, communal limitations on individualism-and the list goes on and on.

TC Member Publishes Survey of Evangelical Statements of Faith

TC Member, Dr Thomas C. Oden has teamed with Dr James I. Packer to produce survey of key evangelical statements of faith to show that there has been a high level of consensus over the last fifty years. In the book to be published soon by InterVarsity Press called One Faith: The Evangelical Consensus, the authors focus on sixteen different doctrinal themes. Despite the fact that there is often a problem with fragmentation in evangelicalism, the authors of this book show there is a high level of unity to be found in the various documents which range from the well known Lausanne Covenant (1974), Manila Manifesto (1989), The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration (1999) and The Amsterdam Declaration (2000) through to statements of faith of seminaries, missionary bodies and parachurch groups. Doctrinal areas covered include the gospel, Scripture and all the main areas of systematic theology plus religious pluralism, Christian unity, and social responsibility.

In an interview with Christianity Today, Dr Oden was asked, 'What do you hope your book will accomplish?' He replied, 'I think the Holy Spirit is at work in our time to bring evangelicals together in common witness and mission and service. This is work of the Spirit, and we are only attesting that textually. We are trying to show how there is a correlation and a resonance that runs all the way through virtually all of the major evangelical statements in the last 50 years. Our purpose is not to display an act of tour de force scholarship, but rather to cooperate with the mission of the Spirit in eliciting the unity of the body of true believers.'

WEA Theological News On-line

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