Theological News On-Line

Issue 47    August 2006	'Promoting Biblical Truth by Networking Theologians'

Published by Theological Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance

Editor: David Parker wef-tc@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 six-weekly. 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.worldevangelicalalliance.com/commissions/tcpubs.htm  

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 r.hille@bengelhaus.de 

In this issue:

•  Theological Commission Annual Session Plans
•  TC Members urges Theological Educators to bridge Seminary-Church Divide
•  Adventists and Evangelicals Meet in Dialogue
•  New MTh Program in African Christianity at Kenyan University
•  Book Review: Fedler, Exploring Christian Ethics

Theological Commission Annual Session features study of Fundamentalism, African Theology and HIV

The WEA Theological Commission's annual meeting to be held Sept 21-24 at Nairobi, Kenya features study of Fundamentalism, African Theology and HIV. These extra modules are in addition to the regular planning and strategy meeting which is the main platform for reviewing and developing the TCs on-going activities. This year for the first time the annual event is open to those participating in the TC's new extended membership scheme. A number of people from African seminaries will also present papers and there will also be other invited guests. The venue is Nairobi International Graduate School of Theology and TC members from around the world will attend.

'Theological Reflection on Religious Fundamentalism as a Global Issue' will be the topic for a mini-consultation on the opening day and will include keynote papers by TC Chair, Dr Rolf Hille (Germany) and prominent African theologian, Dr Yusufu Turaki who lives in Nairobi. Other TC members and guests will present short papers and contribute to the discussion which is planned to focus in a the production of a statement and other published articles. On the second day, local seminaries, theologians, church leaders and others are invited to attend a networking session for fellowship and sharing of information about theological issues and activities in Africa. A series of papers on different aspects will be presented, introduced by Dr James Nkansah (NEGST) who will present an overall introduction. It is part of the TC's purpose in visiting different parts of the world to learn about local developments. It is expected that this session will leave TC members much better informed about the growth, dynamism and potential of Christian work in Africa. Earlier in the week, Dr Ken Gnanakan will conduct a workshop on 'Poverty and HIV' which will examine some of the societal dynamics associated with HIV.

Items on the business agenda for the TC include development of its dialogue program, membership and staffing, cooperaton with other similar bodies, and a review of its publications program. Of particular interest will be proposals for new study units and future conferences and consultations. TC members will also be able to visit local churches as part of their visit.

TC Member Urges Theological Educators to Bridge the Church-Seminary Gap

Dr Carver Yu, Vice-President of China Graduate School of Theology, Hong Kong, was the official representative of the Theological Commission at the International Consultation for Theological Educators, held at Chiang Mai, Thailand, August 7-11, 2006, sponsored by the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education (ICETE). He was also one of the plenary speakers where he spoke on the divide between the church and the theological school as to relevance and role. He said, 'Not a few churches express disillusionment with traditional theological education's excessively arcane and arid academic orientation, its lack of orientation to ministerial effectiveness, disregard of spiritual nurture, and failure to address the issues experienced by ordinary Christians. Theological schools, they allege, may produce certified professionals, but not effective church leaders.

Seminaries would rejoin saying that contemporary churches are mere assemblies of proliferated ministry programs, with a growth-above-all orientation; and they are scandalously pragmatic, led not so much by pastors faithful to the Word of God as by executive managers and lay leaders used to corporate management dogma; they tend to marginalize theology, displace Christian worship with entertainment for seekers, abandon biblical preaching for entertaining story-telling, reduce the communion of the saints into small group dynamics, and have pandered to religious consumers in isolation rather than nurturing believers in community.

Yu asserted that this debate stems from two sides of the same problem which may be stated in terms of three questions: What is the Church? What is Theology? What is Theological Education? Addressing the second question first, Yu commended Karl Barth's definition of theology as the science of critique (i.e., examination, testing). Theology's proper and necessary role, he posited, is to examine the Church's proclamation to test whether it is faithful to the Word of God. Specifically, the church's proclamation is to be critiqued in terms of its relevance and prophetic to the human condition.

To the question, What is the Church? Yu incorporated theological insights from Küng, Moltmann, Ray Anderson into his own Reformed heritage, and proposed to define the church as the "eschatological, charismatic, covenantal, Eucharistic community" By eschatological he meant that the church stands as witness to and firstfruits of the eschaton, it therefore a historical movement in and through which the kingdom of darkness is vanquished and the Kingdom of God manifested. By charismatic community, he meant that the church is called, endowed with all the spiritual gifts, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve by means of the structure and full expression of spiritual gifts rather than by a mere structure of authority. By covenantal community he meant that the obligations and graces of covenant life are to be experienced, exercised and nurtured by the redeemed community. By Eucharistic he meant the church's perpetual celebration of Christ's death as an expression of gratitude and commitment live sacrificially for the redemption of the world.

Yu pointed out that, while it is theology's duty to examine the extent to which the church truly lives as the eschatological, charismatic, covenantal, Eucharistic community, these matters are mostly absent from theological curricula. There seems to be little sense where history is moving and should be moving in our theological endeavor. There is also little cultivation of the sense of community in theological scholarship. Theological research remains an individualistic enterprise. He argued that theological schools fail if they do not help the church to maintain a prophetic edge with reference to these attributes. His examples of theological school failure included, (a) the sterile way in which church history is typically taught in theological schools as a series of church events in contrast to the compelling drama of the eschaton; (b) the preoccupation of biblical and theological studies with individualistic rather than communal understanding and application; and (c) the emphasis upon professional competence at the expense of calls to sacrificial service to Christ.

As far as the global context is concerned, Yu argued that what is being globalized is nothing but the unbridled market capitalism together with its twin, liberal humanism. These two trends are undermining in a fundamental way our religious and moral values, making functional rationality as the measure of all things. Unfortunately, there has been little engagement by Evangelical theologians with these two trends which breed radical secularization and radical narcissism. Our theological curricula are simply oblivious of the need to take on the challenge.

The theme for the consultation, attend by 144 delegates from more than 40 nations, was 'Global Christianity and the Role of Theological Education.' The consultation opened with Dr. Andrew Walls' plenary message 'Global Christianity and the Role of Theological Education.' which focused on the massive shift of the centre of Christian over the previous century from the West to the new developing world. Dr Walls pointed out that the consequence of this should be a change in the direction of theological education from its traditional Western orientation. He argued that theology should be focused on Christian decisions of the church in action, rather than metaphysical speculations. being an active part of the process

The second plenary session entitled "Global Christianity: Whose Christianity" was led by Dr. Lamin Sanneh (Yale), who stressed the importance of Christianity being localised and expressed in the everyday languages and cultures of the various peoples of the world. He said that the richness of frontier Christianity, its experience of suffering for the Gospel, material poverty yet spiritual wealth, the role of women, and its rural communal character, has to be tapped for world Christianity.

Carlos Pinto (Sao Paulo, Brazil) was the speaker for the 4th plenary session on the topic, 'Forming World Christians: Our Task?' By "world Christian," many theological educators would either define it in terms of "awareness of and sensitivity to the diversity of global Christianity" or "the capacity to relate the Gospel to culture." There was a need, he stressed, to train leaders who possess the capacity and commitment to think globally and act locally with a view to impacting the ends of the earth.

Dr. Chris Wright, of Langham Partnership International, reflected on the North/South Issues: Addressing the Global Divide', and noted some progress in addressing problems of inequality in terms of resources and educational opportunities between Northern (Western) and majority world (Southern) Christianity. he pleaded for continuing development, and pointed out the need to build on strength while strengthening the weak. He explained that the 'rich' West needs to see its own spiritual poverty, to which the majority world should have concern, and that there was need for mutual education. At the same time he said it was necessary to address the issue concerning the regeneration of the Western church, for it concerns generating fresh resources from a declining church, and for mutual critique--for the humility to listen to one another.

(Based on a report to the TC by Dr Carver Yu)

Adventists and Evangelicals Meet in Dialogue

Representatives of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church and the World Evangelical Alliance met in dialogue August 8-11, 2006 on the campus of the International Baptist Theological Seminary, located in Prague, Czech Republic. Although informal contacts had occurred during the past 50 years, this was the first official meeting of the two groups. The purposes of the dialogue were to gain a clearer understanding of the theological positions of each body; to clarify matters of misunderstanding; to discuss frankly areas of agreement and disagreement on a Biblical basis; and to explore possible areas of cooperation.

Representing theAlliance were: Dr. Rolf Hille, Executive Chair of the Theological Commission, WEA; Dr. Juerg Buchegger; Pastor James Kautt; Dr. Herbert Klement; Dr. Ian Randall, joined by theological expert Dr. Reinhard Hempelmann. The Adventist representatives were: Dr. John Graz, Secretary of the Council on Interchurch / Interfaith Relations; Dr. Niels-Erik Andreasen; Dr. Bert B. Beach; Dr. Kwabena Donkor; Dr. Eugene Hsu; Dr. William Johnsson; Dr. Teresa Reeve; and Dr. Angel Rodriguez. Drs. Hille and Graz co-chaired the discussions. The Alliance represents some 420 million evangelical Christians in 127 countries drawn from many denominations. The Adventist Church has 15 million members in more than 200 countries.

The dialogue proceeded via several papers and presentations that described the respective profiles of Adventists and the Alliance. Representatives discussed the platform of beliefs held in common by Evangelicals: the Holy Scriptures, the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ, justification by faith, the new birth, the unity of the Spirit, and the Resurrection. They also considered Adventist presentations on the interpretation of Scripture; Gospel, Law, and the Sabbath; and relations with other churches.

The dialogue revealed a large measure of common ground as agreement was found between the beliefs of the Alliance Statement of Faith and the Adventist Statement of Fundamental Beliefs; further, the two groups shared a spirit of devotion and piety, a strong belief in the inspiration and authority of Scripture, and a common concern for united Christian witness in an age of increasing secularism and religious pluralism.

The meeting concluded by planning for a second round of discussions to be held August 6-10, 2007, on the campus of Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, USA.

New MTh Program in African Christianity at Daystar University, Kenya.

Africa is often viewed through a dark lens, with the focus being on poverty, disease - especially HIV/AIDS, bad governance, corruption, crime, and ethnic violence. While these are undeniable realities across the continent, they hardly represent the total picture. For those who have eyes to see, who view Africa through the lens of God's Kingdom, another reality emerges. Throughout the 20th century, the Church in Africa has grown faster than almost any place or any time in all of Christian history. As a result, Africa is now acknowledged to be a heartland of the gospel and the central zone of theological activity in the world. How are we to understand these divergent realities? Why has the gospel spread so dramatically across sub-Saharan Africa, and to what extent does it impact life in local communities? What is the significance of African Christianity at this point in history, within its own contexts and within the wider sphere of world Christianity?

These are urgent questions that require serious study. Therefore Daystar University has launched its new Master of Theology (MTh) in African Christianity program, which concentrates on this new phenomenon within world Christianity. The 48 credit-hour, 2 year program is under the leadership of MTh Coordinator, Dr Diane Stinton, who said, 'I am impressed by the words of our external reviewer for the Commission of Higher Education, Prof. Jesse Mugambi, who highly commended Daystar University, as an evangelical university, for having taken the initiative to design such a program. He feels that this will have a ripple effect on evangelical theology in our region, so I pray that God will truly prosper the work of our hands in this regard.'

On August 4, 2006 a public lecture was delivered by Prof. Kwame Bediako, and orientation began on August 16, 2006 with Prof. Andrew Walls giving a week of lectures. During the preparations several developments occurred which gave considerable encouragement to the University, including funding for library and teaching equipment, and bibliographic software available for use by all postgraduate faculty and students. There was also a book project initiated by Acton Publishers, in which 400 copies of core textbooks are donated for long-term student use in exchange for serious academic engagement with the African theological writings.

The overall aim of the program is to foster within students an increased sense of African Christian identity, an enhanced ability to engage rigorously with theological issues in African contexts, and a deeper commitment to accountability for authentic Christian witness. In keeping with African worldviews, the program takes a holistic approach to theology; that is, it aims to nurture and equip students for ongoing personal formation, church reformation, and social transformation. Given the need to consider both the local and the global dimensions of theology, the program will examine African Christianity in relation to the worldwide development of Christian tradition, both past and present. The program is suitable for theological educators in formal and informal (e.g., TEE) settings, for those in pastoral ministries within church and para-church organizations, and those in Christian NGO and development agencies.

For further information and for offers to funding to assist students with the cost of the program, contact the Postgraduate Faculty office or the MTh Coordinator, Dr. Diane Stinton, at dbstinton@diamsys.co.ke 

Book Review: Kyle D. Fedler. Exploring Christian Ethics: Biblical Foundations for Morality

(Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2006. ISBN 978-0-64-22898-9 Pb, pp 233, index)

The sub-title indicates the content of the major part of this book-7 out of its 10 chapters (three-fourths of its pages) covering creation, the Mosaic covenant and the prophets in the OT, and the teaching of Jesus, imitation of his life and the ethics of Paul for the NT. Much of this material is a basic presentation of biblical theology and history, making the book valuable for students without a biblical background, but rather superfluous for others. The introductory chapter in this section is helpful for giving insights on 'the use of Scripture' in ethics, although it too contains much basic material on hermeneutics and exegesis. There are also useful but brief guidelines for the use of other authorities such as reason, experience and tradition. The first part of the book is a lucid, well illustrated introduction to the main systems of ethics such as deontology, utilitarianism and virtue ethics. A feature of this section is an evaluation of each system from a Christian perspective. The author, from Ashland University, has a facility for succinct, clear teaching which is the strength of the book.

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