Theological News On-Line

TC Chairman's visit to Belarus highlights critical need for mutual understanding and religious freedom

A report by Dr Rolf Hille, Chair, WEA Theological Commission (abbreviated for TN On-Line)

Twenty-five years ago when the Theological Commission (TC) of the WEA first established ecumenical contacts, the relationship of Evangelical churches and the Roman Catholic Church was the focus. However, for some time now, the TC has also intended to establish a dialogue with the Orthodox churches of Eastern Europe. TC member, Rev. Per Pedersen of the the Danish Lutheran Church, who teaches at the Armenian Orthodox seminary in Armenia now has regular meetings with the Armenian Patriarch. Since the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the former Communist dictatorships in Eastern Europe, new possibilities of diverse encounters for dialogue have arisen. Also there have arisen conflicts between Protestant churches and missionary societies in the predominantly Orthodox countries of Eastern Europe which has made the need for better understanding acute.

As principal of the Albrecht-Bengel Haus seminary in Tuebingen, Germany and as chairman of the TC, I had the unique opportunity of taking a study trip to Belarus with a group of 15 students from May 10-17, 2008. Even on the first day of our journey, I had the chance to meet and to get to know the Belarussian Orthodox Patriarch Filaret, who was responsible for officially inviting our group. Our students had the unique pleasure of giving a musical concert including some German classical choral pieces at the Minsk Philharmonic concert hall on the occasion of an official celebration of the Belarussian Orthodox Church. On the following Sunday, we not only visited an Orthodox service, but also the services of the Lutheran Church in Minsk.

Thereafter, our program included paying a series of visits to the Theological Institute and the Academy of Spirituality. There, I was able to give a lecture to candidates for the Orthodox priesthood on the Essentials of Protestant (Reformation) Christianity and on questions of ecumenical relations.

With respect to the relationship to Orthodox churches, the following fundamental theological insights are of vital importance:

1. Since the schism of the Greek-speaking Eastern Church and the Latin-speaking Western Church of the Roman Empire in the year 1054, both churches have become quite estranged from one another over time and developed apart from one another in relative isolation.
2. In some respects, the Orthodox churches stand in the middle between Catholicism and Protestantism.
3. While the Orthodox churches developed independently on their own in relative isolation, there was parallel development in Europe and later in all other continents of both the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant churches. However the critical intellectual struggle which enveloped the western churches did not take place in the Orthodox churches because they were not seriously affected by the European Enlightenment.
4. This is evident in dealing with the questions of basic doctrine: the Roman Catholic Church recognizes Scripture, the authority of bishops together with the Pope and tradition, but Protestant strictly espouse the principle of the Scripture alone as the basis of all theological questions of doctrine, faith, and life. However the Orthodox churches have a certain mediating position between these two, recognising as binding revelation of truth the doctrinal decisions of all seven ecumenical councils of the early (Patristic) Church up to the year 787, but none after that.
5. Since its founding in Amsterdam in 1948, the Orthodox churches, together with a large number of Protestant churches, have been a part of the World Council of Churches (WCC). It is interesting to note that at the General assemblies of the WCC in the past years, frequent conversations have taken place between concerned Evangelicals and Orthodox bishops voicing their concerns about developments within liberal Protestantism. In the 20th century, during the papacy of Paul VI, some degree of reconciliation occurred between Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople, at least regarding the lifting of the mutual official condemnations that took place with the schism of 1054.
6. All Protestants, particularly Evangelical Christians, feel a marked distance to the Orthodox with respect to their intense veneration of saints and of Mary. This can be seen most conspicuously in the many icons found in Orthodox churches. For Biblically-oriented Evangelical Christians, the line of demarcation drawn by death between the Christians living in this present-world and those in the world to come cannot simply be overlooked. This difference gives us a completely different view on the veneration of the saints and of Mary.
7. Many Evangelicals are quite skeptical about the spirituality of the Orthodox and see in it an external, ritualized Christianity. But the survival of the Orthodox church and the faith of its people during the long period of persecution endured by them during the 20th century indicates that this opinion must be re-examined. It is amazing how many people returned to the churches after this persecution. Their faith was kept alive and the Gospel was propagated in services and in families, particularly by grandparents.
8. The most critical question is the matter of religious liberty. The views of Protestant Christians who have begun to work in Orthodox areas since the Fall of the Wall in 1989 are absolutely in opposition to the self-understanding of the official Orthodox churches. Protestants are labeled cults, without any consideration of that fact that they are from larger Protestant denominations, such as the Baptists.
9. Ecumenical dialogues led by the WEA TC must, in my opinion, keep these three aspects in mind: the theological discussion about the early Christian points of common reference, the question of the controversies regarding doctrine and practice, and finally, the question of how to create better mutual understanding so that Protestant churches can live and work in freedom as respected Christian congregations.

TC-08 Theological Commission 2008 Program - Local and Global Input and Impact

The WEA Theological Commission's annual event, TC-08, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand prior to the WEA General Assembly will involve global input as well as local interest. The topic of the consultation finalised in consultation with local theologians is "Holistic Gospel in a developing community." Dr Brian Edgar (Australia) and Dr Justin Thacker (UK) will prsent plenary papers on biblical/theological foundations and historical developments. There will be in-depth discussion on several areas of application of this theme in relation to the practical work of churches in Thailand. In addition there will be another English language discussion group which will focus on international aspects of the topic. It will include contributions from theologians present at the consultation as well as input from participants in an on-line discussion group recently set up by the TC with the intention of gathering insights, experiences and resources from people around the world who are not able to attend in person. This e-group moderated by Ian Packer, Director of Public Theology for the Australian Evangelical Alliance is now open and those interested in contributing are invited to contact the TC office for more details (tc@worldevangelicalalliance.com). Findings from both the Thai language discussions and the international group (including the e-group) will be compiled into a document to be available from the TC display at the WEA General Assembly which follows TC-08.

The annual TC gathering is open to TC commissioners, Global Members and invited guests and observers and other interested friends by arrangement. The Global membership scheme enables anyone interested in the work of international evangelical theological activity to participate fully in the annual gathering of the TC and the rest of its activities. Membership and annual subscription details are available on request and those interested in TC-08 are invited to contact the TC office for more information.

Books by Noted Scholar Available

Dr Morris Inch, professor emeritus of Biblical Studies at Wheaton College, has made available copies of several of his books for overseas schools of higher education, providing they can be re-mailed from an U.S. address. Titles he is offering include, In Christ and On Track, Chaos Paradigm, The Elder Brother, Man: The Perennial Question, Matthew in the Messianic Tradition, Signature of the Spirit, and an apologetic series: Why Take the Bible Seriously?, Why Take Jesus Seriously?, and Why Take the Church Seriously? (http://geocities.com/inchcraft).

Dr Inch served for 24 years at Wheaton and also in other positions including President of the Institute of Holy Land Studies (now Jerusalem University College), Jerusalem, Israel, and has taught in countries such as Romania, Nigeria, and the Far East.. He has authored about 35 books in total, co-edited three volumes, and contributed numerous articles. For more details, email: minch@centurytel.net 

Verbum: The Whole Gospel

A Reflection on the Lausanne Theology Working Group Consultation on this topic in
preparation for Lausanne III Cape Town South Africa 2010

No 11: April 2008

By Dr Justin Thacker, Head of Theology, Evangelical Alliance of UK j.thacker@eauk.org 

Go therefore and make believers of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to believe everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

I assume that you noticed the deliberate alterations to these verses from Matthew 28. The so-called 'great commission' does not call us to make 'believers', but rather 'disciples'. Similarly, we are not to teach them to 'believe', but rather to 'obey'. If you did not spot the changes, it may be because all of us have a tendency, whether conscious or not, to interpret this commission as if it said what I have suggested. Yet, to reduce the goal of the commission merely to a transformation in a set of cognitive attitudes is to peddle, not the full gospel of Jesus Christ, but rather a partial gospel. Indeed, given that it questionable whether such a thing can exist-perhaps we should even say a false gospel.

For the whole gospel of Jesus Christ is not merely a certain list of doctrines to be ticked off one by one. If it were, then it certainly would be possible to proclaim the 'gospel' just in words, and our aim would simply be to persuade others to adopt a different belief system. However, that is not the full gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ was declared in advance to Abraham (Galatians 3:8), embodied in Jesus Christ (Luke 4:21), and transforms our existence (Romans 1:16). It is not so much a package that we can pin down, process and then deliver to unsuspecting wanderers looking for a new worldview. It is rather a river in which we find ourselves being carried forward, and into which we invite others to jump. It defines us, rather we who define it. And like a raging torrent, it is uncontrollable, and unstoppable, taking us to places that we could never imagine, and may not even want to go.

All of us know this, and when we consider the gospel in relation to our own lives we recognise the metaphor that I have advanced. Yet, for some reason when it comes to sharing this good news with others, it is as if we step out of the river collect just a sample of the water-and offer it up saying, 'here it is, a life transforming gospel, why don't you try some?' No wonder, our unsuspecting hearer looks at us with bewilderment. We have been swimming in the riches of God's grace, yet in reducing the gospel merely to a set of propositions, we offer them little in comparison.

This is not to suggest for a moment that such doctrinal formulations are unimportant, or even absolutely necessary for any full presentation of the gospel. However, it is to suggest that when, either implicitly or explicitly, we suggest that the 'gospel' is merely that set of propositions, rather than a life changing encounter with the Lord of the universe, then we have sold our listeners short. The whole gospel of Jesus Christ transforms us, and as a result causes us to be transforming. It captivates the whole of our being-mind, heart, spirit, soul and body-and in turning us inside out, redirects the whole of who we are to the worship of Jesus Christ.

It is precisely for this reason that the whole gospel can never just be proclaimed verbally-though it must be proclaimed verbally-but in addition necessitates a demonstration in practice of the love of Jesus Christ. To treat orthopraxy as additional or optional is to indicate that one has not been wholly transformed oneself by the gospel of Jesus Christ, and is therefore to peddle a partial gospel, if not a false gospel. It is then for this reason that the call upon our lives is to teach others to obey, rather than merely to believe. For Christ did not die on a cross to save Cartesian minds. He died to save people-in all their cognitive, affective, spiritual and physical being. That is the whole gospel of Jesus Christ.

Verbum: Welcome to Verbum-a page of thoughtful comment and insight giving perspectives and overviews of topical issues. It appears in both our print and electronic versions. Reproduction and wider circulation is encouraged. Please acknowledge as "Verbum: WEA Theological News April 2008" Contributions from readers of ideas and articles (700 words) are warmly welcomed.

Correction:

In our last issue of noticed in the news WEA Theological News On-Line, in the article on Vulnerable Mission Conferences the name of the contact person for the Oklahoma Conference should have been Dr Woodrow E. Walton. We apologise for the error and any inconvenience or embarrassment.

A New Beginning for Arab Christian Theology

By: Chris Wright, Langham Partnership International Director

There have been Arab believers since before the followers of Jesus were even called Christians (a nickname that was invented in Syria). They were there on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10-11), and the Christian church has continued in the Middle East throughout the past two thousand years. Some of the rich tradition of Arabic Christian theological writings from a thousand years ago are being rediscovered today. But a distinctively evangelical Arabic Christian voice has not been heard addressing its own theological concerns in today's world within significant book-size publications until this year.

January 2008 saw the launch of the "Arabic Contemporary Theology" (ACT). Beautifully produced as an A4-size textbook of 500 pages in two column Arabic, it is the fruit of a three-year project by a group of ten Arab Christian theologians in Egypt and Lebanon, some of whom are Langham scholars. From clear biblical foundations, it tackles some of the sharp issues that Christians face especially in the Middle East, including: How Arab Christians understand the Old Testament; The Old Testament concepts of covenant and land; The meaning of Jesus' identity as a Jew; Understanding prophetic texts in relation to religion and politics today and o Christianity and women.

The book was launched at a three-day seminar at a coastal resort on the Red Sea, which brought together about 70 theologians, pastors and Christian leaders from various Protestant denominations in Egypt. Langham Partnership was invited to attend, since we have invested significantly in the project from its beginning, and so Chris Wright (International Director), and Pieter Kwant (International Programme Director for Langham Literature) were both pleased to participate, and Chris Wright was an invited speaker in some of the sessions.

The book is published by Dar El Thaqafa, which is the publishing arm of CEOSS, the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Service (founded in 1950 by Sami Habib). The Director of Dar El Thaqafa is Andrea Zaki Stephanous - a Langham scholar who has driven the whole project from the beginning. In addition, with Langham Literature's further assistance, a five-volume "Arabic Contemporary Commentary" on the whole Bible is planned over the next 5-6 years.

Courtesy: Langham Partnership Australia (adapted)

Ecumenical theological education strategic to Christianity

Christian leaders at the IV Congress of the World Conference of Associations of Theological Institutions in Greece last week concluded that ecumenical theological education is of strategic importance for Christianity in the 21st century. Meeting in Neapolis, Thessaloniki and Volos, the congress affirmed that churches, donor agencies and universities should pay more attention to promoting and funding ecumenical theological education, including exchange programmes of teachers and students between different regions and churches. Ecumenical theological education is crucial for strengthening the identity of churches, as well as their openness to ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, the congress emphasised.

"There is an immense need for increased efforts to promote ecumenical theological education in view of the enormous challenges posed by fast growing churches, grave inequalities in access to higher theological education, and the growing trends of religious fundamentalism and fragmentation," said Dr Dietrich Werner, coordinator of the ecumenical theological education programme of the World Council of Churches (WCC). "As churches need well-trained theologians, pastors and church leaders, new forms of international solidarity and sharing for faculty development, library and curriculum improvement as well as quality standards in theological education are needed," he added. Prof Petros Vassiliadis, president of WOCATI, emphasised the world conference's unique role as a global forum for open dialogue, serving the twin goal of contextualisation and catholicity for theological education.

In a final message, the congress issued a number of specific recommendations to churches, associations of theological schools and the WCC. They include a greater emphasis on regional dialogue and on theological education in developing regions. A closer cooperation between the WCC theological education programmes and WOCATI, which spans some 25 regional associations of theological schools, was also recommended.

The 6-day congress, whose theme was "Theological Education: A Radical Reappraisal", brought together some 60 leading experts in theological education from 35 countries of both the northern and southern hemispheres. Some 25 regional case studies and reports about key developments in theological education were discussed.

Organised by WOCATI and WCC, the congress was sponsored by the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany, the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Neapolis and Stavroupolis, the Department of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Volos Academy of the Diocese of Demetrias.

Christian Today news service Posted: Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Notice to Readers Thank you for interest our work and newsletter through the year.

Subscriptions: May we remind those who take the printed version that subscriptions for 2008 are now due. The details are at the foot of this letter. There is no need to renew subscriptions for the TN On-Line.

Change of Address: It helps us a great deal if you can update us on changes of address (email and/or postal) or cancellations. Please provide name and address as shown on the mailing label. These details can be emailed. If you subscribe to our electronic Forum or receive TN On-Line, please advise us of changes of email address. We have quite a number of 'dead' addresses now which we would like to revive!

Global Membership: You may be involved directly in the activities and work of the Theological Commission by taking out Global Membership (individual, institutional or National Evangelical Alliance/Fellowship) so that by an annual subscription you can receive our publications and be part of our conferences and consultations. For further information, see below and contact the TC Office - tc@worldevangelicalalliance.com 

Participate with the TC - Global Membership

Join the TC's Global Membership-categories for individual theologians; seminaries, missions churches and other institutions; and National Evangelical fellowships and their theological units. Annual membership brings subscriptions to TC publications (ERT and TN) and the ability to share in the TC's annual conferences, networking and planning sessions, TC study units and task forces. For more information, contact tc@worldevangelicalalliance.com