Introduction to Herman Bavinck (1854-1921): A Centenary Celebration N. Gray Sutanto and Justin McLendon N. Gray Sutanto is Assistant Professor of Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington D.C. Justin McLendon is Associate Professor of Theology at Grand Canyon University and serves as a Managing Editor of JBTS. The Journal of Biblical and Theological Studies (hereafter, JBTS) is a broadly evangelical, interdenominational journal committed to publishing current scholarship across biblical and theological disciplines. Biblical and theological themes have been the focus of every issue to date. Within biblical studies, examples include the Israelite Monarchy and Pauline Studies, and within theological studies, examples include Christianity and the Philosophy of Science and the Catholicity of the Church.[1] This iteration, JBTS 6.2, marks the first volume dedicated exclusively to a Christian theologian and scholar.[2] This shift in focus prompts at least two questions: why dedicate a volume to a singular figure, and why focus upon Herman Bavinck? Read the full article: Introduction to Herman Bavinck (1854-1921): A Centenary Celebration [1] Open access to every JBTS issue can be found on jbtsonline.org. [2] Though JBTS will continue its primary focus on biblical and theological themes in forthcoming volumes, the editorial team has goals to dedicate future issues…

Share this on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

JBTS 6.2 Herman Bavinck (1854-1921): A Centenary Celebration The Journal of Biblical and Theological Studies (hereafter, JBTS) is a broadly evangelical, interdenominational journal committed to publishing current scholarship across biblical and theological disciplines. Biblical and theological themes have been the focus of every issue to date. Within biblical studies, examples include the Israelite Monarchy and Pauline Studies, and within theological studies, examples include Christianity and the Philosophy of Science and the Catholicity of the Church. This iteration, JBTS 6.2, marks the first volume dedicated exclusively to a Christian theologian and scholar. This shift in focus prompts at least two questions: why dedicate a volume to a singular figure, and why focus upon Herman Bavinck? To find out read JBTS 6.2: JBTS 6.2 Herman Bavinck (1854-1921): A Centenary Celebration (Full Issue) Introduction to Herman Bavinck (1854-1921): A Centenary Celebration by N. Gray Sutanto and Justin McLendon Herman Bavinck on Antirevolutionary Politics by George Harinck Planting Tulips in the Rainforest: Herman and Johan Bavinck on Christianity in East and West by James Eglinton Encyclopedia Bavinck: The Case of the History of the Theological Encyclopedia by Greg Parker Jesus the Law Restorer: Law and the Imitation of Christ in Herman Bavinck’s Reformed Ethics by Jess Joustra Bavinck’s Doctrine of God: Absolute, Divine Personality by Gayle Doornbos Dogmatics: A Progressive…

Share this on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Comparative Ecclesiology: Roger Haight’s Christian Community in History for Evangelical Resourcement Justin L. McLendon Justin L. McLendon is Assistant Professor of Theology at Grand Canyon University and Grand Canyon Theological Seminary in Phoenix, Arizona. Due in part to its late arrival within systematic theological loci, ecclesiology remains fertile soil for wide-ranging investigative inquiries from academic scholars and thoughtful clergy. Paul Avis, doyen of academic ecclesiology, positions the discipline in the forefront of modern theological attention, even claiming, “during the past couple of centuries, ecclesiology became a major theological discipline; today, at the beginning of the twenty-first century of the Christian era, it is at the heart of theological research and debate.” Ecclesiology lies at the heart of modern theological dialogue because the identity, purpose, and power of the church are inextricably connected to all other biblical and theological emphases. One can hardly discuss any salient aspect of Christianity without acknowledging its connection to the church as God’s people, or explain in some sense how God uses this eschatological people as the conduit through which he presently engages human history. As research progresses to analyze global ecclesiological phenomena or specific issues within any longstanding church tradition, debates will persist as interlocutors grapple…

Share this on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Early Christian Liturgy: A Reconstruction of All Known Liturgical Components and Their Respective Order Andrew Messmer Andrew Messmer (Ph.D.) is Associate Professor at Facultad Internacional de Teología IBSTE (Spain) and Affiliated Researcher at Evangelical Theological Faculty (Belgium) Abstract: Recent studies on early Christian gatherings have demonstrated convincingly that the Greco-Roman banquet was the context in which Christians gathered for their meetings. What has not been provided, however, is a comprehensive discussion of what Christians did during said gatherings, and in what order they did it. This article attempts to discuss all known components of early Christian gatherings and to arrange them in their relative order. Key terms: liturgy, early Christian gatherings, Greco-Roman banquet, meals Share this on: FacebookTwitterLinkedin

Share this on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

The Care of Souls: John Calvin’s Shepherding Ministry Marcus J. Serven Marcus J. Serven (Th.M, D.Min., Covenant Theological Seminary) retired in 2016 after serving for nearly thirty-seven years in full-time pastoral ministry. Pastor Serven ministered at congregations within several Presbyterian denominations, and he is currently a member of the Presbytery of the Midwest (OPC). He wrote his doctoral dissertation, Seeking the Old Paths: Towards a Recovery of John Calvin’s Pastoral Theology Amongst Reformed and Presbyterian Pastors Today (2011), under the direction of noted church historian David B. Calhoun. Abstract: Many Christians today have distinct impressions of who John Calvin was, but most have never read a single line from his Institutes of the Christian Religion, or benefited from the careful exegesis found in his Commentaries on the Bible, or reflected upon a single salient point from one of his many published sermons. In brief, the reformer John Calvin (1509–1564) has been misinterpreted, misread, and misunderstood.1 He is, perhaps, best known for his views on the doctrines of election, predestination, and reprobation.2 He is also known for his pivotal role in the prosecution of the arch-heretic Michael Servetus (1511–1553) who rejected the Trinity and the deity of Jesus Christ.3 But none…

Share this on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Toward a Theology of Pastoral Care in a Missional Mode Andrew Zantingh Andrew Zantingh is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary and serves as Professor of Congregational Theology at Missional Training Center, Phoenix, and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church in Kitchener, Ontatrio, Canada. As a lead pastor, Andrew has helped shift two churches in Canada to a missional Pastoral Theology, and he now mentors and coaches other pastors to be a missional leaders and disciplers. Abstract: For close to twenty-five years, I have been learning how to care for the congregations God has called me to serve. In this respect, I am like most other professional pastors who paid significant money to be trained by professional professors to gain the necessary skills and techniques to do specialized care in a congregational setting. In addition to being a pastor, I now also teach graduate level pastoral care courses for pastors. The following paper is my theological reflection on the task of training pastors to do pastoral care in a missional way. There are some significant problems with our current approach to pastoral theology. In this volume, Michael Goheen identifies three crucial assumptions that have negatively shaped pastoral theology’s historical growth…

Share this on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Pastoral Theology in a Missional Mode Michael W. Goheen Michael Goheen (Ph.D. Utrecht) is Professor and Director of Theological Education at Missional Training Center, Phoenix and professor of missional theology at Covenant Theological Seminary, St Louis, Missouri. Abstract: In this article I argue for the renewal of pastoral theology from a missional mode. This approach to pastoral theology offers rich resources addressing critical areas of contemporary concern. This article is more than just academic reflection. In fact, this reflects a curricular work in progress at Missional Training Center, Phoenix, Arizona—an extension site of Covenant Theological Seminary, St Louis, Missouri. For the past six years we have been attempting some creative approaches to theological education based on the rich insights from the 1960s—1980s offered by Western mission leaders and Southern hemisphere church leaders on theological education in a missional mode. I am especially indebted to the insights of Lesslie Newbigin, Harvie Conn, and David Bosch, and will draw primarily on their work in this article. I begin by briefly exposing the roots of this problematic view of pastoral theology. I then sketch the missional turn in the 20th century and note its considerable impact beginning with ecclesiology, and then on theology…

Share this on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Pastor-Scholar: The Pastor Theologian and Scholarship Douglas Estes Douglas Estes (PhD, University of Nottingham) is Assistant Professor of New Testament and Practical Theology and director of the DMin Program at South University in Columbia, South Carolina. Prior to this appointment, he served as a pastor for 16 years. He has written or edited seven books, including Questions and Rhetoric in the Greek New Testament (Zondervan, 2017) and How John Works (SBL Press, 2016), as well as contributed to a variety of publications including Bible Study Magazine and Christianity Today. He is the editor of Didaktikos: Journal of Theological Education (Lexham). Abstract: There is a critical need today for pastor-scholars to serve the Church and to advance theological knowledge. The pastor who is a scholar will utilize the format of the written word to dialogue with an important part of modern society—scholars and educated readers—through the form of scholarly discourse. Though the pastor-scholar is not a common calling, once one embraces this calling, there are several essential characteristics that can positively impact the pastor-scholar’s profession and standing. Key Words: pastor-scholar, pastor theologian, ecclesial theologian, scholarship, academics, writing, Augustine, Jonathan Edwards Share this on: FacebookTwitterLinkedin

Share this on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Light from the Third Great Awakening: Harold Ockenga and the Call to Future Pastor-Theologians Owen Strachan Owen Strachan (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), is associate professor of Christian Theology and director of the Center for Public Theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of The Pastor as Public Theologian (with Kevin Vanhoozer, Baker Academic) and Awakening the Evangelical Mind (Zondervan Academic). Abstract: Something remarkable transpired in the mid-twentieth century. Just as the First Great Awakening reset the ecclesiastical paradigm along gospel-demarcated lines in the 1700s, and just as the Second Great Awakening redrew the Protestant map through the explosion of upstart groups like the Baptists and Methodists, so the Third Great Awakening of the neo-evangelical years fundamentally recalibrated and repositioned evangelicalism for unprecedented expansion and activity. Many individuals contributed to this galaxy-formation. Upon close reflection, however, Harold Ockenga—with Billy Graham and Carl Henry—formed the three horsemen of the Neo-Evangelical Resurgence. It is the purpose of this article to first explore Ockenga’s significance for the current day, as the twenty-first century church’s experience mirrors that of the neo-evangelicals some 60–70 years ago. Ockenga offers us an example of a richly theological pastorate, and a pulpit that majored in…

Share this on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin

Pastor Theologians, The Gospel, and the Ministry of Racial Conciliation Benjamin D. Espinoza Benjamin Espinoza (MA, Asbury Theological Seminary) is a PhD student at Michigan State University. His research explores theological education, leadership, vocation, and diversity in churches and seminaries. He is a fellow with the Center for Pastor Theologians and serves on the board of the Association of Youth Ministry Educators. Abstract: Evangelicalism has a historically tenuous relationship with racial conciliation. As our nation becomes increasingly diverse, we must rethink our approaches to racial conciliation. The purpose of this article is to give pastor theologians a vision and plan for developing a rich ministry of racial conciliation. The paper will situate racial conciliation as a gospel issue that demands a response. Next, the article will explore how scholars have reflected on the source, nature, and solutions to racism. Finally, I develop key practices and implications that will assist pastor theologians in being agents of racial conciliation in both ecclesial and academic spaces. Key Words: Race, evangelicalism, pastor theologian, racial conciliation, social justice, gospel Share this on: FacebookTwitterLinkedin

Share this on:

Facebook

Twitter

Linkedin