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Blood Washed Heretic
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2003
Total Posts : 167
| Posted 10/8/2003 6:53 AM (GMT -6) |   | If you put your ear to the ground, you can hear it...
The rumble of change approaching the American conservangelical church. The OV is on the front end theologically, and God is using this "debate" to awaken us to the fact that evangelical unity is about to end, and a new synthetic paradigm will replace it. The old guard sees a serious threat to the Calvinist monolith, and has reacted strongly, pigeonholing serious discussion and even pulling the heresy card in an attempt to squelch this movement before it gains much steam.
In this mobilization, they have even recruited Arminian scholars to the cause of classical theism. One of these is Robert C. Kurka, president of the Midwest Region of the ETS, and my theology teacher. I have a great deal of respect for Dr. Kurka, but he vehemently opposes a view I now am beginning to hold. 2004's Midwest Regional Meeting of the ETS is at my school, and Millard Erickson is the keynote speaker. There is no programmed discussion on the OV, but I'm sure it will come up somehow. Another prof at my school, who is a close friend of mine, is a strong Open Theist and has been instrumental in my "conversion". I am thankful that he and Dr. Kurka have not allowed their disagreement to poison the school, but I fear that this ETS meeting could turn into a "rattling of the sabers" of sorts, and that confrontation could be imminent.
Am I anxious about nothing? I hope that, for the time being, I am. However, I firmly believe that God is preparing for the next big movement in His church, and the openness debate could be the first real battleground. I fear that the ETS is set to lose whatever relevance it may have had, and that deep divisions could arise over the heresy charges forthcoming. Again, I may be wrong, but every revolution in the church has been triggered by theological debate, and this could very well be the next one.
In essentials, unity; In matters of opinion, liberty; In all things, love. | | Back to Top | | |
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DLW
Registered Member
Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 2457
| Posted 10/8/2003 7:06 AM (GMT -6) | | Have I told you about the book, "The Remaking of Evangelical Theology" by Gary dorrien? It is the only history of Evangelical Theology that has been written by a non-evangelical. He is an Anglican Social Gospelist.
A lot of the past reasons for divisions within Christian groups have broken down and some obvious new ones have risen up.
anyways,
within OVTheism there is plenty room for disagreement about what is open and what isn't.
I focus on politics, because I think that is an important venue for openness and that historically Church-State relations have been one of the most important ongoing debates we have had.
Also, the higher likelihood of "evangelicals" to vote and their general absence of habits of extensive political reflection have made us easier to manipulate by our leaders and wrt the abortion issue managed to slowly poison the US's democracy over the past thirty years.
In my view, the current PBA legislation will be likely overturned by the Sup Court. I think it is likely that Republicans formed it to make this more likely. Why? Well if we finally get abortion legislation passed and it gets overturned then pro-lifers will turn out in droves in the next election and provide the votes Republicans need to stay in power.
We are being manipulated. A political agenda is being presented to us as apolitical. We must choose whether we are going to deliberate and reconsider our options or spend our time/energy on other things and maintain our status-quo political behavior.
dlw | | Back to Top | | |
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DLW
Registered Member
Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 2457
| Posted 10/8/2003 7:11 AM (GMT -6) | | | | |
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Tom
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 10353
| Posted 10/8/2003 9:29 AM (GMT -6) | | BWH: One of these is Robert C. Kurka, president of the Midwest Region of the ETS, and my theology teacher. I have a great deal of respect for Dr. Kurka...
Tom: Hmm. "Kurka" in Arabic means "Turtle."
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Starkman
Registered Member
Date Joined Oct 2001
Total Posts : 1747
| Posted 10/8/2003 10:02 AM (GMT -6) | | Yeah, TGB, but ... Dr. Turtle?
"Good evening, Dr. Turtle. Is Mr. Owl in?"
"No sir, he's still licking the lollypop."
I mean, I'd go with English instead of Arabic too!
Starkman (which, by the way, backwards is yekrats) | | Back to Top | | |
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DLW
Registered Member
Date Joined Apr 2003
Total Posts : 2457
| Posted 10/9/2003 7:01 AM (GMT -6) | | quote:
Originally posted by Blood Washed Heretic
Could Doc or someone explain to me the exact charges or whatever being brought against Sanders and Pinnock? Also, why aren't you included, Doc? Is the issue something that somehow excludes you? Or are you simply not a member of the ETS, and subsequently immune to expulsion?
I know you went through some controversy with the BGC a few years back, so I was wondering if you're free and clear now, or if more storm clouds are on the horizon?
Doc isn't a member of ETS, unlike the others. He gave up on them a while back.
The BGC thing ended with them amending their constitution saying that the open-view was outside the historical understanding of God within the BGC. Him no longer teaching at Bethel College also immunized him to that.
Although, now an open theist like myself couldn't get a job teaching at BC, unless we just said we were neo-armenians .
dlw
Niebuhr thought that sustained moral energy in politics depended on religion's power to mobilize reason along with self-transcending love. The prophetic tradition, meanwhile, gave Jews and Christians some protection against the temptation to identify their social causes with God's will. Lincoln's second inaugural address expressed the prophetic insight, "The almighty has His own purposes." | | Back to Top | | |
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