Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

fundamentalism

Lloyd-Jones: “I prefer to call myself a conservative evangelical”

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From a rare interview with Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (see 5:45–7:18):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Z-MBHKREsS8&start=345s

Question [at 6:07 in the video]: Are you a fundamentalist?

Lloyd-Jones’s answer: Like many others I don’t like the term. I prefer to call myself a conservative evangelical. [Read more…] about Lloyd-Jones: “I prefer to call myself a conservative evangelical”

Dedicated to Michael Barrett

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This book is dedicated to Michael P. V. Barrett (Hebrews 13:7), who for almost thirty years taught Old Testament at Bob Jones University and Seminary:

Here’s how Mark Gignilliat concludes his acknowledgments:

I am grateful for my undergraduate and seminary teachers—now more than ever. I have been blessed with many good and caring professors who have taken a special interest in my academic and spiritual growth. I am dedicating this book to one teacher in particular, Dr. Michael P V Barrett. It was in Dr. Barrett’s Old Testament courses where as an undergrad a fire was lit in me for rigorous and thoughtful exegesis of Scripture. I have vivid memories of lecture halls filled with students, mouth agape at the clarity and profundity of Dr Barrett’s lectures. We were all scared of him. “Where did that come from, Dr Barrett?” one of my friends shouted out in a moment of self-forgetfulness. “Well, Mr Gage, I got it from the Bible. Do you ever read your Bible?” Though we were scared of him, we loved him and still do. I have not been very good at keeping in contact with Dr Barrett. Intended letters are still left unwritten. I imagine he is not especially happy about all of the ecclesial and theological decisions I have made; I’m not sure I’m happy with all of them either. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the light and heat of Dr. Barrett’s lectures and life. The academicians and theologians who walk the halls of an ETS, SBL, or AAR conference may never know Dr Barrett’s name. I am quite sure he does not care. But he had a shaping influence on me, and I am deeply thankful I dedicate this book to him in grateful appreciation. (p. 10)

Perspectives on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism

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The annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society is scheduled to take place in San Francisco later this month. The program is available as a PDF.

There are four prioritized reasons to attend this annual meeting:

  1. Network.
  2. Buy books.
  3. Meet re projects.
  4. Attend sessions.

This session may interest you:

Perspectives on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism

Thursday, November 17, 2011 | 3:00-6:10 pm | Parc 55 – Divisadero

Moderator/Introduction: Andy Naselli (The Gospel Coalition)

Presenters:

  1. R. Albert Mohler Jr. (The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary): A Conservative Evangelical View on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism
  2. Kevin T. Bauder (Central Seminary): A Fundamentalist View on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism
  3. Carl Trueman (Westminster Theological Seminary): Response to Albert Mohler and Kevin Bauder

Panel Discussion

The discussion will be related to the book Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism.

Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism

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This book comes out this month:

Andrew David Naselli and Collin Hansen, eds. Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism. Counterpoints. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011.

[Read more…] about Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism

Essential vs. Peripheral Doctrine

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Erik Thoennes, Life’s Biggest Questions: What the Bible Says About the Things That Matter Most, (Wheaton: Crossway, 2011), 35–37 (formatting added):

Essential vs. Peripheral Doctrine

The ability to discern the relative importance of theological beliefs is vital for effective Christian life and ministry. Both the purity and unity of the church are at stake in this matter. The relative importance of theological issues can fall within four categories:

  1. absolutes define the core beliefs of the Christian faith;
  2. convictions, while not core beliefs, may have significant impact on the health and effectiveness of the church;
  3. opinions are views or personal judgments that generally are not worth dividing over; and
  4. questions are currently unsettled issues.

These categories can be best visualized as concentric circles, similar to those on a dart board, with the absolutes as the “bull’s eye” (see fig. 3.4).

Into which category an issue falls should be determined by the cumulative force of at least eight considerations: [Read more…] about Essential vs. Peripheral Doctrine