I’m contributing to a forthcoming book on Scripture and Homosexuality (a response to this one). There is a whole host of complex biblical, theological, and pastoral issues here for consideration.

Specifically, I’m wrestling with Paul’s argument in Rom 1:26-27, a key text, and thinking especially about Paul and “nature.” (more…)

I’ve been reading John Howard Yoder’s book Body Politics: Five Practices of the Christian Community Before the Watching World. It was unintentional, however providential, that the book, which focuses on the mission and politics of the church, was chosen in close proximity to the engagement with Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert’s book What’s the Mission of the Church?

The two books are a contrast in visions of the nature, purpose and focus of the church. Both perspectives, however distant, are rooted in the work of Jesus on the cross and its implications for the world.

The fundamental assumption of Yoder’s book is sacrament is not a mystical or an esoteric reality that is purely ritualistic and incapable of being observed by the naked eye. Rather a sacrament is when the church acts decisively and tangibly in the world on the basis of the work of Jesus. In these public acts of humans God is act work.

This is a sacramentalizing of the public activity of the church in response to Jesus’ work; it is the original understanding of the practices of the church in the New Testament. In earlier posts, we’ve look at Jesus’ command to bind and loose and the Eucharist. The third practice is baptism.

Being a good Baptist, I always thought of baptism as strictly identification: I’m identifying myself with Jesus and his church. Further, baptism is the physical sign of an inward spiritual reality. While I don’t think Yoder’s reflections have changed my perspective on either of these points, it certainly reframes and deepens it.

According to Yoder, baptism’s sacramental element forms “a new people whose newness and togetherness explicitly relativizes prior stratifications and classifications” (33); baptism introduces persons into a new humanity in a new creation.

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I have just noticed that there are about 700 hundred papers being delivered at ETS this year and only eight of them will be delivered by women. What is more, I think I actually know half of the women presenters. Now maybe there are more, I looked up the index in the ETS book and some names like “Leslie” can be unisex, and I don’t know the gender of most Asian names. But even give or take a few, this would mean that women presenters make up only 1% of the papers at ETS. This is not satisfactory.

Now I know that ETS is theologically and culturally conservative in ethos, but ETS has no official position on the gender inclusion issue concerning women in ministry and the academy. In fact, full and frank discussion between complementarians and egalitarians takes place very year, it’s one of the highlights. So there is no reason why female scholars and female grad students in theology/biblical studies cannot come. So where the heck are they and why aren’t they there?

As long as ETS is representative of the evangelical church, then we should expect a strong cohort of female scholars to attend, but they are absent. There are probably several reasons for this. Demographically, many evangelicals are complementarians and don’t permit female scholars (you don’t have to like it or agree, but it is a contributing factor). What is more, I think it is safe to say that some women do not think ETS is a “safe” place to go. Some tell me, anecdotally, that they get sick of being asked “Where does yourhusband teach?”. Or else, they fear being ignored or looked down upon by male peers just for being there.

But let me give five reasons why women should go to ETS! (more…)

Kenneth J. Stewart

Ten Myths About Calvinism: Recovering the Breadth of the Reformed Tradition
Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2011.
Available at Amazon.com

Ken Stewart is professor of theology at Covenant College. Stewart sets out to do the seeming impossible: explode common “myths” and misunderstandings about Calvinism and Reformed Theology. He deals with two sets of myths:

Four Myths Calvinists Should Not Be Circulating (But Are)

1. One Man (Calvin) and One City (Geneva) are Determinative.
2. Calvin’s View of Predestination Must Be Ours.
3. TULIP is the yardstick of the Truly Reformed.
4. Calvinists Take a Dim View of Revival and Awakening.

Six Myths Non-Calvinists Should Not Be Circulating (But Are)

5. Calvinism Is Largely Antimissionary.
6. Calvinism Promotes Antinomianism.
7. Calvinism Leads to Theocracy.
8. Calvinism Undermines the Creative Arts.
9. Calvinism Resists Gender Equality.
10. Calvinism Has Fostered Racial Inequality.

The conclusion concerns, “Recovering our Bearings: Calvinism in the Twenty-First Century”.

Overall a good read. I particularly liked the discussion of myths # 3 and 9.

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