The conference ended this morning with a good old fashioned question panel. Five men (Dr Gaffin had to leave after breakfast) under Jonathan Stephen's chairmanship sat to answer nine questions from the floor about1. Intertextual studies coming cross discipline from the English dept. Dr B recommended Echoes of Scripture in Paul.
2. The image of God in man. Dr McG argued for beginning with Christ. Dr W recommended Berkouwer and P E Hughes The True Image. See here for a bibliography.
3. Christ coming soon - immanence not a temporal reference. The next thing for this world.
4. The current theological scene - Dr W spoke of current efforts to engage with our culture and warned against the wrong approach of the Emergent church. Dr M emphasised the need to teach men to think critically. Dr B noted the increase in academic work by evangelicals but lamented the watering down of the meaning of the word. Dr S said that he encourages students not to ask 'Is this evangelical?' but 'Is this true?' he also spoke of good resources, the decline of theological study in universities and the need to get theology back into the public square.
5. (in an unusual inversion) how theologians might learn from pastors. This drew many positive remarks but none that really answered the question.
6. (more predictably) pastors keeping up in theology. This drew reminders of Rutherford House, the John Owen Centre, etc and a useful call to do some study on a Monday morning and work on one verse in Greek and Hebrew everyday. Somewhere along the line we were alerted to a major new book on Scripture that Andy McG's been working on for IVP. (Dr B earlier mentioned a book that he and Don Carson have coming out soon guiding you through every OT text in the NT).
7. One of the Crowded House boys dragged us back to reality with a question on personal witness. Each was able to speak humbly of opportunities taken to witness to others despite their responsibilities in the theological world.
8. A question on creation elicited a gratifying orthodoxy commitment to Genesis, though with some willing to follow Kline and Blocher on the question of the days.
9. I asked a closing question on their programme of reading and study for the next few years. I was a little disappointed not to be regaled with wonderful future plans though Andy McG is busy on a big project on Christ's person and work. The men seem to stumble on like the rest of us. They all want to begin the day with Scripture, however. Dr B amusingly and challengingly described how he had read through one of Tom Wright's works 3 minutes at a time as he cleaned his teeth. It prompted a closing question from Dr Wells about truth decay!
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