The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.

Theological College New Name



ENGLAND

ANGELIC

SCHOOL OF

THEOLOGY

News fresh in. We have just heard from London Theological Seminary that from April 1 this year it is to be known by a new name. A spokesman, Mr Steven Nathan John said,

'Far be it from us to go around changing names of things to confuse people but LTS is a bit of a mouthful and rather unmemorable. It is also often confused with LST and STL. Another factor was the new law recently passed in America that all tertiary academic institutions must be called schools (the name college being reserved for secondary ones). So we have come up with 'England Angelic School of Theology'. The change is minimal in that two of the original letters remain while the first is replaced with two new letters. The chief advantage is that we can now be referred to monosyllabically as EAST. Not only is the acronym memorable; it is geographically significant. We're on the south eastern fringe of a landmass dominated by the Welsh and the Scots and I like to think of us as a gateway into the rest of Britain, Ireland and beyond (if there is anything).'

Apparently there was some discussion over the second part of the name. A member of the board from Suffolk had suggested East Anglian School of Theology but the London base was felt to be against this. Several Korean students would be happy with England Asian (or even East Asian) School of Theology but the name doesn't fully reflect the mix present in the college. Mr John himself who helped with the name change had suggested England Affinity School of Theology. The words Augustinain and Anselmian were also in the frame at one point. Angelic was chosen as the students are being trained to be messengers and (in their own opinion) are quite an angelic bunch anyway.

5 comments:

John said...

I see that you have labelled this news item 'fun', but I have to say it is no laughing matter. This name change will put the acrimony back into acronym and no mistake. I myself had intended to launch Evangelicals Against Systematic Theology around that time but was convinced that people would be disorientated by having the true meaning of 'East' removed from use. Perhaps the perpetrators of this conceptual theft will reconsider and use cursive letters throughout (east) to show solidarity with affinity.

Gary Brady said...

John. Someone on my wavelength. Fancy founding SOUTH? Scotland Oldstyle University and Theological Hall.

John said...

Gary,
Now that Franz Bibfeldt has apparently become a confessing evangelical (or that the Univ. of Chicago confessing evangelical has become Franz Bibfeldt, I'm not sure which) we might be able to get him on the faculty.

Trouble is, I don't think we'd be able to take your kids' special language needs on board so unless you're planning to homeschool, having you as a colleague might be too much but your offer is otherwise attractive. Mind if I pinch the idea and go it alone?

Actually, scrub that, let EAST be EAST, I've decided to form 'We Expel Systematic Theologians' as a pressure group to operate in all Seminaries starting with Westminster (West.) It would do me a lot of good to know that the Westminster (West) WEST was up and running.

Guy Davies said...

I e-mailed our Great Leader with these suggestions for rebranding LTS:

LOTS: London's Original Theological Seminary -

We offer LOTS of good stuff

(This would also distinguish us from PM's Seminary)

or

EAST: Evangelically Authentic Seminary (for) Theology.

A bit rubbish, I know, but at least LTS boys know that suggestions about changing names are a silly joke. Didn't Jonathan Stephen realise that the ETCW board were just having a laugh?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for that Gary, that has really helped me a lot.

Mrs April Phool.