Transgender

I was at an excellent conference today organised by the London Seminary in Finchley on the issue of transgender. The day was structured so that four specialists gave a different angle on a matter that has quickly climbed to the top of the agenda in terms of social issues facing the church at the present time. Dr Sharon James kicked us off with an introduction to the social, cultural and historical background. This was very helpful though quite disturbing in parts. Dr Peter Saunders of CMF then dealt with the medical issues. This was a more difficult paper and I was not entirely happy with everything that was said although this is possibly because of the need to use broad brushstrokes in addressing such a vast subject. His paper on Gender dysphoria was recommended (you can find that here). He himself recommended a resource (especially the conclusions) which I think is here.

After an excellent sandwich lunch the 70 or so present had another three sessions crammed between 1.45 and 4.40 pm. Simon Calvert from the Christian Institute took us through the laws on this matter, which are partly bad news and partly good. Then Durham based Dr Alastair Roberts gave us a helpful biblical theological session. We finished off with a pastoral session from Ulsterman David Magowan from Reading. He gave us a useful six point plan:

1. Understand the culture

2. Access Christian resources (Vaughan Roberts, etc)

3. Teach and preach a biblical understanding of gender

4. Discuss transgenderism with your church leadership team

5. Give advice to your welcome teams and leaders of church ministries

6. Provide compassionate pastoral care and biblical counselling

Throughout the day we had time for questions after each session and this added to the value of the day.

The messages were all recorded and can be obtained from the seminary (website here).

Friends in Wales will be interested to know that something similar will take place in Cardiff on March 25, 2017. I believe on the same day there will also be something like it going on in Stirling too.

One more useful resource is a statement of Christian ethical standards here at the Grace Assembly website. It includes all manner of items including this

XX. TRANSSEXUALISM

A Christian must not adopt a sex other than his biological sex, for example by wearing clothes appropriate only to the opposite sex; by using pronouns applicable only to the opposite sex; by using a given name associated exclusively with the opposite sex. A Christian must not use hormonal blockers, surgical alteration, or any other means in an attempt to take on the physical characteristics of the opposite sex. A Christian must not encourage any other person to relate to him or to address him as if he were a member of the opposite sex.

Gen 1:27; Deuteronomy 22:5; Psalm 139:13-16.

The usefulness of such a document is for churches to spell out where they stand on such matters before any dispute or unhappiness arises.

Affinity 2013 Paper 6

The snow has begun to fall and so we are going to finish our conference here in High Leigh slightly early by dropping the final plenary session and ending with the presentation of the last paper. Once again the written paper was summarised and we then went to our groups to discuss before coming together again for a plenary session.

This was the most controversial of the papers, pleading as it did for a new approach to the subject of abortion.

The New Bioethical Wine in the Old Moral Wineskins?

Exploring the Issues When Human Life Begins:

Dr Leonardo De Chirico, Istituto di Formazione Evangelica e Documentazione

Outline

1. A polarized field

2. The Dead-Ends of Biolatry and Egolatry

ie the pro-life absolutising of the sacredness of an aspect of life life and the pro-choice absolutising of the individual and his or her choice

3. The shortcomings of evangelical bioethics

4. The anthropology of the womb

Arguing that the beginnings of life are always linked with the womb in Scripture

5. The beginning of life of the first and last Adam

6. The bioethical implications of being created in the image of God

7. A relational bioethics of the beginning of life

Questions

1) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the pro-life position?

2) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the pro-choice position?

3) How can life become an idol in the biblical sense? Find examples.

4) How can individual choice can become an idol in the biblical sense? Find examples.

5) What does Psalm 139 say about the beginning of life? What does it not say?

6) What does the typology of the first and last Adam say about the beginning of life?

7) In what sense the ‘relational’ aspect of the Trinity has a bearing on the bioethics of the beginning of life?

8) What can be done in society in order to overcome the polarized debate between pro-life and pro-choice?

Affinity 2013 Paper 5

War and New Testament Ethics

Prof Paul Helm Teaching Fellow, Regent College, Canada

 

Introduction

I have been invited to say something about how Scripture is to be interpreted in respect of war, and especially aspects of warfare that are not new, but have come to prominence in our current situation, particularly torture and the various terms, perhaps in some cases euphemistic terms, that are used for it. We shall come to that, but not before we say something about what I shall offer as a framework for interpretation, a variant of the Reformers’ doctrine of the two kingdoms. And then, secondly, to look at how the Apostolic writings view moral reasoning and some peculiarities of our present political situation. It is not my intention, nor is it my brief, to offer a set of first-­order rules to guide conduct under the matters to be discussed, but rather to look at the methods and approaches that Christians who take the authority of the Bible seriously ought to adopt.

The Doctrine of the Two Kingdoms (Scripture)

The Two Kingdoms (Luther and Calvin)

 

The Two Kingdoms and Waging of War

 
The Two Kingdoms and the Lordship of Christ
 

Differences Between our Situation and that of the Reformers

 

New Testament Data about Military Service and War (The lack of it)
 
Reasoning About Morality, According to the New Testament
 
A Case Study–Torture (Looking at Grudem, Mohler, etc)
 

Conclusion

I have attempted to argue that in important respects New Testament ethics for Christians is different from Old Testament ethics for Israelites. Its governing question is not‘What commands or rules should we obey or follow?’but‘What sort of people ought we to be?’The centre of gravity of New Testament ethics lies in virtue, gift, grace, just as regeneration issues in a new“man”,a new person, a new nature. The ethics is from the inside out. I also suggest that such an ethic is congruent with the internationalising of the people of God in the New Testament era. Congregations of Christians may well find themselves in a wide variety of circumstances which call for different applications or emphases of the virtues of the Spirit. Christians in a time of just war may be called to act differently from when their country is engaged in what is widely regarded as an unjust war, or during a time of peace. In a similar way a Christians congregation which is socially deprived and low in attainment will need to have certain emphases made in the character of their Christian graces, while another which is affluent and fairly insulated will need others. Or, to bring this Conclusion nearer to what we have just been discussing, congregations in garrison towns may be under different pressures from run of the mill‘civilian’local churches. Finally, recognising the legitimacy of such differences among churches is one way in which Christian liberty and diversity may legitimately be expressed.

 

Questions

1) Is an evangelical church that held to conscientious objection/pacifism consistent with the New Testament?

2) Given the absence of teaching about war and peace, bearing arms etc. in the NT, are views about such matters simply a matter of Christian freedom?

3) Could a Christian consistently have a career as a spy, in MI6 say?

4) Is the decision to torture prisoners for a possible greater good just one more of the many hard choices that Christians may face, or is it in some way ‘special’?

5) ‘It is difficult to exaggerate the difference between OT Israel and the NT church on the question of the connection between the commands of God and waging war’. How fair is this?

6) ‘Christian churches which disavow the establishment principle are often as captive to the culture as an established church’. How far would you agree?

7) ‘The NT endorses/connives at slavery but is silent about issues of war and peace’. Is this true? If so, what is the significance of this?

8) Should churches pray corporately for e.g. the solution of the ‘Middle East crisis’? Is there NT warrant for this?

9) ‘The armed forces, the police and the prison service – they’re all in the same boat together’. Is this fair? If not, why not?

10)What bearing, if any, does 1 Cor 5:10 (‘then you would need to go out of the world’) have on whether a Christian should take up a career in the armed force?

Affinity 2013 Paper 4

The third paper “It’s a Rich Man’s World?”Exploring the Biblical Material on Money, Wealth and Economic Justice was given by Revd Dr Andy Hartropp Research Tutor, Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.

Outline

Introduction

1. A Framework for Using the Bible Ethically – With Economics in Mind

Creation – Fall – Redemption – Eschatology

Eight biblical principles for economic life: human beings as stewards of God’s world

Principle 1 : Human beings must use the resources of creation to provide for their existence, but they must not waste or destroy the created order (e.g. Gen. 1:26‐30; 2:15).

Principle 2 : Every person has a calling to exercise stewardship of resources and talents (e.g. Num. 26:52‐56; Lev. 25:8‐10).

Principle 3 : Stewardship implies responsibility to determine the disposition of resources. Each person is accountable to God for his/her stewardship (e.g. Lev. 25:23--‐24).

Principle 4 : People have a right and an obligation to work (Gen. 2:15; Ps. 104:23; 2 Th. 3:6‐13). Note that work existed before the Fall! (Gen. 3:17 cf. 2:15): work is a creation principle.

Principle 5 : Work is the means of exercising stewardship. In their work people should have access to resources and control over them (Deut. 24:14‐15).

Principle 6 : Work is a social activity in which people cooperate as stewards of their individual talents, and as joint stewards of resources (e.g. Neh. 2:17‐18; 1 Cor. 12:12‐31).

Principle 7 : Every person has a right to share in God’s provision for human beings for their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. These needs are to be met primarily by productive work. See Leviticus chapter 25, especially the sections beginning at v 25, v 35 and v 39. See also Lev. 19:9‐10/Deut. 24:19‐22.

Principle 8 : Personal stewardship of resources does not imply the right to consume the entire product of those resources. The rich have an obligation to help the poor who cannot provide for themselves by work, e.g. Deut 26:1‐12. This was partly by means of loans , at zero interest: see Deut 15:1‐11. In the NT we find similar principles at work: Lk 12:32‐34; Acts 4:32‐35; 5:1‐11; 1 Tim 6:6‐10, 17‐19.

2. Righteousness and Justice - With Economic Life in Mind

Two main aspects of righteousness: (a) there is a relational context/meaning; and (b) conforming to a norm/standard

“Righteousness”and“justice”in the OT

Righteousness and the GospelThe righteousness of believers in response to God’s righteousnessJustice is part of the outworking of righteousness

3. A Biblical Understanding of Economic Justice

(a) Economic justice means appropriate treatment, according to the norms commanded by God

(b) God’s justice involves justice to the needy

(c) Justice is not only about allocation, but also concerns the quality of relationships

(d) Justice in the allocation of resources means that everyone participates in God’s blessing

4. Meeting Challenges to Biblical Economic Justice in Today’s World

Rights, need or desert?

Justice in production and justice in distribution

Global challenges

Justice in production and distribution: the contribution enterprise can make to help overcome poverty

We need a fuller conception of “social justice”

Challenges posed by the recent financial and economic crisis

Conclusion

This paper has presented a biblical understanding of economic justice, and it has shown that the Bible has much to say about economic justice in today’s world. Clearly this is not, ultimately, a matter for academic analysis only. Justice and righteousness involve action. God’s own example demonstrates this plainly. Christian believers–both as individuals and as church communities–should be demonstrating economic justice in their lives and relationships, from Sunday through to Saturday.

 

Questions

1) Can you think of ways in which Christians in the UK underplay the importance of Creation and New Creation? (See my paper on this point.)

2) The paper claims that the impact of Christians in the City of London has - in terms of the City’s values, culture and ’greed’ - been close to zero. To what extent do you agree? If you do agree, why do you think the impact has been so small?

3) In your church(es), how big a problem is the ‘love of money’?

4) What more help do your congregations need in living as disciples of Christ in the workplace?

5) ‘The righteousness of God clearly does have a relational meaning” (my paper). To what extent are you familiar with this idea, and do you agree?

6) The paper says: “Thus we have the following definition: justice is appropriate treatment, especially of human beings, and usually in a relational setting, according to the norms commanded and set by God in each particular case.” To what extent is this different from how you think of justice?

7) What are your reactions to the paper’s claims about four main aspects of a biblical understanding of economic justice?

8) The paper criticises the currently-prevailing sense of ‘social justice’. What do you think about this?

9) What can Christians say, from the Bible, about bankers’ bonuses?

Affinity 2013 Paper 3

The third paper on the Psalms was given by Gordon Wenham (Old Testament Tutor, Trinity College,

Bristol). He used no headings so here is his conclusion and the questions we discussed.

 

Conclusion

In this paper I have tried to sum up some of the key arguments in my book Psalms as Torah. I have drawn attention to the power of song to imprint on the mind and be memorable. This in itself would give the Psalms great influence in moulding the ethic of those who pray and sing them. But I applied the insights of Donald Evans on the performative power of liturgical texts to the Psalter to develop this argument. In that most scholars agree that the Psalms originate as texts for worship, and were certainly used later by Jews and Christians in their worship, this use gives them peculiar potency. Reciters of the psalms are making both a public commitment to their sentiments and affirming to God these same truths. If the worshipper does not assent to the ideology of the psalm, he has the choice of offending his fellow worshippers by his silence, or insulting God by his hypocrisy by mouthing words he does not mean. Thus liturgy compels assent more powerfully than sermons or laws, stories or proverbs. This is the reason why the ethic taught by the psalms has been so influential and why biblical scholars should have paid more attention to it. In the rest of the paper I have tried to pick out some of the distinctive emphases of the psalms’ ethical teaching. Of course most of the fundamentals are shared with the rest of Scripture, but a comparison with the Ten Commandments proved instructive. We noted the very strong emphasis on the misuse of the tongue on the one hand and on the other the absence of commands to observe the Sabbath or other great festivals despite the fact that a goodly number of psalms would be suited to such occasions. Other leading emphases include the appeal to justice, especially its formulation in the lex talionis. Worshippers pray that God will prove his just sovereignty by punishing the guilty in a way that matches their crime. Those who suffer at the hands of the mighty and find no redress are often the poorer and weaker members of society, so like the Pentateuch the Psalter especially advocates care for the poor as well as praying for divine intervention on their behalf. In this way the righteous are taught to imitate their creator in his concern for the oppressed and their plight.

 

Questions

1. Does your church use the Psalms in worship? Why?
2. Have you considered the power of liturgical texts as a means of teaching?
3. Do you agree with Griffiths about the performative value of the Psalms?
4. What do you see as distinctive about the Psalter’s ethical teaching?
5. Is the principle of the lex talionis, exact retribution, defensible today?
6. Should the imprecatory psalms be used in Christian worship?
7. Do we highlight the last judgment in preaching? Can it be made palatable and believable?

The format was again for the writer to presnet his paper which Gorodn Wenham did firstly drily adn then with some emotion as he came to the imprecatory psalms.

Affinity 2013 Paper 2

Using the Bible Ethically

Paper 2 The Ethical Teaching of Jesus and the New Testament

Continuity, discontinuity and context in the moral theology of the New Testament

Dr Joshua Hordern, University Lecturer in Christian Ethics, Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford

...

Affinity 2013 Paper 1

The opening paper should have been given by Jonathan Burndside. In his absence Stephen Clark prepared a paper outlined below with the question s that were discussed in the six discussion groups. I am sorry I can't give any more than that.

Paper 1

Using the Bible Ethically: An Introduction to Contemporary Challenges

Stephen Clark, Minister, Freeschool Court Evangelical Church, Bridgend

 

I Using the Bible ethically in a multicultural world: identifying the issues

Definitions

1. Evangelism

2. Christian living in the world

3. Matters of public and/or government policy

4. The ethical use of the Bible

 

II General principles

1. The importance of general revelation

2. The purposes and ends of government or ‘the powers that be’

3. On ‘reading the Bible 'ethically’

III Application of general principles

1. Evangelism

2. Christian living in the world

(i) Freedom of moral choice

(ii) Work and issues of conscience

(iii) Law and public policy

3. The ethical use of the Bible

 

Conclusion

 

Questions

1) How does one give a biblical account and explanation of the following:

a) that most people have a sense of good and evil, of right and wrong;

b) that people’s ideas of right and wrong, and good and evil, may differ so widely,

c) that some people appear to be devoid of all moral sense?

2) Is it the task of the church to pronounce upon moral issues to the world without reference to the gospel? Support your answer from Scripture and explain the implications of your view.

3) Can you identify any issues which some Christians regard as moral but upon which Scripture is either silent or says less than some claim? [Stephen has in mind post-1967 understandings of when life begins according to the Bible - not sure about this]

4) Some Christians believe remarriage after divorce is not permissible; other Christians believe that in certain circumstances scripture does allow remarriage.

a) What issues might arise, and how can they be resolved, where those in pastoral oversight in a church take differing views on this?

b) What issues might arise and how should they be resolved where neighbouring churches take a different view?

5) Is there a ‘one size fits all’ approach to evangelising those who espouse moral relativism? (i.e. Is the Tim Keller approach referred to in the paper the only approach to such people?) Support your answer from Scripture.

6) How should pastors approach the subject of preaching on passages which raise profound ethical questions and dilemmas? (e.g. Abraham offering Isaac; the wiping out of the Canaanites)?

7) Advise a church member in the following situations:

a) the member is a Sunday School teacher who works in a law firm in your town. His boss has told him to do the necessary legal work to apply for a licence for an ‘adult shop’. What principles will guide you in your counsel? [In answering this Stephen saw no problem with the work but continuing as  a Sunday School teacher may be an issue]

b) A member as an employment lawyer who is instructed by a longstanding client of the firm, who is gay, to represent him in a ‘gay rights’ case against a Christian charity. What principles will guide you in your counsel?

c) A member is a tax lawyer who had been instructed by someone in the entertainment industry wither respect to a claim by HMRC for considerable underpayment of income tax. During the consultation with the client the member discovers that her ‘profession’ is the oldest one in the world – prostitution. What principles should guide the church member in this situation?

Affinity Theological Conference

The next Affinity Theological Studies Conference will be at High Leigh January 13-18 2013

SPEAKERS AND SUBJECTS

Paper 1: Natural Law in Scripture. Exploring multi-faceted aspects of natural law in the Bible
Jonathan Burnside
Reader in Biblical Law, Bristol University


Paper 2: Exploring themes of continuity and discontinuity between aspects of ethical teaching in the ancient world and NT
Joshua Hordern
Assoc. Director, Kirby Laing

Paper 3: Exploring the Bible’s ethical teaching in the Psalms
Gordon Wenham
Old Testament Tutor, Trinity College, Bristol

Paper 4: It’s A Rich Man's World? Exploring the biblical material on money, wealth and economic justice
Andrew Hartropp
Church minister, economist & Research Tutor at the Oxford Centre for Mission

Paper 5: War and Peace Exploring the ethics of war, 'undercover' operations, torture etc.
Paul Helm
Theologian, philosopher & Teaching Fellow at Regent College, Canada

See here

Bad Christians 02

As noted, I'm working through Keller's book The Reason for God and have reached his section on how come Christians are so obnoxious. I'd like to add a second observation on this.

Another unhelpful trait found in some Christians is freeloading - taking advantage of the generosity of other Christians. As with divisiveness, it was something not unknown in New Testament days. Again there are probably various reasons for his but again I think it is something that often goes back to how one becomes a Christian. Given that forgiveness is all of grace and can't be won or earned, there is always a temptation to think that everything else ought to be grace too. And yet rightly not everything is by grace. Clearly Christians ought to be kind to each other and everyone else but they are under no obligation to provide everything gratis or near to that. Some Christians can't see this and are mortified at the idea of not getting things free or at least at a knock down price. Again it is a mindset problem and once we see our way through it then there aren't too many problems. We cannot assume anything is gratis or free but for God's grace itself.

Bad Christians 01

I'm working through Keller's book The Reason for God and have reached his section on how come Christians are so obnoxious. I'd like to add an observation on this.

One trait found in some Christians is their divisiveness. Given that we are to work at unity and show Christ by our love, this is not always easy to defend. Paul even warns against tolerating divisive Christians. Why does it happen so frequently then?

I think that part of the answer lies in the very process of becoming a Christian in the first place. When you become a Christian you are pretty much saying that most people are wrong - it's a difficult moment but when you've done it once it can get easier with time. First you say most of the world is wrong, then many or most Christians are wrong, then a few more. Before you know where you are everyone's wrong but me and thee (and I'm not sure about thee).

And my point? This is one of the traits we can see in others and to some extent we may understand it. We also ought to beware of getting into such a compulsive way of thinking.

Meeting coming up

A meeting will be held here in Childs Hill on April 19 on the subject of abortion called 40 Years On – Where Are We Now? The speaker will be Dr John Ling. More details here. Also see here.