Hermeneutics and The Great Tradition

On Monday I was at the Pastors Academy in Finchley for our reading group. We had a decent turn out and enjoyed discussing Interpreting Scripture in the Great Tradition by Canadian Craig Carter who was in The London Seminary a short while back. Whenever we read these books I imagine I will be out on a limb in my thinking but I seldom am. It's not surprising really when I think how most of us are Reformed and Baptist for that matter. THis time rounf was typical. We all liked much of the book but thought it a bit prolix and full of generalisations and open to challenge at certain points. So worth a read and helpful both for itself and in introducing us to other writers old (Augustine, Aquinas, etc) and new (Webster, Boersma, etc). Next meeting on Richard Hays, Reading backwards.

Affinity Study Conference 2019 Worship Day 1

I've been away and there are a few gaps to fill but I have come straight to the Affinity Study Conference and want to report on that before I do anything else.

Good to be here once again at the King's Park Centre with the usual crowd plus or minus a few. We kicked off with papers from Mark Johnston and David Kirk, one an Ulster man in Wales the other an English/Welshman in Scotland. Mark opened up with a biblical theology and David gave us a New Testament study. There was some overlap in treatment but no obvious disagreements. The format is that we have been sent all six papers beforehand and the speakers are given five or six minutes to summarise them. Questions are then asked in plenary session before dividing into small groups. We then reconvene for further discussion.

Example quotes

Johnston (quoting Michael Morales Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? Nottingham: Apollos, IVP, 2015, 39-74).

The seventh day is not only the first to be blessed, and the only day mentioned three times, but it is also the first object ever to be set apart as holy by God. Moreover, the seventh day is the only object of sanctification in the entire book of Genesis; “he sanctified/made it holy” is the book’s only verbal use of the root qds.

Kirk: Gathering is not primarily for practicing a defined set of rituals; it is the fundamental context for the expression of the common life of the members.

Covenant Theology at the John Owen

It was possible once again this week to sit in as an auditor for a series of lectures from Garry Williams on Covenant Theology. There was a  bumper turn out of some 14 men, most of whom are doing the MTh course. Garry's approach was to give us his notes with a series of questions which we worked through as well as tackling a number of set texts (by Boston, Petto, etc) presented by the students working for credits. It was great to work through the material on the various covenants trying to come to some conclusions on the various issues. If they repeat the course, it is one well worth attending.

10 Biblical Theologies

1. Biblical theology, Geerhardus Vos (1948)
2. Theology of the Older Testament, J Barton Payne (1962)
3. A New Testament Biblical Theology, G K Beale (2011)
4. The King in his Beauty, Thomas Schreiner (2013)
5. God's Glory in Salvation through Judgement, James M Hamilton (2010)
6. A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament/New Testament, Roy B Zuck et al (1991/1994)
7. The Promise-Plan of God, Walter Kaiser (2008)
8. According to Plan/Goldsworthy Trilogy, Graeme Goldsworthy (2002/2001)
9. A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament/New Testament, Chester K Lehman (1971/1974)
10. Old Testament Theology A Thematic Approach, Robin Routledge (2012)

Goldsworthy/Blackham

Dr Densham also drew our attention to the interesting debate from 2001 between Paul Blackham and Graeme Goldsworthy recorded here. Goldsworthy also interacts with Carl Trueman here. There are a few interesting things on the site Theologian.  

Systematic/Biblical Theology

Elliott & Fry, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

We had a nice lecture from Dr Ian Densham today at the Westminster Fellowship. Among other good things was this quote from T C Hammond's In understanding be men

"A gifted preacher of over a century ago, Dr Thomas Guthrie, drew attention to the difference between dogmatic and biblical theology. He compared biblical theology to the profusion of nature in which the various plants and flowers are scatted with a bountiful hand 'in ordered disorder'. He compared dogmatic theology to the botanical garden where plants and lowers are gathered together and arranged according to species. The former is pleasing to the eye. The latter is suited for that closer study which opens up the secrets of nature."