An Unexpected and Pleasant Surprise

Some of you know that I am very near the end of the Thesis writing process, and believe me, I am very ready to be done with the project. While I am ready to be done with this specific project, it is not as if I am ready to shove all the books aside and be done with the topics I have been researching.

As with any research, you can always follow multiple rabbit holes, and one has to limit the scope of their research. My plan up to this point has been to finish my thesis and then do further research on the writings of process theists: Charles Hartshorne and Alfred North Whitehead. I also have desired to further study some finer points of Arminian theology, as well as explore the writings of Karl Barth.

The unexpected and pleasant suprise is that I have become quite fascinated with the writings of, none other than, Alexander Campbell. I have been reading parts of The Christian System, which is the closest thing he wrote to a systematic theology, and his articles in The Christian Baptist, which can be found by searching google books.

I'll have to say that up until now, I have not given him enough credit, mostly because, for me, all of the Christian Church "slogans" have overshadowed his brilliant mind. His reflections on Jesus as the eternal logos are similar to the pre-Nicene theologians like Justin Martyr. Also, his view of human freedom is also very interesting, since it departs from the traditional Arminian view and is much more akin to the view of freedom espoused by John Cassian and the Eastern Fathers.

For someone who spoke so pejoratively about theology, he certainly had quite the theological mind. Interestingly enough, after the writing process is complete, my plan is to start reading Campbell and many of his ideas before any of the aforementioned subjects. What a strange twist for me! Since I entered seminary I have been very intentional about questioning and deconstructing my own church heritage, and it seems ironic that I would now discover it in the process! Ha!

Recommended Book

If you are looking for a good book to read, then I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to you. I finished reading this book back in January and I am very thankful for the content that it contains. The author is J. P. Moreland, who is a professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and has written many fine volumes. This has become my favorite of his works.

I find that books fall into two categories. First, there are books that are well written, thought out, contain logical argumentation, and are all around engaging. These books are typically written by members of academia, but are often times inaccessible to the general population, mostly because the language can be confusing, they don't contain a lot of story, and can seem "dry."

Secondly, there are books published at the "popular" level that touch the emotion, inspire with story, but are often times poorly reasoned, exhibit little research, and argue against strawmen. The authors writing these books are generally not scholars in any field. Every once in a while a scholar/writer will be able to take his expertise and communicate effectively to a wider audience, like C. S. Lewis and Dallas Willard. Kingdom Triangle has that feel. It is not easy or light reading, but it is also not too technical.

Moreland believes that if the Church is going to find its way forward in our current cultural context, we must recover the Christian mind, renovate the soul, and restore the Spirit's power. What excites me so much about this book is that these three themes have been so prominent in my own thinking and learning over the last 8 years. Three seemingly divergent themes coming together in one fine book.

To recover the Christian mind means that we must see that throughout the history of the Church the Christian tradition has been a knowledge tradition. The relationship between knowledge and faith has become lost or grown fuzzy in the minds of many Christians.

To renovate the Soul is to experience authentic spiritual transformation. Moreland's discussion of the empty self is insightful (and is great sermon material) and his Tennis Righteousness illustration of spiritual discipline is very helpful.

To restore the Spirit's power is to begin to experience the supernatural power of God; to experience the "power" of the Kingdom of God. Moreland is among the growing numbers of evangelicals who identify with "third wave" charismatics, who stress miraculous healing and words of knowledge instead of tongues and other sensational phenomenon. He critiques both the cessationist (those who say the charismatic gifts have ceased) and the overtly sensational charismatic in an attempt to find a middle road between the two. Moreland even tells his own story of instantaneous healing he received by God through the prayers of church leaders.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to you, my family and friends. You can also check out Moreland's website to read more of his stuff including his recent paper, which was read at the November 2007 Evangelical Theological Society Meeting. It was quite the "hit" this last year.