Theology

A seminar on theology and church architecture, with special reference to the Christchurch earthquakes, was organised by Laidlaw College on 28 September. Some short videos looking at the challenges can be seen here.

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A short reflection on the legacy of Christian leader John Stott, which appeared in the current issue of the London-based Standpoint magazine.

Stott’s Gospel
JOSEPH LOCONTE
September 2011

The death of an international figure often invites a raft of revisionism: an effort to interpret the person's legacy in terms that suit political or ideological prejudices. Recent commentary over the passing of an evangelical leader, the Reverend John Stott, exemplifies this vice, perhaps most grievously in an essay by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. Whatever the intent, it was a "tribute" typical of those that degrade rapidly into mere propaganda.

A longtime Anglican minister at All Souls, Langham Place in London's West End, Stott was one of the world's most influential figures in evangelical Christianity over the past half-century. He was a key framer of the 1974 Lausanne Covenant, a touchstone document in the rise of global evangelicalism. He wrote nearly 50 books, and his preaching and teaching reached beyond England and the United States into the developing world. He died in July at the age of 90.

In his column, Kristof contrasts the ministry of Stott with the religious "blowhards" and "hypocrites" pilloried in liberal enclaves. "Mr Stott didn't preach fire and brimstone on a Christian television network," he writes. "He...counselled Christians to emulate the life of Jesus — especially his concern for the poor and oppressed...

Recently, TV1 screened Bryan Bruce's documentary, Jesus: the Cold Case, based on his book of similar title in 2010. Christchurch writer and retired ministerRon Hay reviewed the book in an article published in The Press. Bryan Bruce is a Wellington-based documentary maker who has written Jesus: the Cold Case to accompany a documentary of the same name. Fittingly for a film-maker, the book comes generously illustrated with maps, diagrams and colour photographs. The book also comes with considerable hype. The cover blurb tells us that it seeks to solve "the ultimate cold case: who killed Jesus and why?" and it was released at Easter for maximum impact. The title is a giveaway. By calling this a "cold case" it is clear that a huge assumption is being made, namely that we don't know the answers to the questions "who killed Jesus and why?" or (more accurately) that the answers we've been given for twenty centuries are wrong. And so it proves. Bryan Bruce's thesis is that the Gospels are totally unreliable as historical records and in fact present a deliberate lie. The Gospel writers were intent on currying favour with the Romans in order to alleviate the persecution that Christians were suffering at the hands of Rome. Therefore they misrepresented the events of Jesus' crucifixion to make the Jews blameworthy and present the Roman Governor, Pilate, as a hero who seeks to free Jesus. The Gospel writers are thus guilty of an anti-Semitism that leads directly to Nazism and the death...

New Zealand Christian Network National Director Glyn Carpenter says the 2nd Global Christian Forum, which he has been invited to attend in October this year, will be significant for the future of Christian unity worldwide. The GCF is a follow-up to the first forum, held in 2007 at Limuru, Kenya. The goal for both events is : To create an open space wherein representatives from a broad range of Christian churches and inter-church organaisations, which confess the triune God and Jesus Christ as perfect in his divinity and humanity, can gather to foster mutual respect, to explore and address together common challenges.
Purpose of the second global gathering
The question that will be at the heart of the second global gathering is how the Global Christian Forum should continue and what its focus should be.
In order to address that question the GCF Committee is suggesting it is necessary to direct attention to the changes at work in world Christianity today, and to try to discern what God is doing in the churches and in the world.
The two movements that have profoundly marked the life of the churches in the past century, the ecumenical movement on the one hand and the evangelical / pentecostal / charismatic movement on the other hand, must be looked at in the context of the transformations that are already taking place and will shape the church of the 21st century. The centre of gravity of the church is shifting away from the old heartland of Europe to...

I once heard a story about a person who got jammed in a doorway. The more they pushed and pushed, the harder they got stuck. The only way to get through the doorway was to back up a little, turn sideways, then go through. Sometimes it is the same with faith.

We encounter a problem, maybe it’s a social issue, or maybe our evangelism isn’t working the way it used to, and we just keep pushing and pushing, doing the same things we’ve always done. The more we realise it’s not working, the more desperately we push.

But if we really want to get through the door, sometimes the answer is to back up a little, look at what we’re doing, change direction, then move again.

That’s why I find blog items like this one useful. It questions common ways of looking at things and presents a different perspective. You don’t have to agree with everything it says. Just be open to ‘backing up a little’.

NZ Christian Network is pleading for an end to divisions over the creation account in Genesis which weaken the Church and dishonour God.

It believes that all Christians believe God created the universe (Gen. 1:1), but says there are a range of legitimate Christian interpretations of how God created and how long it took.

From time to time various groups push the line that only the literal six 24-hour-day view is correct, and that anyone saying differently is undermining the authority of scripture.

However, NZ Christian Network notes how this issue was handled by the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy, which is deeply committed to the authority of scripture and was effectively a “Who’s Who” of Bible-believing theologians in the second half of the 20th century.

They debated the issue of length of day in Genesis 1, yet they did not agree that the Bible requires Christians to believe that the creation necessarily took place within a literal timeframe of six consecutive 24-hour days.

The major report from ICBI called “The Chicago Declaration” (available on the web) was signed by 300 theologians, including Roger Nicole, J.I. Packer, J.P. Moreland, John W. Montgomery, Carl Henry, James Kennedy, and Francis Schaeffer. The first sentence of this statement makes it clear its primary concern was the authority of scripture. On Genesis 1 they allowed for a range of faithful biblical interpretations. 
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It was interesting to see Mars Hill Bible Church pastor Rob Bell listed in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2011. This nomination will be pleasing to some but troubling to others who feel Bell's theology is creeping towards universalism. If you missed last month's story written by our sister organisation in the UK, click here to read...

While most Christians recognize that evangelism is an essential part of God's mission, many Christians in New Zealand and other western contexts struggle with articulating their faith. Mark Keown latest book What's God Up To On Planet Earth: A No-Strings Attached Explanation of the Christian Message is intended as a resource to help Christians with this very important task.

The book is written with a seeker in mind but would be an excellent resource for new believers and those wishing to share their faith with those they meet. It would be an ideal gift for unbelievers. With the overall question in mind, What is God Up To On Planet Earth?, the first five chapters are arranged around five essential questions the gospel addresses, answered with the ‘Five R's of the Gospel'. Chapter One asks ‘Why am I here?' The answer, ‘Relationship'. That is, God created humanity for a glorious relationship of love and harmony with God, with each other, and with this glorious world. Chapter Two asks, ‘What has gone wrong with the world?' The answer, ‘Rupture'. That is, the original intention of God has been ruptured through the impact of evil and human sin through every part of God's world. Chapter Three asks, ‘What is the solution?' The answer, ‘Restoration'. This chapter centres around the person and work of Jesus and what he achieved in overcoming evil and bringing God's salvation and reconciliation. Chapter Four asks, ‘How and when will it end?' The answer, ‘Return'....

An open letter from Glyn Carpenter Every few years it seems this issue flares up. Challenge Weekly newspaper (24.08.09) contained an article from Adrian Bates, CEO of Creation Ministries International, putting their view (Genesis not a myth). The same paper contained a letter critical of a recent conference Faithful Science and one from the organiser defending it. For the record, the most authoritative work on biblical inerrancy in the 20th century was probably that done by the International Council on Biblical Inerrancy over a 20-year period ending in 1988. In 1982, ICBI produced a document called the Chicago Statement signed by 300 theologians including Jim Packer, Roger Nicole, Carl Henry, Norman Geisler, J.P. Moreland, John Warrick Montgomery, Francis Schaeffer, and R.C. Sproul. Their words should carry a lot of weight for those concerned about being true to the Bible. Read more... The position represented by Mr Bates was presented to the ICBI by Duane Gish. In response the ICBI said formally, "WE DENY that Biblical infallibility and inerrancy are limited to spiritual, religious, or redemptive themes, exclusive of assertions in the fields of history and science. We further deny that scientific hypotheses about earth history may properly be used to overturn the teaching of Scripture on creation and the flood." But the ICBI refused to be pinned down to any particular interpretation of age of earth, length of creation days, manner of creation, etc. The ICBI Chicago Statement...

Viv Grigg is known as a prophetic voice for the poor of the global slums, having lived among the squatters of Manila, the poor of Kolkata, the favelas of Sao Paulo and the oppressed of Los Angeles. Now based in Auckland, and heading the Urban Leadership Foundation, Viv has released a new book, "The Spirit of Christ and the Postmodern City", a study of revival among Auckland's evangelicals and pentecostals. The book is a theological and theoretical case study of revival in New Zealand in the light of emerging urban postmodernism. "This book provides a detailed analysis of what is needed if we are to see God's kingdom come in our cities and nations," visionnetwork National Director Glyn Carpenter states in a jacket-cover testimonial. "It reflects on both the failures and success of the charismatic renewal of the 70s and 80s in bringing about lasting Kingdom impact, and discusses the requirements for revival which brings about genuine transformation. We have worked with this model for several years, and it has been good to understand how it fits in the broader context. This is an important and worthwhile read for all who are serious about transformative revival." For more about the foundation and the book, visit www.urbanleaders.org