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Christianity Today, October (Web-only), 2007 |

Theology in the News

The Crisis of Modern Fundamentalism

Defections threaten a proud movement.

Collin Hansen | posted 10/26/2007 09:30AM

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Quick Takes

The website for Generous Giving offers a generous portion of biblical resources for churches regarding stewardship (tip: Phil Ryken at Ref21). Especially with the spread of prosperity theology, the church desperately needs sound teaching on money.
David Instone-Brewer's CT cover story on divorce has triggered no little debate about this sensitive issue. (See responses from John Piper and Andreas Köstenberger. But don't miss Instone-Brewer's response.) Divorce in the church illustrates both the importance and limitations of theology. Importance, because your church's interpretation of key Bible passages will affect how it counsels couples in crisis. Limitations, because evangelical churches have typically preached a hard line on divorce even as many in the pews ignored those teachings.
This column is partial to theologians who study culture. So when Kevin Vanhoozer speaks, I listen. Speaking to Gary Shavey at the Resurgence: "The problem in too many evangelical churches is that we know what we're supposed to believe, but we're not sure what practical difference it makes and so we're unable to bring it to bear on everyday life. To be sure, biblical and theological illiteracy remains a problem too. But that doesn't really explain why even in churches where the Bible is faithfully preached the congregation doesn't look that different from everyone else." Check out his hunch of a solution.

Quote for the Fortnight

"Part of being a Christian is that we do theology. That is, we put together different aspects of what we understand about God, and we build it into some kind of coherent understanding of our existence as God's redeemed people living in the world."

Graeme Goldsworthy, According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible

Collin Hansen is a CT editor-at-large.

Related Elsewhere:

Previous Theology in the News columns include:

Itchy Ears and Tongues of Fire | Gay-rights group employs Scripture. Also: Pentecostal success invites new challenges. (October 12, 2007)

Immersed in a Baptism Brouhaha | Changes of heart renew centuries-old divisions. (September 28, 2007)

What's Not Coming to a Bookstore Near You | How competition to publish celebrity Christians crowds out theology. (September 14, 2007)

From the Seminaries to the Pews | The 'new perspective on Paul' gets the popular treatment. (August 31, 2007)

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October (Web-only) 2007, Vol. 51

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Ephrem Hagos

Posted: October 31, 2007 6:19 AM


Return to the "solid tradition" of the teaching of Jesus Christ within a community of seekers for the truth will quickly expose contemporary Christian teaching for what it is, i.e., nothing less than counterfeit, theological reinvention. The sooner this happens the better!

Carrie

Posted: October 30, 2007 5:24 PM

My biggest concern--which relates to both evangelicals and fundamentalists (I'm an evangelical)--is cultural captivity to the ethos of marketing Christ. We've just been through yet another evangelism training at church where we've been taught to give our personal testimonies as part of sharing the gospel ... on the assumption that our personal testimony will be part of the appeal of the Gospel. Well, I called on Christ as a 12-year-old who felt personally desperate due, in part, to a chronic illness. Now I'm 50, sicker, and while I usually am strong enough to serve others, I wouldn't say that God has transformed my life in a way that would tend to sell Christianity to anyone else (with the possible exception of other people with the same illness). Sometimes, as Mother Teresa's personal papers remind us, Christianity is just about following and knowing that heaven is ahead.

scott

Posted: October 30, 2007 2:46 PM

it is a sad day when Rick Warren is made Joel Osteen's bed-fellow. no matter what you think of his theology/philosophy, Warren at least has some merit as a seminary-educated, intrepid church-planter. i know that God is perfectly capable of using uneducated men to preach the gospel and shepherd His church, but Osteen's lack of training is particularly astounding - which makes his influence all the more questionable (read the history of his father's church). as for fundamentalists condemning godly men like Piper, nothing should be tolerated less - at least until they repent of one of their progenitor's similar sins (if we grant them their understanding of separation); but for some reason, none of them care to discuss the personal ecumenism of W.B. Riley.

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