Dr. Ronald Nash: A Giant Among Us

It has just recently been announced that Dr. Ronald Nash is nearing death and will soon be in the presence of his Savior Jesus Christ. An email has been sent by Dr. Mohler which says,

"Our friend and colleague, Professor Ronald Nash, is suddenly at the point of death. I just talked to Betty Jane, his wife, at his bedside. He is expected to live only another few hours. This comes as shocking news, but he had been declining in recent days. He is now in a skilled nursing facility in the Orlando area."

Several students of Nash have already shared their appreciation of this great man, and I would like to join them this morning. The last semester Dr. Nash taught here at Southern was Fall of 2004 and I had the privilege of having him for Introduction to Philosophy. With Dr. Nash you always got more than just philosophy. There was politics, humor, great stories, and of course that infamous hip shake. Before entering his philosophy course, I had a very basic understanding of Christian philosophy and quickly became greatly indebted to him for his labors in this much needed field of study. But I would venture to say that Dr. Nash is going to be remembered as much more than a premiere philosopher. He has been a conservative pioneer in Christian thought on the frontlines of many theological controversies, and has been considered the authority on various important subjects pertaining to the Christian worldview. Whereas much of evangelicalism has been reactionary to our culture and paradigm shifts, Nash has been ahead of the curve with his mind acutely aware of the developing movements of 20th century thought. I personally have evidenced this as I have researched various topics such as the nature of God, process theism, inclusivism and pluralism, Christian worldview, and Hellenistic influences of early Christians only to find that Dr. Nash has written extensively on all of them and more. I want to share two of my favorite memories of Dr. Nash. First was his lecture on the author of Hebrews. With his own distinctive style, Dr. Nash shared with us that he had conclusively determined who the author was with great pomp and hilarity. I will never forget the perpetual cliffhangers which cumulated in his passionate exposition of the Logos doctrine, as well as Augustine's illumination of the mind. Secondly and quite differently, I remember before class sitting one booth over in the school cafeteria watching Dr. Nash as he ate lunch alone and unfettered by frivolity or a frenzied scheduled. Quaint and reclusive, Dr. Nash quietly sat and ate his lunch, and I just sat there and thought about this man's legacy and how unimpeded his disposition is from the praise of man or self-aggrandizement. Not to mention the 20+ books he has authored, the thousands of students he has taught, and the churches in which he has ministered, Dr. Nash has spent his life in such a way that his impact will live on, his words will still speak, and his humor will continue to bring laughter even when he is gone. The time has drawn nigh for his departure, and I for one want to thank God for giving us such a man. For those of you interested in benefiting from the lifelong work of Dr. Nash, I first would like to point you to Biblical Training where you can listen to his lectures online for free (though you need to register). Secondly, below I am linking to Amazon some of his books which I have personally benefited from and would like to recommend to you. It is my hope and prayer that you will join others in glorifying God and remembering this honorable man by taking the baton which has so painstakingly been passed to us. ******************* Some of Nash's works: The Word of God and the Mind of Man Is Jesus the Only Savior? The Concept of God Life's Ultimate Questions Faith and Reason The Gospel and the Greeks Worldviews in Conflict The Light of the Mind: St. Augustine's Theory of Knowledge The Meaning of History Process Theology Liberation Theology

************************** Other Bloggers Remembering: Russell Moore Jared Bridges Scott Slayton Roger Overton Alex Forrest Aaron O'Kelley Chase Vaughn