Southern Seminary News
As the Fall semester of school is less than two weeks away, I thought I'd mention some news around Southern Seminary worth noting.
1. Some of the papers from the recent Southern Baptist Journal of Theology (SBJT) is now online. Be sure to check out Dr. Schreiner's Preaching and Biblical Theology. The theme for this publication is Biblical Theology. Interestingly enough, we recent had this discussion last week here on P&P. Also, it is worth noting that Jason Meyer, good friend and mentor, recently finished his dissertation on the topic of Paul's understanding of the old covenant and the relationship between the old and new covenants. His advisors include Dr. Schreiner and Dr. Douglass Moo (among others).
2. This year's Mullin Lectures will have John MacArthur as the speaker for three consecutive days beginning on Reformation Day (October 31). This ought to be really good.
3. The chapel speakers for the Fall 2006 is not up yet, but Joshua Chavers shares that Dr. Frank Page (Sept. 5), C.J. Mahaney (Oct. 24,26), and Dr. Andrew Davis (Nov. 7) are among those who will be speaking this fall in chapel.
4. There will be a panel discussion about apologetics and evangelism on Wednesday, September 6, 2006 from 10:00-11:00 a.m.
5. If you are not a nerd and a student at SBTS, this may not be news for you, but it is for me. If you are wanting to make copies in the library, your VIN card is no longer accepted, and the cost to make copies is doubled ($.10 a copy). I know this may sound silly, but last night I spent $25 on copies of journal articles while doing research. Normally, I could have gotten the same number of copies for $12.50. Between making copies, I was consoling my other SBTS nerds as I was the first to break the news to them. That other $12.50 could be a dinner meal for me! Broke seminary students need some help.
Occasionally, some great lectures or addresses are provided by faculty and visiting professors/guest speakers. I will try to keep you informed on any new announcements. In the meantime, you might want to check out the audio resources available from previous conferences, chapel messages, and special lectures.
>>> Update: <<<
In the meta of this post, you will see that Richard Bailey has shared that Ben Mitchell, associate professor of Bioethics and Contemporary Culture @ Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, will be speaking at the Norton Lectures on September 26-28, 2006.
posted by Timmy Brister at 8/02/2006 02:32:00 PM
17 Comments:
Yikes. I hope there's an exchange plan for the VIN cards--I've got #30 on mine.
8/02/2006 04:27:00 PM
Timmy, my good friend Ben Mitchell (at TEDS) will be delivering a series of lectures in September (I believe that's when he's scheduled).
8/02/2006 04:34:00 PM
Thanks for the news. Being far away from Southern (upstate NY) I must confess that I miss Louisville & SBTS. That stinks about the VIN Card - I have a few bucks left as well from when I was there this past January for a J-Term. Oh well.
I really like Andy Davis as a speaker. I have tapes from him from a few Founders Conferences. At http://www.fbcdurham.org/ a lot of his stuff is online. His work on memorizing Scripture is a great help - under "writings" on the site.
8/02/2006 04:35:00 PM
I've got to make an observation here.
Two of the three comments here share my grief over the VIN cards. Are we a bunch of nerds?
Oh, and I talked to the guy at the front desk, and he said that he didn't know when we would hear about the future plans (if any) with the VIN cards. Until, we will continue to go broke even faster. Could this be a discouragement from biblical scholarship?
Maybe the Lousville Presbyterian Seminary across the street has a better deal going. You know, with all you PhD students hogging the books, the presby library usually has the books I'm looking for anyway. It's not like they are going to read them. :)
8/02/2006 05:18:00 PM
Richard,
Thanks for sharing that info. I did not find that on the SBTS website. When I get the details, I will be sure to post it on P&P.
Unfortunately, all of these lectures, chapel services, and conferences take place in the morning which makes it very difficult for me to attend. I normally sleep from 7-11 and take classes in the afternoon. This makes my attendence even more selective, given that either I sleep in bed or in class (depending on whether I attend these services/lectures).
8/02/2006 05:20:00 PM
Though you left us with a smile, Timmy, let me entreat you not to diss LPTS students too quickly. In fact, let me encourage you to try to take a course over there before you leave--particularly almost anything offered by Amy Plantinga Pauw. I audited her course on Jonathan Edwards the January after I graduated and I must say it was perhaps the most challenging class I had during my masters days. The interaction between the students was top-notch. Plus, she is absolutely great in the classroom.
8/02/2006 05:23:00 PM
Thanks Richard for the recommendation.
My comments were not intended to say that they don't read or were anti-scholarly, but that I have found that they usually are not reading the same books we are. I think you would agree with me that the scholarship SBTS is the scholarship at LPTS are not in the same camp.
8/02/2006 05:42:00 PM
If you mean that much of the scholarship of the two schools is in different theological camps, then sure I'd agree. But if you mean that one school is on a different scholarly level, then no I don't agree. Both schools have excellently trained theologians. I might identify more with the theologians on one side of Lexington Road, but heavyweight scholars reside at both schools. That is one of the reasons I wish more students at both institutions would take advantage of their proximity to step out of their comfort zones and study with each other.
8/02/2006 07:27:00 PM
Oh, and I think Ben is giving the Norton Lectures, but I could be wrong about that. Regardless, they'll definitely be worth getting out of bed a bit earlier.
8/02/2006 07:29:00 PM
Richard,
I think there are some connections between the two seminaries, especially between the two libraries. If I am not mistaken, they even use the same server (which has no relation to theology or faculty however).
Do you know if they are down with Metroversity?
On the issue of theological camps, would you consider the current direction and position of the PCUSA orthodox? Especially its views of the pastorate and gender issues? If we are to study with each other, my question would arise on essential matters of doctrine, salvation, Scripture, and Christ. I would be interested in knowing their positions on these.
Being that I am studying religious pluralism, one of the big elements is interreligious dialogue. While I am interested in learning about other faiths, I see no biblical encouragement to learn from other faiths. I take that similar approach to other theological camps. I respect and attempt to properly describe their positions, and I hope they would do the same as well.
Concerning the Norton Lectures, do you have the dates on those?
Yeah, I will be Sleepless in Southern at specific times during this semester. That week will be one of them.
8/02/2006 08:04:00 PM
Yes, LPTS is a part of Metroversity. One of the cool things about their curriculum (or at least several years ago) is that they have regular classes devoted to the life and thought of specific theologians, e.g, Edwards, Barth, Bonhoffer, Calvin. From my experience and that of a few friends, these are often great courses to think about taking.
As to your question regarding the orthodoxy of the PCUSA, I certainly don't claim to be an expert on the PCUSA, so I am hesitant to pronounce them heterodox. I personally think, though, that you might be mixing some categories that are of differing significance for determining whether they are orthodox or not. For instance, orthodox (at least in my estimation) evangelicals can and do disagree in their views on the pastorate and gender issues (if by gender issues you have in mind the various roles women can and cannot play in the local church). So, I wouldn't place those issues on the same level as, for instance, some of the later issues you mention, such as the exclusivity of the Gospel and the person and work of Jesus Christ. But that's me.
I can't really speak to whether or not you personally ought to learn from someone who inhabits a different theological camp. Again, I wouldn't equate an evangelical in a different camp with an adherent to a different religion. I did learn from Amy, though she and I certainly disagree on some points. And, given that she had Sean Lucas, the former archivist at Southern, come and lecture to some of her classes on Southern Presbyterians, she is certainly open to learning from others as well. But if one decided to look into a course or two through Metroversity, it would seem wise I think to do some homework on the potential profs one might sit under before registering for the class.
My email from Ben says Norton Lectures (so that much seems correct) are scheduled for Sept 26-28.
8/02/2006 08:44:00 PM
Richard,
Thanks for the dates. I will update the original post with this information.
About the gender issues, I am referring more about sexuality (as in homosexuality) and ordination. You are right that some of the issues may not be front-burner determinants of orthodoxy, but I think they inevitably flow or find themselves a by-product of other essential, more determinant matters. I will say that I am not the authority on the PCUSA either, and I don't want to superficially and uncritically assert something that I cannot substantiate, but restating the obvious was more my point (at least I think). Nor am I saying they are to the same degree as other major world religions. I am saying that we should hold the same criterion for those within who claim Christianity as those without. Of course, the variance and degree of discontinuity would be greater in say Islam than liberal strands of contemporary theologies, but I would not employ a different standard with those from within than those from without.
One of the things I have loved about the blogosphere is that it has been the best theological learning experience I have had since I have been a student. I know this is sad, but this is reality. When a professor has 120 students writing 10-20 page papers, how can he meaningfully interact with the labors of the student without sufficient time to do so? Furthermore, the lectures and curriculum does not offer engagement or interaction any more than a random question or two.
On the blogosphere, I know that I am going to be drilled if I am putting out something fallacious or untenable. I get the interaction I have hoped for, and the experience of putting theology into practice by applying the truths which I have learned in the contemporary context and sitz em leben I find myself in. More than getting the summa cumma's and a nice plaquered west wall, I want to be competent and consistent in the trenches where the issues are being addressed and doctrine is inextricably joined to practice. Were I to relegate what I have been privileged to learn to a 10 page paper, a congrats from my professors, and a theorectical recitation of finely crafted class outlines, I would be a failed seminarian in my book.
So anyway, I say all this to say that I am grateful for the critique, discussion, and even confrontation on my blog and others. While blogs are deemed trivial, juvenile, and graffiti by some, I happen to take it seriously, and so do others. So much so, I can say that I have a considerable amount of my education outside the classroom where much of the contemporary scholarship is too erudite to touch. So I will continue to be ensconced in my little office chair and plug away at ole' P&P.
Thanks man for the discussion. Let's continue to learn and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
8/03/2006 05:10:00 AM
I certainly agree that the sexuality question is a bit more troubling than the gender question and that it is tied to larger, more significant issues.
Thankfully, there are faithful brothers and sisters within the PCUSA (and the Anglican Communion and SBC for that matter) striving to insist on the sufficiency of the Scriptures. We can only be grateful for such people and their work.
And glad to join you in discussion, though I'd prefer to leave the drilling to someone else.
8/03/2006 06:07:00 AM
Well, don't take it that you were drilling me (I can give you some painful examples of when I have been drilled). But I do appreciate your froward, honest, and level-headed contributions.
So indeed, we shall discuss, either here or there . . . or at the Athens' square. :)
8/03/2006 06:14:00 AM
The Fall chapel schedule is now online here.
8/04/2006 02:22:00 PM
Thanks Steve for the update. I was curious how Joshua Chavers was able to retrieve the info and provide a link and later to find it not there. I am glad they put the information back up.
BTW, are we down for dinner some time next week?
8/04/2006 09:24:00 PM
Johnny-Mac at Southern..& Mahaney. That alone makes for a good semester. Thanks bro.
8/05/2006 11:38:00 PM
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