Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Saturday, March 13, 2010

David Wells: Thoughts on the Disappearance of Theology, 1-20.

We're also doing some work and posting on Facebook entitled "Exposing the False Prophets—Reformation Christians Against TBN" at:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=nf&gid=308173344359

We post that article here.

1. Some observations on an heavy-hitter, Dr. David Wells, and his worked entitled “No Place for Truth: Or, Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology?” (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1993), 1-20. Dr. Wells has two credible, earned doctorates and taught theology for years. One has to ponder him long and hard. Why? He's already done the decades of pondering.

2. A weighty question made more stunning by the passage of 17 years since the publication. Emergent churches, rampant Neo-Montanism (Pentecostalism), Arminian and non-Confessional evangelicalism, non-liturgical worship, worship frenzism with "Shine Jesus Shine" and drum kits, Rick Warren and Joel Osteen, for starters. Some forum members have used the term "evangellifishdom."

3. Dr. Wells laments entering seminary students with little connections with the past, little knowledge of literature, philosophy, history and even the ability to write a “research paper.”

4. Simple remedy: establish strong pre-seminary requirements for entrance including 1 year of Greek and Hebrew. Create a pre-seminary equivalent of the GRE. Also, let seminary students enter doing exegesis rather than vocabularies, paradigms and syntax. If not ready, offer one-year of remedial work at the seminary prior to entrance to graduate theological work.

5. The question is not whether there will be a theology, but rather will it be a good or bad one. The biblical writers and Jesus had theology. "No Creed but Christ" is ridiculous. What can and do you confess with words, life and piety?

6. Dr. Wells has watched “with growing disbelief” as the evangelical church has passed into “theological illiteracy.” Evidences: entering seminary students, most evangelical publications, and their churches. Quite a statement by the Professor. He also lays blame on the churches for this. Ouch! Also, secularization and relativism. We would add failures to catechetize children and youth. And failures to offer collegians and young adults serious but accessible studies in Sunday School, such as R.C. Sproul's video materials. Churches will have to own up to their problem.

7. A quote: “The stream of historic orthodoxy that once watered the evangelical soul is now damned by a worldliness that many fail to recognize as worldliness because of the cultural innocence with which it presents itself.” Ouch again, Professor. Rubbing the behind with that spanking.

8. What is disappearing is the "passion for truth."

9. As for passion, we may well speak of “lovelessness” and “lukewarmness” for God’s Self-disclosure. Also, a substantial love of “my experience” over truth, notably amongst the Montanists. Dr. Wells, however, has a wide audience in view. Ouch, Dr. Not so hard,

10. God is sovereign and just in all His judgments. And His mercy extends to believers, their children and offspring, as many as the Lord our call shall call, to those who love Him.

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