Ecclesial Theology Posts
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June 24, 2010
Ecclesial Theology and SBL
Elsewhere I’ve argued that the social locations of the academy and the church represent two distinct (and often diverging) fields of theological discourse. In as much as most of our theologians and scholars are situated in the academy, orthodox theology has become, in many instances, detached from the church and her concerns. While there remains some overlap between the academy and the church (particularly when one includes the seminary as a sub-set of the academic world), overall, these two social locations represent diverging theological/scholarly agendas.
The point above …
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June 20, 2010
Pastor-Theologians and Academic Theologians: Toward a Healthy Division of Labor, Part 3
Following up from part one and part two…
Yet in drawing a contrast between academic theology and ecclesial theology, an important words needs to be said here about the mutually dependent nature of the church and academy. As my vision for ecclesial theology has unfolded, I’ve become increasingly aware of the need for a robust partnership between believing academic theologians and pastor-theologians. Doug Sweeney (himself a respected academic historian), helped crystallize this for me at the close of the 2009 Fellowship Symposium of the Society for the Advancement of …
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June 17, 2010
Ecclesial Theology as the Foundation of Popular Theology
Popular theology and ecclesial theology share much common ground. Both are concerned with the life of the church. Both are prophetic and call the church to action. But ecclesial theology pushes beyond the introductory nature of popular theology, and serves as its ground. Indeed, the ecclesial theologian engages in ecclesial theology as a necessary first-step in laying a solid foundation for his popular theology. In other words, a significant function of …
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March 27, 2010
Webster on “Technical Sophistication” and Ecclesial Theology
Theological reflection that cannot connect with the existential questions of the congregation is not ecclesial, however robust it might be. But popular theology, in and of itself, cannot be the sum total of ecclesial theology. The theological needs of the church will often compel us to press beyond a lay level of discourse, yet such pressing need not degenerate into irrelevant abstraction. John Webster helpfully notes,
[Theology] attempts a ‘reading’ of the gospel which in its turn assists the Church’s reading. Developing such a ‘reading’ of the gospel entails, of course, …
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March 8, 2010
Pastor-Theologians and Academic Theologians: Toward a Healthy Division of Labor
I’ve spent the last few weeks reading Robert Jenson’s Systematic Theology. The trinitarian framework that permeates Jenson’s project is fascinating. I’ll need more time (a lot more time!) to sort through all of the implications, but his desire to liberate Christian theology from Greek notions of impassibility and move it toward a (in Jenson’s mind) more biblical notion of God’s ontology has my mind churning in all manners of …
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February 21, 2010
The Pastor-Theologian as Ecclesial Theologian
I’ve reworked my 2009 Symposium paper in light of feedback received. The paper brings together the content of my Reformation 21 article, with the content of my taxonomy series, and seeks to articulate an understanding of the pastor-theologian that includes the writing of ecclesial theology as as significant factor in the pastor-theologian’s identity.
The intent is to include this paper in an edited volume alongside the other 2009 Pastor-Theologian Symposium papers, so any feedback before publication is welcome. Here’s the introduction followed by a link to a pdf:
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The … -
February 12, 2010
Two Birds With One “Pastor-as-Ecclesial-Theologian” Stone
Nothing particularly new here. Todd and I had lunch with a number of area pastors who wanted to hear more about the SAET. We both came away feeling like maybe we could have been more precise in explaining the SAET vision and mission. So I’ve been trying to think in fresh ways about how best to frame the whole discussion. What problems are we trying to address? How does the …
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January 13, 2010
Carl Trueman on “The Real Scandal of the Evangelical Mind”
Carl Trueman has a piece over at 9Marks that resonates with much of what the SAET stands for regarding ecclesial theology. Trueman’s basic point is that there is tendency among (some) evangelical academics to pander to the fancies of the secular establishment, and that such pandering is harmful to the church and her theology. I used to push this message more ardently in the early days of the SAET, but have since concluded that …
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December 22, 2009
Who Needs the Pastor-Theologian?
The pastor-theologian programs of organizations such as the Center for Theological Inquiry, and the Presbyterian Church USA (both programs are discontinued) follow a nearly identical organizational model as the SAET—we each host symposiums, bring together a diverse body of pastor-theologians and academic theologians, present papers, and pursue publishing, etc. Yet for the CTI and the PCA, such activities are meant to further the pastor’s effectiveness as a local-theologian, not primarily to season the body of orthodox theological reflection.
The SAET however, is primarily concerned to further the pastor’s ability …
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December 18, 2009
Thielicke on the (Ecclesial) Theologian
“Insofar as we are determined to be true theologians, we think within the community of God’s people, and for that community, and in the name of that community; – how shall I say? – we think as a part of the community itself.”
and again,
“I should like to add to all this that the church has the prior right to question us, even if it does not and cannot understand the details of our work; …
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Welcome
Welcome to saet-online.org, the online home of The Society for the Advancement of Ecclesial Theology (SAET). The SAET is an organization dedicated to assisting pastor-theologians in producing biblical and theological scholarship for the renewal of orthodox theology, for the renewal of the church.
Operating within the historic evangelical tradition, the SAET believes the contemporary bifurcation between the pastoral calling and theological formation has resulted in the loss of a distinctly ecclesial voice in orthodox theology. The SAET seeks to resurrect this voice...(continue reading)SAET Bloggers
Recent Posts
- Doug Sweeney and Owen Strachan-The Essential Edwards Collection
- Mark Noll on Methodological Naturalism
- David Rudolph on “Paul’s Rule in All the Churches”
- Stephen Witmer on Sin
- Eternity Bible College Now Offering Online Classes
- Ecclesial Theology and SBL
- Pastor-Theologians and Academic Theologians: Toward a Healthy Division of Labor, Part 3
- Ecclesial Theology as the Foundation of Popular Theology
- Spring Gathering of the Second Fellowship
- Piper on PhD’s
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