Pastor-theologian Posts
-
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:
0 Comments
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 …
0 Comments -
January 29, 2010
Biblical Evidence that Pastors Are Called to Serve as Wider Theologians: Part 2
Continuing from part 1…
As the sun of the apostolic age set, pastors were appointed to carry on the ministerial and theological leadership of the church. In Peter’s first epistle we see him passing the baton of church leadership to his “fellow elders,” exhorting them to shepherd the flock in a way consistent with the model Christ had showed him (1 Peter 5:1-4). And John, late in life, addresses his third epistle to …
0 Comments -
January 23, 2010
Biblical Evidence that Pastors Are Called to Serve as Wider Theologians: Part 1
As mentioned, I’m working on an essay that attempts to make a preliminary case for pastors serving as wider theologians to the whole ecclesia. Of course, nearly everyone will agree that pastors should function as astute local theologians to their own parishes. While a point worth making, it’s not the one I’m trying to make with this essay. My intent is to argue that the pastoral community must once again serve as wider …
2 Comments -
January 18, 2010
Biblical Warrant for Pastors Serving as Wider Theologians?
I’m working on a follow-up essay to my taxonomy paper, focusing more tightly this time on the notion of “wider theologians” — those particular theologians who serve the theological needs of the wider ecclesia (think Jenson, Vanhoozer, Hodge, Bavinck, Pannenberg, Franke, etc.). The pressing question of the paper is, “Who should serve as the church’s wider theologians?” Currently our wider theologians reside almost exclusively in the academy. Historically, they resided in our churches. Does it matter?
If you’ve followed the SAET for any length of time, you’ll know that we …
1 Comment -
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 …
2 Comments -
December 1, 2009
Taxonomy of the Pastor-Theologian, Conclusion: Who Should Draw the Wider Circles?
In my Taxonomy series, I’ve been arguing that we should reserve the term “pastor-theologian” for those particular pastors who write ecclesial theology. But a few, at least, think I’ve defined the term too narrowly. And they might be right. But the central point I’m trying to make in the paper is still a point worth making, namely this: that the SAET is advocating for something different than what we typically think of when we hear the term “pastor-theologian.” But methodologically, perhaps trying to wrench the term “pastor-theologian” into line …
5 Comments -
November 30, 2009
Taxonomy of the Pastor-Theologian, Part 5: The Pastor-Theologian as Ecclesial Theologian
Having discussed the reigning models of the pastor-theologian (local, popular, academic), the SAET’s vision for the pastor-theologian begins to emerge—the pastor-theologian as ecclesial theologian.
The pastor-as-ecclesial-theologian marks a new path. The ecclesial theologian is as church centered as the local and popular theologian models, and is as intellectually rigorous as the academic theologian model. The ecclesial theologian is a pastor who writes robust, biblical, ecclesially centered, theological reflection …
1 Comment -
November 29, 2009
Taxonomy of the Pastor-Theologian, Part 4: The Pastor-Theologian as Academic Theologian
When I tell people the SAET is a theological society for pastor-theologians, I am initially understood to be speaking of the local theologian model (part 2). When my listeners come to realize that I envision a writing ministry as a vital component of the pastor-theologian’s identity, they quickly assume the popular theologian model (part 3). When I explain that we are going for something more robust than popular theology, they immediately envision (often with skepticism) this last model—the pastor-theologian as academic theologian. (After all, isn’t academic theology the …
3 Comments -
November 27, 2009
Taxonomy of the Pastor-Theologian, Part 3: The Pastor-Theologian as Popular Theologian
Moving beyond the local theologian model, we arrive at a more objective definition of the pastor-theologian—the pastor-theologian as popular theologian. In this model, the pastor-theologian is a pastor who actually writes theology—an objective function not typical of most pastors. Bridging the gap between the professional theological community and the local church, the popular theologian translates academic theology “down” to other pastors and the laity. Many pastor-theologians of this variety have post-graduate degrees, read widely in theology, and serve as significant (and necessary) voices in contemporary evangelicalism.
The writing ministries …
1 Comment
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)Recent Posts
- Pastor-Theologians and Academic Theologians: Toward a Healthy Division of Labor
- The Faith of Jesus Christ, Sprinkle and Bird
- The Pastor-Theologian as Ecclesial Theologian
- Bargerhuff, The Love that Rescues
- Two Birds With One “Pastor-as-Ecclesial-Theologian” Stone
- New Digs for the SAET Site
- Biblical Evidence that Pastors Are Called to Serve as Wider Theologians: Part 2
- Jenson on Prolegomena
- Newly Updated Fellowship Prospectus
- Biblical Evidence that Pastors Are Called to Serve as Wider Theologians: Part 1
Article Categories
- Academic Theology (9)
- Anglican (1)
- Articles (1)
- Book Review (8)
- Carl Trueman (1)
- Church (2)
- Church History (1)
- Commentaries (1)
- Conference (1)
- Ecclesial Theologian (2)
- Ecclesial Theology (26)
- Ecumenism (1)
- Evangelicalism (2)
- First Fellowship (1)
- George Marsden (1)
- Historical Method (1)
- John Piper (2)
- Jonathan Edwards (1)
- Kevin Vanhoozer (1)
- Martin Hengel (1)
- Pastor Ministry (1)
- Pastor-theologian (20)
- Resurrection (3)
- Robert Jenson (1)
- SAET Fellowship (5)
- Second Fellowship (1)
- Soteriology (1)
- Symposium (3)
- Systematic Theology (2)
- The SAET (4)
- Theology (2)
- Tom Wright (3)
- Uncategorized (6)
- Wider Theologians (3)