I'm going to try a historical theology sermon series at church next term. Having never done anything like this before, and being something less than an expert historian it's going to be a challenge. Hopefully I'll be able to pull together enough interesting and useful material to give our congregation a sense of the depth of thinking that has gone on over the last 2000 years.
So far I have a title for the series Antique Theology. And I've chosen my topics:
Athanasius and the nature of Jesus Christ
Augustine and the two cities
Anselm and the atonement
Luther and faith
Calvin and the church
Edwards and emotions
Bonhoeffer and discipleship
The first 5 topics really picked themselves. The last two were more difficult. I thought about Wesley or Whitfield instead of Edwards. But I've read more of Edwards than the other two, and I think Whitfield is really more of a practitioner than a theologian, and it would probably be easier to work with the Reformed Edwards than the Arminian Wesley.
As for Bonhoeffer, it was tricky thinking about a modern theologian to deal with. I could have done Barth, but Bonhoeffer is such a great story, and again I think slightly easier to come to terms with some of his stuff than Barth who no one seems to be able to agree on what he was really saying!
Anyway - let me know if you think I've missed anyone important, and if you have any better titles for a church history series.
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Great stuff! Sorry you didn't include Wesley, though - Charles, of course :) My one question - how do you think our conversation about the relative importance of 'ideas' and 'forces' influences the way you approach 'historical theology'. I myself lament the dominance of historical theology as 'history' in theological colleges, but I appreciate that when it comes to sermons, theology is likely to dominate.
ReplyDeleteYes Jo, I did think of you when I left out any of the Wesleys. I'm also aware that it's self consciously an ideas based series. That was really a pragmatic decision based on what I thought I could pull off and make practically relevant for the congregation. Any ideas for a good historical forces based series? And perhaps more important, any good resources?
ReplyDeleteI've only dipped in and out of it, but Mark Noll's book Turning Points seems to do quite a good job of explaining church history in a way that goes beyond intellectual history or historical theology. Of course you can critique the idea of 'turning points' in history, but it makes an interesting and accessible structure for thinking about the relationship between church and broader social & cultural developments.
ReplyDeleteLindberg's European Reformations is a basic College text that was after your time at Moore, that is probably 'state of the art' for interrelating intellectual and social history in examining the Reformation period. It's a great work in its own right to sharpen one's grasp of the period, and could possibly spark some sermons.
ReplyDeleteI think his treatment on the social implications of justification by faith and priesthood of all believers in Lutheran circles shows just how much those doctrines had a cutting edge originally.
For other possible contendors for your series:
+Irenaeus on Creation
+one of the Cappadocians on the Holy Spirit
+Scotus or Ockham on the freedom of God
+Almost any Puritan on the nature of ministry
+One of the Princeton theologians on the nature of Christianity in a sceptical age (their responses to liberalism) or on doctrine of Scripture.
+John Own on sin or predestination
The real problem in the 20th Century is that there is almost no 'first rank' theologian who is wholly orthodox. Even the best would have been on the receiving end of the strongest disciplinary measures of the church that were in existence if they'd lived in previous centuries before the 19thC. C.S. Lewis isn't a professional theologian, but you might find something with him. Is there a presbyterian equivalent of D.B. Knox?
Thanks for those suggestions Mark. Baxter on Ministry would be pretty cool, but he'd have to replace Edwards - and I really want one of the 18th century Evangelicals. But if this series goes well it looks like I've got another series ready to go!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the 20th Century and unfortunately I don't think there is a Presbyterian equivalent to D.B. Knox - although I did briefly consider including Knox himself. Just thought he might be a bit obscure for our congregation. If I do a second series he'll definitely be a contender.