Category Archives: PhD Studies

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A Theological Enigma

My first exposure to Dietrich Bonhoeffer came when, as a twenty-two year old student pastor, I picked up a copy of The Cost of Discipleship on sale for $3 at a local Christian bookstore. I found Bonheoffer’s prophetic-like earnestness utterly transfixing and his fervor for following Christ totally convincing. Discipleship was something like spiritual accelerant on the fire of holy-love for Christ. Eventually the book found a cherished place in my study, but a somewhat forgotten place in my life. That was until 2010 and the arrival of Eric Metaxas’ Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy.

A Counterfeit Hijacking?

Metaxas’ book was something of a sweeping and sensational publication in our country, shooting up the bestseller lists and even paving the way for Metaxas to speak before President Obama—and quite humorously so—at the National Prayer Breakfast.   Believe it or not, up until this point I knew next to nothing about Bonhoeffer’s labor against the Nazis and as an armchair historian of World War II I quickly became absorbed in Bonhoeffer’s covert affairs. I greatly enjoyed the book and so upon completion I proceeded to see if scholars and reviewers enjoyed it as much as I did. Suffice it to say, I was rather stunned to see articles like “Metaxas’ Counterfeit Bonhoeffer”[1] and “Hijacking Bonhoeffer”[2] denouncing the book as “a Bonhoeffer suited to the evangelical taste.” Victoria Barnett, the editor of the English edition of Bonhoeffer’s Works, called Metaxas’s portrayal of Bonhoeffer’s theology “a terrible simplification and at times misrepresentation.”

A Theological Enigma

This was altogether alarming. My scratching of the Bonhoeffer surface and correlative conversations had led me to believe Bonhoeffer was just another chip of the Evangelical Block. So, with the assistance of a theological mentor, I began to dabble in Bonhoeffer’s doctrinal convictions and what I found was something of a theological enigma; a teacher who could garner evangelical praise in one breath and scorn in the next.

For example in his 1932-1933 lectures eventually published as Creation and Fall Bonhoeffer says, “The Bible is nothing but the book upon which the Church stands or falls.”[3] That’s a thoroughly evangelical statement. Yet, in the same book, when commenting on Genesis 1:6-10 Bonhoeffer writes, “Here we have before us the ancient world picture in all its scientific naivete.”[4] And, just a paragraph later, the German giant says, “The idea of verbal inspiration will not do.”[5]

All this from the man who would in the next 5-6 years would offer Discipleship and Life Together as enduring gifts to the church; works that have perpetuated profound Christ-centered and Bible-saturated spirituality.

To understand why Bonhoeffer has no small fans among both liberals and conservatives, we need to get our minds around the historical and theological context of Bonhoeffer’s thought.

A Child of German Liberalism

Bonhoeffer was born on February 4, 1906 “into a family of prodigiously talented humanists.”[6] His father Karl was a doctor who had little interest in religion, while his mother Paula dutifully took Dietrich and his six siblings to Lutheran services. It was clear from an early age that Dietrich possessed great intellectual (as well as musical and physical) talents. Not long after his older brother died on a World War I battlefield thirteen-year-old Dietrich announced that he would become a theologian. Bonhoeffer’s older brother were flummoxed with this plan, saying to the budding professor, “Look at the church. A more paltry institution one can hardly imagine.” To which Dietrich responded, “In that case, I shall reform it!”

In 1924 Bonhoeffer began his theological studies at Friedrich-Wilhelms University in Berlin. Founded in 1809 by the Friedrich Schleiermacher—“The Father of Christian Liberalism”—the university boasted an unrivaled faculty of Adolph von Harnack, Karl Holl, and Reinhold Seeburg. It is important to note that it was here at university Bonhoeffer immersed himself in the philosophical and theological convictions of Kant, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Schleiermacher, and another theologian who’d just burst on the scene: Karl Barth. Bonhoeffer would correspond with Barth for the rest of his life.

At university Bonhoeffer discovered a particular passion (initially derived from Holl) for the nature of “duty transformed into joy.”[7] He would go on to write a paper entitled, “Joy in Primitive Christianity” on the “shared joy” (synchairein) in Paul’s writings. Bonhoeffer’s interest in the shared joy of Christian community led to his 1927 doctoral dissertation, a 380-page manuscript called Sanctorum Communio (“The Communion of the Saints”), with the daunting subtitle: “A Theological Study of the Sociology of the Church.” Bonhoeffer claimed that Christ exists as community. Charles Marsh says of Bonhoeffer at this point, “His themes highlighted the uniqueness of his emerging vision and anticipated his life’s work. Christ, community, and conreteness—these were the key words.”

After a short pastorate in Barcelona Bonhoeffer published his Habilitationsschrift (qualifying thesis), entitled “Act and Being: Transcendental Philosophy and Ontology in Systematic Theology.” Upon its successful completion, and meeting a few other academic requirements, Bonhoeffer began to lecture in theology.

So it was at the age of twenty-four, with two dissertations in hand, Bonhoeffer stood on the threshold of a bright academic career in German theological education. He was rooted Kantian philosophy—yet still independent in his formulation, expressing deep affinity for Barth’s burgeoning neo-orthodoxy, concerned with the construction of Christian community, and cherishing rigorous reflection on doctrine. Over the next couple of years two particular experiences would indelibly shape the course of Bonhoeffer’s theological and ministerial trajectory.

The first of which was a sojourn to America. That sojourn we will look at tomorrow.

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[1] Richard Weikart, “Metaxas’ Counterfeit Bonhoeffer,” https://www.csustan.edu/history/metaxass-counterfeit-bonhoeffer

[2] Clifford Gree, “Hijacking Bonhoeffer,” http://www.christiancentury.org/reviews/2010-09/hijacking-bonhoeffer

[3] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Creation and Fall & Temptation (NY: Simon & Schuster, 1997), 10.

[4] Ibid, 30.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Marsh, 4.

[7] Ibid, 44.

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Thoughts on Meditation on Communion with God

MCGSome guided thoughts on John Jefferson Davis’ excellent book Meditation and Communion with God: Contemplating Scripture in an Age of Distraction.

What is Davis’ thesis in The Puritan Practice of Meditation?

Davis states, “The central thesis of this book is that a believing, prayerful, and receptive reading of Scripture is an act of communion with the triune God, who is really present to the reader through and with the biblical text” (34). He wants the reader to understand “the nature and practice of biblical meditation as communion with God who is really present to the reader—based on a biblical and theological framework focusing on the doctrines of union with Christ and inaugurated eschatology” (8).

What are three places in the book where you believe Davis is most biblically profound, and why do you think so?

I appreciated Davis’ discussion of the understanding the Holy Spirit’s ministry in the inaugurated eschaton as “ordinary supernatural.” Pulling from Acts 1:2 and John 20:22-23 Davis says, “God still acts in the extraordinary supernatural in the church, but the key to a healthy church and Christian life is to operate consistently in the ordinary supernatural, in conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit, as we preach, meditate on Scripture and do the work of ministry generally (39). The temptation for many Christians and churches is to reduce the Spirit’s ministry into one of extraordinary actions and gifts, missing that the New Testament clearly indicated His regular ministry is one of ordinary—yet no less supernatural—work.

Secondly, I loved Davis’ focus on our triune God, particularly that “salvation in the fuller and more biblical sense is sharing in the ever deepening measure in the life of the triune God: participating in and enjoying, by and in the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ joyous experience of His Father’s love” (54). What a wonderful reminder when tied to biblical meditation! By meditating on Scripture we are able to enter into “this experience and trinitarian fellowship even now, in this life, in anticipation of an even deeper experience in the life to come” (55).

Finally, I found his belief that inaugurated eschatology demands an inaugurated epistemology immensely helpful. Cutting through empiricism on one end and rationalism on the other, David advocates for “a logopneumatic (Word and spirit) theory of knowledge that has it’s origins in [Paul’s] encounter with the risen Christ on the Damascus road and his own personal reception of the Spirit (Acts 9:17-18).” This is a compelling New Covenant epistemology; one of Word and spirit, a knowledge tethered to truth and senses. It’s quite common to pit Word against spirit, and vice-versa, but the biblical witness is one of a redeemed intellect governed by God’s word and spirit.

Are there any places in the book where you differ from Davis’ understanding of the biblical text or of the positions he advocates? If so, discuss your differences with Davis.

Davis is thoroughly biblical—and historical— in his understanding of the why and how of meditation. His discussion of inaugurated eschatology, the Trinity, and union with Christ are spot on and thus I didn’t have any significant disagreement with his thesis.

What does this book have to say about the relationship between reading the Bible and meditating on it?

Meditation and Communion with God calls for a meditative approach to reading God’s word. If reading Scripture, in faith, is nothing less than communion with the triune God, why would we not linger and meditate on it? Davis writes, “The historic practice of meditating on Scripture is, of course, just an example of ‘slow reading’” (24).

In what ways is this book about personal meditation on Scripture and in what ways is it about the public ministry of the Word?

Davis says personal meditation enables a deeper enjoyment of the preached Word (cf. 38), but this book is overwhelmingly about personal meditation. He says, “Those of us who are professional Christians—pastors, priests, seminarians, youth ministers, teachers, academics—often have other agendas as we approach the biblical text: sermons to preach, lessons to be taught, talks to be given, papers to be written” (127). We need to reorient our lives to come to God’s word with “no real agenda other than to be in Christ’s presence and to enjoy being in Christ’s presence.”

He also says, “[T]he practice of biblical meditation can be . . . especially vital for pastors . . . who constantly face the challenges of stress, burnout, and spiritual dryness in the midst of the demands of ministry” (8).

What part of this book is most needful in your ministry context? Explain why this is so and what specific steps would be necessary for this part of the book to become a reality there.

Davis knows well the rush and fuss of modern culture. He says, “In the face of today’s rushed lives and information overload, [biblical meditation] seems more important than ever.” He wisely doesn’t throw out all uses of technology, but a “reflective and intentional use of them, and a slower, more contemplative reading of Scripture” (24).

Ministry in the suburbs of Dallas is one of shepherding souls tempting to join the rat race of technological consumption. Such consumption directly impedes our ability to meditatively consume God’s word. How then can we shepherd the church to slow, edifying reflection on Scripture? First of all, we must effectively show—like Davis does in the book—that feasting on God’s word is real communion with God. From there, we can continue to model in our weekly liturgy what it looks like to feast together on God’s word as we read it, sing it, pray it, hear from it, and see it (the Lord’s Supper). The aim is to raise holy affections for communion with God that in turn decrease lowly affections for the triflings of this world.

How would you use this book differently in an academic setting as opposed to your ministry context?

In my church context I would use this book to give church members deeply constructed theological foundation for the practice of meditation. In an academic setting where matters of inaugurated eschatology, the Trinity, and union with Christ are—hopefully—richly taught, Meditation and Communion with God would be a wonderful example of how such doctrine can live in our soul; namely, through biblical meditation.

What do you think is missing from this book on Meditation and Communion with God?

Meditation and Communion with God clearly lacks a corporate dimension. What role does meditation have in the gathered congregation? Does it even have a role? Readers are left to make their own corporate applications. Davis would do well, in a second edition, to think more broadly about the implications of biblical meditation for Christ’s church.

Have you read anything more helpful on the matters addressed in Meditation and Communion with God? If so, what was it and why was it more helpful?

For the theology realities undergirding biblical meditation, this is the best book I’ve ever read.

What impact has this book had on your personal intake of Scripture or in your ministry of the Word?

The immediate impact was on my sermon preparation. I find myself tempted each week to rush through the given text and get right to constructing the sermon. Such a practice doesn’t fatten my soul in joy or prepare my heart to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ found in the text. Meditation and Communion with God reoriented my sermon prep process to starting each week with a slower, reflective read on the text. Once a fullness of meaning and life comes from the text, then I’m able to more effectively work on the sermon.

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Thoughts on A Praying Life

A series of thoughts on Paul Miller’s for an upcoming colloquium on biblical spirituality I’m in at SBTS.

AWhat is Miller’s thesis in A Praying Life?

Miller’s purpose in writing A Praying Life is, “I wrote for Christians, for those struggling to do life, who pray badly yet long to connect with their heavenly Father” (11). The main thrust of the book is that in order to pray to the Father with constant joy we must become more childlike in our prayers. He believes some adult habits (i.e. cynicism) “keep us from being drawn into the life of the Father.” To combat this we need to understand our identity as children of God drawn into the story of the Father. This story is one we join in when we pray.

What are three places in the book where you believe Miller is most biblically profound, and why do you think so?

Throughout the book Miller uses Scripture more for purposes of application than interpretation. He’s normally assuming the interpretation of a given passage at hand and his point in making reference to it is so he might exhort or challenge his readers.

One place of useful biblical discussion is on page 48 where Miller talks about the Old Testament background of praying out loud. Pulling from John 17 and Hebrews 5:7 Miller says, “Jesus follows the custom of praying out loud.” His meditation on the power of hearing yourself pray is powerful. He writes, “When I confess a sin aloud, it feels more real. When I hear my own voice admitting that I’ve done something wrong, I’m surprised by how concrete the sin feels. . . . [Praying out loud helps] my prayers become more serious” (48).

Chapter 10 offers various cures for the cynicism that afflict many adult Christians. Miller’s first cure is linked to Matthew 10:16, which says, “I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Miller comments, “The overwhelming temptation when faced with evil is to become a wolf, to become cynical and lose your sheeplike spirit. Jesus tells us to instead be warm but wary — warm like a dove but wary like a serpent” (83). The “warm but wary” caution/cure is an excellent articulation, based on Scripture, on how Christians can fight against the cynicism so common in our day.

A third place where Miller helpfully uses Scripture to illuminate his teaching is when he talks about Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane on page 132. At this point in the chapter Miller has said many Christians fall into one of two camps in prayer. The first camp is one of “Not Asking” and its opposite is “Asking Selfishly.” Miller remarks, “Jesus’ prayer at Gethsemane demonstrates perfect balance.” He avoids the Not Asking cliff by praying for God to remove the cup of suffering (Mark 14:36). He simultaneously avoids the Asking Selfishly cliff in saying with his next breath, “Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Are there any places in the book where you differ from Miller’s understanding of the biblical text? If so, discuss your differences with Miller.

As stated above, Miller’s book is largely one of applying Scripture more so than interpreting Scripture. We must admit that application is some kind of interpretation, so where his applications seem stretched we may wonder if his interpretation of the respective passage is correct.

One place where I would differ from Miller’s use of the text is in chapter three, which is entitled, “Become Like a Little Child.” Miller takes the gospel passages of Matthew 18, Mark 10, and Luke 10 where Jesus rebukes his disciples for not allowing the little children to come to the Savior. Jesus famously said, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” From this passage Miller says, “Come [to Jesus in prayer] overwhelmed with life. Come with a wandering mind. Come messy” (32). He is surely right to say that our identity as children means we ought not come with hypocritical pretense. However, the warp and woof of Jesus’ teaching in those passages is on faith as the way of the kingdom — not messiness. He gets closer to the point on 37-39 when he calls the reader to continually and trustfully ask of the Father.

Another place where I’d take issue with Miller is on page 40 where he writes, “Besides asking and believing like a child, learning to pray involves, surprisingly learning to play again. How do little children play? If you ask a parent how long a one-year-old stays on task, he or she just smiles. But if you must know, it varies anywhere from three seconds to three minutes. It isn’t long, nor is it particularly organized.” To prove his point on playful prayer Miller turns to the apostle Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1 and 3. In chapter 1 Paul seems, according to Miller, to pray without certainty of where he’s going and in chapter 3 Paul is “all over the map. It is classic ADD praying” (40). While I understand what Miller is communicating here, it would have been closer to these texts to talk more about soul-thrilling doxological qualities to Paul’s prayers rather then simply reduce them to playful “scattered-ness.”

What does this book have to say about praying the Bible?

Almost all of Miller’s thought on praying the Bible are saved until chapter 27, “Keeping Track of the Story: Using Prayer Cards.” Here Miller talks about the spiritual epiphany he once had of “put the Word to work.” He wisely instructs readers to consider using a card system whereby each card represents a person you are praying for and then fill up the card with pertinent matters for prayer. Some of these items should be biblical verses we are praying for the individual.

Also, Miller anecdotally talks about praying through Psalm 23 on page 87.

In what ways is this book about personal prayer and in what ways it is about prayer with the church?

This book is entirely about personal prayer.

What part of this book is most needful in your ministry context? Explain why this is so and what steps would be necessary for this part of the book to become a reality there.

A Praying Life is most helpful for our church context on pages 49-50 when he says, “One objection to a daily prayer time is ‘I pray all the time.’ While being ‘constant in prayer’ (Romans 12:12) is an important way of praying . . . there is no substitute for focused times of prayer.” Miller goes on to offer seven simple suggestions for morning prayer that are excellent for our people to consider.

Because we live in a rapidly expanding, wealthy suburban context the temptation to merely run the rat race of life (what Miller calls focusing on time, money, and talent as all we need) and give little attention to prayer. The majority of our people thus aim to make each day one of ceaseless prayer — praying on their commute, before meals, and ultimately “praying their way through the day.” And praise God for that burden! I feel the Lord has blessed our church uniquely in its affection for prayer.

We know, however, that scheduled and systematic prayer is a friend not foe to constant prayer. So we have extended prayer times scheduled in each week’s gathered worship, a monthly prayer night, small groups carving out time for prayer, and encouraging individuals to meet one on one for Bible study and prayer with regularity.

What do you think is missing from this book on A Praying Life?

A weakness of A Praying Life is that is almost exclusively focuses on prayer of petition. There are moments where supplication and thanksgiving appear, but the book would have been well served to show how the life of prayer is one of all kinds of prayer. Specifically, prayers of adoration and lament are absent. Given Kim’s struggles, how wonderfully served the reader would have been to see how faithful lament had a place in the Miller’s life. I’m sure it did, but Miller chooses to focus entirely on matters of petition when it comes to his children.

Additionally, the book never advocates the fullness of how God’s children ought to approach in prayer: reverent affection. There is an emphasis on the latter, but the issue of reverence seems to be an afterthought.

Finally, A Praying Life’s greatest weakness is the absence of how Christian prayer is one done in community. Where are anecdotes of praying with the church, at church, or in the context of biblical community?

Have you read anything more helpful on the matters addressed in A Praying Life? If so, what was it and why was it more helpful?

I find Keller’s Prayer to be more useful than Miller’s book. Keller has noted affinity for Jack Miller and the Sonship movement (see his article “What’s So Great About the PCA”), so much of his exhortation sounds like Miller’s. Yet, Keller is more expansive than Miller, dipping into the wealth of not mere experience but of bible, church history, culture studies, and heart diagnosis. One wonders how long Miller’s book would be if all the family anecdotes were taken out. It would likely be quite thin, which I think highlights how rigorously simple (not a bad thing!) he is to his theme.

What impact has this book had on your personal prayer life or in your ministry leadership of prayer?

The book’s greatest impact on my life is encapsulated in this quote, “If you try to seize the day, the day will eventually break you. Seize the corner of his garment and don’t let go until he blesses you. He will reshape the day.” This is a profound thought that’s already shaped how I go about my ordinary day.

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Calling All Pastor-Scholars

Faith and Scholarship

Near limitless forks can be found, and pursued, on the road marked, “Faith & Scholarship.”

One could channel George Marsden in confronting our day’s authoritative assumption “that our educational system would be better off if it were free from the heritages of ancient religious learning.”1 Another could interact with David Crump’s assertion in his recent work, Encountering Jesus, Encountering Scripture: Reading the Bible Critically in Faith, that “Christian faith should not be a mental sedative that puts reason to sleep; instead, it should cause reason to be resurrected.”2 Others might choose to walk down the path of discussing how the Christian faith relates to areas of secular scholarship such as bioethics, law, and English literature. This brief essay, however, chooses to walk down an old, yet oft-forgotten path called, “The Pastor-Scholar.” This path is where faith and scholarship have historically been intertwined. Although formidable in history, the pastor-scholar road is now fraught with bumpy questions like, “Should pastors devote energy to the pursuits of scholarly contribution? Is not the work of scholarship best left to reside in university walls and professorial ivory towers?”

My simple contention in this small slice of the intersection between faith and scholarship is that Christ’s church needs more pastors engaged in the work scholarship. If we would see a growing number of faithful scholars doing their work in the context of a local church I believe we would see the perpetuation of three things: an educated ministry, a fed laity, and a flourishing society.

Delineating the Audience

It must be acknowledged from the outset a need to limit the already limited path I have chosen. Two limitations are necessary—a definition and a caveat. First, I am working with the definition of Christian scholarship as, “The pursuit of glorifying God through advanced academic competence.” D.A. Carson makes a similar point in his discussion on the nature of a pastor-scholar by saying, “[We are] talking . . . about pastoral work in the framework of rather more advanced technical competence than is customarily the case.”3

We must also say not every pastor is called to be a scholar any more than every pastor is called to have six children. May God rain down special blessings on those he calls to scholarship and a large quiver! Any number of constraints against scholarship may push against the pursuit of “advanced academic competence.” Acknowledging these constraints, Doug Sweeney remarks, “Some don’t have the time. Many are serving churches that won’t allow this kind of stewardship. Some don’t have the intellectual gifts or writing skills . . . So let’s be honest about this: the kind of [scholarly] leadership that the world so desperately needs is not for everyone engaged in pastoral ministry.”4

Yet, when there is a happy, Spirit-wrought combination of the various abilities required—intellectual ability, financial capability, and margin of time—for scholarship, pastors should consider the following benefits that advanced academic pursuits can bring to Christ’s church and the world at large.

“The Best Theologians Were Parish Pastors”

In his book Jonathan Edwards and The Ministry of the Word Sweeney writes, “In the early twenty-first century, when many pastors have abdicated their responsibilities as theologians, and many theologians do their work in a way that is lost on the people of God, we need to recover Edwards’ model of Christian ministry. Most of the best theologians in the history of the church were parish pastors.”5 Gerald Hiestand’s survey of the mighty scholars of old leads him to similarly conclude, “The heritage of pastors such as Irenaeus, Athanasius, Basil, Augustine, Anselm, Luther, Calvin, Edwards, Wesley, etc., all demonstrate the viability—indeed desirability—of uniting ecclesial ministry and robust theological scholarship.”6

A humble and earnest pursuit of advanced academic work will ordinarily be a boon to an increasingly educated ministry. Sure, outliers exist. Some pastor-scholars’ education may in fact be a disservice because their increasing intellect only serves to make them increasingly inaccessible to the ordinary church member. On the whole, however, educated ministers bring edifying ministries. The great apostle said, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Scholarly pursuits in the realms of theology, hermeneutics, or the original languages of Scripture provide pastors with a deeper facility in handling God’s word. A deeper facility, with God’s word, gained through advanced study, provides potential for greater spiritual prosperity in God’s church. Hiestand agrees, “More [scholars] in our pulpits will deepen the theological integrity of our churches, while at the same time add an ecclesial voice to evangelical theology.”7

But we should not limit a pastor’s academic work to the essential academic arenas of Bible and theology. A pastor’s pursuit of competence in the field of ethics would surely God’s people who are surrounded by no shortage of ethical quagmires. Pastors trained as historians would have a unique ability to see through the vanity of fascination with contemporaneity. If a pastor immersed himself in classical literature we would not be silly to expect his sermons would contain powerful, moving language.

Ordinary pastors pursuing extraordinary study, with the Spirit’s help, can be unique blessings to the family of God. world at large.

Growing So They Might Grow

Feeding the word of God to the people of God is the ordinary work of a pastor’s ministry. Faithful pastors long to see their congregation’s spiritual girth continually expanding. Several positive effects of a pastor’s scholarship were mentioned above, but we can add something of a guiding principle here. Michael Bird, with a nod to Hiestand, hits on the principle in this elongated sentence, “The theological integrity of the gospel in the Christian community will never rise above the level of her pastors and ecclesial theologians are best situated to produce ecclesially sensible, field-tested, theological work that deepens the faith and depth of the church.”8 What’s this maxim calling for every pastor’s attention? It’s the truth that a congregation rarely exceeds her pastor’s growth in the grace and knowledge of Christ. A pastor’s growth, ordinarily, is inextricably linked to the church’s growth. And so we see the tie to Christian scholarship. Because faithful scholarship is by nature an exercise in growth—growing precision in awareness and aptitude­—we can expect faithful pastor-scholars will be turbochargers for Christ-centered transformation in their Christian communities. As he grows, they will grow.

Expanding Into the World

Ellen Charry has recently argued in her compelling work God and the Art of Happiness that much modern Christian theology lacks a hearty doctrine of human flourishing.9 She reminds us joyful growth in the grace and knowledge of Christ is never meant to merely terminate on the one in whom the transformation happens. The happiness of Christ is meant to radiate out to the stations of society in which we live. If it does not do so, we would be taking the spiritual lamps and putting them under a basket (cf. Matt. 5:15).

It seems, in popular opinion, most pastors fear scholarship will prohibit them from contributing towards human flourishing. “Will advanced academics inebriate me to the life of ordinary people?” Of course it could, but scholarship wedded to faith looks out, because faith looks out to Christ. When proper academic pursuits are married to biblical faith, scholarship becomes a catalyst for the flourishing of ideas, practices, and conformity into Christ’s image. Is scholarship all we need for human flourishing? Surely none would think so. Yet, woven into the fabric of God’s creation, his society, is the joy of knowing. Scholarship gives impetus to deeper and more meaningful knowing, and thus richer community.

It’s a Two-Way Street

This essay is something of a surface-level scratch into the conviction that Christ’s church needs more pastors devoted to scholarship. It is a belief currently driving my own advanced studies in the midst of pastoral ministry. I believe the family of faith needs more leaders modeling in their midst the relationship between faith and scholarship. Where these faithful pastor-scholars increase we are not foolish to hope an educated ministry, growing laity, and flourishing society will follow. There are encouraging trends in this reclamation of the role of pastor-scholar. New publications are due this year commending and instructing the vision.10 New fellowships like The Center for Pastor Theologians offer tangible, ecumenical hands and feet to the model.

There is one more thing that must be said on the matter at hand and it is this: the church’s need for pastors devoted to scholarship is a two-way street. Not only do we need ordained pastors prayerfully and happily pursuing advanced academic competence, we also need Christians scholars already engaged in advanced academia to root themselves in local church ministry. May the Spirit give many of these scholars an aspiration to the office of elder. A cursory survey of Christian scholars, across disciplines, reveals the Spirit is indeed working in such a way. Let us long for, pray for, and work for many more pastor-scholars to shepherd Christ’s sheep and model the marriage of faith to scholarship.

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[1] George Marsden, The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 3.

[2] David Crump, Encountering Jesus, Encountering Scripture: Reading the Bible Critically in Faith (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2013), 132.

[3] D.A. Carson and John Piper, The Pastor as Scholar & The Scholar as Pastor: Reflections on Life and Ministry (Wheaton: Crossway, 2011), 72-73.

[4] Douglas A. Sweeney, “A Call and Agenda for Pastor-Theologians,” The Gospel Coalition Blog, April 26, 2012, accessed February 22, 2015, http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/a-call-and-agenda-for-pastor-theologians

[5] Douglas A. Sweeney, Jonathan Edwards and The Ministry of the Word: A Model of Faith and Thought, (Downer’s Grove: IVP, 2009), 199.

[6] Gerald Hiestand, “Taxonomy of the Pastor-Theologian: Why PhD Students Should Consider the Pastorate as the Context for Their Theological Scholarship,” The Expository Times 124 (November 2012): 261.

[7] Hiestand, “Taxonomy of the Pastor-Theologian,” 264.

[8] Michael F. Bird, “Why We Need More Doctorates in the Pastorate!” Patheos Blod: Euangelion, March 21, 2013, accessed February 23, 2015, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/euangelion/2013/03/why-we-need-more-doctorates-in-the-pastorate/

[9] Ellen Charry, God and the Art of Happiness (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010).

[10] Kevin J. Vanhoozer and Owen Strachan, The Pastor as Public Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision, (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2015); Gerald Hiestand and Todd Willson, The Pastor Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2015).

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Let the PhD Studies Begin

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Every once in a while something comes along in life that you immediately know will change your life forever. That happened to me yesterday.

I received a letter from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary accepting me into their PhD program.

In ways I don’t fully yet know, my life will never bet the same.

A SURPRISING JOURNEY

From elementary school through high school my parents would normally ask upon my return home from each day of school, “How was school today?” My answer was almost invariably, “Boring.” I rarely felt challenged in class and, anyways, my mind was always completely occupied with my real passion: soccer. I looked forward to the days when soccer would replace school as the primary occupier of each day.

When I signed a contract with Major League Soccer at the age of 17 there was some terror among my extended family. The general thought was, “Jordan will never go to college!” Education has always been paramount, particularly on my dad’s side. From the moment I started playing with the Dallas Burn (what is now F.C. Dallas) one of my dad’s brothers started the full-court press of getting me to retire the soccer dream and venture into the halls of his beloved alma mater, Baylor University. He even said he’d pay for the tuition!

I was grateful, but uninterested.

ONE AND DONE

Little did I know how persistent he would be. For three years we discussed these matters and at the end of the 2004 season I announced my retirement from professional soccer. I was twenty years old. Six months later I was a Student Ministry Associate at FBC Prosper who was rapidly trying to finish a bachelor’s degree via extension studies at Texas Tech University. It was at good ‘ol FBCP that the question of seminary first popped up. And then it kept popping up. The general tenor among the Baptist church powers was, “Jordan, if you want to be a pastor you must go to seminary!”

Well, I’ve always had a struggle with pride. And in my early twenties pride was a dragon-like behemoth. The surest way to get me not to do something was tell me I had to do something. I always wanted to pave my own way. The plan was to finish my undergrad degree and be done with schooling. “One and done,” was my thought.

God had another plan.

EVERYTHING CHANGES

In 2008 I joined the staff of Providence Church as an Associate Pastor. I was a bright-eyed twenty-four year old pastor set on changing the ministerial world. Looking back on it now I can see just how silly that notion was, but how God used it to do something in my unexpected.

In May of 2009 two Presbyterian brothers reached out and invited me to lunch. David Rea and Carlton Wynne were old friends and current ministers at Providence Presbyterian Church in Dallas. “D-Rea” had been the college pastor at Park Cities Presbyterian Church, and Carlton his intern, when I attended PCPC for a few years in my soccer playing days. When they heard I was an associate pastor at an Acts 29 church they wanted to see how my ministry was going and what on earth this church planting network was all about. Some of you might remember how those were the boisterous days of A29.

Not long after that meeting I reached out to good Rev. Wynne and asked him if he would disciple me in ministry. I was rapidly realizing how ill-prepared I was for various aspects of pastoral ministry and wanted to grow. Carlton was, and remains, the smartest and humblest pastor I know (he’s currently finishing his PhD dissertation in Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary). In short, I wanted to be like him. I still hope to be like him.

Carlton graciously agreed to regularly meet with me and our bi-weekly lunches remain one of the fondest memories of my young ministry. He was a graduate of RTS-Charlotte and so, not surprisingly, our conversation often came around to that age-old question of seminary. Overtime he convinced me to go. Five years after –almost to the day! – of saying I wouldn’t go to seminary I submitted an application to RTS.

A REKINDLED LOVE

The next three years were full of ministry, church planting, and seminary. Throughout my time at RTS I rediscovered the joy of learning. I think it was because, unlike much of my previous schooling, the subjects I studied in seminary were so thoroughly interesting and practical. Reading and writing were like old friends I used to spend time with, but life had taken us down separate paths. Now we were reunited. And what fun it was.

When I finished the M.A.R. at RTS I thought, “What about a PhD?”

WHERE TO STUDY

I thus began to research possible schools to which I could apply and I settled on one institution: SBTS. It had everything I was looking for: rigorous scholarship, expert faculty, options for modular study, and a rich tradition in the SBC – our church’s denomination.

After some dialogue with the admissions people I realized I needed to take some classes to get my M.A.R. up to M.Div. equivalency. So over the course of last fall and this spring I slammed out 18 hours worth of seminary classes. In God’s kind providence He used those two semesters to change my direction in which department I would potentially do doctoral research.

WHAT TO STUDY

My original plan was to apply for a PhD in Christian Preaching, but the more I studied at SBTS and got to know the various options and professors I decided to switch my application to the Biblical Spirituality department.

I’m increasingly convinced, along with old saints like M’Cheyne and Bonar, that it is not great talents God blesses as much as great likeness to Christ. I long to be a pastor that sets an example for his people in speech, life, love, faith, and purity, and in so doing save myself and my hearers (1 Tim. 4:12, 16). Additionally, I hope to be a man who trains and exhorts potential pastors in what a spiritual ministry through ordinary means can look like. Further and specific study on these matters can only serve in these areas. Plus, growing in my understanding of the history and theology of piety is right up my alley of interest.

DREADFUL DELIGHT

Earlier this summer I sent in my application and at the beginning of August I received an invitation to come to SBTS to take the entrance exam and go through a faculty interview. And so it was five weeks ago today that I flew out to Louisville with dreadful delight. I guess the exam and interview went well enough, but now that I’ve been officially admitted into the program I once again have that sense of dreadful delight.

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The dread part of that paradox is wrapped up in the commitment of intellect, time, and cash money we are adding to an already full plate: pastoring a young church with a fourth son on the way in January (our four boys will be four years old and under when Knox, Lord willing, appears). But we are simultaneously delighted in God’s opening of this door for doctoral study.

We know life will never be the same. And that is always dreadfully delightful.