Blogging in the name of the Lord: Gary Benfold

This is the fifth in a series of interviews with Christian bloggers. In the hot seat today is...

Gary Benfold

GD: Hello Gary Benfold and welcome to Exiled Preacher. Please tell us a little about yourself.

GB: A Yorkshireman by birth and conviction, I've pastored two churches. The first was in Aylesbury, 1981-97, and now here in Moordown, Bournemouth since 1997.

GD: Your blog is rather grandly called "The Preacher". Please explain why.

GB: Ah, well: the truth. I was thinking I might start a blog one day and playing with the controls to see if I could make it work. when it asked for a name for the blog I wrote the first thing that came into my head; suddenly, there was the blog up and running and I was stuck with it. If anyone knows how to change the name without losing the address, I'll gladly change it for something a little more modest. 'The Pastor' perhaps. Or 'The Well-balanced Calvinist.'

GD: After a little technical advice from yours truly, it looks as though you are now A Yorkshire Preacher in Exile, which is a bit less pretentious. The "Exile" bit sounds a bit familar, though. Now you'll probably get e-mails from concerned readers in the States asking why you've been banished to Bournemouth. What made you start blogging?

GB: Somebody's got to tell the truth...

GD: That's true. What are the strengths and weaknesses of blogging as a medium for theological reflection?

GB: The major weakness of course is that the ignorant can pretend to be knowledgeable and mislead others. A major strength though is that it can help those of us who want to learn, by encouraging interaction with people we may rarely, or never, see. Then, too, there are some very fine people blogging: I discovered Helm's Deep recently (through your blog, I think) and have discovered that Paul Helm ruminates there, on questions big and small, in most helpful ways.

GD: Who has had the most influence on your theological development?

GB: Martyn Lloyd-Jones, without doubt. I was 'awakened' under his itinerant ministry in 1973 and when I came to Christ, he was the only Christian I knew outside my own small church. So the first Christian book I ever bought was his 'Studies in the Sermon on the Mount' and his influence has been with me ever since.

GD: Who has taught you most of what it means to preach the Word of God?

GB: Again, Lloyd-Jones. I've been listening afresh to some of his sermons recently - reading them is one thing, hearing them is another. What simplicity! What passion! He is to preaching what Ronnie O'Sullivan is to snooker: he makes it look so easy, I think 'I could do that'. And then I try it...

GD: Describe your call to the pastoral/preaching ministry.

GB: The first stirrings came, perhaps ironically now, under the preaching of Roy Clements when I was a student. He was expounding 2 Timothy and bringing us face to face with God and the importance of the gospel, and I remember thinking 'If I could do that, I would gladly give my life to it.' Then, over the next couple of years, the conviction grew that God was calling me to this work, and I began to preach and ask the advice of others as to whether to proceed.

GD: Where did you train for the ministry and what did you find most helpful about your studies?

GB: I trained at the London Theological Seminary, which was undoubtedly right for me at the time. It was the early days of the seminary with the original faculty: Harrison, Davies, Jones and Eveson. Most helpful, of course, was the conviction 'God can do it again' which came through in all the lectures.

GD: They were still there when I studied at LTS from 1988-90. Their godliness, giftedness and passion for preaching in the power Spirit has had a deep and lasting impression on my life. What do you find most difficult and challenging about being a pastor?

GB: Personal holiness. No disappointment compares with my disappointment here, or with the fear that this is The Reason why I am so little used by God.

GD: What do you find most thrilling and encouraging about being a pastor?

GB: I had a letter just last month from a couple who'd been converted 20 years ago. Since that time, they've developed, sacrificially, a ministry helping bring the gospel to children in Romania and Moldova. Year in, year out, they've done a work that the world never notices, but that makes a vast and eternal difference in the lives of countless children. I remember so clearly when that couple had only minimal interest in the gospel; and I remember too the wife stopping me in the street one day to say that they had both come to the Lord. Nothing, nothing, compares with the thrill of that; and it's made all the richer by their 20 years of hard work.

GD: If time travel were possible, which figure from post-biblical church history would you like to meet and what would you say to him/her, assuming they didn't run away?

GB: Would it be Spurgeon, or Whitefield? Spurgeon, I guess - though the choice is a difficult one. What would I say? 'Tell me again about the loveliness of Christ.' I know that can sound very syrupy; but what else could I possibly want CHS to talk about?

GD: I can't think of anything better. Name your favourite contemporary theologian. Why so good?

GB: Don Carson - at times I call him my 'subordinate standard'. He's clear, careful, and contemporary. He has his eyes firmly on the primacy of the gospel. And even when I don't agree with him, I'm sure he's thought things through carefully and is at least attempting to be faithful to the whole of the Biblical text.

GD: The Don is certainly one of the best. You are a member of the FIEC Council (Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches). What is your vision of the role of the FIEC in the contemporary church scene?

GB: The FIEC does a significant work in encouraging independent churches, many of which are small, to keep the gospel at the heart of their existence. I know many people argue that it doesn't do it well enough, and point at other problems (real or perceived); but no body is perfect, no body will satisfy everyone. I would like to see it develop in some important ways if it's to continue - not least, by facilitating local gospel outreach. I don't mean this in any way as a criticism of FIEC or anyone else: but it's true, I'm convinced, that if we pursue 'Fellowship' we never get it. If we work together to proclaim the gospel to the lost, true fellowship results.

GD: You've just come back from the Affinity Study Conference: The End of the Law. Did you find it helpful?

GB: Yes, I did - but not in ways that you might expect. For example: I came to understand for the first time why an evangelist friend of mine hates theology so much! Theology as I understand it is designed to glorify God by increasing our knowledge of him in ways that a) help promote true Christian living and b) help in our proclamation of the gospel. If we don't have theologians to keep us on track, we'll soon, I suspect, lose the power of the gospel. But: we spent some time on the question of whether Calvin held to Common Grace or Natural Law. An interesting question perhaps for historians of philosophy and theology, but of NO RELEVANCE AT ALL in reaching my lost and hell-bound neighbours.

GD: Did you find out what happened to the Autumn 2008 edition of Foundations?

GB: No; forgot all about it. Old age...

GD: Oh well. Maybe it'll turn up some time. Have you ever been mistaken for Gary Brady? If so did you feel flattered or depressed?

GB: Yes, regularly. What's depressing is that he's never been mistaken for me! Even worse, it's gone to a new level. 'Oh, you're Steve Brady?' 'You mean Gary Brady?' 'Yes, sorry. You are, aren't you?' 'No.' There's a Steve Benfold, too - but that would just be too complicated.

GD: Thinking about it, Gary Brady was the guinea pig for Blogging in the name of the Lord. He sat in the "hot seat" for the very first interview (here). The fact that you've both featured here will probably add to the confusion. Now, what do you make of the new Gospel Partnerships that are springing up around the UK, bringing Evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists together? Is separation from the mixed denominations now a non-issue?

GB: Are you trying to get me into trouble? [As if!] Many churches are so weak it makes sense for them to work together on a local level in such things as outreach and training. No, separation from mixed denominations isn't a non-issue; I could never be involved in such a denomination (I think!). But the question of what to do with those genuine evangelicals who are involved in mixed denominations is a different one. Melvin Tinker (Anglican, St. John's, Newland, Hull) makes a distinction between Evangelical Anglicans and Anglican Evangelicals. An EA would be Anglican first, and of an evangelical shade - so that his first 'fellowship' is going to be with other Anglicans. An AE, on the other hand, is first and foremost an Evangelical who (for whatever reason) is within the Anglican denomination. The Keele Conference saw the (temporary, perhaps) triumph of EA over AE. I don't see how I could have any meaningful fellowship with someone for whom Anglican (or: Presbyterian, or: Baptist) was more important than Evangelical - indeed, I'm not sure how they could be Evangelical in any meaningful sense.

GD: What features of the Reformed scene in the UK cause you concern and what fills you with hope?

GB: My concern about the Reformed scene is that Reformed folks haven't always made the distinction between 'Reformed' and 'old-fashioned.' It is reformed to believe in Particular Redemption; it is old-fashioned (and sinfully so?) to pray in thees and thous. I believe that this is one significant reason why the 'Reformed Revival' of the 60s hasn't led to much. But I'm filled with hope while ever God reigns.

GD: Care to name your top three pieces of music?

GB: Beethoven's Violin concerto, played by David Oistrakh; Beethoven's Emperor Concerto (the Violin Concerto is played on a violin, but the Emperor Concerto isn't played on an Emperor - presumably because there aren't any around any more) as played by Ashkenazy; and Elvis singing 'Don't' or 'It's now or never' or 'Something Blue'.

GD: With 2009 being the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth, tell us three little known Calvin facts.

GB: If they're little known, I wouldn't know them. Except, perhaps, that his 'real' name is Chauvin, which makes him the first Chauvinist?

GD: What a vexing question. We'll have to ask Paul Helm. With his Calvin, A Guide for the Perplexed, he should know. What is the biggest problem facing Evangelicalism today and how should we respond?

GB: A failure to distinguish between big things and little. We're so good at criticising one another for little things that when we have to protest against, say, Chalke's comment about 'cosmic child abuse' it's just one more whinge from a whinging group.

GD: What is the most important theological book that you have read in the last twelve months? It is a must read because....

GB: John Piper's The Future of Justification. Though I haven't finished it yet, it's a must read because this is THE issue in evangelicalism; this is the place where we are being attacked from within. Piper manages to be polemic and peaceful, thorough and gracious - a model of what theological defence should be.

GD: I really must get around to reading that book, especially as its available online for free! Which blogs do you enjoy reading and why?

GB: Yours of course; for the style, and erudition, and choice of guests. Pyromaniacs, for their defence of important theological and practical issues. And anybody who drops in a comment on my own blog, because by definition they must have discernment and tenacity. Unless they disagree, of course.

GD: Thanks for those kind words, although the choice of guests has been going down hill a bit recently. Well Gary Brady, er..... Benfold. Thanks for dropping by. Great talking to you!

Logos Bible Software: Welwyn Bible Commentaries

The Welwyn Bible Commentaries, published by Evangelical Press are now available for pre-order from Logos Bible Software. The set includes distinguished commentaries by Philip Eveson on Genesis and Leviticus, Gary Brady on Proverbs and the Song of Songs and Derek Thomas on Isaiah and Ezekiel.

Blogging in the name of the Lord: Adrian Reynolds

This is the fourth in a series of interviews with Christian bloggers. In the hot seat today is...

Adrian Reynolds

GD: Hello Adrian Reynolds and welcome to Exiled Preacher. Please tell us a little about yourself.

AR: I am a 40 year old Hampshire Baptist Pastor, married to Celia for almost 20 years (in fact we’ve been dating 25 years today!). We have three daughters, Alice (14), Bethan (11) and Isabel (4). Celia is half Welsh (not her fault) so she always sits on the fence at the most important sporting occasion of the year! I play the piano to relax and go fencing to relieve my frustrations.

GD: Your blog is called "Strangers and Aliens". Please explain.

AR: The first book I ever preached through was 1 Peter. It has really stuck with me – especially this pregnant phrase. It sums up all that I am in Christ now in relation to the world, which is what I am often tempted to ignore. My besetting sin is to be too much in love with the world. In my weaker moments, I want the passport!

GD: I'm preaching through 1 Peter at the moment. It's a wonderful portion of Gods' Word. What made you start blogging?

AR: Honestly? Pastoral contact with church members. One or two who needed a phone call a day at a particular moment in their lives. Pressure of time meant that I couldn’t help them as much as I needed. This is a way of keeping in contact with struggling souls. It worked, too!

GD: What are the strengths and weaknesses of blogging as a medium for theological reflection?

AR: It’s my water cooler. As long as people think of it that way, blogging is not a problem. I’m not speaking ex cathedra when I blog. But like all Christians I need to think aloud, sharpen iron against iron, be put right when I’m tempted to drift and just interact with others. I find the hardest thing about being a pastor (see below) the lonely path – I am relational by nature (aren’t we all?) and it serves a purpose. This great strength is also its greatest weakness – it’s public and it’s not always helpful for people to see their pastor thinking aloud.

GD: Who has had the most influence on your theological development?

AR: Eric Lane – fellow elder here, author, retired pastor, LTS lecturer and all round wise guy. He doesn’t know it, but when someone asked MLJ a question at the Westminster Fellowship, he was directed to my Eric with the words “there’s no one I know who knows the Bible like that fellow.” I have my own one man University on site. He is 80 and writing a book on how his view of the Law has changed! I love the way he’s always thinking things through again and again and is prepared to change long held views.

GD: Who has taught you most of what it means to preach the Word of God?

AR: Hmm. Robert Murray McCheyne, I think, though I have not met him personally! I do love reading books of sermons as part of my devotions and I love his fullness, winsomeness and yet the way he manages to be direct and authoritative.

GD: Describe your call to the pastoral/preaching ministry.

AR: Left a big job in business and a nice Merc because I could not put it off any more! Read Ezra through one Saturday when the family were out and couldn’t get past Ezra 7.10. Same day, Celia was singing Bethan to bed with the song “I will make you fishers of men” and came down in tears; “What are we doing with our lives?” she asked. It all came together then.

GD: Where did you train for the ministry and what did you find most helpful about your studies?

AR: Our church (and we) couldn’t afford seminary; so I went to Cornhill Training Course, took the Moore College correspondence studies and moved to Yateley as assistant to Eric, who taught me for a few hours every week. That’s essentially it – and a voracious appetite for reading, of course. I continue to meet with Eric weekly, so my “University” tuition group continues.

GD: What do you find most difficult and challenging about being a pastor?

AR: Easy. Lack of spiritual growth in people who should often (always?) be doing much better. Personally, feeling this too personally and treading what can sometimes be a lonely road.

GD: It's tough at the top. What do you find most thrilling and encouraging about being a pastor?

AR: Spiritual growth in people who should often (by the world’s standard) be struggling.

GD: If time travel were possible, which figure from post-biblical church history would you like to meet and what would you say to him/her?

AR: Hard question. So many! I’m tempted to go for Edward VI – a young man who fascinates me; come on, rewriting the liturgy in the middle of Bishop Hooper’s enthronement? However, he is fairly well researched, so perhaps I would go for someone more obscure – say Ulrich Zwingli. I really want to ask him whether he “stumbled” across justification by faith alone separately from Luther (as he claims) and if so, how?

GD: I wonder what he'd say? He'd probably just try to drown you for being a baptist anyway. Name your favourite contemporary theologian. Why so good?

AR: That’s hard! It changes every week. Currently Big Doug Moo – I find his insights into Romans quite thrilling – but it’s likely to be someone else next week.

GD: Moo's a Biblical Scholar rather than a theologian isn't he? You sometimes reference Mark Driscoll on your blog. What do you make of the controversial US pastor?

AR: I try not to be a complete fan of anyone, by conviction! I love some of his stuff, but also find he is, to my ear, unnecessarily provocative at times. I love the fact that Reformed thought is finding a new audience and that they are being thrilled by (largely) the same truths which thrill me.

GD: You've just come back from the Affinity Study Conference: The End of the Law. Did you find it helpful?

AR: Yes and no. Some good papers and thought provoking discussion. I don’t think it’s the kind of subject where we’re ever going to reach a consensus. I was surprised by how some older Presbyterians argued all their case from the Westminster Standards rather than Scripture – it highlighted for me something I hadn’t really seen before. I know they would make a clear case that the Westminster Standards come from Scripture – but in that kind of setting I want to go back to the Word directly, not via a 17th Century assessment. Controversial?

GD: Not really. Some Presbyterians tend to think in a very confession-bound way. Robert Reymond's A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith is basically a glorified commentary on the Westminster Confession. That worries me a bit. While theology should be confessional, Scripture is our ultimate authority. As ironically enough WCF 1:10 states, "The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture." Richard Gaffin shows us a more excellent way. Following the example of John Murray, he is confessional yet his rigorously exegetical approach constantly yields fresh insights into Scripture. Now, you are a member of the Affinity National Council. Could you say a word or two about the purpose of Affinity?

AR: Affinity is an evolution (a good one) of the sometimes rather negative British Evangelical Council. It is radical in that brings together those of different ecclesiologies but centred on the truths of the gospel. So it has (and has always had) Baptists, Congregationalists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals and, now, Free Anglicans. Some of the work is to present a united case in the world on social issues, for example abortion. Another area of work focuses on how we can work together in missions; yet another is a theological think tank (though, given the differing views, this perhaps works only so well). My particular area is gospel partnership – seeking to help churches understand what independence and interdependence look like in the 21st Century. I am convinced that this is an important job – but bigger than anyone realised.

GD: Some people have expressed concerns about the Affinity sponsored Gospel Partnerships that have been springing up around the UK with the aim of bringing together Free Church Evangelicals and their Anglican brethren. It seems that the issue of separation from the theologically mixed denominations, raised by Lloyd-Jones in 1966 has been kicked into the long grass. Also there are differences of emphasis between Evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists over matters like the relationship of Word and Spirit in preaching, not to mention the doctrine of the Church. Care to comment?

AR: Ooh, that’s a big question. Firstly, Gospel Partnerships are not Affinity sponsored, though some of them (not all) do associate with Affinity through their own choice. The whole issue of Free Church/Anglican is coming to the fore again – you are right – and is one that needs some careful thought. It seems to me that many free churches are in mixed denominations! I’m an FIEC pastor, and the only church service I’ve ever walked out of was in an FIEC church. It was terrible! The local Anglicans I work alongside are thoroughly Reformed and operate as Free Churches anyway! I am more happy partnering with them than other free churches which compromise on just too much. I think Evangelicalism is too weak in the UK to ignore this issue for much longer; both the Free Church and good (I use the word advisedly) Reformed Anglicans are different beasts than they were in 1966.

GD: What features of the Reformed scene in the UK cause you concern and what fills you with hope?

AR: The greatest concern that I have for Reformed theology is the inability of some who hold Reformed views to think freshly. I think this marked out all the Reformers; but we seem to have come to the point where the Reformed canon is closed much like Scripture. I believe in reformed; always reforming, but see little of that in some who claim to be truly Reformed. This doesn’t mean we must change; but we must create an environment where we are wiling to think about it. As for what fills me with hope, the weakness of evangelicalism in the UK is making us think through partnerships we hold dear and where allegiances truly live – I think initiatives like New Word Alive and the work that is being done through UCCF are hugely encouraging. UCCF is full of Beautiful People – I mean, students who are reading Athanasius? When I was a student, few people got beyond Joyce Huggett. Bring it on!

GD: Some of us seem to believe in semper reformanda, so long as it doesn't change anything. Its good that things are looking up in the student world. With 2009 being the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth, tell us three vital insights that you have gained from the Reformer.

AR: One insight above all others: always reforming. I have on my bookshelf two copies of the Institutes – one from 1536, the other the 1559 version. Comparing them is hugely informative. One positive insight: prayer; it was first reading Calvin that made me more committed to prayer (still a long way to go, of course!). One negative: church and state don’t mix. I’m with Professor Paul Helm on this – principled pluralism. I think he says “the Constantinian Settlement was the worst mistake ever made in the church.” I agree. My love of church history shows the effects of this rearing its head again and again, not least (sometimes) in Geneva. By the way, we’re going to do a Bible Study series in the summer on Calvin – his life, learning and legacy. If anyone has any insights, do send them to me!

GD: What is the biggest problem facing Evangelicalism today and how should we respond?

AR: Black spots. Huge swathes of the country with little or no Evangelical witness. I know Christians who have to travel 30 miles to get to a church – not passing anything on the way. The only way this is going to get fixed is when stronger churches get together and think strategically about the gaps and how to plug them, perhaps financing and resourcing struggling churches.

GD: By "black spots" for a moment I thought you were going to say that our biggest problem is zits! I was waiting for you to say "And we should respond with a good dose of Clearasil." I'm glad you elaborated on the opening words. We do need to find some way of linking larger churches with smaller under-resourced fellowships. Perhaps the Gospel Partnerships could do some good in that area? Right, care to name your top three pieces of music?

AR: I have very varied tastes. I love anything with a piano (being a pianist myself) from jazz to Billy Joel! But top three: (1) Carmen by Bizet (against all the influence of my parents, I love opera) (2) Bach’s St Matthew’s Passion and (3) Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony. I am not just a classical nut, but these are the tunes I play when I need music most!

GD: What is the most important theological book that you have read in the last twelve months? It is a must read because....

AR: Bob Letham’s “The Holy Trinity” – a great doctrine and one which many pastors don’t grapple with – just listen to their praying! Surely if there’s one doctrine we need to delve into and delight in it is this? Special mention to the Dutch Reformed Translation Society for Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics.

GD: Good choices. I enjoyed Letham on the Trinity (here). His book is a real challenge to make the Trinity more central in the proclamation, life and worship of the Church. I'm slowly woking my way through HB's Reformed Dogmatics (here). Great stuff. Now, which blogs do you enjoy reading and why?

AR: Anything by a Welshman. Gary Brady; Martin Downes; some chap called Guy Davies. Like many, I guess, I tend to use Bish’s blog as a stop off point – casting my eye down his blogroll every now and again.

GD: Well that just about wraps things up. Thanks for dropping by Adrian. Great talking to you!

AR: No problem – an easier way to experience Wales than having to actually go there…..

GD: What's that supposed to mean, you cheeky Englishman? You just wait until we trounce you at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

Blogging in the name of the Lord: Jason Goroncy

This is the third in a series of interviews with Christian bloggers. In the hot seat today is....

Jason Goroncy

GD: Hello Jason Goroncy, please tell us a little about yourself.

JG: I'm married to Judy and we have a two-year-old daughter. I was ordained in 1999 as a minister with the Baptist Union of Victoria, served a number of Baptist churches, as a teacher in two SE Asian refugee camps and then had a spell with the Uniting Church of Australia. I support Chelsea Football Club, and love fly fishing, good coffee, loud music, long walks, old books, Scottish whiskeys, home-brewed pilsners and slow cooking. I'm currently finishing off a PhD on the soteriology of PT Forsyth and have recently began a new teaching position at the Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership in Dunedin, the ministerial training college of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.

GD: Your blog is called Per Crucem ad Lucem. That's Latin for stuff right?

JG: Yes it is. It means 'Through the Cross to the Light', the words appearing on the memorial tablet to Forsyth in New College Chapel.

GD: What prompted you to start blogging?

JG: There were discussions that I wanted to engage in, and things I wanted to say, and saw blogging as an avenue to do both.

GD: What do you find most enjoyable about blogging?

JG: Three things: (i) the people I've met; (ii) the raw theological conversations; and (iii) the discipline of writing.

GD: What bugs you most about blogging?

JG: Again, three things: (i) the pooling of ignorance; (ii) the distraction; and (iii) the time away from 'real' books.

GD: As you mentioned, you are engaged in doctoral studies on the theology of P.T. Forsyth. David F. Wells often quotes from his writings, but I must confes I don't know an awful lot about him. Introduce the theologian and tell us why you were drawn to his work.

JG: Forsyth (1848–1921) was an Aberdeen-born and -educated Congregationalist minister and theologian who served churches at Shipley, London, Manchester, Leicester and Cambridge before becoming, in 1901, Principal of Hackney College (London), a position he held until his death. In 1905, he was honoured by being elected Chairman of the Congregational Union of England and Wales. For me, the initial attraction of Forsyth's thought was the simply the energy and passion with which he wrote. It was quite unlike anything else I'd encountered. Within a brief time, however, I began to most appreciate his conviction that all things are determined by one centre – God's action in Jesus Christ. The pastoral power and ramifications of such a conviction are immense.

GD: What is the most helpful advice that you have ever received on preaching?

JG: Two things: 1. That preaching is an announcement, proclamation, the Word of God itself living and active. It is not the mere imparting of information, biblical or otherwise. 2. Preach as long as you like, but it shouldn't feel longer than 25 minutes.

GD: Sounds like good advice to me. Apart from Forsyth, which theologians have most influenced your thinking?

JG: John Calvin, John Bunyan (his Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners was particularly impressive), Geoffrey Bingham, David Moreland (my pastor for many years), Karl Barth, Jürgen Moltmann, Vincent Donovan, Colin Gunton, Otto Weber, Donald MacKinnon, Frank Rees (my theology professor), Graham Cole (another of my theology professors), Anselm, Martin Luther, James Torrance, TF Torrance, Adolf Schlatter, Jonathan Edwards, Catherine LaCugna, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Thomas Smail, Irenaeus, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Helmut Thielicke, Ray Anderson, Dorothee Sölle, Robert Jenson, James Denney, Trevor Hart, Eugene Peterson and Donald Bloesch – among others – have all had an impact on forming my thinking over many years times. Some of these continue as regular companions. More recent companions have included Hans Urs von Balthasar, Rowan Williams, Joseph Ratzinger, John Webster and James Baldwin Brown.

GD: Quite an ecclectic mix there. What did you like most about living in the UK, and what do you miss most about Australia?

JG: Most like about living in Britain? My wife and daughter were there … and the live football at reasonable hours of the day. Most miss about Australia? The space, cricket on free TV, and cheap Pizza.

GD: The world of theology blogging seems to be dominated by Aussies like Ben Myers. What is it about you people, and have you any tips for the lowly Welsh?

JG: Theo-blogdom has more than its fair share of Aussies because we have an anxiety complex about being so far away from the rest of the world. Blogging makes us feel like we're part of the human race. Tips for the Welsh? Mmm, stick to singing.

GD: Thanks, but contrary to the stereotype I'm not that good at singing either. You have another blog on fatherhood called Paternal Life. Why the dad blog?

JG: I wanted a format to think out loud about some of the things I was learning, and being challenged by, as a new dad. I'm still learning and being challenged, but blogging about it has largely dried up. It may kick back into life at some stage.

GD: Which theological book have you found most helpful in the last twelve months?

JG: I found two books particularly helpful this year. First, Moltmann's The Coming of God. Apart from positing what is quite simply a breathtaking eschatological vision, the book helped bring together, for me, a host of loose threads in Moltmann's thought. It also overlapped with many of the themes I was thinking about at the time concerning Forsyth's own eschatology. In fact, a comparative study of Forsyth's and Moltmann's theology would make a wonderful PhD if anyone would take it up. Second, Scottish Theology by TF Torrance. This is a helpful interpretation of a stream of historical theology which introduces those already familiar with Torrance's work with some of the key historical figures that inform his thinking-in-tradition. That it is not without a definite theological agenda only adds to its appeal. I also thought that Gregory MacDonald's The Evangelical Universalist was a great piece of work that deserves more attention.

GD: Maybe the last suggestion did get the attention it deserved, ie. not a lot. As far as I'm concerned, the wrath and judgement of God against sin are an essential backdrop to the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. It seems that you've been on something of a theological journey from a 'Classic Reformed' position to a more Barth-influenced stance. Am I right? If so, how has your theological understanding has changed over the years?

JG: By way of an answer, I’d prefer to say that my sympathies have broadened rather than moved from one position to another. Sibbes, Owen, Edwards, Whitefield, Newton and Goodwin continue to sit on my bookshelves alongside Barth, Moltmann, Braaten, Brueggemann and Kant, and even Spong and Geering. As a teacher of church history, one quickly learns to appreciate the breath of faithful witness in the tradition, and to rejoice whenever one hears the good news faithfully proclaimed and attended too, even – and perhaps especially – when the grammar and concepts employed is somewhat strange to our ears. Also, what C. S. Lewis once referred to as ‘chronological snobbery’ ought have no place in the thinking of those who believe in ‘the communion of saints’ created, sustained and made one by Jesus’ resurrection.

I’m not sure that I ever felt fully comfortable in what you describe as the ‘Classic Reformed’ position. I will always be grateful to those who introduced me to Spurgeon and Tom Wells, though certainly I read less Banner of Truth stuff now, for example, than I once did. Having just unpacked my books, most of which have been in storage for about 4 years, I was struck yet again that something akin to Fowler’s Stages of Faith goes some way to adequately describing the journey that I’m on. I’m changing, growing, appreciating more, seeking different ways of being human, and, I hope, faithfully seeking understanding.

GD: Embracing the 'Classic Reformed' vision of the Gospel as a young believer gave a new-found stability and reality to my Christian life. Through reading the likes of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Jim Packer and Jonathan Edwards I found a theology that was faithful to Scripture and that made sense of my Christian experience. While I hope that my understanding of the Truth has grown and developed over the years, I still remain gripped by the 'Classic Reformed' vision of the triune God of sovereign grace and judgement. Now tell us your top three songs or pieces of music.

JG: That's always an impossible question for me to answer. But if pushed, I'd have to include Bruckner's Violin Concerto, Bach's St Matthew's Passion, Britten's War Requiem, and probably War by U2, or Johnny Cash's American IV: The Man Comes Around, or Iris DeMent's The Way I Should, or Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited, or City Streets by Carole King, or The Beatles' Abbey Road, or Paul Simon's Graceland, Springsteen's Nebraska , or Sinéad O'Connor's Theology, or John Mellencamp's Life, Death, Love and Freedom … or So by Peter Gabriel, or Porgy and Bess by Gershwin, or anything by Kate Rusby, Dar Williams, Brahms, Andrew Peterson, Eric Bogle, Tracy Chapman, The Eagles, Lucinda Willams, Pink Floyd, Paul Kelly, Don McGlashan, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Third Day, ... why did you have to go and ask me that? [I wish I hadn't!] Oh did I mention any Beethoven symphony?

GD: No, but that's quite enough on the music front thank you very much. Lastly, which theology blogs do you most enjoy?

JG: Again, a difficult one to answer, but here's a few:
Confessing Christ (Richard L. Floyd)
Faith and Theology (Ben Meyers)
Inhabitatio Dei (Halden Doerge)
Living Wittingly (Jim Gordon)
Kai Euthus (Mike Higton)
Creating in Love (Makoto Fujimura)
Naked Pastor (David Hayward)
Nothing New Under the Sun (Byron Smith)
Prodigal Kiwi(s) Blog (Paul Fromont & Alan Jamieson)
Shored Fragments (Steve Holmes)
The Blogging Parson (Michael Jensen)
Theological Scribbles (Robin Parry)

GD: Thanks for dropping by, Jason. Bye.

Blogging in the name of the Lord: Justin Taylor

This is the second in our series of interviews with Christian bloggers. In the hot seat today is...

Justin Taylor

GD: Hello Justin Taylor and welcome to Exiled Preacher. Please tell us a little about yourself.

JT: I’m 32 years old. My wife and I met in elementary school. (My first crush on her, unreciprocated, was in 6th grade. We never dated, though, and the Lord graciously moved heart toward mine in our last semester of college). We have three kids, ages 5, 3, and 9 months. All three were adopted at 48 hours of age. We lived in Minneapolis from 1998–2005, where I was an apprentice at Bethlehem and then worked at Desiring God. I’ve been at Crossway since January 2006.

GD: Your blog is called "Between Two Worlds". Please explain.

JT: I was in my office at home in September 2004, trying to think of a good name for the blog. I glanced at my bookshelves, and saw John Stott’s classic, Between Two Worlds. I thought it seemed to fit since I wanted the blog to cover both the city of God and the city of man!

GD: What made you start blogging?

JT: Almost every day I used to email interesting stories I’d come across to a few guys. I think it dawned on me one day that I could do the same with a little bit of a wider audience. Hugh Hewitt’s book Blog helped encourage me to make a go of it—though I do remember thinking that I was too late to the game and all the good blogs already existed.

GD: Not quite, I didn't start mine until October 2005. Now, what in your view are the strengths and weaknesses of blogging as a medium for theological reflection?

JT: One weakness of blogging is its structural hierarchy: whatever is new is most prominent. (HT: Alan Jacobs for the observation.) You could write the world’s best theological post, but if your next post is a YouTube clip about a guy getting his sweater caught in the garage door as it goes up and down (have you seen it? [No] Pretty funny!) then that suddenly becomes the most prominent thing on your blog. “The medium is the message” is a bit of an overstatement, of course, but there’s still truth to it. And the medium of blogging can communicate the idea that “the newer is the truer, only what is recent is decent,” etc. (Quote from J.I. Packer.)

Another weakness is that most of us read blogs in “skim” mode—which is not always conducive for good reflection and meditation. That can lead to a temptation just to accumulate more info, rather than to be transformed by it.

One strength of the medium is that a good blog can consistently put good and edifying theological material in front of our eyes every day. We don’t have to pay for it, and it’s easily accessible.

There’s obviously much more that could be said, but those are the first couple of things that come to mind.

GD: Your blog carries a lot of newsy stuff. How do you manage to keep so up to date with what's going on in the Reformed world and beyond?

JT: There’s a few blogs I try to check every day. And there are some faithful friends like Andy Naselli who send interesting things my way. As a lover of books and an employee of a publisher, I try to keep my eye on books that are coming out, which is relatively easy given my job and interests.

GD: Carl Trueman is often banging on about the evils of theology blogging (see here), but it strikes me that his pieces on Reformation 21 represent some of the online writing around. What is it with him?

JT: You know, I think Carl is an outstanding writer, theologian, historian, and cultural critic. I don’t think he’s actually much of a blogger (trust me, he’d take that as a compliment!). I’d make a distinction between writing online and blogging. His online writing could be published in print just as easily. As for the substance of what he writes, I think Carl frequently overstates things—but in such a way that is usually quite helpful!

GD: I like his stuff. He is always thought provoking and challenging, even if he's a bit blogophobic. He graced the "hot seat" a little while ago - see here. Moving on, who has had the biggest influence on your theological development?

JT: In terms of living teachers, it would be John Piper and John Frame. (Ever notice that there are a lot of good pastors and theologians named John? Calvin, Owen, Bunyan, Newton, Bunyan, etc.)

GD: I think it's quite wrong that Johns are overrepresented on the "Great Pastor-Theologian" front. I suppose you've got Justin Martyr. But I can't think of any Great Guys. Why couldn't we have Guy Calvin, Guy Frame or Guy Bunyan? It's not fair. Right, what factors under God [apart from some Great Johns] have led to a recovery of Reformed witness in the USA?

JT: That’s a good question, one that I’m probably not as well-equipped to answer as someone like Collin Hansen (who has the gift of sociological observation and synthesis). The danger for guys like me is to take my own experience and extrapolate it outward. With those caveats, I’d say that under God it’s the combined growing desire for authority and authenticity and a growing dissatisfaction with anemic versions of Christianity. When there’s a genuine hunger for truth, Reformed theology grows.

GD: Which aspects of the Reformed movement fill you with hope and what causes you concern?

JT: Hope: the pursuit of truth. If we are genuinely pursuing truth (in God, through his Word), our problems are correctable.

Concern: the lack of love. I say the latter not only about those “out there,” but also about what I see “in here” (i.e., my own heart).

I recently started reading Alan Jacobs’s book, A Theology of Reading: The Hermeneutics of Love. He cites a quote from Augustine (from On Christian Doctrine [De Doctrina Christiana]) that is startling in its starkness: “Whoever, therefore, thinks that he understands the divine Scriptures or any part of them in such a way that it [i.e., his interpretation] does not build the double love of God and of our neighbor does not understand [the Scriptures] at all.”

Some of us don’t speak. Some of us speak but ignore the truth. Some of us speak the truth but don’t do it in love. But Scripture of course demands that we put it all together: “speaking the truth in love.”

GD: Help us on this side of the Pond to cut through the hype. What are your early impressions of the Obama presidency?

JT: I’m pretty surprised that things have gone so poorly so quickly. With the majority of Americans, the majority of Congress, and the majority of the media rooting for him, I thought he’d be off to a strong start. He has not seemed nearly as calm, confident, and competent as he did as a candidate. With regard to policy, his decision to increase funding for abortions overseas is deeply troubling, but not surprising. Despite all this, I still pray for him, as the Lord commands!

GD: Name your three favourite contemporary Christian authors.

JT: That’s a tough one. The first three to come to mind: Sinclair Ferguson, D.A. Carson, John Piper.

GD: Good choices and only one John. Yesss! It's great that there has been a resurgence of Reformed literature in the last fifty years or so. But it seems to me that perhaps too much many books published, and there is a lot of duplication, especially when it comes to Bible commentaries. Should Reformed publishers think of slowing down a bit?

Nope! The Reformed publishing houses are relatively small, and represent a tiny fraction of theological books being published. I think there’s still a significant need for more commentaries—especially on the OT.

GD: I stand corrected. Having "The Bible Speaks Today", "Tyndale", "IVP OT", "IVP NT", "Pillar", NICOT, NICNT, "Geneva", "Welwyn" and "Word" etc just isn't enough. I really need more commentaries? Maybe there are some gaps when it comes to the OT, but come on. Now, having having got that off my chest, why do you think that busy pastors should find the time to keep on reading theological works, both old and new?

JT: Pastors—like all of us—have a tendency to forget, and a tendency to get into ruts. The busier you are, the truer this is. Good books—both new and old—can help us remember, and help us to see biblical truth in a fresh way.

GD: If time travel were possible, which figure from post-biblical church history would you like to meet and what would you say to him/her?

JT: Hmmm. I can think of lots of different possibilities, obviously, but I think I’d have to say 18th century England and John Newton. I don’t know that I’d say much—I’d mainly want to listen to him preach and counsel and pray. Newton seems to be such a wonderful example of good, sanctified mental health.

GD: Thanks for sticking to just one, not like that Tony Reinke, who sneakily opted for three, including Benjamin Franklin. This year marks the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth. Apart from the Institutes, which three Calvin titles should all self-respecting Calvinists read?

JT: Others would be better at answering that than me. I think that if you get a set of his commentaries, and have the Institutes, you’re set for a lifetime of good theological and exegetical reflection!

GD: You often refer to C. S. Lewis on your blog. What is it that you find so engaging about the man and his books?

JT: I’m not a diehard Lewis guy. But on some issues he was an exceptionally clear and creative thinker. And he had a way of saying things that is usually very helpful.

GD: Would you describe yourself as a "Christian hedonist"?

JT: Yes in terms of desire; I wish I was more of one in terms of practice.

GD: What is the most important theological book that you have read in the last twelve months? It is a must read because...

JT: Russell Moore’s Adopted for Life (forthcoming). It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. He brings together a narrative style and insightful theological analysis in a unique way that helps us understand both vertical (spiritual) and horizontal (physical) adoption in a deeper way. I’m also quite excited about Tom Schreiner’s forthcoming book on the Law. I think it will be the new “first stop” in studying this important biblical-theological issue.

GD: Interesting suggestions. Care to share your top three songs/pieces of music?

JT: Sorry to disappoint, but I can’t really think of a top 3! I feel sort of sheepish for saying this, but I don’t listen to that much music. For Christian stuff, I like guys like Andrew Peterson and Fernando Ortega. I’ve also been listening just a wee bit lately to Nickel Creek, Pat Metheny, Sufjan Stevens.

GD: What is the biggest problem facing evangelicalism today and how should we respond?

JT: Not understanding and applying the centrality of the gospel in all of life. Every other problem facing evangelicalism—and there are many—is an outgrowth of that problem. The solution is to preach the gospel in season and out of season—to ourselves, to our families, to our churches, to our neighbors, and to the nations.

GD: Which theology/ministry blogs do you most enjoy?

JT: Here’s a stab at my top 15:

· Al Mohler
· Tim Challies
· CJ Mahaney
· Doug Wilson
· Denny Burk
· Desiring God
· James Grant
· Russell Moore
· Thabiti Anyabwile
· Tullian Tchividjian
· Pyromaniacs
· The Scriptorium Daily
· Stand to Reason
· Upper Register
· Zach Nielsen

Of course there are others!

GD: Yes, I know a good one by a certain Welsh preacher. But modesty forbids. Anyway, great talking to you Justin. Bye!

Blogging in the name of the Lord: Tony Reinke

Welcome to the first of a new series of interviews with Christian bloggers. In the hot seat today is...

Tony Reinke

GD: Hello Tony Reinke and welcome to Exiled Preacher. Please tell us a little about yourself.

TR: Sure. I live in Gaithersburg, Maryland with my precious wife and three young kids (7, 3, 1). I currently serve as the assistant to C.J. Mahaney. I can think of no other individual whose cross-centeredness has provoked me to a greater appreciation of Christ’s work than C.J. So to work so closely with him, to observe cross-centered living up close, is a great honor and I’m sure an experience that will shape the remainder of my life.

GD: OK that's enough nice words about the boss. Let's get down to business. Your blog is called "Miscellanies". What made you start blogging?

TR: About three years ago it became obvious that God was turning the rudder of my personal ministry and in the gap between where I was serving and where I anticipated serving, I decided to launch a blog. I began writing book reviews and receiving free books from publishers, and this whet my appetite for more reading. Having so much excellent theology cycling through my life, I was filled with an ever-expanding list of ideas and topics to talk about. So this all continued growing in momentum and I began blogging frequently. I enjoyed it so much that even after moving into my new ministry role I continued the blog.

GD: What are the strengths and weaknesses of blogging as a medium for theological reflection?

TR: For theological reflection, blogging can prove too restrictive. I hate to say it but good theological writing takes much time to develop, often much more time than the rapid blog cycle allows. I think for blogs to provide an adequate place for theological reflection, a blogger needs to pace himself or to team-blog with like minded friends. The impulse is to post too quickly, which can bring along weaknesses of too little reflection, and breed loose and misdirected conversations.

However, if a blogger can zoom in on bite-sized topics I think blogging is very useful, uniting communities of people that may be joined by a very narrow interest.

What I love about blogging is the accountability. If you post errors, or (in my case) when you post errors, others are quick to ask for clarity, challenge you, or just slap your arguments silly. Having an error pointed out to a large audience is a humbling experience (I know the feeling well) but this experience also is a means of grace, growing the blogger in humility and training him to research and write more carefully. Augustine said he wrote to learn. I blog to learn.

GD: The title of your blog has an Edwardsian flavour. Do you think that Jonathan Edwards would have made a good blogger?

TR: Edwards would have been a wonderful blogger. Like a Sunday drive all alone on the freeway, Edwards would ride out on horseback to collect his thoughts. And I mean that literally. As thoughts bubbled to the surface of his consciousness, he wrote them on little papers and pinned them to his coat. I bet he looked a little nerdy by the time his pin-the-treatise-on-the-genius horse ride was over. But those notes and his Miscellanies could easily have been a series of blog posts.

The Miscellanies reveal that Edwards was capable of maintaining a cohesive theological perspective while developing and sharpening his theology in fragmentation. This is critical to successful theological blogging. There is no time to develop dissertations each day, so developing fragments within a unity of content is critical.

GD: I think the great man may even have predicted the advent of Christian blogging, writing in Miscellany 262, "The invention of the mariner’s compass is a thing discovered by God to the world to that end. And how exceedingly has that one thing enlarged and facilitated communication. And who can doubt but that yet God will make it more perfect, so that there need not be such a tedious voyage in order to hear from the other hemisphere? And so the country about the poles need no longer be hid to us, but the whole earth may be as one community, one body in Christ". How cool is that? Now, who has taught you most of what it means to preach the Word of God?

TR: I don’t preach much. But my pastors throughout the years have all been faithful expositors and have given me much to learn from: Patrick Abendroth (Omaha), Rick Gamache (Minneapolis), C.J Mahaney, and Joshua Harris (Gaithersburg). Mike Bullmore is a splendid homiletics teacher and I have learned much from him.

GD: You are editorial and research assistant to C.J. Mahaney and books feature pretty heavily on your blog. Some pastors I know seem to make little time for reading. Bunch of slackers. Why should pastors/preachers be big readers?

TR: To feed a flock of sheep requires a lot of food, and books are the pantry by which that supply of food is supplied for the pastor to distribute. More broadly, by reading we come to better understand God. And I think in this way reading foreshadows eternal life (John 17:3). We will never fully know God, we will always be learning and growing in our understanding of who He is. Reading is a precious gift that foreshadows this eternal “learning.”

I talk about this more, and explain some of my personal tricks to reading more efficiently and effectively, on my blog:

On Reading

Tip 1: Capturing Reading Time
Tip 2: Read with a Pen in Hand
Tip 3: Read With Purpose in Mind

GD: Thanks for those handy tips. Which writers have you found most helpful and why?

TR: Where to begin? Where to end? Let me see if I can keep this brief:

1. Reformer John Calvin, for his model of careful exegesis of Scripture, his ability to form his exegesis into a cohesive theological system, his pastoral heart in all things, and his love of church planting.
2. The Puritans for their earnestness about God, His holiness, and the dire condition of the sinner. I think every age needs preachers who carry a mantle that has been singed by the fire of hell and dipped in the blood of the Lamb. The Puritans saw eternity drawing close and burned with affection because of it.
3. Octavius Winslow, Horatius Bonar, and C.H. Spurgeon, a trio of 19th century preachers and writers (I believe they were personal acquaintances), for the way they stir my affections for Christ.
4. Jonathan Edwards and John Piper for how they use powerful, Scripture-informed logic to present a magnificently breathtaking vision of God’s supremacy in all things.
5. C.J. Mahaney and Jerry Bridges for the way they connect the work of Christ on the cross to my everyday life, all my decisions, attitudes, successes, and failures.
6. Sinclair Ferguson for his Scottish accent and the way his sermons and books focus my attention on the person of Christ.
7. Herman Bavinck and Wayne Grudem for developing my systematic theology.
8. Bruce Waltke for taking all the seemingly disconnected and fragmented stories from the Old Testament and fitting them together into one glorious portrait of God’s redemptive plan.
9. Peter T. O’Brien’s commentaries for the way they unveil the riches of Paul’s letters.
10. Derek Kidner for how his commentaries unveil the cohesiveness and modern application of the Psalms and Proverbs.
11. David Wells, Albert Mohler, and D.A. Carson for theologically interpreting the culture I live (in the USA at least).
12. David Powlison, Paul David Tripp, and the CCEF organization for helping me battle sin.

GD: You call that brief, what would constitute a long answer? If time travel were possible, which figure from post-biblical church history would you like to meet and what would you say to him/her?

TR: This is always a difficult question for me to answer. But if you insist, my pick would be the 18th century preacher and evangelist George Whitefield. But I don’t think I would have much to say to him, I would just give him “knuckles” (in America that is a practice of affirmation where one man holds out a fist, inviting the other man to make a fist and gently pound the face of the fists together once).

I would be honored to join the crowd to hear Whitefield preach in Philadelphia. I would scan the faces to find Benjamin Franklin (I would stand next to him to gauge his response to the message). But then I would just stand among the 10,000 or so people to soak in the beautiful gospel of Jesus Christ.

Then I would follow closely behind Whitefield with hopes that he was meeting Jonathan Edwards for dinner, in which case I would invite myself in, eavesdrop their conversation, and then get them both to autograph two pieces of paper for me, one of which I would bring home to astound my friends and the other I would sell on Ebay for huge money (assuming that your time travel mechanism could get me back to 2009).

GD: That's kind of cheating. You got to meet George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin. Then you try to make a fast buck from your trip in my Exiled Preacher Time Travel Machine. Typical American. But coming back to the present, name your favourite contemporary theologian.

TR: My friend Jeff Purswell, the dean of the Sovereign Grace Ministries Pastors College and editor of Wayne Grudem’s Bible Doctrine, is a theological genius who studied under some of the greatest New Testament scholars in recent history. Just watching Jeff answer questions humbles me theologically. It’s great to be surrounded by people whose gifts dwarf your own. Physically, I dwarf Jeff. Theologically, Jeff dwarfs me. Jeff is the giant.

GD: So let me get this right, Jeff is a really smart giant dwarf theologian? Sounds good. Reflecting on the Reformed scene across the pond, which factors under God have led to a widespread recovery of Reformed theology in the USA?

TR: Great question. [You're too kind.] Collin Hansen in his book, Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists (Crossway, 2008), has done a good job collecting many of the places this rising swell among young reformed folks.

I think people are becoming skilled in tapping the various spheres of theology to listen for an empty echo. People want real, honest answers to big questions. And Calvinism provides, often mystery-filled, but honest, thoughtful, and biblical, responses.

Also, I think it is partly due to the intentionality of the older generation of preachers to train and invest in the younger generation. Organizations like Together for the Gospel and The Gospel Coalition both reflect this.

GD: I'm thinking of bringing out a UK version of Hansen's book, Old, Breathless, Deformed: A Blogger's Journey with the Ancient Calvinists. D'you think it might sell? More seriously, what is the biggest problem facing Evangelicalism today and how should we respond?

TR: Given my shortsightedness, I don’t know that I could pinpoint this biggest problem (see David Wells). I can tell you that from my own experience I suffer from a lack of delight in God’s glory. Too frequently I find myself motivated in my actions for no greater purpose than to impress others, acting out of self-righteousness, or out of fear of what others will think of me. For one day—just 24-hours—I would love to experience the ecstasy of acting purely out of a motive to glorify God. So I don’t know if this is the biggest problem Evangelicalism faces, but it’s one of the biggest problems in my heart.

GD: In a sense that's right. The biggest problem facing Evangelicals is the spiritual condition of each individual Evangelical. Now, care to name your top three pieces of music?

TR: This is a dangerous question because I will offend someone with my favorite music. I appreciate lyrics that point me towards the cross. The great hymns do this as does anything produced by Sovereign Grace Music. Shai Linne (rapper) has crafted some of the most pointed reformed lyrics in our modern day. Although I admit it feels weird reading Thomas Goodwin to the intense bass thumping through the speakers. But those are two favorites that come to mind.

GD: What is the most important theological book that you have read in the last twelve months? It is a must read because...

TR: In the past year I have soaked in Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck (1854-1921). On systematic theology he is a brilliant and creatively gifted to combine careful exegesis, historical theology, and biblical theology into a unified dogmatic theology that he then connects to science, politics, and psychology. His four-volume Reformed Dogmatics (Baker Academic) is a masterpiece and was translated into English in 2008. It was named the second book in my top 15 books of 2008 (behind the ESV Study Bible). Also Saved by Grace: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Calling and Regeneration (RHB, 2008) and Essays on Religion, Science, and Society (Baker Academic, 2008) were two other excellent Bavinck titles translated and published in 2008.

I never read Bavinck without coming away with a greater view of God, of the depth and continuity of theology, of seeing how the unified plan of God in global history that finds its apex in the cross of Jesus Christ, but which has as its ultimate hope the re-creation of the world, of grace restoring nature, so that everything broken by sin is reset to the way God intended.

GD: I'm about halfway through Bavinck's Reformed Dogmatics Volume 1, so I second your admiration for the great Dutch theologian. Which blogs do you enjoy reading and why?

TR: Feeling the pinch of low-grade guilt, I must admit I have never maintained a blogroll on my blog (a little list of links to other blogs). But my friend Justin Taylor has a must-read blog and C.J. Mahaney has a lot of wisdom communicated on his, too. These would be great places to start, especially for pastors.

GD: Justin has agreed to take his place in the hot seat sometime soon. Thanks for dropping by Tony, its been great talking to you!

TR: My joy!

GD: Spoken like a true Piperesque Christian Hedonist. See ya!

Catch the Vision by John J. Murray

Catch the Vision, Roots of the Reformed Recovery
by John. J. Murray, Evangelical Press, 2007, 191pp

The 20th century witnessed a remarkable recovery of Reformed Christianity. John J. Murray has given us a gripping account of the men and movements that were used by God to herald the gospel of sovereign grace. This is an important piece of history. We are now well into a second generation of Reformed preachers and churches who did not come under the direct influence of the likes of Martyn Lloyd-Jones. We can take it for granted that there are now literally hundreds if not thousands of Reformed preachers and congregations in the UK, not to mention what has been happening in the States. Reformed Christianity is now a well established part of the Christian landscape, with many conferences, publishers and movements seeking to strengthen the cause. But this is a relatively recent phenomenon.

In the opening chapter, Losing the vision, Murray charts the factors that led to a decline of the Reformed faith towards the end of the Victorian period. Liberalism undermined the church's trust in the Bible and preached a man-centred, anti-supernatural Christianity that was void of life transforming power. By and large Evangelicalism in the UK lost its Reformed identity and morphed into a more genteel version of American Fundamentalism. C. H. Spurgeon seemed to sense that the Reformed witness he had fought so valiantly to maintain was on the way out. He told his students,

"What is being done today will affect the next centuries, unless the Lord should speedily come... For my part I am quite willing to be eaten of dogs for the next fifty years: but the more distant future will vindicate me."

As the book shows, this prediction proved wonderfully true. Murray introduces to some of the forerunners of Reformed recovery, highlighting developments among students after WWI. He also draws attention to the work of a number of influential Ministers. Concerned about the lack of fellowship between evangelical churches who had left the mixed denominations, E. J. Poole-Connor, founded the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches. A. W. Pink's magazine Studies in the Scriptures helped to create an appetite for the soul nourishing doctrines of grace. W. J. Grier of Belfast was active in promoting solid Reformed literature.

But under God, the Reformed recovery was given its greatest impetus by one man, Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. The discovery of Reformed theology through reading the works of Jonathan Edwards and B. B. Warfield transformed the life and ministry of the medic turned preacher. From his Westminster Chapel pulpit, he was able to influence a new generation of evangelical leaders. Never a great organiser, he was not one for setting up new ventures. But he was an enthusiastic supporter of the efforts of others in the Reformed cause. Douglas Johnson enlisted him in student work. He became "the theologian of the IVF" (Inter Varisty Fellowship, now UCCF) and was involved in the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. Although he left Wales in the late 1930's, he still exercised leadership in the land of his birth, giving advice and assistance to the men who began the Evangelical Movement of Wales. Through the Westminster Fellowship of Ministers he was able influence a new generation of pastors, showing them the riches of Puritan and Reformed theology and encouraging the practice of expository preaching.

Murray laments the loss of Lloyd-Jones' leadership. His passing undoubtedly left a huge hole in Reformed Evangelicalism. But I think that the desire for another big figure to lead the Reformed world is misplaced. We should not become so reliant upon one man that over twenty years after his death some people still find themselves facing the issues of today by asking, "What would the Doctor have thought about this?" It is probably just as well that the preacher was not an empire building organisational genius who was bent on imposing his every diktat on the early Reformed movement. Then over-reliance upon the man would have been tragically worse. Murray suggests that in part we have Lloyd-Jones' typically South Walian contempt for committees to thank for his lazzes faire attitude to organising the growing Reformed cause. As the great man said, "The South Walian's laziness, plus his genius, makes him despise committees. He is not concerned with carrying things out." (See Chapter 9, endnote 20 on p. 181). I don't know about being a genius, but this South Walian doesn't think much of committees either. It should also be said that Lloyd-Jones did not want to be followed slavishly. One of the great burdens of his ministry to pastors was to encourage men to think for themselves.

However, as Murray goes on to show Lloyd-Jones was not the only man who was used of God in the recovery of the Reformed faith. J. I. Packer discovered the Puritans while a student at Oxford University. He was dissatisfied with the Keswick Holiness teaching that was typical of the day. It didn't seem to speak to his experience of the Christian life. Trying to "Let go and let God" was of no help in his struggle with sin. But in John Owen, he found a biblical realism on indwelling sin and how to deal with it. He was hooked, and devoted his life to opening up the deep wells of Puritan experimental theology. He was involved in setting up the Puritan Conference, which Lloyd-Jones agreed to chair. Relations between Packer and "the Doctor" were strained over the issue of evangelical involvement in the mixed denominations. But through his writings such as Knowing God and Amongst God's Giants, Packer did much to further the Reformed cause.

Indeed, books played a large part in the rediscovery of Reformed and Puritan teaching. Murray devotes a chapter each to Geoffrey Williams, the founder of the Evangelical Library and Iain Murray, who helped start the Banner of Truth Trust. Nowadays the market is awash with good books, both reprints of older works and the writings of contemporary Reformed authors. But that was not the case in the early to mid 20th century, when sound literature was scarce. Geoffrey Williams helped to preserve some of the long neglected treasures of Reformed literature and make them available to reading public. The Banner of Truth Trust is now such a fixture in the Reformed world that it would difficult to imagine life without their publications. But it all began with the tentative circulation of a magazine and the reprint of Thomas Boston's A Body of Divinity. Iain Murray and others were told that Puritan reprints would never sell. But the doubters had failed to notice a change in the spiritual climate. Christians whose appetite for good books had been whetted by the preaching of Lloyd-Jones snapped up the new Banner titles like hotcakes.

The Scottish Presbyterian theologian John Murray also helped to boost the Reformed movement in the UK. He was professor of systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. But although he was based in the States, he was able to exercise an influence over Reformed pastors in the Great Britain. Murray was invited to speak at some of the early Banner of Truth Ministers' Conferences in Leicester. With his winsome "old school" Highland piety and keen theological mind, he was able to demonstrate the permanent vale of Reformed teaching. Over and against Lloyd-Jones, who advocated pan-evangelical unity that included Arminiams, Murray insisted that unity should be based on an explicit confession of the Reformed faith.

But where does all this leave us now? For the first generation engaged in the recovery of Reformed theology there was the excitement and joy of new discovery. Now we are seeing men and women who have been involved in Reformed churches for the whole of their Christian lives. The present generation needs to appreciate afresh the sheer wonder and grandeur of the Reformed vision of the Triune God of sovereign grace. Let us not take for granted the advances that have been made in the last fifty years. What happened in Spurgeon's day shows that gains can be lost if we are not careful. Some revisionists within the Reformed movement are beginning to question some of the old assumptions. Andrew McGowan recently argued that we should reject inerrancy in favour of infallibility. Others are looking longingly in the direction of Karl Barth for theological inspiration that is Reformed but not as we know it. May we continue to hold to the faith of our fathers. In a final chapter Maintaining the vision, Murray sets out his prescription for the maintenance of a faithful Reformed witness in the 21st century.

Blogging in the name of the Lord, Series 5

The next series of the Blogging in the name of the Lord interviews is coming soon. Seven theology/ministry bloggers will be taking their place in the hot seat. Watch this space.

Troubled Journey by Faith Cook

Troubled Journey: A Missionary Childhood in war-torn China
by Faith Cook, Banner of Truth Trust, 2004, 118pp.

In this book Faith Cook tells the story of her experiences as a child of Christian missionaries in the turbulent years surrounding Word War II. Her parents, Stanley and Norah Rowe worked with the China Inland Mission. Together with many earnest Christians of their time, they believed that their missionary calling had to come before anything else. This meant that their children had to suffer living in sub-standard conditions without adequate healthcare. Family life was also disrupted when the children were sent away for their education. Faith had an older brother, Christopher and two younger brothers, Godfrey and Philip. Godfrey died of dysentery while still a baby in Zhongwei, Stalney and Norah's mission base.

Faith and her siblings had to cope with long and sometimes painful periods away from the family home while being educated in boarding schools. When the Japanese invaded China in 1944, children from the Mission School were evacuated to Kalimpong, India. Life was harsh in the makeshift mountain school. Petty childhood misdemeanors met with swift and severe punishment. The family was reunited after the war. But they were forced to flee from China in 1950 when the Communist Party expelled foreign missionaries. For some time the Rowe's lived together in Cliftonville, near Margate in England. The boys attended local schools, but Faith was sent to Clarendon School in North Wales. Here she was able to catch up with her studies and enjoy the attention of the godly and caring members of staff. But while Faith was away in Clarendon, tragedy struck at home. Her younger brother Philip was killed in a road accident. As the family were coming to terms with this terrible loss, Stanley and Norah once again felt the pull of the mission field. They headed off to evangelise Chinese people who had fled to Malaysia to escape from the Communists.

We might think that missionary parents like Stanley and Norah were extraordinarily insensitive and unfeeling towards their offspring. But it seems that they felt the periods of separation from their children very keenly. They believed that it was their Christian duty to make heroic sacrifices for the sake of the Gospel. Children were regarded as "little Isaacs", who were sacrificially offered to the Lord. They seem to have forgotten that the Lord told Abraham to stay his hand. An unrealistic triumphalism, which suggested that Christians should always be bright and cheerful also helped to insulate missionaries from the privations of life in the field and times of sorrow in the family. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote to Stanley and Norah on the occasion of the Philip's death. His letter shows great pastoral insight and understanding, "As we would expect from you, your letter is full of triumphant faith. But we are not meant to be unnatural, and you are bound to feel the loss of such a bright spirit very keenly."

While it is true that the Lord must come first in all things, that does not mean that believing parents are entitled to put their Christian service before family life. Children are a very precious gift from God and the primary responsibility of Christian parents is to bring up their children with love and affection in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Only in very exceptional circumstances should Christian parents place their children in boarding schools. The other day my daughter accused me of abandoning her because I had to take an extra evening meeting one week! What children like Faith must have felt on being separated from their parents I don't know. If a mission situation demands the separation of parents and children, then let single missionaries or couples without children do the work. The task of missionaries is not simply to spread the Gospel, but to model family life in a godly home. That cannot be done if the children are sent away to be educated. I'm glad that a more enlightened (and biblical!) attitude now seems to prevail in missionary circles. Pastors with couples on the mission field should ensure that the needs of family life are carefully taken into consideration.

Faith expresses the feelings of understandable resentment that she felt against her parents as a child. But the thing that shines through in this book is not her bitterness, but her faith. In all her sorrows and troubles she was aware of the hand of God, guiding and protecting her. The author married Paul Cook and became a pastor's wife. Letters penned for Faith's absent parents while in her teenage years helped kindle a gift for writing that has found expression in her many helpful books. (Such as William Grimshaw of Howarth, Banner of Truth Trust & Fearless Pilgrim: The life and times of John Bunyan, Evangelical Press).

On a personal note, a few years ago we holidayed on the island of Jersey. Paul Cook happened to be filling the pulpit for a few weeks in the summer. Paul and Faith invited us back to their flat for some tea and cake after the evening service. We had a lovely time of fellowship. Faith had just finished writing her historical novel for children Beneath the Scaffold, Evangelical Press, and we talked about her books. Somewhat awestruck, my son asked Mrs. Cook "Are you famous writer?" Modestly she replied, "No, I'm not." But her cheerful and kindly spirit, just as much as Paul's sharp mind left us deep impression on us all. No doubt Faith Cook is not the only believer from a Christian home to have suffered a traumatic childhood. Her painful story shows that the Lord is able to restore the locust eaten years and fill the hearts of his people with love and faith.

Challenging Biblical Inerrancy

Earlier today I spoke at our local Ministers' fraternal, which meets at the Old Baptist Chapel, Bradford on Avon on the subject:

"Challenging Biblical Inerrancy – A response to A. T. B. McGowan’s proposals in
The Divine Spiration of Scripture: Challenging evangelical perspectives".

The talk began life as a series of review posts on this blog - here. I've just published the text of my address, which is a reworking of the blog posts with 'many similar words added' as a Knol here. I've not published a Knol before so please let me know if you have problems accessing the document.

The talk was followed by a time of discussion during which various points were raised.