New Moore College Faculty blog

It’s called Thinktank, and is on the Moore College website.

No time for games

Justin Taylor links to a powerful and very sobering challenge from David Platt about ‘functional universalism’.

Watch the video here. (Download it here.)

A Theological Conversation worth having: Al Mohler’s response to Brian McLaren

“…a recent essay by Brian McLaren helps us all to understand what is at stake in the controversy over Rob Bell’s new book, Love Wins.

Beyond this, his argument reveals a great deal about the actual beliefs and trajectories of what has become known as the emerging church. As such, his essay is a welcome addition to this important conversation.”

– Albert Mohler responds to Brian McLaren’s critique of Mohler’s review of Rob Bell’s new book. (Photo: brianmclaren.net)

Three free hymns

Keith and Kristyn Getty are giving free downloads of three of their hymns — Behold the Lamb, The Power of the Cross, and Come, People of the Risen King — up until 31 March. (h/t Tim Challies.)

Jesus: The Only Way to God — free audiobook

John Piper’s book “Jesus: The Only Way to God — Must You Hear the Gospel to be Saved?” is especially relevant given the publicity surrounding Rob Bell’s latest publication.

The people at Christian Audio are giving away an audiobook version through their website for the next week (ends March 31 2011). (h/t Justin Taylor.)

NSW Votes

The NSW State elections are just days away.

While not endorsing or recommending any particular party, the Australian Christian Lobby has collected resources and links which may be helpful in considering how to vote.

Their site is nswvotes.org.au.

And their videos of both the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition addressing Christian leaders are at Vimeo, where they can be downloaded.

Martin Bashir on interviewing Rob Bell

Last week on the American MSNBC, veteran journalist Martin Bashir interviewed Rob Bell about his new book.

The 7 minute interview is itself worth watching – but also listen to the 39 minute phone interview with Martin Bashir on why he asked the questions he did.

Very interesting interview, and a modelling of good journalism. (Image: MSNBC.)

Anglican Entropy

“The second law of thermodynamics tells us that as energy is expended over time, order in the universe inexorably gives way to disorder. The fundamental physical truth behind the cycles of birth and death is that things fall apart, leading ultimately to a static and random state known as entropy.

In the spiritual realm, there is no such necessity. St Paul affirms that ‘Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.’ (2 Corinthians 4:16), yet entropy irresistibly comes to mind as a metaphor following Dr William’s Lent Letter to the Primates and Moderators of the Anglican Communion.

Here we have carefully crafted verbal camouflage for what is actually one more step in Lambeth Anglicanism’s descent into spiritual and institutional entropy…”

– Charles Raven writes at SPREAD.

Bibles for Japan — Bible League request

Here’s a press release from the Bible League in Australia – perhaps you can help:

Urgent Request from Churches in Japan for Bibles

The recent earthquake and tsunami that has devastated parts of Japan has shocked us all.  It is hard for us in Australia to fully comprehend the enormity of the disaster. Whole communities have been wiped out and tens of thousands are unaccounted for, presumed dead. Many have lost their home, family, friends, income and hope.

Through our international office we have received an urgent request from the Evangelical Churches in Japan for Bibles. The Bibles will be distributed in the areas most affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Included with the Bibles will be study materials to assist the churches with their humanitarian and pastoral care.

With Christians comprising less than 1.5% of Japan’s population of 127 million, there is an unprecedented opportunity to bring the true hope and assurance found only in God’s Word to many whose lives and security have been shattered.

Bibles are being sourced at the special discount rate of $2.50 each and our target is to supply a minimum of 20,000 copies. Your donation will help Bible League meet this urgent need for Bibles in Japan. To make a donation contact Bible League on 1800 800 937 [in Australia] or visit our website at www.bibleleague.com.au.

The local church and evangelism

“Back in 1974 Donald Robinson (second from the left in this photograph of the four most recent Archbishops of Sydney) addressed a conference on evangelism with a paper entitled ‘The Doctrine of the Church and its Implications for Evangelism’ (Selected Works, II, 103–113).

I was too young at the time to know whether or not it caused a stir among evangelicals in Sydney and elsewhere (though I later learnt there was a subsequent correspondence between Francis Foulkes and Donald Robinson on the subject in the AFES journal Interchange). However I do suspect that its argument, if taken seriously, would certainly cause a stir today. Patterns of thinking and church practice have developed which move in an entirely different direction and I am not at all sure that these have been as well thought-out theologically as Robinson’s article back in the 1970s…”

– Read all of Mark Thompson’s article at Theological Theology.

Charles Raven on the Theology of Rowan Williams

Charles Raven, from SPREAD, and author of Shadow Gospel, spoke at the Mere Anglicanism Conference in January, on the Theology of Rowan Williams.

Anglican TV has now posted his address and also an interview with Kevin Kallsen. Worth watching.

Opportunities at St Mark’s National Theological Centre

Here’s a note from St Mark’s National Theological Centre in Canberra —

St Mark’s National Theological Centre is seeking suitably qualified applicants for the positions of Lecturer in Pastoral Theology and Lecturer in Mission and Ministry.  Read more

Rich detail in life of college founder

Archbishop of Sydney Peter Jensen has written to commend Peter Bolt’s  book, “A Portrait in his Actions: Thomas Moore of Liverpool 1762-1840. Part 1”.

“[Peter Bolt] has done more than produce an ecclesiastical biography. He has set Moore into the context of early Sydney (and its world) and contributed significantly to our knowledge of what occurred in this town in its earliest days. He has uncovered sources hitherto unknown or unused. He has begun to explain how it is that one as humble as Moore in background and education could make provision for the founding of what amounted to Australia’s first tertiary educational institution.”

Read more at SydneyAnglicans.net – and you can order the book here.

Free PDF: The Lord’s Supper in Human Hands – Epilogue

The Australian Church Record and the Anglican Church League published ‘The Lord’s Supper in Human Hands – Epilogue’ just before last year’s meeting of Sydney Synod.

“Sydney’s discussion of lay and diaconal administration of the Lord’s Supper has occurred for some forty years. After a related legal question was referred to it, the Appellate Tribunal handed down its opinion in August 2010. This legal opinion needs to be set within its proper context, and the biblical-theological discussion about the issue needs to continue.

This booklet is an epilogue to The Lord’s Supper in Human Hands (2008), updating the discussion on the eve of Sydney Synod, October 2010.”

Chapters are:

The Minority Report – Peter Bolt

Diaconal Administration of the Lord’s Supper and The 2010 Opinion of the Appellate Tribunal – Glenn N. Davies

The Constitution, the Appellate Tribunal and other things – Robert Tong

The theological necessity of lay administration – Mark Thompson.

The ACR is making the Epilogue available as a free download. It’s a 2.4MB PDF file.

(Printed copies of the Epilogue and the original ‘Lord’s Supper in Human Hands’ from 2008 are still available from the ACR.)

God is still holy and what you learned in Sunday School is still true: A review of ‘Love Wins’

Kevin DeYoung:

“Instead of summoning sinners to the cross that they might flee the wrath to come and know the satisfaction of so great a salvation, Love Wins assures people that everyone’s eternity ends up as heaven eventually. The second chances are good not just for this life, but for the next. And what if they aren’t?

What if Jesus says on the day of judgment, “Depart from me, I never knew you” (Matt. 7:23)? What if at the end of the age the wicked and unbelieving cry out, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb” (Rev. 6:16)? What if outside the walls of the New Jerusalem “are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Rev. 22:15)? What if there really is only one name “under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)? And what if the wrath of God really remains on those who do not believe in the Son (John 3:18, 36)?”

– Kevin DeYoung has written a comprehensive and very helpful review of Rob Bell’s Love Wins. Read it at his Gospel Coalition blog, or as a PDF file.

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