Foundations 77 (Autumn 2019)

Issue 77 of Foundations: An International Journal of Evangelical Theology, published by Affinity, is now available (here in its entirety as a pdf), which includes the below essays. The summaries are take from Lee Gatiss’ editorial.

Lee Gatiss

Editorial

Lee Gatiss

Contending in the Perpetual Battle: Jude and the Constant Need to Fight Valiantly Against Heresy

In my article... on the epistle of Jude, I outline what that pithy letter has to say about contending for the faith. He calls us to join the struggle against false teaching in defence of orthodoxy, because there is a perpetual battle raging... Yet Jude’s advice is distinctly different to what many might expect. Just as James warned his readers to avoid bitterly ambitious quarrelsomeness based on wisdom that is ‘earthly, unspiritual, and demonic’ (James 3:15), so contending for the faith, in Jude’s book, is an activity characterised by mercy, and self-awareness.

Tom Woolford

The use of Satire in the Book of Isaiah and in Christian Ministry

There is at least a case for some careful use of satire in Christian communication, as Dr Tom Woolford points out in his article... on the use of that comedic device in the book of Isaiah. After studiously defining what satire is, and its various types, he exegetes certain passages in Isaiah to show how the prophet repeatedly uses not only subtle but also biting satire to make his points. Examining and unpacking the implications of this for us today, he is also wise to note that there are certain controls on the use of satire, which mean that zealous firebrands in social media groups ought to be wary about its use, and cognisant of the usual effects of it before they leap in.

Jake Eggertsen

Is the Filioque Clause Biblical?

One area of theology where there has been sharp debate in the past is over the so-called Filioque clause in the Nicene Creed. Does the Holy Spirit proceed from the Father alone, or from the Father and the Son? This question divided Eastern and Western Christendom almost a thousand years ago, and it still divides many today. In an exercise in ‘constructive dogmatics’, Jake Eggertsen examines this question... He seeks to engage with Scripture and tradition in dialogue with theologians from the past and the present to help answer this important Trinitarian question, in a way that is irenic and thoughtful.

Tim Dieppe

The Same God: Did Paul Claim the Athenians Worshipped Yahweh?

We return to the Areopagus in Athens to look at what Paul’s address to the Greek philosophers of his day can teach us about the fraught question of whether Christians and Muslims worship ‘the same God’. Does Paul’s speech on Mars’ Hill about an ‘Unknown God’ he was now making known to them justify referring to Allah as the same God as the God of the Bible, as some people think it does? In constructing his case against this recently popularised idea, Tim Dieppe interacts with sources ancient and modern, to help us in our apologetics today.

Donald John MacLean

Knocking on Sinners’ Doors? Revelation 3:20, Ecclesiology and the Gospel Offer in Seventeenth-Century Puritanism

Donald John MacLean looks in depth at the question of whether Jesus standing at the door and knocking in Revelation 3:20 is an evangelistic appeal or not. Many have seen it that way, and preached it that way to great effect, but it is common today for commentators to reject such use in mass evangelism, and many are concerned with the picture often painted of a seemingly impotent Christ yearning for unbelievers to exercise their free will and open the door so he can save them. On the other hand, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, many Reformed writers and preachers did actually draw stirring conversionist appeals from the picture of Jesus standing at the door, without theological qualms. As an expert in historical theology, MacLean examines why, and finds that ecclesiology matters far more than we may realise when it comes to our application of the Bible in preaching.

Book Reviews

Knowing and Doing (Spring 2015)

The Spring 2015 edition of Knowing & Doing – ‘A Teaching Quarterly for Discipleship of Heart and Mind’ – from the C.S. Lewis Institute is now available online (here as a pdf), and contains the following articles:

Terry Lindvall

The Role of Laughter in the Christian Life

Dr. Terry Lindvall has written an engaging article on the role of humor for the disciple of Jesus.

Randy Newman

Tensions in Evangelism

Dr. Randy Newman, Senior Teaching Fellow for Apologetics and Evangelism, highlights the hidden tensions we often experience when we share the Gospel with our neighbors.

Gerald R. McDermott

A Thumbnail Sketch of Hinduism(s) for Christians

Gerald McDermott provides Christians with an insightful overview of Hinduism.

Michael Suderman

How To Speak To Your Hindu Neighbor

Michael Suderman, an Oxford trained apologist serving in the Washington, D.C. area with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, shares helpful and practical tips on outreach to your Hindu friends.

Thomas A. Tarrants, III

Two Final Things, Then Home at Last

Dr. Tom Tarrants, City Director for Washington, D.C., takes us where many theologians fear to tread and helps us thoughtfully reflect upon the taboo topics of death and final judgment – the two things that we must all face in the end.

Joel S. Woodruff

Is My Child a Follower of Jesus?

President Joel S. Woodruff provides helpful thoughts on ways to discern the conversion of a child.

LeAnne Martin

A Love Without End

C.S. Lewis Institute Fellow LeAnne Martin shares a beautiful commentary on C.S. Lewis’s poem that begins, “Love’s as warm as tears.”

A Fellow’s Journey:

Interview with Annie Nardone

C.S. Lewis Institute Fellow Annie Nardone tells how she has sharpened her apologetic tools to effectively disciple others.

Tim Keller on the Gospel and Humour

Q Ideas has a brief piece by Tim Keller on the gospel and humour.

Sarcastic humour which puts other down, he says, is ‘a form of self-justification’, and ‘self-directed ridicule’ can be ‘just as self-obsessed’. Moreover, another kind of self-righteousness ‘produces a person with little or no sense of humor’.

‘The gospel, however, creates a gentle sense of irony... In gospel-shaped humor, we don’t only poke fun at ourselves. We also can gently poke fun at others, especially our friends, but it is always humor that takes the other seriously and ultimately builds them up as a show of affection.’

The Bible in Transmission (Spring 2011) on Humour

The latest issue of The Bible in Transmission from Bible Society carries a collection of articles on humour:

Matthew van Duyvenbode

Editorial

John Macauley

Understanding Humour: Some Thoughts for Preachers

Humour is notoriously difficult to define. This article seeks to offer a framework for understanding humour and how it is expressed, including some discussion of the benefits and pitfalls of using humour in preaching.

James and Kate Williams

Humour, Scripture and Christian Discourse

Godliness and humour have tussled in Christian history, even though Scripture justifies the use of humour. This article explores the shape of creation–fall-redemption to see the perversions of humour and its redeemed uses in social critique, effective communication and in strengthening community within the family of God.

Cheryl Taylor

Divine Humour

Humour is an attribute of the divine character. In the Bible God laughs at our folly, but he also laughs with us, in spite of our failings and disappointments. Recognising this characteristic deepens our understanding of the nature of God. Humour is thus a legitimate subject for theological consideration.

Paul Kerensa

Getting to Grips with Comedy – as a Christian

In this piece, Paul Kerensa considers who determines the acceptable limits of comedy and whether there is an expectation that you have to be edgy to be funny and successful. There will always be a market for this darker side of comedy, but there is also a growing demand for clean, family friendly acts.

Olive Fleming Drane

The Holy Fool: Clowning in Christian Ministry

Throughout history, clowning has played a significant role in the life of the Church and continues to be an effective witness. Within a context of biblical and historical models, humour can be a powerful means of ministry and an expression of relevant spirituality.

Peter Morden

Spurgeon and Humour

As one of the most significant evangelists of the nineteenth century, Spurgeon is sometimes portrayed as a rather dour figure. He was earnest about his faith and mission, but Spurgeon also loved laughter. Humour was an integral part of his life and ministry.

James Catford

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