Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Audio Impressions.

The 2006 Chamberlain Holiness Lectures by Dr. Chris Bounds: Every year in October, my seminary, Wesley Biblical Seminary, hosts The Chamberlain Holiness Lectures. In 2006, six lectures were given by Chris Bounds, a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University. I found these very helpful in explaining the different views of sanctification as taught within Wesleyan circles. The main three views of sanctification are 1. Instantaneous once one truly begins to seek it, 2. Will be obtained after a short period of time and 3. Not to be received until a struggle of many years or at death. Not having grown up in Wesleyan Holiness surroundings, I can only suspect that these three views have not been properly differentiated when the doctrine and experience of sanctification has been taught. Perhaps that may be a major reason why many who have grown up in these surroundings are confused as to just what we are to experience when we are sanctified by God. It should be the priority of Wesleyan seminaries and Bible Colleges to make sure its students are presented with the material Bound's presents. It is heartening to hear an academic younger than I who can articulate this crucial doctrine and testify to experiencing it in his life. http://wbspod.libsyn.com/index.php?post_year=2006&post_month=10


The Parchman Endowed Lectures for November, 2007 by Dr. Ben Witherington III: Professor Ben Witherington of Asbury Theological Seminary delivered three lectures at Baylor University this past fall. The links to each, which Dr. Witherington provides at his blog, http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/ , can be accessed from this link: http://benwitherington.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html . (Scroll down to Dr. Witherington's November 5th article.) The first two lectures are the best as he deals with the cannon of scripture. He points out that the various writings that make up the cannon are polemical in nature and therefore the rule of analyzing them differ from the analysis of other forms of rhetoric we mistakenly apply to scripture. In his third lecture, Witherington puts forth his hypothesis that the beloved diciple we read of in John's Gospel is not John, the brother of James, but Lazurus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. I did not find his arguement convincing. However, you can hear it for yourself and make your own decision.


Interview With Alex McManus: This is an excellant interview with Alex McManus on innovative ways Christians can reach out to the lost that many Churches themselves cannot or will not attempt. The examples McManus shares are quite innovative. It is his desire to equip followers of Jesus to be "Missional", that is, to reject those elements of current Church culture that prevent Churches from reaching out to those among us who are not being reached with the Gospel message. This interview can be accessed through the January archives of Dr. Brian D. Russell's blog realmealministries.org : http://realmealministries.org/WordPress/?m=200801 .


The Emerging Church Movement and Key Topics In The Emerging Church Movement: Both of these two 3 part dialogues are available from Dallas Theological Seminary. These dialogues feature DTS professors discussing their views of the Emerging Church. They go into great detail highlighting the differences between the various branches within the movement. Most of what they share concerning this movement is positive, yet they do make it known that there are aspects about it that give them cause for concern. One professor brought up the Emergents tendency to view Jesus seperately from the Church. According to this professor, the two cannot be seperated, they must be seen as one. Here is the link to these dialogues: http://www.dts.edu/media/dialogue

No comments: