- Church History, Church of England, Church and State, Ecumenical and Interfaith Dialogue, Theology, Historical Theology, and 24 more18th Century Britain, Ecclesiology, Missional Theology, Ecclesiology, Missional Church, Congregational Ministry, History, Master of Divinity, Religion, Politics, Jesus Christ, Bible, Public Policy, Restoration (Stone-Campbell) Movement, Stone-Campbell Movement, Nonjurors, Eighteenth-Century British History and Culture, Non jurors, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) , History and Theology of the Stone-Campbell Movement, High Church Anglicanism, The Glorious Revolution, Jacobite History, Rabban Hormizd, Nestorian Christianity, and Hagiographyedit
- Dr. Robert Cornwall, is Minister-at-Large for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He served as Senior Pastor ... moreDr. Robert Cornwall, is Minister-at-Large for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He served as Senior Pastor of Central Woodward from July 2008 until his retirement in June 2021. He is married to Cheryl and father to Brett. A graduate of Northwest Christian University in Eugene, OR, and Fuller Theological Seminary of Pasadena, CA (M.Div. and Ph.D. in Historical Theology), he is editor of the journal Sharing the Practice and the author of a number of books, including Visible and Apostolic: The Constitution of the Church in High Church Anglican and Nonjuror Thought 1688-1745 (University of Delaware Press, 1993), Freedom in Covenant, (Wipf and Stock, 2015), Worshiping with Charles Darwin, (Energion, 2013), Unfettered Spirit: Spiritual Gifts for the New Great Awakening (Energion, 2013), Ultimate Allegiance: The Subversive Nature of the Lord's Prayer (Energion Publications, 2010), and Faith in the Public Square: Living Faithfully in the 21st Century (Energion, 2012).
He is engaged in a variety of ecumenical and interfaith ministry. He served as Convener of the Troy-area Interfaith Group and as President of the Metropolitan Coaltion of Congregations, as well as serving as the initial chair of the Troy Alliance Against Hate Crimes. He serves on the Board of the CCU: Christian Unity and Interfaith Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and as Chair of the Commission of Ministry for the Michigan Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Before coming to Michigan, he served as President of the Greater Santa Barbara Clergy Association, the University Religious Conference at UCSB, and was founding convener of the Lompoc Interfaith Group.edit
The Lord's Supper (known variously as the Eucharist and Holy Communion) is a central rite of the Christian faith. Since at least the second century CE, access to this meal has been limited to approved members of the Christian community.... more
The Lord's Supper (known variously as the Eucharist and Holy Communion) is a central rite of the Christian faith. Since at least the second century CE, access to this meal has been limited to approved members of the Christian community. Usually, that means they have been baptized. The first evidence of attempts to fence the table comes in The Didache, which states: "You must not let anyone eat or drink of your Eucharist except those baptized in the Lord's name. For in reference to this, the Lord said, 'Do not give what is sacred to dogs.'"1 Justin Martyr, writing in the middle of the Second Century, speaks similarly to The Didache:
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Until recently the received tradition has held that the eighteenth-century Church of England was led by politically oriented bishops and pastorally negligent clergy while being spiritually dead. One nineteenth-century historian called... more
Until recently the received tradition has held that the eighteenth-century Church of England was led by politically oriented bishops and pastorally negligent clergy while being spiritually dead. One nineteenth-century historian called this age the "most lifeless age of all in the history of our Church" (2). Nineteenth-century critics, ranging from Methodists to Evangelicals to Tractarians, have prejudiced many historians' views of the church during this period, but more recent studies have begun to turn the tide of opinion and have restored the legacy of the eighteenth-century church. Although the process of restoring the church's reputation began with the work of Norman Sykes more than a half century ago, it has taken the work of historians such as J. C. D. Clark, Jeffrey Chamberlain, Stephen Taylor, and William Gibson to turn the tide against this distorted picture of the eighteenth-century church. With the publication of Jeremy Gregory's book on the archdiocese of Canterbury, these distorted views have been effectively vanquished. One cannot read this book and adopt the older view of a negligent church. Gregory has chosen to explore the ecclesiastical life of the Church of England by focusing on one diocese over an extended period, the long eighteenth century (1660-1828). He begins his story at the restoration of the monarch in 1660, an event that coincided with the restoration of the episcopacy to the Established Church. The story ends with the death of Archbishop Manners Sutton in 1828, the year the Test and Corporation Acts were repealed. Using the diocese of Canterbury as a representative case study, Gregory shows the reader how an episcopal Church of England emerged from the devastation of the Interregnum and reestablished itself as a vibrant entity and the dominant religious player in England, even in the face of significant challenges from nonconformity, Catholicism, and even irreligion. Though, unlike Clark, whose work largely deals with politics, Gregory does not downplay the problems, and yet he finds in Canterbury a thriving, if not perfect church, led by archbishops, deans, archdeacons, and parish priests with both High Church and latitudinarian sympathies. Although he uses published sources such as sermons and tracts, Gregory bases his account of church life largely on institutional records such as visitation returns, financial records, and letters. Methodologically, Gregory has sought to bring together both institutional and intellectual historiography, "embracing [the church's] social, economic, political, and intellectual dimensions" (7).
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Research Interests: Sociology, Law, Politics, Protestantism, Heresy, and 8 moreHeterodoxy, Religious Studies, Dissent, Church and State, Orthodoxy, Toleration, Schism, and Honour
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S. L. Ollard's 1926 study of the Church of England's understanding and practice of the rite of confirmation remains the most significant examination of this topic for the eighteenth century. He insisted that eighteenth-century... more
S. L. Ollard's 1926 study of the Church of England's understanding and practice of the rite of confirmation remains the most significant examination of this topic for the eighteenth century. He insisted that eighteenth-century Anglicans took a low view of the rite, contending that the religious consequences of the Glorious Revolution set the tone for Anglican sacramental views. That the church allowed three unconfirmed monarchs (William III and the first two Georges) to receive the Eucharist provided evidence of the neglect of this rite. Louis Weil more recently echoes Ollard's critique, suggesting that after 1660 Anglican writers “virtually ignored the rite.” Weil believes that interest in the rite was limited to Thomas Wilson, the eighteenth-century bishop of Sodor and Man, and a few like-minded members of the “old high church tradition.” Thus, according to most accounts, Anglicans gave little attention to confirmation until the nineteenth century, when the Tractarians supposedly rediscovered the importance of the rite. Ironically, Weil undermines his own position by pointing out that the only “concentrated material” on the rite in the Tracts for the Times was a reprinting of the work on confirmation by the eighteenth-century bishop of Sodor and Mann, Thomas Wilson.
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... church, the Tolera-tion Act, Convocation, occasional con-formity, and the Bangorian controversy, (Continued on ... Though some histo-rians, such as Peter Gay, find the quintessence of the Enlighten ... of 1688, but they had begun to... more
... church, the Tolera-tion Act, Convocation, occasional con-formity, and the Bangorian controversy, (Continued on ... Though some histo-rians, such as Peter Gay, find the quintessence of the Enlighten ... of 1688, but they had begun to make inroads into the established church by that ...
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Research Interests: Sociology, Law, Politics, Protestantism, Heresy, and 8 moreHeterodoxy, Religious Studies, Dissent, Church and State, Orthodoxy, Toleration, Schism, and Honour
Oxford is full of churches affiliated with the Church of England, ranging from high to low, evangelical to Anglo-Catholic. There, are of course, many other religious options, ranging from Roman Catholic to Muslim. Then there are college... more
Oxford is full of churches affiliated with the Church of England, ranging from high to low, evangelical to Anglo-Catholic. There, are of course, many other religious options, ranging from Roman Catholic to Muslim. Then there are college chapels, some of which are open to the broader community. Among these many options is Christ Church Cathedral, which serves not only as the cathedral church for the Diocese of Oxford but also as the chapel for Christ Church College. When compared to St. Paul's Cathedral in London or Salisbury Cathedral, Christ Church, is small and intimate. No larger than many parish churches, it still offers worship fitting a cathedral.As with many cathedrals, services of worship are available on a daily basis. On a typical Sunday, the day begins with a spoken Eucharist using the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, followed by a college service (in-term) using Common Worship, which is in turned followed by Matins with sermon, again utilizing the service of Morning Prayer from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The sung Eucharist, led by the Christ Church choir of men and boys begins at 11:15 (Oxford Time, which is five minutes later than Greenwich Mean Time). Worshipers enter the Christ Church Quadrangle through Tom Tower, which houses the Great Tom bell. After crossing through the college quadrangle one enters the church through a set of doors in the southeast corner. As is fitting a college chapel, the cathedral itself blends into the rest of the architecture. Worshipers enter the nave from the west end, and both the nave and choir are divided with stalls, three rows deep on either side. The first section is reserved for the choir. Moving forward, worshipers are invited to find seats in the stalls, both in the nave and in the choir, behind the lectern, but closer to the chancel and altar. The space between choir and nave allows for seating across the north/south axis. With a high ceiling, but rather narrow nave and choir, the arrangement not only amplifies the organ and men and boys choir, but also enhances congregational singing.As is true of most of England's older cathedrals, Christ Church exudes a sense of history. Dating back to the late twelfth century, this Norman-era church served as the monastery church for the Priory of St. Frideswide, which was a community of Augustinian monks. This church sits on the site of an earlier eighth century Saxon church linked to St. Frideswide, who serves as the patron saint of Oxford, and whose shrine is within the walls of the church.This church became the seat of the diocese only in 1545, two decades after the dissolution of the priory in 1522 and subsequent conversion into Christ Church College by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. It is here that the philosopher John Locke is buried and where John and Charles Wesley were ordained to the priesthood. This sense of history is present throughout the building. Its walls and floors contain memorials to persons famous and common. There is a shrine to St. Frideswide that dates to the middle ages, as well as a more recent altar honoring George K. A. Bell, the late bishop of Chichester, who was friend to Dietrich Bonhoeffer and an important British ally of the German Confessing Church.The cathedral choir, which leads the 11:15 service as well as the Evensong services and Thursday-evening Eucharist, provide an almost ethereal quality to the service. Due to the intimate nature of the building, the worshiper is drawn into a sense of the divine presence, by these voices that fill the room. If one has not experienced a service with a men-and-boys choir of this quality, it might be difficult to imagine the beauty of the music these singers produce, many of whom appear to be eight to ten years old.The service opened with the singing of the hymn "Come thou fount of every blessing" with organ, choir, and the reverberations of the cathedral layout; this was extremely powerful. Each of the hymns was of similar nature. The service music-including the Kyrie, the Gloria in excelsis, and the Sanctus-was sung by the choir in Latin or Greek. …
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Myth or reality? - the High Church ideal in the 18th-century Church the child of his time man of science and liberality an image refashioned - defender of the faith the Church in danger! protecting the weakest "a free, valid and... more
Myth or reality? - the High Church ideal in the 18th-century Church the child of his time man of science and liberality an image refashioned - defender of the faith the Church in danger! protecting the weakest "a free, valid and purely ecclesiastical eopiscopacy" Church administration and reform the dioceses and the abbey High Church champion a presence in politics "militant here in earth" society and social reform.
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full grown at that denning moment but had a venerable ancestry in an earlier, ongoing renewal of the high church tradition that Tractarian historiographers allowed to be overshadowed by the towering figure of the movement's leader,... more
full grown at that denning moment but had a venerable ancestry in an earlier, ongoing renewal of the high church tradition that Tractarian historiographers allowed to be overshadowed by the towering figure of the movement's leader, John Henry Newman. Nockles's lavishly documented exposition appropriately counterbalances Tractarian hagiographical tendencies with a realistic assessment of Newman's considerable legacy. He concludes that in the short term, the Oxford Movement might be judged a failure, as its misguided contentiousness needlessly fragmented Anglicanism into hostile theological camps, thereby weakening the church's fabric. To compound the problem, the movement veered toward sectarianism, as it abandoned its earlier aim to be a "catholicizing" leaven throughout the church and opted instead for a "separate tradition," a development that nudged Newman irrevocably toward Rome. For all that, even the hostile Evangelical James Garbett, Oxford professor of poetry, in his Bampton Lectures of 1842 conceded that the Oxford Movement had served a great purpose and left an enduring legacy. The Tracts for the Times, he said, "had successfully struck some deep chord—had hit on some real wants of the period—and brought out distinctly into light certain substantive principles" which really needed reiteration and exposition, and "probed unsparingly the religious and political deficiencies of the times" (p. 327). Indeed, Nockles concludes, the Oxford Movement had harnessed the cultural currents of romanticism for the church, contributing to it such religious eloquence and theological stature that the movement would forever mark the intellectual history of Europe. This is a landmark work in nineteenth-century religious history. Tersely and elegantly written, it is a tough read that richly rewards industry. It belongs in every serious academic library.
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Robert Bruce Mullin offers a revised version of his narrative Christianity -- focusing on the movement in phases from Jesus through the east to Rome and to the rest of the world.
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A review of the revised third edition of Reviving the Ancient Faith: The Story of the Churches of Christ (Eerdmans, 2024) by Richard Hughes and James Gorman. In this edition, James Gorman updates Hughes' magisterial history of the... more
A review of the revised third edition of Reviving the Ancient Faith: The Story of the Churches of Christ (Eerdmans, 2024) by Richard Hughes and James Gorman. In this edition, James Gorman updates Hughes' magisterial history of the Churches of Christ, one of the three primary branches of the Stone Campbell Movement. The original edition was published in the 1990s. With this edition, Gorman revises Hughes' text and brings it up to date (2022).
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This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Disciples History. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Discipliana by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ Disciples History. For more... more
This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ Disciples History. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Discipliana by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ Disciples History. For more information, please contact jmcmillan@discipleshistory.org. 1 The Rev. Dr. Robert D. Cornwall is a retired Disciples pastor, who in retirement serves as a Minister-at-Large, author, theologian, and board chair for the Christian Unity and Interfaith Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada.
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How did the Torah, also known in some circles as the Pentateuch, come into existence? Traditionally the first five books of the Tanakh or the Christian Old Testament were understood to be written by Moses. While there may be a few... more
How did the Torah, also known in some circles as the Pentateuch, come into existence? Traditionally the first five books of the Tanakh or the Christian Old Testament were understood to be written by Moses. While there may be a few defenders of Mosaic authorship running around they are few in number. Since the nineteenth century, we've often spoken in terms of Wellhausen's JEDP, but that theory has its own problems. So maybe we need to look in other places to find greater insight as to the origins of these five books. For Christians that means listening to our Jewish cousins who share this Testament with us. If we choose to do so there is much to learn. One scholar who has attempted to provide an intriguing and helpful introduction to the origins of the Torah is found in Edward Feld's The Book of Revolutions. As the subtitle denotes, these revolutions that led to the emergence of the Torah involved priests, prophets, and kings. As for the author, Edward Feld, he serves as the Rabbi-in-Residence at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he is an advisor and mentor to rabbinical students. He is also a Rabbi of the Society for the Advancement of Judaism and Hillel Director at Princeton University. Along with these duties, he is the senior editor of Siddur Lev Shalem, which is the Rabbinical Assembly prayerbook used during Sabbaths and festivals. He is also the editor of the High Holiday companion volume Mahzor Lev Shalem. According to Feld, the Torah is the product of several revolutions, the first of which was a military coup that took place in the northern kingdom of Israel, along with the assassination of a king in the southern kingdom of Judea, and a quieter revolution that later took place during the Babylonian exile. These events produced three legal codes, the first is the Covenant code as found in the book of Exodus. The second is the Deuteronomic Code as found in Deuteronomy. Finally, there is the Holiness Code found in Leviticus. These three codes helped create biblical and modern Judaism. With these three revolutions in mind, Feld seeks to read Torah with a historian's eye, seeking to understand the context in which the texts emerged. While skepticism is warranted when it comes to historical analysis, he believes that skepticism can go too far. Thus, this is a call for a balanced approach.
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In August of 1801, a Presbyterian pastor in rural Kentucky hosted an annual communion event that would turn into a massive camp meeting and revival that crossed denominational, ethnic/racial, and gender boundaries. That event is known as... more
In August of 1801, a Presbyterian pastor in rural Kentucky hosted an annual communion event that would turn into a massive camp meeting and revival that crossed denominational, ethnic/racial, and gender boundaries. That event is known as the Cane Ridge Revival and it helped launch the Second Great Awakening, which swept across the frontier before it turned back toward the east. The Great Western Revival, of which Cane Ridge was one of the most important contributors, has its origins in the late eighteenth century and continued well into the nineteenth century. The name of that Presbyterian pastor was Barton W. Stone, who would go on to become a central figure in the history of the Stone-Campbell Movement. While Stone has lent his name to the movement, he has always seemed to live in Alexander Campbell’s shadow. While that may be true, there has always been an undercurrent to the movement that traces its lineage back to Stone. Perhaps it is time to reconsider and reclaim that legacy for our time. That especially includes looking closely at Cane Ridge.
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Review of Douglas Foster's biography of Alexander Campbell, an American Religious leader and one of the founders of the religious tradition represented by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Churches of Christ, and Christian... more
Review of Douglas Foster's biography of Alexander Campbell, an American Religious leader and one of the founders of the religious tradition represented by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Churches of Christ, and Christian Churches/Churches of Christ.
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Review of a Christian engagement with the way in which Muslims and Christians interpret each other's sacred texts (often misreading them due to differing approaches. In addition, this book under review explores how Muslims view Jesus and... more
Review of a Christian engagement with the way in which Muslims and Christians interpret each other's sacred texts (often misreading them due to differing approaches. In addition, this book under review explores how Muslims view Jesus and Christians view Muhammad. Appears on personal blog.
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Review of Amy Collier Artman's biography of Kathryn Kuhlman, which appears in the Eerdmans Library of Religious Biography. Kuhlman was a mid 20th century Charismatic evangelist, known for her healing ministry. As Artman notes, she paved... more
Review of Amy Collier Artman's biography of Kathryn Kuhlman, which appears in the Eerdmans Library of Religious Biography. Kuhlman was a mid 20th century Charismatic evangelist, known for her healing ministry. As Artman notes, she paved the way for the Charismatic movement in Mainline and Catholic contexts
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Review of Poured Out: The Spirit of God Empowering the Mission of God. Leonard Allen, who is a member of the Churches of Christ, a branch of the Stone-Campbell Movement, explores the concept of the Holy Spirit, within a Trinitarian and... more
Review of Poured Out: The Spirit of God Empowering the Mission of God. Leonard Allen, who is a member of the Churches of Christ, a branch of the Stone-Campbell Movement, explores the concept of the Holy Spirit, within a Trinitarian and Missional Context. It is worth noting that the Stone-Campbell Movement has had an ambiguous understanding of both the Spirit and the Trinity.
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Review of book by Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz concerning the way in which Christians engage the public square as people of faith, but doing so with integrity. The authors lay out a framework for action, discuss the leading... more
Review of book by Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz concerning the way in which Christians engage the public square as people of faith, but doing so with integrity. The authors lay out a framework for action, discuss the leading issues from health care to torture, and then offer a discussion of Christian virtues that enable such action to take place.
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Review of Richard Beck's book "Reviving Old Scratch." This is an important contribution to the conversation about spiritual warfare and social justice.
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Review of Gerard Moore's study of Disciples of Christ Eucharistic practice from Alexander Campbell to Thankful Praise.
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A Review of Nicholas Wolterstorff's philosophically/theologically oriented attempt at making explicit the vision of God present in Christian liturgies, focusing specifically on the nature of mutual address present.
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How did Maria Woodworth-Etter and Aimee Semple McPherson navigate barriers to women in male dominated revivalist ministry? Leah Payne explores this question, setting their efforts in the gender definitions of the period -- where men were... more
How did Maria Woodworth-Etter and Aimee Semple McPherson navigate barriers to women in male dominated revivalist ministry? Leah Payne explores this question, setting their efforts in the gender definitions of the period -- where men were to be manly and women to be womenly.
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Review of Ruth Meyers book from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, focusing on the relationship of worship and missional life. Meyers helpfully argues that they flow in and out of each other, so that both are essential to the... more
Review of Ruth Meyers book from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, focusing on the relationship of worship and missional life. Meyers helpfully argues that they flow in and out of each other, so that both are essential to the other.
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Robert Bruce Mullin offers a revised version of his narrative Christianity -- focusing on the movement in phases from Jesus through the east to Rome and to the rest of the world.
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Review of Scot McKnight's book "Kingdom Conspiracy," in which he connects kingdom of God to the church, so that kingdom mission is church mission. He poses this as an alternative to visions of kingdom that reduce it to either personal... more
Review of Scot McKnight's book "Kingdom Conspiracy," in which he connects kingdom of God to the church, so that kingdom mission is church mission. He poses this as an alternative to visions of kingdom that reduce it to either personal salvation (heaven) or social justice (earth). The call is to build the church not pursue common good, though good works are presumed by members of the church as spill over (but not focus). Critique here is that this narrows the definition too much and ties God's hands.
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... part of a thesis entitled 'Continuity and Change in Anglican High Churchmanship in Britain, 1792-1850' for which the Theology Faculty of ... wholeheartedly with the positions outlined in John Henry Newman's Lectures on... more
... part of a thesis entitled 'Continuity and Change in Anglican High Churchmanship in Britain, 1792-1850' for which the Theology Faculty of ... wholeheartedly with the positions outlined in John Henry Newman's Lectures on Anglican Difficulties as well as in his Apologia pro vita sua ...
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Research Interests: Religion, Christianity, History, Law, Narrative, and 12 moreCritical Psychology, Discourse, Politics, Sexual Identity, Homosexuality, Queer, Gay, Lesbian, Script, Lgbtq, Bisexual, and Public Policy
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Book review of Deanna Thompson's contribution to the Belief Commentary series focusing on Deuteronomy. Rooted in exegesis Thompson takes us into the theological implications of a text ignored by the lectionary and speaks of a... more
Book review of Deanna Thompson's contribution to the Belief Commentary series focusing on Deuteronomy. Rooted in exegesis Thompson takes us into the theological implications of a text ignored by the lectionary and speaks of a warrior-like God, but also a text that reminds us of God's covenant. Excellent work.
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Page 1. BOOK REVIEWS 283 both their oral and written venues, for clergy and, to some extent, laity. Additionally, Patrick Collinson challenges the canonical view that Puritanism produced a myriad of sectaries; on the contrary ...
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... church, the Tolera-tion Act, Convocation, occasional con-formity, and the Bangorian controversy, (Continued on ... Though some histo-rians, such as Peter Gay, find the quintessence of the Enlighten ... of 1688, but they had begun to... more
... church, the Tolera-tion Act, Convocation, occasional con-formity, and the Bangorian controversy, (Continued on ... Though some histo-rians, such as Peter Gay, find the quintessence of the Enlighten ... of 1688, but they had begun to make inroads into the established church by that ...
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Various ideas float around about the subject of last things, leading many Christians to conclude that they don’t know what to think about the subject. Yet at the core of the Christian doctrine of last things lies two simple and... more
Various ideas float around about the subject of last things, leading many Christians to conclude that they don’t know what to think about the subject. Yet at the core of the Christian doctrine of last things lies two simple and complementary hopes: that God ever and always offers hope for our individual futures and for the future of the whole world.
In this helpful book, Allen and Cornwall explain how we don’t have to subscribe to sensationalist theories or sketchy interpretations to believe in Christian hope. They walk the reader through the central biblical teachings on last things and then show the ways the church has interpreted those teachings throughout the centuries. In a respectful way, the authors demonstrate that end-time beliefs centered on the Rapture came into existence only recently, and they then offer several more life-affirming, contemporary interpretations as alternatives.
In this helpful book, Allen and Cornwall explain how we don’t have to subscribe to sensationalist theories or sketchy interpretations to believe in Christian hope. They walk the reader through the central biblical teachings on last things and then show the ways the church has interpreted those teachings throughout the centuries. In a respectful way, the authors demonstrate that end-time beliefs centered on the Rapture came into existence only recently, and they then offer several more life-affirming, contemporary interpretations as alternatives.
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Can the Bible speak to people in this postmodern age? Are we doomed to a choice between rigid fundamentalism and complete rejection of this foundational source for Christianity? Bob Cornwall has found that he can take the Bible... more
Can the Bible speak to people in this postmodern age? Are we doomed to a choice between rigid fundamentalism and complete rejection of this foundational source for Christianity?
Bob Cornwall has found that he can take the Bible seriously in his ministry, and yet avoid such controversial labels as “inerrancy” or “infallibility.” Taking his vocabulary and direction from the work of Karl Barth, he charts a course toward a serious study and use of scripture that embraces historical-critical methology, but at the same time expects God to speak through the text in ways that will change our lives and minister to this postmodern age.
Bob Cornwall has found that he can take the Bible seriously in his ministry, and yet avoid such controversial labels as “inerrancy” or “infallibility.” Taking his vocabulary and direction from the work of Karl Barth, he charts a course toward a serious study and use of scripture that embraces historical-critical methology, but at the same time expects God to speak through the text in ways that will change our lives and minister to this postmodern age.
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Paper presented to the Western Association for Theological Discussion -- 2003.
This paper was a contribution to the program theme: "Making Good on the Promised Land: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict as a Challenge for Christian Theology."
This paper was a contribution to the program theme: "Making Good on the Promised Land: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict as a Challenge for Christian Theology."
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Charles Leslie was a leading Nonjuror and Jacobite activist. Taking a pre-critical view of the Bible he sought to defend Trinitarian orthodoxy and the doctrine of satisfaction against Deists and with them Socinians. He believed the future... more
Charles Leslie was a leading Nonjuror and Jacobite activist. Taking a pre-critical view of the Bible he sought to defend Trinitarian orthodoxy and the doctrine of satisfaction against Deists and with them Socinians. He believed the future of both church and nation.
Presentation given at the 2010 American Society of Church History meeting in San Diego, CA.
Presentation given at the 2010 American Society of Church History meeting in San Diego, CA.
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The Stone-Campbell Movement, of which the Disciples of Christ is one branch, takes pride in being a non-creedal faith community. We've made use of slogans that speak this noncreedal identity, declaring that We have "No Creed but Christ,... more
The Stone-Campbell Movement, of which the Disciples of Christ is one branch, takes pride in being a non-creedal faith community. We've made use of slogans that speak this noncreedal identity, declaring that We have "No Creed but Christ, No Book but the Bible." Another slogan we have used comes from Rupertus Meldenius: "In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things charity." While that is a worthy statement, it begs the question as to what is essential. What is the basis for deciding what is essential? Many Disciples assume we know what those essentials are, but do we? Stephen Sprinkle notes that "we dwell in a world in which the words 'religion' and 'faith' are increasingly understood as 'emotive' terms, synonyms for 'personal,' 'private,' 'subjective,' and finally 'arbitrary.'" Therefore, "the theological center of gravity has shifted from unity on core assertions about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to liberty about them, and then on from liberty, that
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The Stone-Campbell Movement, of which the Disciples of Christ is one branch, takes pride in being a non-creedal faith community. We've made use of slogans that speak this noncreedal identity, declaring that We have "No Creed but Christ,... more
The Stone-Campbell Movement, of which the Disciples of Christ is one branch, takes pride in being a non-creedal faith community. We've made use of slogans that speak this noncreedal identity, declaring that We have "No Creed but Christ, No Book but the Bible." Another slogan we have used comes from Rupertus Meldenius: "In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things charity." While that is a worthy statement, it begs the question as to what is essential. What is the basis for deciding what is essential? Many Disciples assume we know what those essentials are, but do we? Stephen Sprinkle notes that "we dwell in a world in which the words 'religion' and 'faith' are increasingly understood as 'emotive' terms, synonyms for 'personal,' 'private,' 'subjective,' and finally 'arbitrary.'" Therefore, "the theological center of gravity has shifted from unity on core assertions about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to liberty about them, and then on from liberty, that
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A brief biography of Disciples ecumenical leader Peter Ainslie, intended for Wikipedia, which lacks an entry. This is based on Paul Crow's article in the Stone-Campbell Encyclopedia.
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Too often we think of salvation in rather narrow terms involving entrance into heaven. But, what if salvation is more than simply forgiveness sins and entrance into heaven? What if it involves healing, liberation, and more? This was the... more
Too often we think of salvation in rather narrow terms involving entrance into heaven. But, what if salvation is more than simply forgiveness sins and entrance into heaven? What if it involves healing, liberation, and more? This was the subject of a sermon series from 2015. I am considering expanding to some degree that series for submission to a publisher for a rather brief book that can open the conversation as to the nature of salvation.
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The Stone-Campbell Movement came to Detroit in 1841. That first congregation, which had as its founders, persons who were of Scotch Baptist origin, remained small but committed for the next twenty years. In the early 1860s, the situation... more
The Stone-Campbell Movement came to Detroit in 1841. That first congregation, which had as its founders, persons who were of Scotch Baptist origin, remained small but committed for the next twenty years. In the early 1860s, the situation in the Detroit congregation became unsettled. While some in the congregation remained committed to the beliefs and practices that had defined their community since its founding, others came to believe it was time for the congregation to embrace new practices that would bring growth to the congregation. This latter group was more pragmatic than the former, when it came to matters of worship style and governance. They came to believe that growth required the calling of a pastor, who had the skills and wisdom to guide them in a new direction. The differences of vision that were emerging in this congregation would lead to a fork in the road, with one road leading to the churches of Christ in Detroit and the other to the Disciples. Standing at the center of this controversy was Isaac Errett, who had come to Michigan in the mid-1850s to plant churches, something he did successfully in Muir and in Ionia. Although he had approached much earlier about coming to Detroit, the congregation's commitment to a form of "mutual ministry" inherited from the Scotch Baptists had deterred him from this work. By 1862, two members of the founding families in Detroit, Richard Hawley and Colin Campbell, had decided to form a new congregation that would be primed for growth and that would call a permanent preacher to lead the congregation. By the time Errett came to Detroit he was already a successful church planter and a national leader within the Stone-Campbell Movement, serving as corresponding secretary of the American Christian Missionary Convention and as a member of the editorial staff of Alexander Campbell's Millennial Harbinger.
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Isaac Errett was an important second generation Disciples leader. He also was a church planter and pastor in Michigan. In the 1860s he was called to serve as pastor of a church in Detroit. It was during this period that a church... more
Isaac Errett was an important second generation Disciples leader. He also was a church planter and pastor in Michigan. In the 1860s he was called to serve as pastor of a church in Detroit. It was during this period that a church originally founded in 1841 divided. This separation of churches led in two trajectories. One led to the Churches of Christ in Metro-Detroit and the other to the Disciples of Christ. This might be the first example of a city congregation dividing in this way.
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If you are a non-creedal Christian, how do you faithfully confess faith in God? If you seek to be biblical in your theology, what do you do with the doctrine of the Trinity? The Stone Campbell Movement is non-creedal, and has been... more
If you are a non-creedal Christian, how do you faithfully confess faith in God? If you seek to be biblical in your theology, what do you do with the doctrine of the Trinity? The Stone Campbell Movement is non-creedal, and has been ambivalent about the Trinity. Alexander Campbell was trinitarian in his theology, but eschewed the language of Trinity. Barton Stone wouldn't accept the designation of Unitarian, but he also rejected the Trinity. That ambivalence has stayed with the movement, but is there need for deep conversation about the Trinity? This is my belief, as developed in what I expect will be a small book/booklet.
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The Stone Campbell Movement has historically been ambivalent about the Trinity. In this essay I am attempting to explore that ambivalence and gently encourage conversation among Disciples about the Trinity and the place of this doctrine... more
The Stone Campbell Movement has historically been ambivalent about the Trinity. In this essay I am attempting to explore that ambivalence and gently encourage conversation among Disciples about the Trinity and the place of this doctrine or symbol in our faith context.
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The Stone-Campbell Movement has been ambivalent about the doctrine of the Trinity. The Campbells were reticent to speak of God as Trinity, while Barton Stone rejected the term outright. in this draft of a paper I seek to set out some... more
The Stone-Campbell Movement has been ambivalent about the doctrine of the Trinity. The Campbells were reticent to speak of God as Trinity, while Barton Stone rejected the term outright. in this draft of a paper I seek to set out some parameters for further conversation -- I do so as a Disciple who is not ambivalent in my embrace of the Trinity.
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Who is Jesus for those who belong to the community known as the Christian Church ( Disciples of Christ) and the Stone Campbell Movement itself? What does it mean to make the good confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living... more
Who is Jesus for those who belong to the community known as the Christian Church ( Disciples of Christ) and the Stone Campbell Movement itself? What does it mean to make the good confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and one's Lord and Savior? In this paper, I explore aspects of a Disciples Christology, recognizing that the founders themselves interpreted the confession of Christ differently. This is the fourth chapter in a proposed book on theology for Disciples.
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A revision of an introductory chapter focusing on creeds and confessions, with a focus on how they are understood and received by Disciples of Christ/Stone-Campbell Christians.
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How do we speak of God? For Christians our God talk has been defined by the doctrine of the Trinity. In Disciples of Christ circles, from the very beginning of the movement, there has been ambiguity regarding the nature of God. Alexander... more
How do we speak of God? For Christians our God talk has been defined by the doctrine of the Trinity. In Disciples of Christ circles, from the very beginning of the movement, there has been ambiguity regarding the nature of God. Alexander Campbell affirmed a Trinitarian theology, but wouldn't use the term Trinity or use much of the Trinitarian Vocabulary. Barton Stone, on the other hand, rejected the Trinity without embracing unitarianism -- on the basis of his reading of Scripture. In this essay, a proposed chapter in a book on Disciples theology, I lay out the basic questions of God's nature and take on the question of the Trinity.
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The Disciples of Christ (Stone-Campbell Movement) are non-creedal, and look to the Bible as the normative guide to theology. In recent years, Disciples understandings of how God is revealed have broadened. Scripture remains normative, but... more
The Disciples of Christ (Stone-Campbell Movement) are non-creedal, and look to the Bible as the normative guide to theology. In recent years, Disciples understandings of how God is revealed have broadened. Scripture remains normative, but in what way? In this essay, which is designed to be a second chapter in a primer on Disciples Theology, explores questions of revelation, understandings of the Word of God, the centrality of the New Testament, and ways in which Disciples read the Bible.
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The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a non-creedal faith community. In this opening chapter of a book under construction concerning Disciples theology, I raise the question of how we confess our faith in a non-creedal context. If... more
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a non-creedal faith community. In this opening chapter of a book under construction concerning Disciples theology, I raise the question of how we confess our faith in a non-creedal context. If we affirm the principle of "in esseentials unity, in non-essentials liberty," how do we discern and communicate what is essential. How can we, if we affirm personal freedom in making confession, offer clear statements of belief so as to have fruitful conversation and a clear witness?
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The church is a body that is marked by its sacraments and rituals—two of which have become preeminent within Protestantism: Baptism and the Eucharist. The Stone-Campbell Movement, of which the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is one... more
The church is a body that is marked by its sacraments and rituals—two of which have become preeminent within Protestantism: Baptism and the Eucharist. The Stone-Campbell Movement, of which the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is one of three branches, has placed great emphasis on these two sacraments, though by tradition they have been referred to as ordinances rather than sacraments. The word sacrament was seen as non-biblical and carried baggage of tradition (too Catholic?) that early Disciples like Alexander Campbell sought to avoid. Nonetheless much of the Christian community speaks of these two elements of Christian experience as Sacraments, and Disciples have in recent decades followed that example, in large part due to engagement with the ecumenical movement and the liturgical renewal movement. What follows is an exploration of sacramental thought and practice with a focus on the Disciples of Christ tradition, with the understanding that the Disciples do not possess an official theology. Therefore, what follows is my own interpretation of this tradition, which I call my own. Before exploring the two sacraments that Disciples have received as coming from Christ (ordained), I would like to first explore the meaning of the word sacrament. The word comes from the Latin word sacramentum, which originally meant an oath, especially an oath of allegiance. However, it also was used to translate the Greek word musterion (mystery). During the patristic era the church began to refer to the external rites or mysteries that Christians believed conveyed grace to the believer as sacraments. Another definition of sacrament focuses on the external sign and the internal work of God. The Anglican Book of Common Prayer defines a sacrament as "an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace." While most Protestant groups accept only two signs having sacramental import, historically churches and theologians have allowed for a greater number, with possible candidates including marriage, ordination, penance, confirmation, and last rites.