I confess that sometimes my academic work has caused my faith to feel purely cerebral and my learning sometimes puffs up into pride. Thus, I am grateful for the Anglican Prayer book, the Word of God, my local church, my colleagues, my students, and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit for making sure I finish the race set before me.
I confess that I really, really don't like Rudolf Bultmann. I find his brand of existential Deism nauseating and I think his scholarship oscillates between brilliant and banal.
I confess that I'm learning to love Karl Barth (shhh, don't tell Ben Myers).
I confess that Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is Lord of all. This is the gospel and the testimony of the early church - all else is commentary.
I confess that N.T. Wright woke me from my dogmatic slumbers and showed me a world that I had never seen before, whatever his failings, I am most grateful for this.
I confess that only two good things came out of the seventies - Me and the musical Evita!
I confess that the greatest lessons in grace, love, sin, and forgivness that I have learned came from no text book, but from marriage and parenthood.
I confess that Calvin was (pretty much) right.
I confess that I spend far too much time writing and reading about the Bible rather than reading the Bible itself and obeying what it says.
I confess that I am weary of those who define the faith so narrowly and then try to tell lay persons that they themselves are the true gatekeepers of orthodoxy. I confess that I am equally weary of those who treat Scripture as if it were a cook book where one can pick and choose recipes as one likes.
I confess that when Richard Bauckham leaves St. Andrews, I will be the shortest New Testament scholar in Scotland (sigh!)
I confess that Ben Myers and Joel Willitts are two of the people that I have the closest academic comaraderie with.
I confess that New Testament scholarship must strive for historical accuracy, theological acumen, and be placed in service of the Church.
4 comments:
Is that all? St. Peter will be at the pearly gates to welcome you.
Nice post, comrade!
Way to go! Nice to have some not-so-I-am-more-left-leaning-than-you versions of this meme.
Marvelous!
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