This third year of the Creation Project is focused upon theological anthropology, with consideration given to questions of the origin, nature, and ultimate purposes of human life. In his 1993 award-winning book, The Contemporary Christian, John Stott writes: Millions of people do not know who they are, nor that they have any significance or worth. Hence…

Over the last 20 years I have been involved in a lot of writing projects, but this is only my third big book. I am often a slow writer and each book took years of gestation and labor. These metaphors are intentionally chosen because I feel like all three of these books are my children,…

In his fascinating book on the Sermon on the Mount, Jonathan Pennington seeks to read the Sermon as Christianity’s answer to what he calls “the greatest metaphysical question that humanity has always faced—How can we experience true human flourishing?” (emphasis original, xxxiv). He offers this question as an overall reading strategy for the Sermon—a strategy…

For the reformers, the first mark of the true church was the faithful preaching of the Word of God. Lutheran pastor and theologian Johannes Brenz (1499-1570) argues in this excerpt from his commentary on Galatians that as a minister of the Lord, a true church leader is distinguished by the ability to speak the truth…

The resurrection is good news for us, but do we treat it as good news for others, or are we content to have won eternity ourselves? What did Christ himself teach us to do? A Lutheran theologian and pastor, Johannes Brenz (1499–1570) preached the Reformation message in Schwäbisch-Hall, Württemberg, and Tübingen. Here, Brenz teaches that…

Preaching, as Menno Simons puts it, is a “high and holy office” and thus not to be entered casually or cavalierly. Who, then, should dare enter the pastorate? The well-educated? The well-spoken? The well-favored? Simons (c.1496–1561), the radical leader of a Dutch Anabaptist group that preached nonviolence and withdrawal from the world, argued on the…

We’ve been sorting out how to think about achievement from a biblical perspective, and we’ve been exploring some of the implications of this. But whatever theology arises, there is one place in which believers’ thinking and living is shaped more than any other: the local church. How church leaders, pastors, and elders think about achievement…

Combining his pastoral experience and scholarly interest in Jonathan Edwards, Pastor Josh Moody of College Church delivered a timely and practical message for the TEDS community drawing from the life, work, and ministry of Edwards. As part of the Jonathan Edwards & the Church series, Moody presented The Theocentric Vision of Jonathan Edwards: A Hands-On…

The Henry Center was pleased to host Pastor Steve Mathewson for the second of his two Timothy Series lectures. He preached a sermon on Revelation 22:1-5 that demonstrated his rich biblical literacy, evident theological competence, and careful pastoral awareness. Preaching a sermon on Revelation outside of a series, topical or thematic, Mathewson gave members of…

After postponing it for health complications, on Wednesday, April 17 at 1:00 in Hinkson Hall, the Henry Center and Jonathan Edwards Center will host Oliver Crisp (Fuller Theological Seminary) for our co-sponsored Edwards and the Church series. In his lecture, “Jonathan Edwards on Preaching,” Crisp will present Edwards’ understanding of the nature and task of…

On Thursday, April 15, 2010 from 12pm-1:15 p.m., the Henry Center is sponsoring a brown-bag gathering in Hinkson Hall entitled “Fostering Biblical Preaching Movements: A Conversation.” Led by Greg Scharf, chair of the Pastoral Ministry department at TEDS, this conversation will feature David Jackman of Proclamation Trust, David Helm of Simeon Trust, and Todd Kelly…