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The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology Vol. 12 · No. 2 Summer 2008 The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology Editor-in-Chief: R. Albert Mohler, Jr. Learning from the Church Fathers Executive Editor: Russell D. Moore Editorial: Stephen J. Wellum Editor: Stephen J. Wellum 2 Standing on the Shoulders of Giants Todd L. Miles Book Review Editor: Chad Owen Brand Irenaeus in the Hands of Soteriological Inclusivists: Associate Editor: Christopher W. Cowan 4 Validation or Tendentious Historiography? Assistant Editor: Brian Vickers John Piper Contending for Christ Contra Mundum: Advisory Board: Timothy K. Beougher 18 John B. Polhill Exile and Incarnation in the Life of Athanasius Chuck Lawless Nick Needham Peter J. Gentry Augustine of Hippo: Esther H. Crookshank 38 The Relevance of His Life and Thought Today Mark A. Seifrid Carl Trueman Randy Stinson Patristics And Reformed Orthodoxy: Design: Jared Hallal 52 Some Brief Notes and Proposals Typographer: John Rogers Michael A. G. Haykin Recovering Ancient Church Practices: Editorial Office & Subscription Services: 62 A Review of Brian McLaren, Finding Our Way Again: SBTS Box 832 2825 Lexington Rd. The Return of the Ancient Practices Louisville, KY 40280 (800) 626-5525, x4413 68 The SBJT Forum Editorial E-Mail: [email protected] 78 Book Reviews Yearly subscription costs for four issues: $20, individual inside the U. S.; $30, ATLA Religion Database on CD-ROM, published by the American Theological individual outside the U. S.; $35, institutional inside the U. S.; $45, institutional Library Association, 250 S. Wacker Dr., 16th Flr., Chicago, IL 60606, E-mail: outside the U. S. Opinions expressed in The Southern Baptist Journal of Theol- [email protected], WWW: http://atla.com/. ogy are solely the responsibility of the authors and are not necessarily those of THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST JOURNAL OF THEOLOGY is published quarterly by the editors, members of the Advisory Board, or The Forum. We encourage the The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2825 Lexington Road, Louisville, KY submission of letters, suggestions and articles by our readers. Any article submis- 40280. Summer 2008. Vol. 12, No. 2. Copyright ©2008 The Southern Baptist sions should conform to the Journal of Biblical Literature stylistic guidelines. Theological Seminary. ISSN 1520-7307. Second Class postage paid at This periodical is indexed in Religion Index One: Periodicals, the Index to Book Louisville, KY. Postmaster: Send address changes to: SBTS Box 832, Reviews in Religions, Religion Indexes: Ten Year Subset on CD-ROM, and the 2825 Lexington Road, Louisville, KY 40280. Editorial: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants Stephen J. Wellum Stephen J. Wellum is Professor One of my most favorite portions of of Scripture—sola Scriptura and semper of Christian Theology at The South- Scripture is Hebrews 11, the great chap- reformanda respectively—“tradition” also ern Baptist Theological Seminary. ter of faith. In order to encourage these serves an important, critical, and correc- Dr. Wellum received his Ph.D. degree early Christians to run the race that is set tive role for us today as we seek to apply in theology from Trinity Evangelical before them in light of a number of seri- and live out the Scripture. As the old Divinity School and has also taught ous external and internal pressures (see statements remind us—“there is noth- theology at the Associated Canadian for example, 10:32-39 and 5:11-6:12), the ing new under the sun” and “those who Theological Schools and Northwest author of Hebrews not only presents the cannot learn from history are doomed Baptist Theological College and Semi- supremacy of Christ in all of his beauty to repeat its mistakes”—we neglect our nary in Canada. He has contributed to and splendor, but he also challenges them theological forefathers to our detriment. several publications and a collection to persevere as did the ancients of old. By In reality, tradition and the study of his- of essays on theology and worldview naming many an Old Testament saint, torical theology ought to be viewed as a issues. who not only believed in the covenantal kind of laboratory in which the strengths promises centered in Christ but also and weaknesses of past practices, ideas, acted upon those promises even though and doctrines are tested under the pres- our Lord Jesus Christ had not yet come, sures of real-life circumstances, denials, the author challenges these Christians— and challenges with the goal of learning even in a greater way—to take God at his from the past in order to better address Word, to live in light of his promises that the issues, debates, and challenges of our now have been fulfilled in Christ and contemporary world. thus to persevere to the end, no matter However, today, one of our problems what may come, as people of faith looking in the evangelical church, which no doubt unto Jesus. In this way, Hebrews 11, along reflects our larger culture, is that we do not with countless other biblical examples, know history, let alone church history and presents us with the importance of role historical theology well. This is especially models as we live our Christian lives. the case in regard to the era that we have Scripture constantly reminds us that none now dubbed: “the Patristic era.” It is safe of us function as islands to ourselves; to say that for most evangelicals, includ- rather we stand on the shoulders of those ing Baptists, we are more familiar with who have come before us, seeking to learn key people and theological ideas from the from them, positively and negatively, Reformation and post-Reformation era both in terms of their way of life as well than we are of the people and ideas from as their theological convictions and for- the earliest years of the church. However, mulations. for the life and health of the church today, In this way, even though all of our this lacuna in our knowledge of church life and thought must be subservient to history must be remedied for at least two Scripture and ever being reformed in light important reasons. 2 First, we often forget, especially living ignore to our peril and which it is very in the West due to the incredible influence difficult to improve upon no matter how of the gospel upon our larger society and much we try. In fact, many of the heresies culture, how pluralistic the first centuries the church sought to combat in these of the church were. In our day, we wrestle statements—such as Arianism, Modal- with the implications of living in and ism, Adoptionism, Apollinarianism, proclaiming the gospel in light of a post- Gnosticism, and so on—have not only modern, post-Christian, and pluralistic been demonstrated to be false starts, but culture. But what we sometimes fail to also, unfortunately, are still with us today. remember is that in the early years of the If it was not for the hard work, theologi- church, as the gospel spread from Jeru- cal convictions, and personal sacrifices salem to Judea and then to the uttermost and perseverance of the early church parts of the world, it was first proclaimed fathers and theologians such as Irenaeus, in the philosophically and religiously plu- Athanasius, Augustine, Jerome, Cyril, and ralistic culture of the Greco-Roman world, many others, our understanding of these very much similar to our present day. It important areas would be greatly impov- should not surprise us, then, that some of erished. Truly, we stand on the shoulders the issues we wrestle with today—such of giants and we honor them by knowing as the exact status of people outside of more about them, learning what they have Christ from other religions, or how to taught, and seeking to apply insights from defend the gospel to people who did not them, in light of Scripture, for us today. believe in truth or who come from entirely It is for these two reasons, as well as different worldview frameworks, or how many more, that this edition of SBJT is to live faithfully in the midst of a pagan devoted to the Patristic era of church his- and corrupt society—teach us invaluable tory. Even though we can only provide lessons as we face a similar or analogous a snapshot of this era through some of situation. No doubt, it must be admitted its key theologians, it is our prayer that that their culture was more pre-Christian the articles and forum contributions will in outlook, while ours is post-Christian whet our appetites for more. Knowing (which raises a number of challenges that this era of church history will not only the early church did not have to face), but enable us to be alert to trends in our own with that said, the early church has a lot day that basically re-invent ideas from the to teach us in how to live and proclaim past, but it will also help us better to live the gospel faithfully today. and proclaim the gospel faithfully today, Second, it is also vital to remember for God’s glory and for our good. that the Patristic era, in light of various heretical challenges, hammered out central doctrines of the Christian faith, especially in the area of the doctrine of God in its Trinitarian and Christological orthodoxy. It has often been stated that the early church councils gave us theological statements that are no doubt subservient to Scripture, but which we neglect and 3 Irenaeus in the Hands of Soteriological Inclusivists: Validation or Tendentious Historiography? Todd L. Miles Todd L. Miles is Assistant Professor of Introduction which must be rooted in faithful exegesis Theology at Western Seminary in Port- Defending orthodox Christian doc- of God’s inspired word, Holy Scripture.
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