ERT cover 33-3 23/4/09 10:57 Page 1 CONTENTS THEME: Holistic Gospel E Holistic Gospel in a Developing Society: Biblical, Theological V A and Historical Backgrounds N G JAMES NKANSAH-OBREMPONG E L page 196 I C Holistic Gospel in a Developing Society: Some Biblical, A L Historical and Ethical Considerations R E JUSTIN THACKER V I page 213 E W Holistic Mission Revisited: Theological insights O from Argentina F AVID OLDÁN T D A. R H page 221 E O Evangelicals and Catholics Together? Issues and Prospects for L O Dialogue and Common Witness in Lowland Philippines G TIMOTEO GENER Y page 228 V O Articles and book reviews reflecting Worship—the Source and Standard of Theology L U ROLF HILLE M global evangelical theology for the purpose page 246 E 3 of discerning the obedience of faith 3 The Predestination Principle: A Bible Study , JOHN BOYKIN N O page 262 3 , Book Reviews J u l page 270 y 2 0 0 9 Volume 33 No. 3 July 2009 Evangelical Review of Theology EDITOR: DAVID PARKER Volume 33 • Number 2 • April 2009 Articles and book reviews reflecting global evangelical theology for the purpose of discerning the obedience of faith Published by for WORLD EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE Theological Commission ERT (2008) 33:2, 99 ISSN: 0144-8153 Volume 33 No. 2 April 2009 Editorial: Life Work and Witness Copyright © 2009 World Evangelical Alliance Theological Commission IN THIS ISSUE WE plunge into the public compassion and Christian love to peo- world and examine how some aspects ple in need.’ of our faith and practice are related. Finally, coming back to our source Editor The first article (responding to an ear- and heart, Lee Wanak (The Philip- David Parker lier paper on the topic) focuses on work pines) draws our attention to an out- itself, and shows how it has an escha- standing feature of Jesus’ ministry— tological significance as it anticipates and one that might be a useful one to Committee the new creation. Then Timoteo Gener bear in mind in this context—the care- (The Philippines) asks about the role of ful use of questions. Wanak suggests The Executive Committee of the WEA Theological Commission theology in the public arena, examin- that by asking thought provoking ques- Dr Justin Thacker, Chairman ing some ideas from David Tracy, and tions, Jesus sought to transform the searching for a truly transformationist assumptions of his first century listen- Editorial Policy Christian perspective on public cul- ers with the idea of introducing a new The articles in the Evangelical Review of Theology reflect the opinions of the ture. Finally for this section, we set of kingdom values. authors and reviewers and do not necessarily represent those of the Editor become very practical and follow We conclude with a longer than or the Publisher. Samuel Jayakumar (India) as he looks usual book review section, headed off at the situation in his country, where by a review article by Amos Yong eval- poverty is rule rather than the excep- uating an ambitious project to under- Manuscripts, reports and communications tion. His burden to understand how the stand evangelicalism; this is followed should be addressed to the Editor and sent to Dr David Parker, Christian gospel can transform society up by another issuing a radical call to 17 Disraeli St, Indooroopilly, 4068, Qld, Australia and empower the poor. evangelicals to be ‘good news people.’ We cannot escape the challenge to Other reviews take up the usual wide The Editors welcome recommendations of original or published articles or develop a truly transformational mis- range of issues that pour from the presses, including in particular Early book reviews that relate to forthcoming issues for inclusion in the Review. sion, so our fourth article is rather African Christianity and its legacy, Please send clear copies of details to the above address. pointed. Daniel Salinas (Paraguay) Jewish evangelism, Latin American looks ahead to the next big evangelical theology and post-modernism. We wel- Email enquiries welcome: [email protected] meeting, Lasuanne III Cape Town, come suggestions of books and review- http://www.worldevangelicalalliance.com/commissions/tc/ 2010, and enquiries whether this will ers, especially from the Majority world, be an opportunity for authentic as we do articles. Contact the editor for engagement with these realities and more information. cause ‘evangelicals around the world to incarnate the Kingdom’s values with David Parker, Editor Typeset by Toucan Design, 25 Southernhay East, Exeter EX1 1NS and Printed in Great Britain for Paternoster Periodicals, PO Box 300, Carlisle, Cumbria CA3 0QS by Polestar Wheatons Ltd., Exeter, Devon. ERT (2009) 33:2, 100-nnn article 101 ferson Davis has also written on work shared in common in these works, both Niggle’s Leaf and Holland’s Opus: in the new creation, though his con- of which draw substantially on Molt- cerns are not with the connection mann’s eschatological vision. Without Reflections on the Theological between our current work and the new disputing the many virtues of an escha- creation but rather with the ongoing tologically-grounded theology of work, Significance of Work presence of work within the new cre- I do have some fundamental concerns. ation itself.3 First, it seems that both Volf and Cos- Though I will ultimately argue for den assume an overstated discontinu- retaining a more traditional view of ity between old and new creations Richard Langer work grounded in vocation and in the when discussing traditional views of ‘old’ creation, I will also argue that work. KEYWORDS: Theology of work, call- Recently, Darrell Cosden has devel- Volf, Cosden and others are right in This overstatement may serve to ing, new creation, eschatological con- oped a theology of work which contin- seeing an eschatological significance blind them to the possibility that tradi- tinuity, duty ues and amplifies much of Volf’s in our work. Unfortunately, I believe tional views of work might also find a thought, particularly his emphasis on that eschatological significance is connection between our work in the the importance of the new creation in found in a different place and pointed in present age and the new creation. In MIROSLAV VOLF FIRST published his our understanding of work.2 John Jef- the opposite direction. To illustrate other words, I do not believe that ground-breaking book, Work in the this difference, I will appeal to two sto- affirming eschatological significance Spirit, in 1991. It garnered immediate ries: a short story by J.R.R. Tolkein in our work requires a theology of work and well-deserved attention both Douglas Schuurman, Vocation: Discerning Our Callings in Life (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, entitled ‘Leaf by Niggle’ and a story grounded in the new creation. Simi- because of the intrinsic importance of 2004), R. Paul Stevens, The Other Six Days told in a movie entitled ‘Mr. Holland’s larly, I believe there is a tendency to work for Christian life and practice, but (Grand Rapids: Eerdmanns1999). In addition Opus.’ The first story is set in an overstate the eschatological signifi- also because he attempted a sea to these works (and those by Cosden men- explicitly eschatological context and is cance of work at the expense of its pro- change in our theological thinking tioned below) which attempt extended theo- used to examine alternative possibili- tological significance. I do not believe about work. He presented a Christian logical reflection on work, there are countless ties for understanding the eschatologi- that the mere fact that there is escha- theology of work grounded in eschatol- books addressing practical issues related to work and the Christian faith, theological cal significance of work. The second tological meaning to our work entails ogy and pneumatology rather than in reflections on capitalism and free markets, story is used to probe more deeply into that the eschatological meaning is pri- notions of vocation and original cre- business ethics from a Christian perspective, the significance of work as it is tradi- mary. ation. His work also became the lead- Christian wisdom for business leadership, and tionally understood. Together they ing edge of a budding genre of theolog- books discussing ‘business as mission’. These build a case for an eschatologically 1 1. Eschatology and continuity ical reflection on work. works often contain chapters laying theologi- broadened, but ultimately traditional, cal foundations for work with varying degrees Volf begins his discussion of work and understanding of human work. of success. the new creation by identifying a fun- 1 Some recent representative works include: 2 See Darrell Cosden, A Theology of Work: damental bifurcation in Christian David H. Jensen, Responsive Labor: A Theology Work and the New Creation (Eugene, Oregon: eschatology: of Work (Louisville: Westminster Press, Wipf & Stock, 2004) and Darrell Cosden, The I Volf’s ‘Work in the Spirit’ 2006), Armand Larive, After Sunday: A Theol- Heavenly Good of Earthly Work (Carlise: Pater- I will use Volf’s Work in the Spirit as the Christian theologians have held ogy of Work (New York: Continuum, 2004), noster Press, 2006) framework for discussing the new the- two basic positions on the eschato- ologies of work, making additional logical future of the world. Some comments to Cosden’s work as appro- stressed radical discontinuity Dr. Richard Langer, PhD (University of California, Riverside), is an Associate Professor in the Biblical priate. Much of the theological core is between present and future orders, Studies and Theology Department at Talbot School of Theology (Biola University) and an ordained minister believing in the complete destruc- in the Evangelical Free Church of America. He served for over twenty years as a pastor at Trinity Evangelical tion of the present world at the end Free Church in Redlands, California.