Hob's SemBlog

Notes, comments, thoughts on my studies at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
so my friends/family/supporters/whoever can keep tabs on my progress, and nag me to keep on top of things.

Friday, March 11, 2005

Scottish Theology...

Scottish Theology in Relation to Church History by John Macleod

In his book Scottish Theology, John Macleod attempts to provide a non-technical and non-academic examination of Scottish Theology by tracing its development from the Reformation on. To accomplish this, he focuses on individuals and their actions in the progress of time.

This is both the strength and the weakness of the book. We were able to get a close look at the makers of the history, which removes some detachment from the subject. But by focusing so much on the trees, Macleod loses his readers in the forest. It's very difficult to see the flow of history and how the various figures worked together (or against each other) when 20 pages after discussing Churchman X, Macleod would mention in his look at Churchman Y, "Y corresponded with X as we mentioned before." That tells us nothing of the interaction, or why it matters. So, did he succeed in his goal? Somewhat. We are given several wonderful profiles, and it's certainly not a highly technical work, but I'm not sure it was entirely effective in his presentation--particularly in the early chapters.

Where Macleod seemed to be most successful as a historian was when he stepped back from the individuals and took a broader look at the action as he did in chapter five, "The Neonomians and the Marrow Controversy." Here he achieved the right balance in giving a personal touch to the history, yet not losing the overall picture. But the strongest part of the book as a whole is where he takes one step further back and mixes his history with his theology and analysis. The sections "The Faith of the Gospel on Fire" starting on page 95 and "The Authority of Scripture at Stake" starting on 313, are glowing examples of this. We get a great snapshot of the pulpit ministry in Scotland, as well as the communion sermons/seasons, catechesis, and more--as well as why these things mattered to the Scots and why we should look to them as models today.

Personally, the sections on the Marrow Controversy (which I’ve been wanting to study more) and the last two chapters covering the more recent history were the most valuable (until now there was a gap in my knowledge between the Marrow and William Still). And several of the individual profiles were helpful--particularly those sections that included lengthy quotations from the figures (like "Rabbi" Duncan and Rutherford). Mostly, it’s reassuring to see God working through the highs and lows of His church--stumbling and fallible, yet standing against the gates of Hell.

H. C. jotted this down on 1:48 PM. (( 1:48 PM 0 comments

Thursday, March 10, 2005

Giving Up the Key to a True Redemption

Going to post a few great passages from some of my Presbyterian History texts...

Speaking of the immediate fall-out of the acceptance of practical Amyrauldian in the United Secession Synods in Scotland, mid-1800's:

New Light was coming nearer the citadel of the Faith in its disintegrating results. At this point, among a considerable section of professed Evangelicals, the key that admitted to the fortress of a true and efficacious Redemption was given up; and this had a close relation to practical methods in preaching and pressing home the Gospel message. It meant a new approach to the case of the anxious sinner when he was told that our Lord had died for him, and that he must right off receive this as the good news of salvation. This method of approach to him hid from the enquirer that when it said that the Saviour had died for him it might prove that He had died either in vain, or with no intention to effect his salvation. For the Universal Redemption which it taught was on its own showing a Redemption that did not secure life. In this respect the method of treating the anxious played with the use of deceitful terms, and did not compare well with the methods that had been formerly in use. This older method told the sinner of a Saviour Who had died to save His chosen and called ones, and Who was now calling and inviting him to make proof of His saving power by talking Himself as the Lord his Righteousness, and so sheltering under the covert of His sacrifice and the shield of His intercession. The older Calvinism did not seek to assure the sinner that Christ had died his death until he a had first, in obedience of faith, closed with Him as a Saviour in His office as Mediator. It could, as The Marrow put it, tell him that Christ, Who died the Just for the unjust, was his for the taking, and that when he took this Christ as his own, he was in doing so guilty of no presumption. Methods that were borrowed from organised, almost mechanised American Revivalism began to be so common in dealing with enquirers for salvation that they came to be looked upon as part and parcel of aggressive Gospel work.
--John McLeod, Scottish Theology in Relation to Church History, p.244.

Tell me this isn't incredibly relevant today. This summary of the presentation from The Marrow is just perfect.

H. C. jotted this down on 2:17 PM. (( 2:17 PM 0 comments

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