I've looked forward to receiving a particular book in the mail for the last few weeks. Finally, the book arrived. The work is edited by Chad Owen Brand and is entitled Perspectives On Election. Five theologians write essays describing their view on the doctrine of election and then a response is given.
The Apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world...this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory" (Eph. 1:3-14).
For centuries, this text has been paramount among those who debate what election means through the New Testament. Of course there are others. But the Ephesian text seems to cause people on both sides to stake their claim to the truth. From the time Luther and Erasmus disagreed about the term and its meaning in the 5th century until the modern era, good people have disagreed.
Our task on Thursdays for the next several weeks is to look at the different perspectives and attempt to determine Paul's meaning of the term. I'll attempt to summarize the essays and the responses. I look forward to hearing your thoughts as well.
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7 comments:
Sounds very interesting. I have been doing a study about faith and politics. I will check it out.
You're welcome anytime Cheryl. Do you plan on blogging about your faith and politics? I hope so.
Blessings
Mike
Mike,
I'm very interested. Recently read Witherington's commentary on Ephesians in which he underscores election being in Christ so that Christ is the elect one, and people become elect by putting their faith in the Elect One. Someone who saw a quote I left from that somewhere, commented that it is Barthian. I ought to know that, but didn't.
Am interested, though I think I know something in general of what comes out of at least some of those positions. But I look forward to you walking us through that study.
Daring move brother - I suppose if you suck up to the xian right you will be fine. Just remember, Obama is bad and whoever the republicans could have chosen is good.
Enough joking. I do look forward to your assessment.
Not sure if I will post about my study of faith and politics. I'm thinking about it.
Welcome Monseigneur Groome! - Miss ya bro!
Would love to read your thougthts Cheryl.
Despite our convenient mantra "separation of church and state," it always seemed like right was right (at least in my house) and anything else just wasn't Christian.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer has a great section on the subject in his Ethics.
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