The Gospel, Investigating Its Implications

The "evangel," the good news of Jesus Christ, forms the center of our developing theology. It is the core proclamation, the central theological insight, and the final standard by which all theology is judged. Here we will make this proclamation, and explore some of the issues which surround it, and some of the implications of this gospel for faith and life.

Developing Theology Home

The Gospel

The Gospel and Encounters
with Other Religions

Kenosis and Salvation

What is the Gospel? What is the this good news that stands front and center in our reflections? In short, it is the message of salvation found throughout the scriptures: God created the world, including human beings, as good, but humans, and the world with them, freely fell away from God into sin. Humans are subsequently bent in upon themselves, and are slaves to sin, for all sin, all turn away from God and there are none righteous. God, in Jesus Christ, came to earth as a man, proclaimed the forgiveness of sins found freely in him, and then suffered and died on the cross. He then rose again. Through Christ's death and resurrection, God has atoned for the sins of all mankind, for his glory. We are unable to save ourselves through our actions, and God has made another way; through the death of His Son, we are saved apart from the law, by grace through faith. Yet, as we have said, none seek God, and none believe on their own, for we are warped in on ourselves. Instead, God, by His unmerited favor, graciously extends to us salvation in Jesus Christ, and with it draws us to Himself, while we were yet dead in our sins. God's call goes out to us to repent and believe!!

Oh the riches of the wisdom and the mercy of God, who loves us, unworthy though we are. It is here that we find ourselves nowhere else but on our faces before God, in awe and praise for His wonderous holiness and love.

Divine Sovereignty and
Human Responsibility

Here we outline the content of our faith, through a short but important declaration of what it is that we believe. It ties in with the Gospel because it is all an enumeration of what either undergirds or comes out of the Gospel message.

Statement of Faith

Theological Notebook

Curriculum Vitae

Investigating The Implications of the Gospel

The Gospel and Encounters with Other Religions

In today's postmodern "pluralist" society, with a rise in globalism, the encounter between different religions has become commonplace. Part of the postmodern "ethos" includes tollerance, even to the point of acceptance, of a variety of viewpoints, and this extends to religions as well. Here we take a look at the implications of the gospel for this "marketplace" of religions, and more specifically, look at what it means for a Christian to encounter people of other faiths. To do this, we lay a theological foundation based on the biblical witness, and then turn to the practical implications of this foundation for encounters with adherants of other religious traditions.

Kenosis and Salvation

Here we take a look at what a kenotic paradigm for understanding God's relationship to the world has to say about salvation. In using kenosis as a theme for understanding how God relates to the world, we are able to propose an understanding of salvation that maintains the essentials of the faith, and holds firm to the gospel, and at the same time is able to hold together divine sovereignty and human responsibility in a way that fits with a larger understanding of God and God's activity.

Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility in Scripture

Divine Sovereignty and human responsibility are two important themes found throughout Scripture. Their relationship is one that has troubled theologians and philosophers for ages. In our developing theology, we have sought to maintain a hold on both of these important concepts, and hold them together. This means carefully understanding what is meant by each concept, and how they may or may not effect the other. At the foundation of this stands the Scriptural witness, which affirms these two conepts. Thus, we must investigate what Scripture says, so that we can gain a more complete understanding of God and God's salvation.

Martin Luther

Martin Luther was truly a reformer in service to the Gospel. Here we discuss his life and work, and give credit where it is due for his role in revitalizing evangelical christianity.

Reclaiming Justification: A Review of Christ Present in Faith by Tuomo Mannermaa

Tuomo Mannermaa puts for an exciting study on the theology of Luther. Luther's reformation insights were centered around justification and the righteousness of God. Here Mannermaa creatively revisits and reinvigorates Luther's understandings.

A Review of The Evangelizing Church: A Lutheran Contribution

Here a group of scholars sets forth a vision for the future of the Lutheran church that reclaims the gospel as the center of the life of the church. The authors put out the call of the gospel as a call to all believers to participate in God's work in the world.

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