
Hosted by The Henry Center for Theological Understanding · EN

Lecture Title - Reading John Among Rivals, Old and NewThe Gospel of John cuts across the grain of secular culture in much the same way as it entered into the ancient world—as a text that sets out a striking claim about the presence of the invisible God in the material world. We understand what John is and who it was for by considering how the Gospel works as Scriptural reasoning tailored for those inclined to regard the act of directing worship to a human being as blasphemous. We understand how John still speaks by communicating the Gospel as narrative reasoning tailored for those inclined to regard the act of directing worship to a human being as absurd.Steven M. Bryan (PhD University of Cambridge) is Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of Jesus and Israel’s Traditions of Judgement and Restoration (Cambridge University Press, 2005) and Cultural Identity and the Purposes of God: A Biblical Theology of Ethnicity, Nationality, and Race (Crossway, 2022).The Henry Center for Theological Understanding provides theological resources that help bridge the gap between the academy and the church. It houses a cluster of initiatives, each of which is aimed at applying practical Christian wisdom to important kingdom issues—for the good of the church, for the soul of the theological academy, for the sake of the world, and ultimately for the glory of God. The HCTU seeks to ground each of these initiatives in Scripture, and it pursues these goals collaboratively, in order to train a new generation of wise interpreters of the Word—lay persons and scholars alike—for the sake of tomorrow’s church, academy, and world.Visit the HCTU website: https://henrycenter.tiu.edu/ Subscribe to the HCTU Newsletter: https://bit.ly/326pRL5Connect with us!https://twitter.com/henry_centerhttps://www.facebook.com/henrycenter/https://www.instagram.com/thehenrycenter/https://www.linkedin.com/company/thehenrycenter

Lecture Title - Narrative Theologizing in the Gospels: Luke and HospitalityIt often seems easier and more obvious to go to New Testament letters for theology than to the Gospels. Yet the Gospel writers are themselves “theologizing” in light of the arrival of the Messiah, and they offer rich theological stories for interpretation and preaching. A captivating theme in Luke’s Gospel expressed narratively is hospitality. In this lecture, Jeannine Brown will explore that theme and how Luke theologizes toward it.Jeannine K. Brown (PhD Luther Seminary) is Professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary. In addition to numerous commentaries and academic articles, she is author of multiple books, including Relational Integration of Psychology and Christian Theology (Routledge, 2018), The Gospels as Stories (Baker Academic, 2020), and Scripture as Communication (2nd ed.) (Baker Academic, 2021).The Henry Center for Theological Understanding provides theological resources that help bridge the gap between the academy and the church. It houses a cluster of initiatives, each of which is aimed at applying practical Christian wisdom to important kingdom issues—for the good of the church, for the soul of the theological academy, for the sake of the world, and ultimately for the glory of God. The HCTU seeks to ground each of these initiatives in Scripture, and it pursues these goals collaboratively, in order to train a new generation of wise interpreters of the Word—lay persons and scholars alike—for the sake of tomorrow’s church, academy, and world.Visit the HCTU website: https://henrycenter.tiu.edu/ Subscribe to the HCTU Newsletter: https://bit.ly/326pRL5Connect with us!https://twitter.com/henry_centerhttps://www.facebook.com/henrycenter/https://www.instagram.com/thehenrycenter/https://www.linkedin.com/company/thehenrycenter

Discussion Topic - Healing and Resurrection Hope Resurrection hope is often muted in churches today as cultural forces of the modern West deny the reality and potency of death. What does genuine resurrection hope entail? Cancer patient J. Todd Billings and Taylor Worley recognize the tendency to equate hope with healing and prolonging life as long as possible. In this discussion, they emphasize that true resurrection hope resides in our participation in Christ's resurrection. Healing and resuscitation are temporary, but resurrection in our glorified bodies is the only permanent solution to death. J. Todd Billings (ThD Harvard) is the Gordon H. Girod Research Professor of Reformed Theology at Western Theological Seminary. He is the author of Union with Christ (Baker Academic, 2011), Rejoicing in Lament (Brazos Press, 2015), and The End of the Christian Life (Brazos Press, 2020). Visit the HCTU website: https://henrycenter.tiu.edu/ Subscribe to the HCTU Newsletter: https://bit.ly/326pRL5 Connect with us! https://twitter.com/henry_center https://www.facebook.com/henrycenter/ https://www.instagram.com/thehenrycenter/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/thehenrycenter

Discussion Topic - Healing and Resurrection Hope Praying for healing is a controversial topic because it is difficult to know how to pray for someone with an incurable illness. Should "incurable" even be part of a Christian vocabulary? What does it mean to pray with someone rather than pray for someone? What theological assumptions undergird the way we pray? Do we believe in the power of prayer or the power of God? What is the role of prayers of lament? J. Todd Billings is joined by Taylor Worley and Geoff Fulkerson in discussing these questions and offering practical guidance for walking with people who are suffering. J. Todd Billings (ThD Harvard) is the Gordon H. Girod Research Professor of Reformed Theology at Western Theological Seminary. He is the author of Union with Christ (Baker Academic, 2011), Rejoicing in Lament (Brazos Press, 2015), and The End of the Christian Life (Brazos Press, 2020). Visit the HCTU website: https://henrycenter.tiu.edu/ Subscribe to the HCTU Newsletter: https://bit.ly/326pRL5 Connect with us! https://twitter.com/henry_center https://www.facebook.com/henrycenter/ https://www.instagram.com/thehenrycenter/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/thehenrycenter

Lecture Title - A Firm Foundation: Six Pillars of Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Death Without exception, human beings come face to face with suffering and evil. We may entertain only the vaguest and most cliché-driven grasp of such matters until we ourselves suffer, or until we ourselves recognize the sheer malignity of evil in ourselves or others—and then suddenly we swirl around and gradually sink into faith-devouring despair. Far better is it to build the mental and emotional structures, generated by Scripture itself, that train us how to think about suffering and evil before the evil day comes. This lecture seeks to establish six major pillars that together support a way of thinking about such matters—or, to change the metaphor, a kind of prophylactic medicine to ward off the most debilitating elements of despair. D. A. Carson (PhD University of Cambridge) is Emeritus Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is author, co-author, and editor of over 45 books, including the Gold Medallion Award-winning book The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism (Zondervan Academic, 1996), An Introduction to the New Testament (2nd edition) (Zondervan Academic, 2005), and The Enduring Authority of the Christian Scriptures (Eerdmans, 2016). The Henry Center for Theological Understanding provides theological resources that help bridge the gap between the academy and the church. It houses a cluster of initiatives, each of which is aimed at applying practical Christian wisdom to important kingdom issues—for the good of the church, for the soul of the theological academy, for the sake of the world, and ultimately for the glory of God. The HCTU seeks to ground each of these initiatives in Scripture, and it pursues these goals collaboratively, in order to train a new generation of wise interpreters of the Word—lay persons and scholars alike—for the sake of tomorrow’s church, academy, and world. Visit the HCTU website: https://henrycenter.tiu.edu/ Subscribe to the HCTU Newsletter: https://bit.ly/326pRL5 Connect with us! https://twitter.com/henry_center https://www.facebook.com/henrycenter/ https://www.instagram.com/thehenrycenter/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/thehenrycenter

Lecture Title - T. F. Torrance’s Kataphysical Poetics: How the Incarnation Relates Science to Theology For T.F. Torrance, theological and scientific inquiry stand or fall together. Whereas Western scientists and theologians, ancient and modern, too often depend on universal methods and criteria, Torrance’s fundamental axiom is to think everything, from amoebas to the Alpha and Omega, in ways appropriate to their respective natures. Scientific theology thus begins with incarnation—the self-communication of God in space-time—also the controlling center for the doctrine of creation, insofar as “all things were created through him and for him” (Col. 1:16). Viewing creation through the lens of Christology allows Torrance to integrate theology and science, and to argue that theology contributes something to our knowledge of the natural world hidden from the natural sciences, namely, its contingent order, triadic relationality, and proleptic conditioning by redemption. Kevin J. Vanhoozer (PhD University of Cambridge) is Research Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author and editor of numerous books, including The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-Linguistic Approach to Christian Theology (Westminster John Knox Press, 2005), Remythologizing Theology: Divine Action, Passion, and Authorship (Cambridge University Press, 2010), Faith Speaking Understanding: Performing the Drama of Doctrine (Westminster John Knox Press, 2014), and Hearers and Doers: A Pastor’s Guide to Making Disciples Through Scripture and Doctrine (Lexham Press, 2019). The Henry Center for Theological Understanding provides theological resources that help bridge the gap between the academy and the church. It houses a cluster of initiatives, each of which is aimed at applying practical Christian wisdom to important kingdom issues—for the good of the church, for the soul of the theological academy, for the sake of the world, and ultimately for the glory of God. The HCTU seeks to ground each of these initiatives in Scripture, and it pursues these goals collaboratively, in order to train a new generation of wise interpreters of the Word—lay persons and scholars alike—for the sake of tomorrow’s church, academy, and world. Visit the HCTU website: https://henrycenter.tiu.edu/ Subscribe to the HCTU Newsletter: https://bit.ly/326pRL5 Connect with us! https://twitter.com/henry_center https://www.facebook.com/henrycenter/ https://www.instagram.com/thehenrycenter/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/thehenrycenter

Lecture Title - The Glory of God and the Gladness of Man: Essential Affections in Edwards and the Life of the Church "Edwards probed the affections and religious experience with an intensity unique to the eighteenth century and perhaps the centuries since," McClymond and McDermott tell us in their book on Edwards' theology (2011). The upshot of that probing, Dr. John Piper will demonstrate in this lecture, was the elevation of the affections into the very nature of our trinitarian God and his sovereign purposes for the universe. When his biblical vision is grasped, everything in the life of the soul and the church changes. Response: Todd Wilson, Senior Pastor of Calvary Memorial Church John Piper (DTh University of Munich) is Founder and Teacher of DesiringGod.org, Chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary, and was Senior Pastor for 33 years at Bethlehem Baptist Church. He is author of more than 50 books, most recently Providence (Crossway, 2021). The Henry Center for Theological Understanding provides theological resources that help bridge the gap between the academy and the church. It houses a cluster of initiatives, each of which is aimed at applying practical Christian wisdom to important kingdom issues—for the good of the church, for the soul of the theological academy, for the sake of the world, and ultimately for the glory of God. The HCTU seeks to ground each of these initiatives in Scripture, and it pursues these goals collaboratively, in order to train a new generation of wise interpreters of the Word—lay persons and scholars alike—for the sake of tomorrow’s church, academy, and world. Visit the HCTU website: https://henrycenter.tiu.edu/ Subscribe to the HCTU Newsletter: https://bit.ly/326pRL5 Connect with us! https://twitter.com/henry_center https://www.facebook.com/henrycenter/ https://www.instagram.com/thehenrycenter/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/thehenrycenter

[An archived sermon from Trinity College chapel] Sermon Title - What is the Joy of all Joys? Do you feel more loved by God when he makes much of you or when at great cost to himself frees you to enjoy making much of him forever? Thinking and preaching through this question has been one of Dr. John Piper's life passions. Yet it is a question that is prone to misunderstanding, especially by believers struggling to feel God's love. In this chapel address, Dr. Piper approaches the question from a different angle by showing how God does, in fact, make much of those who are in Christ. In doing so, God demonstrates an even greater love by making much of us not for our own sake but for his glory, because the self will never satisfy a heart made for God. John Piper (DTh University of Munich) is Founder and Teacher of DesiringGod.org, Chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary, and was Senior Pastor for 33 years at Bethlehem Baptist Church. He is author of more than 50 books, most recently Providence (Crossway, 2021). The Henry Center for Theological Understanding provides theological resources that help bridge the gap between the academy and the church. It houses a cluster of initiatives, each of which is aimed at applying practical Christian wisdom to important kingdom issues—for the good of the church, for the soul of the theological academy, for the sake of the world, and ultimately for the glory of God. The HCTU seeks to ground each of these initiatives in Scripture, and it pursues these goals collaboratively, in order to train a new generation of wise interpreters of the Word—lay persons and scholars alike—for the sake of tomorrow’s church, academy, and world. Visit the HCTU website: https://henrycenter.tiu.edu/ Subscribe to the HCTU Newsletter: https://bit.ly/326pRL5 Connect with us! https://twitter.com/henry_center https://www.facebook.com/henrycenter/ https://www.instagram.com/thehenrycenter/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/thehenrycenter

Discussion Topic - Religious Pluralism and Christianity A fuller discussion of this issue is available in an essay written by Dr. Harold Netland, which is available for free online at: www.christoncampuscci.org Until the modern era, Christians largely took it for granted that Christianity is the one true religion for all humankind. By the late twentieth century, however, there were growing numbers of those identifying themselves as Christians who called for a radical pluralism in which Christianity is just one among many possible ways of responding to the divine. Harold Netland challenges the idea that all the major religions are more or less equally true and presents a Christian alternative to the challenge of religious diversity. Harold A. Netland (PhD Claremont Graduate University) is Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Intercultural Studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is author of Encountering Religious Pluralism: The Challenge to Christian Faith and Mission (IVP Academic, 2001), Christianity and Religious Diversity: Clarifying Christian Commitments in a Globalizing Age (Baker Academic, 2015), and Religious Experience and the Knowledge of God: The Evidential Force of Divine Encounters (Baker Academic, 2022). Visit the HCTU website: https://henrycenter.tiu.edu/ Subscribe to the HCTU Newsletter: https://bit.ly/326pRL5 Connect with us! https://twitter.com/henry_center https://www.facebook.com/henrycenter/ https://www.instagram.com/thehenrycenter/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/thehenrycenter

Lecture Title - Embracing the Cross: Scriptural Patterns and the Challenge of Discipleship in Mark In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus calls his followers to embark on a transformative journey marked by suffering and self-sacrificial service, with the promise of a glorious future beyond immediate perception. This journey is central to the concept of discipleship in Mark; without it, discipleship doesn’t work. But Jesus’s call to deny yourself and take up your cross may seem foreign, unappealing, or irrelevant in contemporary contexts. We may even wonder if suffering is truly essential to discipleship, or if it is, what it entails. To address these issues, we will explore how Mark employs familiar scriptural stories as patterns to explain the experiences of Jesus and his followers. Ultimately, we will discover how these story-patterns can help us to a renewed understanding and practice of discipleship today. Elizabeth E. Shively (PhD Emory University) is Professor of Christian Scriptures at George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University. In addition to her academic scholarship, she frequently preaches and teaches in churches and conference settings. She is the author of multiple books, including Apocalyptic Imagination in the Gospel of Mark (de Gruyter, 2012). The Henry Center for Theological Understanding provides theological resources that help bridge the gap between the academy and the church. It houses a cluster of initiatives, each of which is aimed at applying practical Christian wisdom to important kingdom issues—for the good of the church, for the soul of the theological academy, for the sake of the world, and ultimately for the glory of God. The HCTU seeks to ground each of these initiatives in Scripture, and it pursues these goals collaboratively, in order to train a new generation of wise interpreters of the Word—lay persons and scholars alike—for the sake of tomorrow’s church, academy, and world. Visit the HCTU website: https://henrycenter.tiu.edu/ Subscribe to the HCTU Newsletter: https://bit.ly/326pRL5 Connect with us! https://twitter.com/henry_center https://www.facebook.com/henrycenter/ https://www.instagram.com/thehenrycenter/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/thehenrycenter