Church Matters: Retrieving the Great Tradition

Ses s i on 3: Modern i t y , Pos t -Modern i t y , and the Chur ch Today 67

human will; human responsibility means that we may promote revivals, prepare for them

2. Benjamin Warfield: b. 1851 representative of the Princeton School, with Charles Hodge, A. A. Hodge, all defending the infallibility of the Scriptures

3. The Fundamentals (1910-15), twelve small books sent free of charge to every theological student in US (set out to defend evangelical faith); created controversy and a remarkable evangelical coalition from a variety of con fessional backgrounds (Lutheran, Reformed, Anabaptist)

4. Notables: Gerrit Berkouwer (b. 1903) prolific scholar, acknowledged the humanity of Scripture; Helmut Thielicke (b.1908) outspoken critic of Nazism, major works on theological ethics and the evangelical faith

5. Karl Barth: ca. 1886-1968, trained by the leading liberal theologians of the early 20th century, disillusioned through German war, Church Dogmatics (1932 year of the first volume, published twelve really fat volumes over his lifetime)

a. A Theology of the Word: It is the word of God , God’s revelation, seen in dynamic terms (the event of God speaking to humanity in Jesus Christ).

b. The Word is not an object, but the subject – it controls and acts upon us!

c. Turned the argument on its head: the waves exist, you don’t possess the equipment to pick them up!