Each year on campus, we have two Symposium, collectively referred to as Symposia. I have never before attended. They are intended to be purely academic in nature with various faculty and guests “presenting” their papers. In attendance is something like 750 registered attendees. More than anything it serves as a social pow-wow for pastors who have not other ability to visit with old and new friends.
I managed to attend all but three lectures, amounting to about 10 hours of lectures. I am so fatigued from trying to concentrate that I am writing this review as a wind-down. Here are my theses which I wish to present to you today (in the spirit of the presentations).
1 – Many presenters did not present but rather read their papers verbatim. I can read them online. Present implies providing context, discussion, overview, background, and relevancy.
2 – Interaction! Some presenters (Dr. David Scaer, CJ Pless, Dr. Wenthe, Dr. Rast) provided means to maintain interaction whether through digs at other presenters, visual aids (art, photos, etc), or through comedy.
3 – Look at your audience. If they are sleeping, pick it up, provide some spice. Anything!
4 – Scheduling of the dullest presentations AFTER lunch is flat out ignorant. (Thanks Tom B.)
5 – Challenge the audience. Writing like a theological journal is one thing (and appropriate). Speaking as such is boring. Don’t worry, Christian News will publish you as heresy either way.
6 – Contrived scholarship. Proving an uncontested point is a valid exercise but does not represent scholarship IMHO. Scholarship is not discovering something new but discovering a new means of conveying the same age old truth.
Without being completely negative, I would suggest that a majority of the presenters were fascinating. I was especially in tune to the discussions of ecclesiology (who and where is the church.)Â A ELCA pastor Rev. Philip Max Johnson tried to make the argument for greater ecclesia discussions. I don’t know that I agree (or even find them important except to bring the truth to errant brothers.) He did not suggest compromising positions but clearly suggested a more open discussion. Josh S posted on this very topic today. His insight is useful (and more scholarly than mine!)
Here We Stand: Taking Ecclesiology Seriously
If we’re going to acknowledge that faith and salvation are to be found in other communions, then treating them as our enemies simply isn’t an option–in fact, neither is detached indifference. We must see them and treat them as our friends, as fellow members of Christ. Despite the fact that unionism has invariably led church bodies to die miserable deaths of fuzzy feelings and doctrinal laxity, this friendship is not optional. If we do in fact believe that many congregations outside our own communion are truly part of the Church, we must regard the current state of division as something that persists only to our harm, and so we need to figure out what we’re going to do. But we can’t simply let it remain as it is.
Ultimately, those presentations of true value were those which actually were relevant to the parish pastor. This may be shocking. When the room is full of parish pastors, presentations, however scholarly better darn well be appropriate to the life and ministry of the parish pastor or they only serve for ego-stoking and pats on the backs of your fellow intellectuals. Consequently you can observe those pastors dropping off into slumber like flies.
The discussions of theologian NT Wright (prominent proponent of the so-called New Perspective on Paul), the emergent church, understanding Reformed believers, role of faith in modern Evangelicalism, etc. all play a important role in the daily conflicts of faith we encounter. Relevant = interesting.
Next year, I may only attend a couple and read the papers of the rest since that was all they did. It was still a worthwhile experience, a nice change of pace , and incredibly fatiguing. I will sleep now.
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