Neocalvinism, Mission, and Scholarship Michael Goheen Geneva Chair of Worldview Studies Trinity Western University

Starting with the Gospel Narrative character: reveals and accomplishes the end of universal history (story) Narrative character: reveals and accomplishes the end of universal history (story) Comprehensive and restorative character: restoration of whole creation and whole of human life (worldview) Comprehensive and restorative character: restoration of whole creation and whole of human life (worldview) Importance of church to make it known; Jesus formed a community and sent them as picture of end of history (mission) Importance of church to make it known; Jesus formed a community and sent them as picture of end of history (mission) Worldview between Mission and Story Worldview between Mission and Story

Worldview between Story and Mission Scholarship in liberal arts university Scholarship in liberal arts university Theological education in seminary Theological education in seminary

Faithful Christian Scholarship Share task of scholarship with those of other faith commitments (participation in common cultural task) Share task of scholarship with those of other faith commitments (participation in common cultural task) Yet we participate in that task with different faith Yet we participate in that task with different faith

Participation in common cultural task with different faith Take a committed stance within the biblical story Take a committed stance within the biblical story... the whole point of Christianity is that it offers a story which is the story of the whole world. It is public truth. (NT Wright) To accept the authority of this story is to enter it and to inhabit it. It is to live in the world as the world is portrayed in this story. (R. Bauckham) Christian faith is thus a way of understanding world history which challenges and relativizes all other models by which the meaning of history is interpreted. (L. Newbigin)

Participation in common cultural task with different faith Take our stance within the biblical story Take our stance within the biblical story Engage secular scholarship with the threefold lens of gospelcreation, fall, redemption Engage secular scholarship with the threefold lens of gospelcreation, fall, redemption From the biblical point of view we must establish first of all that divine revelation has a central motive, which is the key to knowledge... This motive is that of creation, fall, and redemption in Christ Jesus in the communion of the Holy Spirit. (H. Dooyeweerd)

Participation in common cultural task with different faith Take our stance within the biblical story Take our stance within the biblical story Engage secular scholarship with the threefold lens of gospelcreation, fall, redemption Engage secular scholarship with the threefold lens of gospelcreation, fall, redemption Examine the area of study by asking questions in light of gospel: Examine the area of study by asking questions in light of gospel: Creation order: What is creational order for this area of life? Where is there creational insight in secular scholarship? Creation order: What is creational order for this area of life? Where is there creational insight in secular scholarship? Idolatrous twisting: How has this area of life been twisted by cultural idolatry and sin? Idolatrous twisting: How has this area of life been twisted by cultural idolatry and sin? Historical unfolding: How did we get here? Historical unfolding: How did we get here? Restoration: What healing paths are open for this area of life? Restoration: What healing paths are open for this area of life?

Missionary encounter with secular scholarship Much insight into creation that needs be embraced with gratitude Much insight into creation that needs be embraced with gratitude All insights are held within broader framework rooted in idolatry All insights are held within broader framework rooted in idolatry

Cross and Our Calling... since faith will always shape scholarship, we strive to bring Scriptures teaching to bear in a formative way on theoretical work, (1) critiquing foundational assumptions that are idolatrous while (2) acknowledging legitimate insight into the creation, and (3) relocating such insight within a Christian framework of thought. In all these waysby positioning ourselves against the ideologies of the age, by affirming the genuine insights of non- Christian scholarship and by working in faith toward the goal of integrally Christian scholarshipwe seek to witness to the victory of Christ on the cross, by which we can be set free from idolatry and enabled to live more and more in the new world of the kingdom of God.

Basis: Creation order and Religious Antithesis... there are at least two basic convictions with respect to Christian learning and philosophy on which there has been a far-reaching agreement within Dutch reformational circles. The first is the belief in a divine creation order, that is, that the whole of created reality is subject to the sovereign will of God, the Creator of heaven and earth.... The second basic conviction concerns the religious antithesis. The second basic conviction concerns the religious antithesis. - Jacob Klapwijk

Eclipse in humanistic scholarship In the modern West, with the breakup of the medieval synthesis of the Bible and Greek philosophy, we see the rise of humanism, here defined as the increasingly secular and anthropocentric mindsets of modernity, with its emphasis on autonomous human freedom. In the basic outlook of humanism, two fundamental themes of the biblical tradition were increasingly marginalized: creation of God-ordained order, and antithesis as the religious opposition with respect to that order. - Al Wolters - Al Wolters

Three Stages of Christian University Stage 1 (early 20 th c.): Stage 1 (early 20 th c.): Stressed personal piety and evangelism Stressed personal piety and evangelism Defensive posture and suspicious of culture engagement: Socially disengaged Defensive posture and suspicious of culture engagement: Socially disengaged Stage 2 (after WWII to present): Stage 2 (after WWII to present): Interact with stream of culture (science, philosophy, music, painting, etc.): disciplinary curriculum Interact with stream of culture (science, philosophy, music, painting, etc.): disciplinary curriculum Defensiveness overcome: Development of Christian scholarship (rejecting and affirming) Defensiveness overcome: Development of Christian scholarship (rejecting and affirming) Movement beyond biblicistic (and dualistic) use of Scripture Movement beyond biblicistic (and dualistic) use of Scripture Connected with rise of Kuyperian worldview thinking Connected with rise of Kuyperian worldview thinking

Third stage? Is this the final stage? Is it now the mission of the Christian college simply to do more of the same but do it even better ?... Could it be that our mission at this point in our own history and at this point in the worlds history requires us to take a larger step... of Stage III? I think it does. - Wolterstorff - Wolterstorff

Third stage of Christian university and scholarship Attention to purpose and new context of scholarship would impact the nature of Christian scholarship Attention to purpose and new context of scholarship would impact the nature of Christian scholarship Missional purpose Missional purpose Present academic-discipline model Present academic-discipline model

Academic-discipline model... one of the most prominent models of Christian education to be found in our colleges... is what may be called the academic-discipline model. On this model the goal of education is to introduce students to the academic disciplines, thereby putting them in touch with reality to the extent and in the way that theory does thatdoing so, let it be immediately added, in Christian perspective.

Third stage of Christian university and scholarship Attention to purpose and new context of scholarship would impact the nature of Christian scholarship Attention to purpose and new context of scholarship would impact the nature of Christian scholarship Missional purpose Missional purpose Present academic-discipline model Present academic-discipline model Assumption of academic-discipline model: If we pass along body of information that will give insight it will equip student for faithfulness Assumption of academic-discipline model: If we pass along body of information that will give insight it will equip student for faithfulness Purpose of scholarship is to serve the churchs mission Purpose of scholarship is to serve the churchs mission

People of God defined by missional identity Role in the biblical story Role in the biblical story

Gods mission involves Gods people living in Gods way in the sight of the nations. - Chris Wright - Chris Wright Mission is not primarily about going. Nor is mission primarily about doing anything. Mission is about being. It is about being a distinctive kind of people, a countercultural... community among the nations. - Howard Peskett and Vinoth Ramachandra - Howard Peskett and Vinoth Ramachandra

They would have to sing better songs for me to learn to have faith in their Redeemer: and his disciples would have to look more redeemed! - Friedrich Nietzsche

Look more redeemed today A community of justice in a world of economic and ecological injustice A community of justice in a world of economic and ecological injustice A community of generosity and simplicity (of enough) in a consumer world A community of generosity and simplicity (of enough) in a consumer world A community of selfless giving in a world of selfishness A community of selfless giving in a world of selfishness A community of truth (humility and boldness) in a world of relativism and uncertainty A community of truth (humility and boldness) in a world of relativism and uncertainty A community of hope in a world of disillusionment and consumer satiation A community of hope in a world of disillusionment and consumer satiation A community of joy and thanksgiving in a hedonistic world that frantically pursues pleasure A community of joy and thanksgiving in a hedonistic world that frantically pursues pleasure A community who experiences Gods presence in a secular world A community who experiences Gods presence in a secular world

People of God defined by missional identity Role in the biblical story Role in the biblical story Place in the biblical story Place in the biblical story

Powers of sin death evil Satan Power of Spirits renewing work AGE TO COMEOLD AGE New Testament Fulfillment

Mission as meaning of overlap The meaning of this overlap of the ages in which we live, the time between the coming of Christ and His coming again, is that it is the time given for the witness of the apostolic Church to the ends of the earth. The end of all things, which has been revealed in Christ, isso to sayheld back until the witness has been borne to the whole world concerning the judgment and salvation revealed in Christ. The implication of a true eschatological perspective will be missionary obedience, and the eschatology which does not issue in such obedience is a false eschatology (Lesslie Newbigin).

Witness We can summarize the calling of that people, the church, in the world with three words. The church is called to witnessto be a witness to the coming of Gods kingdom, Gods work of renewal, urging all people everywhere to repent and join the band of Christs followers.

Serve The church is called to serveto serve all people everywhere by relieving their misery and their lack of joy, both attacking the structures that victimize and alleviating the misery of the victims.

Give evidence And the church is called, in its own life and community, to give evidence of the new lifenot just to wait around in the promise that someday there will be a new heaven and a new earth, but to exhibit the fact that in Christ there is a new Power and that the Kingdom has broken in.

Purpose of university education The Christian college is a project of and for the Christian community.... The Christian community exists not for its own sake but for the sake of all people.... It is obvious that in the modern world, if the Christian community is to share in Gods work of renewal by being witness, servant, and evidence, its young members will need an education pointed toward equipping them to contribute toward that calling. (Wolterstorff)

Third stage of Christian university and scholarship Attention to purpose and new context of scholarship would impact the nature of Christian scholarship Attention to purpose and new context of scholarship would impact the nature of Christian scholarship Missional purpose Missional purpose New context of economic globalisation and consumerism New context of economic globalisation and consumerism The reality of world is not the end of grand narratives, but the increasing domination of the narrative of economic globalization (Bauckham).

Stage 3? Would attention to context and purpose affect the very nature of scholarship? Would attention to context and purpose affect the very nature of scholarship?... what we selected to study and teach?... what we selected to study and teach?... questions we put to scholarly tradition?... questions we put to scholarly tradition?... how we study and teach the subject matter?... how we study and teach the subject matter? Example: English literature Example: English literature

Worldview between Story and Mission Scholarship in liberal arts university Scholarship in liberal arts university Theological education in seminary Theological education in seminary Priority of mission in callings Priority of mission in callings

Priority of Witness in Callings There is a deep-seated and persistent failure of the churches to recognize that the primary witness to the sovereignty of Christ must be given, and can only be given, in the ordinary secular work of lay men and women in business, in politics, in professional work, as farmer, factory workers and so on. The enormous preponderance of the Churchs witness is the witness of the thousands of its members who work in field, home, office, mill or law court. - Lesslie Newbigin

Worldview between Story and Mission Scholarship in liberal arts university Scholarship in liberal arts university Theological education in seminary Theological education in seminary Priority of mission in callings Priority of mission in callings Need for properly trained ministers Need for properly trained ministers At the most sophisticated level we have to think of our task in a city like Madras to train our lay members who are playing key roles in the life of government, business, and the professions to become ministers of Christ in these secular situations. All of this is involved in our calling and ordination. (Newbigin)

A True Pastor For the Christian layman who is really out in the world, really seeking to be subject for the Lords sake to the human institutions about which we are speaking, the political order, the economic order and so forth, really seeking to face the desperate difficult decisions that this involves, seeking to bear on his heart the obligation of his participation in these orders, to keep his conscience both sharp and clear, this man knows that he needs one thing: he needs a true pastor.

Worldview between Story and Mission Scholarship in liberal arts university Scholarship in liberal arts university Theological education in seminary Theological education in seminary Priority of mission in callings Priority of mission in callings Need for well-trained ministers Need for well-trained ministers Present structuring of theological education Present structuring of theological education Shaped by Enlightenment Shaped by Enlightenment Theoretical and practical distinction Theoretical and practical distinction Acontextual nature of theoretical theological subjects Acontextual nature of theoretical theological subjects Less than rigorous and highly pragmatic approach to practical theology Less than rigorous and highly pragmatic approach to practical theology Fragmentation, aggregate of specialised subjects Fragmentation, aggregate of specialised subjects

Worldview between Story and Mission Scholarship in liberal arts university Scholarship in liberal arts university Theological education in seminary Theological education in seminary Priority of mission in callings Priority of mission in callings Need for well-trained ministers Need for well-trained ministers Present structuring of theological education Present structuring of theological education Shaped by Enlightenment Shaped by Enlightenment Formed when church non-missional Formed when church non-missional The period in which our thinking about [theological education] received its main features was the period in which Christianity had practically ceased to be a missionary religion (Newbigin).

Worldview between Story and Mission Scholarship in liberal arts university Scholarship in liberal arts university Theological education in seminary Theological education in seminary Priority of mission in callings Priority of mission in callings Need for well-trained ministers Need for well-trained ministers Present structuring of theological education Present structuring of theological education Shaped by Enlightenment Shaped by Enlightenment Formed when church non-missional Formed when church non-missional Formed when church was monocultural and there was little reflection on relationship of gospel to culture(s) Formed when church was monocultural and there was little reflection on relationship of gospel to culture(s)

Worldview between Story and Mission Scholarship in liberal arts university Scholarship in liberal arts university Theological education in seminary Theological education in seminary Priority of mission in callings Priority of mission in callings Need for well-trained ministers Need for well-trained ministers Present structuring of theological education Present structuring of theological education Subjects taught with little awareness of mission of church and therefore inadequate to train ministers for their calling Subjects taught with little awareness of mission of church and therefore inadequate to train ministers for their calling

Theological curriculum Biblical studies: Little awareness of centrality of missional hermeneutic Biblical studies: Little awareness of centrality of missional hermeneutic Church history: Taught as history of doctrine and polity rather than missionary encounter with various cultures Church history: Taught as history of doctrine and polity rather than missionary encounter with various cultures Theology: Systematising of doctrinal propositions in dialogue with rival confessional groups (not other contextual theologies or idolatrous currents of culture) rather than contextual theologies that are more or less faithful to Scripture that equip church for mission Theology: Systematising of doctrinal propositions in dialogue with rival confessional groups (not other contextual theologies or idolatrous currents of culture) rather than contextual theologies that are more or less faithful to Scripture that equip church for mission Practical theology: Catchall category for various subjects that enable pastor to maintain institutional church Practical theology: Catchall category for various subjects that enable pastor to maintain institutional church

Worldview between Story and Mission Scholarship in liberal arts university Scholarship in liberal arts university Theological education in seminary Theological education in seminary Priority of mission in callings Priority of mission in callings Need for well-trained ministers Need for well-trained ministers Present structuring of theological education Present structuring of theological education Subjects taught with little awareness of mission of church and therefore inadequate to train ministers for their calling Subjects taught with little awareness of mission of church and therefore inadequate to train ministers for their calling Missional restructuring of theological education? Missional restructuring of theological education?

Missional restructuring of theological education Fragmented theological education: Unifying vision? Fragmented theological education: Unifying vision? Education in the theological school is not so much a matter of the study of theology as a plurality of specific disciplines, each with its own method. These areas of study (sciences, disciplines, courses, catalogue fields) are offered without any highly visible rationale which clarifies their importance and displays their interconnections. (Edward Farley)

Missional restructuring of theological education Fragmented theological education: Unifying vision? Fragmented theological education: Unifying vision? If churchs role is missional, if this era of redemptive history is characterised by mission, then shouldnt mission be the unifying vision? If churchs role is missional, if this era of redemptive history is characterised by mission, then shouldnt mission be the unifying vision?

Worldview between Story and Mission Scholarship in liberal arts university Scholarship in liberal arts university Theological education in seminary Theological education in seminary Priority of mission in callings Priority of mission in callings Need for well-trained ministers Need for well-trained ministers Present structuring of theological education Present structuring of theological education Subjects taught with little awareness of mission of church and therefore inadequate to train ministers for their calling Subjects taught with little awareness of mission of church and therefore inadequate to train ministers for their calling Missional restructuring of theological education? Missional restructuring of theological education? Worldview and theological education Worldview and theological education

Worldview and theological education This pastors [that is my] need for worldview in ministry This pastors [that is my] need for worldview in ministry Wouldnt making worldview reflection central to theological education... Wouldnt making worldview reflection central to theological education liberate a gospel of the kingdom?... liberate a gospel of the kingdom?... create a more sophisticated dialogue concerning the relationship between gospel, church, and culture in all subjects?... create a more sophisticated dialogue concerning the relationship between gospel, church, and culture in all subjects?... create awareness of cultural captivity of the church?... create awareness of cultural captivity of the church?... equip pastors for their calling to nurture a missional church?... equip pastors for their calling to nurture a missional church?... enable pastors to become aware of the worldview foundations shaping theology, biblical studies, church history, various areas of practical theology?... enable pastors to become aware of the worldview foundations shaping theology, biblical studies, church history, various areas of practical theology?... perhaps destroy the very distinction between practical and theoretical theological subjects?... perhaps destroy the very distinction between practical and theoretical theological subjects?... move pastors beyond churchism... move pastors beyond churchism