Evangelical Scholars Address Public Theology

Theology must address civic and political life if it is to be faithful to Christ and Scripture. That was the core theme of the Biannual Conference of FEET, the Fellowship of European Evangelical Theologians, which took place from 13-17 August in Wölmersen, Germany. With the expansion of the European Union and the new EU Constitution very much on their minds, more than sixty theologians from a dozen countries gathered to consider Evangelical Models for Public Theology.

The five main sessions of the conference looked at public theology from distinct but related angles. Dr Hetty Lalleman, a Dutch Scholar teaching at Spurgeon?s College in the UK, commended the Old Testament as a rich resource for modern-day social engagement, particularly in its accounts of creation and God's kingship. Dr Bruce Winter, Warden of Tyndale House, Cambridge, showed how members of the New Testament church sought the welfare of the city as civic benefactors. Professor Andrew McGowan of the Highland Theological College in Scotland explored the ways in which church history can inform public theology, by assessing four key models of church-state relationships. Dr Pavel Hosek from the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Prague demonstrated the value of systematic theological approaches to the vexed question of religious pluralism. Dr Anna Robbins of London School of Theology then offered methodological tools for social ethics, and reflected on how the World Council of Churches' achievements and failures in this area could be instructive for Evangelicals as they operate in the public square.

The main papers were supplemented by seminars which looked further at the biblical basis of public theology, as well as assessing patristic, Anabaptist and Roman Catholic contributions, and the broad range of evangelical approaches to human rights.

Each day of the conference began with morning prayer, and a series of Bible studies by Professor Howard Marshall of Aberdeen University which combined close exegesis, pastoral reflection and illustrations from current affairs to confirm that Christians have a deep responsibility for public life.

The FEET conference was marked by creative dialogue both within and outside the formal sessions, and insights gained will no doubt feed into next year's seminary and college programmes! Delegates also decided to set up a special theological study group on the EU Constitution.

Papers from the conference will appear in forthcoming issues of the European Journal of Theology.

FEET was established almost 30 years ago as the result of an initiative by John Stott. At that time scholarship that combined the highest academic standards with a commitment to the authority of Scripture and to an orthodox, biblical theology was comparatively rare in continental Europe. Stott saw the need to encourage evangelical biblical scholars and theologians in Europe by providing the kind of network that already existed in North America through the Evangelical Theological Society and the Institute for Biblical Research. Since then an international conference has been held every two years on some specific theological theme.

CONTACT:

Christoph Stenschke (Secretary, FEET) Cstenschke@t-online.de

Other members of FEET Executive Committee: Prof. Henri Blocher (Chairman), Gert F. Hain (Treasurer), Prof. Pierre Berthoud (France), Dr Pavel Cerny (Czech Republic), Dr Jochen Eber (Germany), Dr Mark Elliott (Scotland), Dr David Hilborn (England), Dr Hetty Lalleman (England), Dr Erling Lundeby (Norway), Dr Herbert Klement (Germany)

17th August 2004