On September 29th, the newest book of prof. dr. Henk Bakker has been published, which is on the life of Jesus. The book is called Jezus: Reconstructie en revisie. In his book, Henk Bakker makes a reconstruction of Jesus' life with the help of the latest insights. In Dutch language, no study has been published about Jesus for almost twenty years, even though many new discoveries have been made during that period. Henk Bakker takes stock and describes the life of Jesus in a narrative, dramatic and even provocative way. Riding on the results of recent research Bakker describes Jesus' life anew. He shows who Jesus must have been and that this is not in line with what many churches have made of it.
Invitation to join online in our conversation on Baptistic theology and Inhabiting the City
The McClendon Chair for Baptistic and Evangelical Theologies and the International Baptist Theological Study Centre warmly invite you to join a conversation on Inhabiting the City, which will be held on November 13th 2020. Keynote speaker Ryan Andrew Newson will introduce the topic, and invite us to reflect on what it means to live as followers of Jesus Christ in contemporary, plural urban societies. In an interactive online program of about 2,5 hours, the theme will be discussed, among students, academics, pastors and anyone interested to join. The event will be organised in partnership with the Scottish Baptist College and Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary. We hope for a stimulating and illuminating experiment in online theological conversation across Europe (and beyond).
General Info
When?November 13th, 13.30-16.00 (CET) Where?Online What? A challenging conversation on what it means to live as followers of Jesus in a pluralist urban world. For whom? We warmly welcome practitioners, academics, ministers and students. If you are interested in theological reflection on the city or involved in urban ministry, we hope you can join us – wherever you are in the world. Registration: In order to receive the right information ahead of time, register for free HERE.
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Introduction to the theme
Professor Henk Bakker introduces the lectures: “It is not an exaggeration to suggest that human life is at the brink of a new cosmological turn. As it was in Copernican times, and some ages later in quantum times, so it is now: we have to rethink and revisit our place in the world, our shared habitat in the universe whatsoever. In the coming McClendon Lectures, at November 13th, dr. Ryan Andrew Newson is the expert to consult, because he will focus on the issue, in particular on the quest for ‘Inhabiting the City’. Dr. Newson is Assistant Professor of Theology and Ethics at Campbell University (NC, USA), and wrote a challenging book on Inhabiting the World: Identity, Politics, and Theology in Radical Baptist Perspective (2018), at this moment the best introduction on the theology of James Wm. McClendon. We seriously invite you to be part of the journey.”
Ryan Newson himself says about the theme: “My aim is to name some of the theological narratives that might enable baptist churches to inhabit the city courageously and faithfully, or to describe the inhabitation they are already doing in more theologically robust ways. Drawing on resources provided by theologian Jim McClendon, I aim to provide an empowering language by which baptists can understand the task of receptive witness to which we are called. By “receptive witness,” I mean the struggle to speak words of truth and grace in each of our particular contexts, as well as to remain discerningly open to those we work with and among—to listen and learn as well as speak and proclaim. Of particular help in envisioning baptist ways of doing theology in the city will be McClendon’s attention to embodied experience, his understanding that multiple narratives can inhabit (and compete within) the same space, and a cruciform sense of power that controls which narratives we ought to pay attention to and which we should resist. My hope is that these reflections may spark a wider conversation about baptist theology and the city, whereby pastors, scholars, and students extend or push back against my initial thoughts.”
Professor Henk Bakker introduces the lectures: “It is not an exaggeration to suggest that human life is at the brink of a new cosmological turn. As it was in Copernican times, and some ages later in quantum times, so it is now: we have to rethink and revisit our place in the world, our shared habitat in the universe whatsoever. In the coming McClendon Lectures, at November 13th, dr. Ryan Andrew Newson is the expert to consult, because he will focus on the issue, in particular on the quest for ‘Inhabiting the City’. Dr. Newson is Assistant Professor of Theology and Ethics at Campbell University (NC, USA), and wrote a challenging book on Inhabiting the World: Identity, Politics, and Theology in Radical Baptist Perspective (2018), at this moment the best introduction on the theology of James Wm. McClendon. We seriously invite you to be part of the journey.”
