PhD: Twitter quote 91
2010 Theodicy and Practical Theology: PhD thesis, the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Lampeter
Edited from PhD
Twitter version I
Lyon discusses the Christian Church & social changes, & explains that the cultural memory of some aspects of Christianity has been eroded. Lyon (1998: 279).
Secularization may have played its part in this erosion. Lyon (1998: 279).
Twitter version II
Edited from PhD: David Lyon discusses the Christian Church & social changes, & explains that the cultural memory of some aspects of Christianity has been eroded. Lyon (1998: 279)
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David Lyon warns against the dangers of fundamentalism and hedonism/nihilism and states that the goodness and grace of the Christian God is the only hope for the world. Lyon (1998: 294). In a secularized Western culture (Lyon (1998: 279), the Christian Church needs to restructure where necessary, certain practices without denying the Biblical revelation which provides hope for persons.
June 21.2021
Cultural erosion, at times, may or may not be a negative for the modern Christian Church. This depends often on individual churches and sometimes at denominational levels, I reason. For example, the presentation of modern, contemporary worship music (CWM) may mean the end of the use of older hymns in some churches. Some within the Church will argue the hymns need to remain or return because they have more solid, theological, material than the more modern music. Others will state that CWM is more relatable to young (er) generations that need to keep local churches in existence as older generations will die off first.
My example at times will be connected to Lyon's mention of the dangers of fundamentalism, when certain people at Church take radical, confrontational views against opposing views.
But denying biblical revelation in context, and central core, biblical Christian theology is a definite negative and with 'progression' and 'evolution', supposedly with theology and Christian worldview, will turn a biblical church into an apostate church.
The dangers of secularism, for one. Or any other contrary worldview within the Church.
Galatians 1: 6-9: New American Standard Bible (NASB)
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you [c]by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, 7 which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be [d]accursed! 9 As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be [e]accursed!
c Galatians 1:6 Lit in
d Galatians 1:8 Gr anathema
e Galatians 1:9 Gr anathema
In regards to Galatians, 1, Marshall provides eteron euaggelion 'another gospel'. Coad states one that preaches such as gospel is 'eternally condemned' -anathema. Coad (1986: 1418).
ἀνάθεμα: Is translated as 'a curse' 'let him be' estw in Alfred Marshall's Greek Lexicon.
Bauer documents ἀνάθεμα: it is the 'object of a curse' in Galatians 1: 8 forward. Bauer (1979: 54).
Strong's also uses ἀνάθεμα: A religious ban or excommunicated thing or person-accursed, anathema, curse x great. Strong (1986: 10).
Concepts of being everlastingly condemned, being cursed/anathema seem stronger than simply a perversion of the true gospel, or aberrant theology. It appears from the level of Paul's critical critique it is quite possibly beyond legalistic religion that is actually being discussed.
It is presumptuous to assume that core orthodox doctrines were still held to, although this is a possibility based on scholarship.
Rather in being a different gospel means there is a reasonable possibility the particular Judaizers involved had fallen back into the Law to a point where they had theologically and practically rejected the atoning work and resurrection of Christ in soteriology.
Therefore they may have in fact had a different gospel, a different religion.
In the Galatians case, the Apostle Paul, was likely discussing Judaizers, but theologically a false gospel can be any form of worldview and theologies that replaces the biblical, New Testament gospel within a Christian Church.
BAUER, W (1979) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Translated by Eric H. Wahlstrom, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press.
COAD, F. ROY (1986) ‘Galatians’, in F.F. Bruce (gen.ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Marshall Pickering/ Zondervan.
MARSHALL, ALFRED (1975)(1996) The Interlinear KJV-NIV, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
LYON, DAVID (1998) ‘Memory and the Millennium: Time and Social Change at the Fin de Siecle’, Timothy Bradshaw (ed.), in Grace and Truth in the Secular Age, Grand Rapids, Eerdmans.
STRONG, J. (1890)(1986) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Pickering, Ontario, Welch Publishing Company.
