Several months ago if you had asked me who J. Gresham Machen was I would have told you that he was some Presbyterian professor from the turn of the century. Honestly, I knew very little about the profound impact that he had in his day and the legacy that he left for us to follow in ours. Machen's theology and approach to ministry may very well be the key to finding the glue that will hold together a convention like the SBC that finds itself in the midst of growing pains.
Consider the historical context into which Machen was thrust. He had modernists like Fosdick on one side who under the influence of German higher criticism and the social gospel were laboring to set aside the atonement for a theology that was in line with modern sensibilities. On the other side, there were fundamentalists who had retreated to their conclaves, and were eschewing everything of science, academia and culture that was not in the King James version of the Bible. Yet in the wake of such extremes, Machen found a middle ground in his Cross centered, Reformed, theology that makes him a model for us all to follow. If we as Southern Baptists want to see our denomination stand up to the challenges of our day and the days ahead, we would do well to look to Machen.
Having said this I highly recommend a couple of books that I am reading on the man and his theology:
"J. Gresham Machen: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought" by Stephen J. Nichols and
"Christianity and Liberalism" by J. Gresham Machen
Consider the historical context into which Machen was thrust. He had modernists like Fosdick on one side who under the influence of German higher criticism and the social gospel were laboring to set aside the atonement for a theology that was in line with modern sensibilities. On the other side, there were fundamentalists who had retreated to their conclaves, and were eschewing everything of science, academia and culture that was not in the King James version of the Bible. Yet in the wake of such extremes, Machen found a middle ground in his Cross centered, Reformed, theology that makes him a model for us all to follow. If we as Southern Baptists want to see our denomination stand up to the challenges of our day and the days ahead, we would do well to look to Machen.
Having said this I highly recommend a couple of books that I am reading on the man and his theology:
"J. Gresham Machen: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought" by Stephen J. Nichols and
"Christianity and Liberalism" by J. Gresham Machen
My Top Ten Last Minute Gift Book Buys List will be posted soon!
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