Papers by Robert Van Voorst
Reformed Review, Dec 1, 2000
The book represents a good combination of evangelical Christian faith and historical scholarship.... more The book represents a good combination of evangelical Christian faith and historical scholarship. It should enable evangelicals (especially theological students) to see their place in the total sto1y of the Christian movement and to h ave a greater understanding of non-evangelical Christians."-James A. Cogswell, Missiology "Students have found the book to be interesting reading, enticing those for whom hist01y formerly had little appeal. ... Our praise and thanks for a well~crafted pie c~ of work."
Reformed Review, Apr 1, 1994
No part of the Bible has been as neglected in the mainline church as the apocalyptic literature. ... more No part of the Bible has been as neglected in the mainline church as the apocalyptic literature. Biblical interpreters from the second century until the twentieth have paid too little attention to it. Systematic theologians traditionally relegated eschatology to the end of their treatment, and ignored apocalyptic. The clergy of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and mainline Protestant churches have slighted apocalyptic as well, often deliberately. Many people in both the pulpit and the pew today are wary of apocalyptic, even frightened by it. This longstanding, intentional neglect stands in sharp contrast to the strong attention that at least three generations of biblical scholarship and systematic theology have paid to apocalyptic. Old Testament study has focused on the dawn of apocalyptic in the later stages of the Jewish Bible. Most New Testame~t study has broadened the field of apocalyptic beyond the Book of Revelation to include Jesus, Paul, and much else in the New Testament. 1 Ernst Kiisemann has even concluded in a widely-repeated statement that "apocalyptic is the mother of Christian theology." Both Old Testament and New Testament study have emphasized the importance of the apocalyptic Jewish writings between the testaments. Systematic theology also now has an orientation to the future not seen before, even though its interest in eschatology is not as thorough as that of biblical study. Karl Barth, for example, has a pronounced interest in eschatology in his Dogmatics. Jurgen Moltmann has made virtually a theological program of eschatology, beginning with his Theology of Hope. Wolthart Pannenberg has also written extensively about the meaning of the future for the present. Interest in apocalyptic has occupied biblical and systematic theologians for most of the twentieth century, and it is safe to say that much of theology sees it as central to the meaning of the gospel. 2 Moreover, not just religion scholars have a strong interest in apocalyptic; secular historians and social scientists seem to be equally fascinated by apocalyptic movements. 3 Why is there such a gap between current scholarly interest in apocalyptic and its continuing disuse in the contemporary mainline church? This essay seeks to answer this question. It begins by defining apocalyptic and its related terms,
Reformed Review, Apr 1, 1993
Among the many challenges to parish mm1stry today, one of the most important is an uncertainty ab... more Among the many challenges to parish mm1stry today, one of the most important is an uncertainty about ministerial roles. Is the minister a servant or a leader, a prophet or a pastor, a preacher or a counselor, a spiritual director or a financial advisor, an evangelist or an enabler, a scholar or an executive? Or is the minister all these things at once, and more besides? Almost every pastor in North America has probably experienced some difficulty, either continual or occasional, in fulfilling the diverse and often impossible expectations that come from these many roles. "Being all things to all people," to paraphrase the Apostle Paul, is for most ministers a formula for frustration. 1 Moreover, many pastors perceive that lay people are often dissatisfied over ministerial role definition and performance. Church leaders and theological scholars have noticed the problem of pastoral role conflict, and it is gathering a growing body of literature. 2 This article will discuss the nature of role conflict and propose some ways to deal with it. We shall begin by surveying the historical dimensions of this problem to outline how the pastor's roles grew. Next, a vision of the ministerial office will be put forth that may ameliorate the problems of role conflict. Finally, we shall offer some practical suggestions for carrying out this vision. Other issues that relate to role conflicts, such as calling, ordination, and authority, will be touched on briefly. Our main topic here is the more immediate and practical problem of what the minister does. 3 We shall deal with the roles of the parish pastor, because specialized ministers (chaplains, counselors, educators, etc.) have more limited, clearly drawn roles, and thus generally experience less role conflict. 4 Our special focus is the minister in the Reformed tradition, but much of what is said will be applicable to other Protestant traditions as well.
Reformed Review, Feb 10, 2005
1. SCRIPTURE AMONG THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS. 2. HINDUISM. 3. BUDDHISM. 4. JAINISM. 5. SIKHISM. 6... more 1. SCRIPTURE AMONG THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS. 2. HINDUISM. 3. BUDDHISM. 4. JAINISM. 5. SIKHISM. 6. CONFUCIANISM. 7. TAOISM. 8. SHINTOISM. 9. ZOROASTRIANISM. 10. JUDAISM. 11. CHRISTIANITY. 12. ISLAM. 13. NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS. INDEX
No part of the Bible has been as neglected in the mainline church as the apocalyptic literature. ... more No part of the Bible has been as neglected in the mainline church as the apocalyptic literature. Biblical interpreters from the second century until the twentieth have paid too little attention to it. Systematic theologians traditionally relegated eschatology to the end of their treatment, and ignored apocalyptic. The clergy of the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and mainline Protestant churches have slighted apocalyptic as well, often deliberately. Many people in both the pulpit and the pew today are wary of apocalyptic, even frightened by it.
1. SCRIPTURE AMONG THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS. 2. HINDUISM. 3. BUDDHISM. 4. JAINISM. 5. SIKHISM. 6... more 1. SCRIPTURE AMONG THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS. 2. HINDUISM. 3. BUDDHISM. 4. JAINISM. 5. SIKHISM. 6. CONFUCIANISM. 7. TAOISM. 8. SHINTOISM. 9. ZOROASTRIANISM. 10. JUDAISM. 11. CHRISTIANITY. 12. ISLAM. 13. NEW RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS. INDEX
Choice Reviews Online, 2000
Journal of Biblical Literature, 2010
(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.) Why is there no thanksgiving period in Galatia... more (ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.) Why is there no thanksgiving period in Galatians? Interpreters have long dealt with this question, affirming that the absence of a thanksgiving in Galatians is exegetically significant.1 To give a fresh examination of this question, I will first survey the exegetical literature to document the various explanations offered for why Paul did not include a thanksgiving, a survey that will show that reading these explanations from 1:6-10 is so prevalent as to be an exegetical commonplace. Second, I will demonstrate that, contrary to most exegetical opinion surveyed, the Galatians would probably not have expected a thanksgiving period or noted its absence, because they did not know Paul's usual practice of including one in his letters and because it was not a common epistolary convention of the time. Finally, I will show that Paul's omission of a thanksgiving in Galatians is to be explained not primarily from his astonished rebuke in 1:6-10 but by the astonishing form and content of his prescript in 1:1-5. I. AN EXEGETICAL COMMONPLACE A review of research on Galatians 1 shows that locating the reason for Paul's omission of an epistolary thanksgiving period2 in 1:6-10 has become an exegetical commonplace. Here is Gal 1:1-10 in the NRSV: 1 Paul an apostle-sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead- 2and all the members of God's family who are with me, to the churches of Galatia: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- 7not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! 9As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed! 10 Am I now seeking human approval, or God's approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.3 Early in the twentieth century,4 Theodor Zahn wrote about Paul, "[D]ie Regel bei ihm ist, des Danks in bezug auf die Zustande der Briefempfanger, den Brief selbst zu beginnen. Auch hiedurch [1:6] zeigt er, das er an den gal. Gemeinden zur Zeit keine Freude hat, die ihn zum Dank stimmen konnte."5 Ernest DeWitt Burton asserted that Paul's rebuke of the Galatians' behavior in 1:6-10 replaces a thanksgiving. 6 George Duncan commented on 1:6, "In Paul's letters (as indeed in ordinary correspondence) the opening salutation is often followed by a word of thanksgiving." With the Galatians, "grace is being spurned. Hence, instead of a word of praise, the Epistle opens with an abrupt and passionate outburst."7 Referring to v. 6, Heinrich Schlier wrote, "Dieser weist ebenfalls eine im Vergleich zu anderen paulinischen Briefen, die sich der antiken Sitte, der Adressaten an dieser Stelle dankend oder furbittend zu gedenken, in christlich modifizierten Sinn anschliessen, grosse Schroffheit auf."8 Herman N. Ridderbos argued that in Galatians Paul had no occasion to express gratitude; at 1:6, "[t]he painful and dangerous alienation between the apostle and the churches must be discussed forthwith and headon."9 Donald Guthrie wrote, "[I]n place of the usual thanksgiving the apostle gives vent to an unrestrained expression of amazement, which draws attention to a matter over which he clearly felt deeply."10Werner Georg Kummel commented, "After the prescript, there follows no giving of thanks for those addressed, contrary to epistolary custom, but Paul begins immediately his references to the situation in the community. …
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Papers by Robert Van Voorst