Sárospataki Füzetek 1. (1997)

1997 / 1. szám - Alan P. F. Sell: Conservation and Exploration in Christian Theology. (Hagyományőrzés és új utak keresése a keresztyén theológiában. - Fordította: Rácsok Gabriella)

ALAN P. F. SELL

(he New Tesláméul exegesis, my kappy experience under T.W. Manson and Owen Evans was lkai ik is could ke as academically rigorous as il was devout.

Bui as wilk ike maslery of material, so wilk ike formation of persons: lime is required. In l kese days students kave marital commitments w kick were nol permitted in my student days: some, especially in Norik America kul increasingly in Britain, maintain tkemselves ky working at as many as tkree part-time joks: many communicate to seminary - for as little as one day per week. How different was ike experience of Jokn Brown of Haddington (1722-1787). He not only knew wkere all kis students were, ke was in ike kakit of visiting tkeir lodgings kelween >iix and eigkl in tke morning. We iead. 'Not only a few were startled out of tkeir slumkers ky a loud and peremptory ckallenge. lkat was occasionally kelped ky a poke from tke pastoral staff. (2) Il was a different world.

If we are to form people, we need to know wkal we are forming ikern for. I kelieve lkat tke concept of ministerial vocation needs urgent exploration in relation to our kerilage and tke needs of tke world around. Under (jod. ministers must ke leackers and skepkerds of tke flock: tke flock must ke equipped to disperse. Is tkis wkal is kappening? I sometimes suspect lkat at tkis point in some ckurck circles we kave listened to tke world loo muck. Tke world is kurling. so ministers must ke tkerapisls. Tke ckurck is a kusiness. so tkey must know tkeir product. Tkin in turn influences tke way we speak akoul ministry - tke kiring and firing pastors, ministerial career structures. tke minister as salesman, and so for lk: and il affec Is tke tkeological curriculum - sometimes drastically. But is il rigkl? I do nol say lkat we kave nolking to learn from secular counsellors, or from tke world of kusiness. or from elsewkere. But or kearing of tke world must ke tempered ky our kearing of tke tradition. (3)

T1 ie tkird category of tkeological conservationists and explorers comprises tke rest of tke ckurck memkers. Tkeological reflection is too important to ke left to ikeologians and ministers. Wken Paul wrote to tke Pkillipia ns ke reminded tkem lkat tkey skared kis privilege of defending tke

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