Human cultural artifacts and the Empire of the Holy Spirit

"The wise of the world, Aristotle or Plato or Socrates, who were skilled in knowledge, were like great cities, but they were laid waste by the enemies because the Spirit of God was not in them" (Macarius-Symeon, Homily 42.1). This is an astute remark that raises all kinds of questions about the experience of common grace and how Christians relate to culture. I take it as a given that an acultural Christianity is a non-entity. To be involved in the work of saving sinners, Christians must impant themselves in a culture. But what is the value of that culture? Left to itself, I can readily affirm with Macarius-Symeon that any culture will perish. But if indwelt by the Spirit, ah, there is the question? What will be its end result?

Let me make my beliefs plain: I look forward to that day when all that is best and good and true in the kingdoms of this world will be transformed into the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus and become the Empire of the Holy Spirit.

Reading Macarius/Symeon

Central to the closing of the late fourth-century debate about the deity of the Holy Spirit was the argument of the Greek theologian Basil of Caesarea (c.329–79) that the Spirit must be divine if, through his indwelling of both angels and humans, he makes them holy beings. As the One who ultimately provides all of the holiness experienced by rational creatures in the universe, the Holy Spirit must be holy without qualification. And as such he cannot be a creature, but has to be ontologically inseparable from the Father and the Son.[1] The source of this argument was both Scripture and Basil’s experience as a monk. In the early monastic movement Basil had been exposed to a rich charismatic environment that convinced him that genuine progress in a life of virtue was deeply dependent upon the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

Another monastic leader who shared this conviction, but who expressed it in quite a different fashion, is the author of four major collections of homilies, discourses and letters known as the Macarian corpus. I have long been interested in this author ever since in 1979 I heard a brilliant lecture by Reinhart Staats on the glorification of the Spirit in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan creed and his brief discussion of some disciples of Macarius who were present at the Council of Constantinople. And so am reading and thinking about the Spirit in the II collection of Macarian homilies.[2] It is a truly amazing slice of Patristic literature. Macarius’ grasp of the Spirit’s work in the context of human sin is largely very biblical.

All of this is preparation for a paper I have to give at an academic confernce this coming Friday at SBTS, the conference is entitled "Human and Christian Agency" and is sponsored by the Society for Christian Psychology, and I am looking at the Spirit and the sturggle against sin in Macarius/Symeon.

 

[1] Basil of Caesarea, Letter 125.3; 159.2; On the Holy Spirit 19.48. See also J. Verhees, “Die Bedeutung der Transzendenz des Pneuma bei Basilius”, Ostkirchliche Studien, 25 (1976),299–300.

[2] For discussion of the four collections, see Marcus Plested, The Macarian Legacy: The Place of Macarius-Symeon in the Eastern Christian Tradition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), 9–12. See also Stuart K. Burns, “Pseudo-Macarius and the Messalians: The Use of Time for the Common Good” in R.N. Swanson, ed., The Use and Abuse of Time in Christian History (Woodbridge, Suffolk: The Boydell Press for The Ecclesiastical History Society, 2002), 3, n.7.

New Book by Dr. Haykin Helps Rediscover Church Fathers

Justin Taylor has posted an interview with Dr. Michael Haykin offering advise on reading the church fathers.  This affords a good opportunity to mention that Dr. Haykin has a new book on Rediscovering the Church Fathers, due to be released by Crossway on March 31, 2011. Dr. Haykin described the purpose of the book in his interview with Justin as:

The book seeks to stimulate a thirst for the Fathers and to reveal how rich the Fathers are in theology and piety. As such, it is not an exhaustive study of the Fathers. Rather, it presents six Fathers/patristic texts that reveal key themes of that era of church history and hopefully stir up interest and make the Fathers increasingly a known land.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

New Element Added to AFCBS Conference

I'm excited to announce a new component just added to next week's "Baptists and the Cross" conference at Southern Seminary.  Dr. David Bebbington and Dr. Michael Haykin have agreed to an open discussion to be held at the LifeWay campus store immediately following the last session of the conference.  The discussion between Dr. Haykin and Dr. Bebbington will begin at 4 pm and last approximately 30 minutes.  The conversation will be followed by a booksigning of the most recent release by each man.  Dr. Bebbington will be signing his Baptists through the Centuries: A History of a Global People and Dr. Haykin will be signing his The Empire of the Holy Spirit. If you haven't already registered for the conference, sign up today!  There will be free books and other materials given to all registrants.  Don't miss this great opportunity to sit under some of the best Baptist scholars alive today!  Plenary Speakers include:  Tom Schreiner, Stephen Wellum, Maurice Dowling, David Bebbington, Glendon Thompson, James Fuller, and Danny Akin.  To find out more about the conference, please visit the conference webpage.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

True Christianity thoroughly communal

I am increasingly nonplussed by a Christianity—albeit Reformed in doctrine—that is as hermetically sealed as any of the individualistic ideologies of contemporary North American culture. We do church Sunday morn and eve, and then retreat to our separate worlds and our paths rarely cross with our fellow worshippers till Wednesday prayer meeting or the Lord’s Day following. What kind of Christianity is this? What kind of Christianity is it that does not create communities of friends? I have never gotten over the communitarian spirit of those far-off days of the 1960s when some of us were given a vision of community that the spirit of that era could not achieve. The solidarity of the Marxist International sparked by reading Che and Marcuse turned out to be nothing but a bad dream. And the communes of peace and love espoused by the hippie culture disappeared into the rigidity of the political correct communities and their watchdogs of the 1980s and 1990s.

But when we became Christians we knew we had found the real thing. Forty years on, I have no doubts at all that friendship with the Lord Jesus is the vision we glimpsed from afar in those heady days of the sixties. He is the only One with the words of eternal life. He is the only One who has a plan for community that is sweetly satisfying to the human soul and truly liberating to the human person.

And I admit it, reading such books as Augustine's City of God and Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together spoiled me for anything less! And so I know the pain of those in our day who have been hurt by the Church and see that she is not what she should be. May God give me grace that I never give up on the Church, the beloved of my Beloved. But I wonder: what will it take for us to realize the hollowness of affirming we are a community of the Crucified One and yet know nothing of the pain and joy of walking with one another, our Lord's brothers and sisters, in daily life? And don't tell me, such is the way of life in the twenty-first century.

True Christianity thoroughly political

To desire an apolitical Christianity is to ask for a will o’the wisp. Christianity is heavily political: by becoming Christians we are declaring that the kingdoms of this world are not Ultimate and cannot be the focus of worship despite the ravenous hunger of statist politicians since the days of Babel. When we declare that Jesus of Nazareth, the Man now in the glory, is the True King and that one day he will return and the kingdoms of this world will become the Kingdom of the Lord’s Messiah, we are making a deeply political affirmation. Yes, and when that happens, politics will never be the same again. The members of the Confessing Church, blessings be upon the memory of those brethren, knew this so well when they stated as much in the Barmen Declaration: “Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God which we have to hear and which we have to trust and obey in life and in death. We reject the false doctrine, as though the church could and would have to acknowledge as a source of its proclamation, apart from and besides this one Word of God, still other events and powers, figures and truths, as God’s revelation.”

What we as Baptists reject is the confusion of church and state as in the days following Constantine. But make no mistake about it: to say Jesus is Lord is to make a political statement. The martyrs of the Confessing Church who died under Hitler cannot be understood without recognizing this truth.

Research Tips for Unfamiliar Topics

I recently posted the following on my personal blog.  Dr. Haykin has asked that I post it here, as well.

From time to time, students are called upon to write upon topics upon which they have little knowledge of the primary and/or secondary literature.  The following are some suggestions on how to begin researching unfamiliar topics.

  1. Search the online databases of the closest research library (associated with a university or seminary, mine is Boyce Library at SBTS)  for key words or terms related to your topic.  If you don't know where the closest research library is or you want to search multiple libraries at the same time, try WorldCat.org. A search on this database will bring up a list of books, when you click on a title you will have the option of inputing your zip code and libraries containing the book will be listed in order of their proximity to your location.
  2. Look at the books generated from your search above.  Look at their footnotes/endnotes and/or bibliographies to find more books on the topic. Track their sources (going back to Worldcat.org if necessary) to find their sources, to find their sources, ad infinitum.
  3. Another source for bibliographies listing works related to your topic can be general resources such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, and survey works (such as Church Histories and Systematic theologies in my field).  These will sometimes contain specific articles related to your topics written by specialists in the field.  Their bibliographies can be a goldmine for finding the most recent and best resources on a topic.  The general survey works, though probably not useful as a source themselves, will provide listing of more specialized works that will be useful for your research.  Again, track down their sources (going back to Worldcat.org if necessary) to find their sources, to find their sources, ad infinitum.
  4. Search for articles on the topic or related topics using keywords in library databases or online at databases such as Google Scholar. Check their footnotes/bibliography. Then, track down their sources (going back to Worldcat.org if necessary) to find their sources, to find their sources, ad infinitum.
  5. Another good source for bibliographies for further research are scholarly dissertations (which can be found at University/Seminary or through online databases, usually only accessible at research libraries) which have huge bibliographies. In dissertations, as well as the other resources mentioned above, the newer a resource is the better chance that its author has consulted the most resources and therefore would have the most up-to-date bibliography (this is not always the case with shoddy scholarship, so be careful here).

Tolle lege!

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin

Free Books for "Baptists and the Cross" Registrants

I am pleased to announce some of the free books that will be given away at this year's conference.  Once again we are grateful this year to have received some great books from generous publishers.  The following books will given to conference registrants at this year's conference held on August 30-31 at Southern Seminary.  For more information about the conference and to register, please visit events.sbts.edu/andrewfuller.

Believer's Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ, eds. Thomas R. Schreiner & Shawn D. Wright (B&H Academic)
The Cross:  The Vindication of God, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Banner of Truth)
Scandalous:  The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus, D.A. Carson (Crossway)
Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin

Podcast Interview with Dr. Stephen Wellum

It is our pleasure to have Dr. Stephen Wellum as one of the speakers at this year's Andrew Fuller Conference.  Dr. Wellum is scheduled to address the conference in the second plenary session on the theme “Baptism and Crucicentrism.” Recently, Dr. Michael Haykin had the opportunity to interview Dr. Wellum about his conference topic.  This podcast is the result. This interview is the third podcast of the Andrew Fuller Center.  You can subscribe to this podcast in iTunes using this feed.

You can still register for the conference here.  Discounts available for students.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin

New Site on the Works of Wilhelmus à Brakel

I would like to alert you to an excellent new website devoted to the study of The Christian's Reasonable Service by Wilhelmus à Brakel (1635-1711).  This site is an excellent introduction to à Brakel and his magnum opus.  The blog's administrator, Bartel Elshout, actually translated the four volumes from the original Dutch.  I have been told by a friend that Dr. Joel Beeke has said that if he could take only one work with him to a deserted island, it would be The Christian's Reasonable Service.  This is high praise indeed.  To learn more about this important and helpful work, please visit this informative blog.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

Attend Refo500 Conference, Earn Class Credit with Dr. Haykin

The following announcement was posted by Emily Griffin on the Towers website:

The effects of the Reformation remain with us to this day; in fact, the world has been shaped and formed in far-reaching ways by the legacy of the Reformation.

Southern Seminary will host the first North American conference for Refo500, a global project to direct attention toward 2017 and the quincentenary of the beginning of the Reformation. The conference, titled “Celebration Reformation: Challenges and Chances between Now and 2017,” will take place Sept. 27-28, on Southern Seminary’s campus. Featured speakers include R. Albert Mohler Jr., Timothy George, Joel Beeke, Peter Lillback, Herman Selderhuis, David Hall, and others. For more conference information, call 502-897-4072 or visit www.sbts.edu/events.

Southern Seminary students can earn course credit by attending Refo500. Students should register for course #27177: “Studies in Theology: Reformation Theology and Piety” with Michael Haykin. This course is an intensive study of the magisterial Reformation in Germany, Switzerland, France and England, its main events and figures, its theology and piety. Each student is expected to attend eight class lectures on Friday, Sept. 24, and Monday, Sept. 27, and the entirety of the Refo500 conference. Students will also be responsible for three post-course assignments.

If you have questions on course #27177, please contact Academic Records at 502-897-4209 or academicrecords@sbts.edu.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

British rockers playing the blues with Howlin' Wolf

Today I bought a tremendous blues album, The London Howlin’ Wolf Sessions recorded in 1970 with Chester A Bennett (Chess, a.k.a. Howlin’ Wolf) and backup by Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts (of the Stones), and a bonus with Ringo Starr playing the drums on one track. Chess was dubious about whether the Brits could ever help him make a blues album. But when it was all over, his doubts were proved wrong and the Brits had played the blues. Like other musical media, blues makes a serious reflection on the human condition: without Christ, the human state is melancholy indeed. I suppose my Celtic melancholic temperament is what finds the blues so appealing, much more than jazz and when played by rockers like the ones on this album utterly awesome—though Clapton and the others were actually going back to their roots when they played blues with Howlin’ Wolf.

New Book by Dr. Haykin: The Empire of the Holy Spirit

Dr. Haykin's newest release, The Empire of the Holy Spirit, is soon to be released from Borderstone Press.  This book can be ordered directly from the publisher by contacting Roger Duke at rogerdduke@borderstonepress.com. Combining both keen historical reflection and rich biblical insight, Michael Haykin has pulled from his expertise in both church history and biblical spirituality in the writing of this volume. The book has already received high praise from several individuals who have endorsed the book.  Dr. Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, writes:

Michael Haykin's The Empire of the Holy Spirit is not just a book about the Holy Spirit.  This is a book written, obviously, by one who knows the Person (not just the topic) of which he writes.

This book will prompt you to think.  You'll want to scratch down notes, and talk about insights over coffee with friends.  But, more than that, this book will prompt you to get on your knees, through the Spirit of God, and cry out "Abba Father!"

Dr. Donald Whitney, author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, has also endorsed the book:

Besides Michael Haykin, few people, to my knowledge, could have written such a book as this with the same credibility.

The richness of the combination of history, theology, spirituality, and practicality in this volume could come only from someone who has the expertise of a professor of church history and spirituality, the insight of a biblical scholar, the wisdom of an experienced church elder, and the authenticity of a sincere personal piety.

Dr. Joel Beeke, President of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, has written:

Haykin's Empire of the Spirit covers a rich cluster of subjects on the Holy Spirit from various biblical, historical, and theological perspectives.  Whether speaking about the Spirit's role in sanctification, in revival, in the Great Commission, in the exercise of genuine success, or in promoting Christian unity, Haykin's thoughts, tethered to Scripture, offer an exciting read.

This book needs to be pondered over and yet it is a page-turner.  I pray that it may promote a deepening interest in and appreciation for the Spirit's indispensable, variegated ministry in the lives of believers.

Other endorsers include Dr. Steven Lawson, Dr. Carl Trueman, and several others.  I will post some of their endorsements in future posts.

If you would like to listen to the author's own thoughts on the book, you can download this podcast in which I interview Dr. Haykin about his most recent book.

Download Podcast

You can subscribe to this podcast in iTunes using this feed.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

Early Registration Ends July 31st

The fourth annual conference of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies is scheduled for August 30-31, 2010.  The theme is:  Baptists and the Cross:  Contemporary and Historical Reflections. The conference will feature speakers such as Danny Akin (president, SEBTS), David Bebbington (professor, University of Stirling), Maurice Dowling (professor,Irish Baptist College), James Fuller (professor, University of Indianapolis), Tom Schreiner (professor, SBTS), Glendon Thompson (president, TBS and pastor of Jarvis Street Baptist Church), and Stephen Wellum (professor, SBTS).  For full bios of the speakers, see here.

Discounted registration rates are now available for the conference (through July 31) and there is a special rate for students.  Students may receive a discounted rate by using the code: “8051974″.  For more information on the conference visithttp://events.sbts.edu/andrewfuller.

Posted by Steve Weaver, Research and Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Andrew Fuller Center for Baptist Studies, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin.

"I wish to be a man of the Church"

“I wish to be a man of the Church, not the founder of heresy; I want to be named with Christ’s name and bear the name which is blessed on earth. It is also my desire to do this in deed as well as in Spirit.” Some of you reading this might be surprised to learn that Origen, nicknamed Adamantius, “Man of Steel,”[1] said this. See his Homily on Luke 16. I think it grievous that later generations have judged Origen so harshly. I have never regarded him as a heretic as some have done. He was a Christian theologian who made some theological errors, yes. But a heretic never! We need to ever recall with figures as complex as Origen the way Robert Murray McCheyne spoke after hearing of the death of Edward Irving, the preaching wonder of the 1820s: for McCheyne, Irving was “a holy man in spite of all his delusions and errors.”[2]

[1] Jerome, On Illustrious Men 54[trans. Thomas P. Halton, Saint Jerome: On Illustrious Men (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1999), 77].

[2] Andrew A. Bonar, The Life of Robert Murray M‘Cheyne (Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1960), 35.

Dying with Christ like Isaac

All who follow the Lord Jesus will experience the pain of the cross.

Our baptism as believers speaks of this, does it not? Crucified with Christ. No cause ever for Baptists to be triumphalistic. The only triumph is being crucified with Christ and it hurts!

We will know the pain of rejection and of laughter as we plead with sinners to repent and believe. These are stabs to the vitals, especially when those we plead with are loved ones.

Blessed is the church that knows how to comfort those suffering for Jesus’ sake: places where discipleship is really understood.

But sometimes, I fear, our churches are adept at turning a blind eye than a helping hand. We, like the rest of humanity, really do not want to suffer. And we have no desire to suffer with others. Or no idea of what to say.

This too is being crucified with Christ: realizing how powerless we really are. Where is free will and human power now? This is the crux of the matter: we cannot die with Christ—the Spirit of the Crucified Christ must take us to the cross.

May we go like Isaac: in wonder and awe and come away with reverent fear.