The Trials of Church Historians
March 23, 2010
Just landed on my desk: a copy of The Trials of Theology: Becoming a 'Proven Worker' in a Dangerous Business edited by Andrew J. B. Cameron and Brian S. Rosner (Christian Focus). Essays include voices from the past (Luther, Spurgeon, Warfield, Bonhoeffer and Lewis) and the present (John Woodhouse, Don Carson,Gerald Bray , Dennis Hollinger and Carl Trueman).
Trueman writes on the trials of being a church historian. He begins with the observation that "no-one comes to seminary, Bible college, or a university theology department in order to study church history." Alas, he is probably correct and this may explain a great deal about Dr. Trueman! What follows is a tour de force, somewhat outside-the-box on what Trueman sees as current trends in historiography all too commonly seen aped at conservative theological schools. This essay is worth the price of the book (though mine was free!).
Trueman writes on the trials of being a church historian. He begins with the observation that "no-one comes to seminary, Bible college, or a university theology department in order to study church history." Alas, he is probably correct and this may explain a great deal about Dr. Trueman! What follows is a tour de force, somewhat outside-the-box on what Trueman sees as current trends in historiography all too commonly seen aped at conservative theological schools. This essay is worth the price of the book (though mine was free!).
