Anthropologetically Speaking

Thanks to Dr. Scott Swain, President of Reformed Theological Seminary Orlando for his recent contribution to the current conversation / debate / fight over the doctrine of man, or biblical anthropology. Given the new controversies surrounding issues like gender and sexuality, some sober well qualified voices are much needed on this subject. I hope Scott is just getting started with this article.

Swain makes two imporant observations about the current dust-up here:

As is often the case with controversy, the heated nature of recent anthropological debates has largely failed to provide a hospitable context for producing theologically profound or spiritually instructive approaches to many of the issues at hand. Debate, especially in the social media age, has a tendency to coarsen thoughts and attitudes, leading to diminished perspectives that make us susceptible to factions and quarreling and impatient toward careful study and persuasion, effectively closing us off to the God-given resources that, under the Spirit’s guidance, make growth and maturity possible (Jas 1:19-21).

Furthermore, the populist nature of North American evangelicalism, together with its love of celebrity, has meant that recent anthropological debates at times have been dominated by those lacking in theological and pastoral training. Though such voices often contribute powerful testimonies of conversion and courage for which we should be grateful, their contributions sometimes lack the careful categories and distinctions necessary for addressing complex theological and pastoral issues, thus unwittingly contributing further confusion rather than clarity to the discussion (2 Pet 3:16).

 

Please read the entire piece HERE.