Category Archives: Theology

Karl Barth on the Modern Marginalization of Ecclesiology

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Richard Heyduck

In Church Dogmatics IV.1 p 150, Barth writes: “It was an intolerable truncation of the Christian message when the older Protestantism steered the whole doctrine of the atonement—and with it, ultimately, the whole of theology—into the cul de sac of … Continue reading →

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The Problem of Sustained Personal Identity

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Richard Heyduck

In a recent essay a the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) Religion site, Stanley Hauerwas raises the issue of the sustaining of personal identity over time. It is by no means clear to me that I am the same person who … Continue reading →

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Plundering the Egyptians

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Richard Heyduck

In On Christian Doctrine Augustine famously analogizes from the way the ancient Israelites “plundered” the Egyptians when they fled Egypt after the tenth plague. Israel had been tormented in slavery for at generations. God sent Moses as a deliverer, to … Continue reading →

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Assurance: Why? part 2

Posted on August 4, 2012 by Richard Heyduck

So let’s suppose that the reason we are interested in finding assurance of salvation is not so we can feel at ease doing our own thing in the world, with only minimal and occasional glances back to make sure we’re … Continue reading →

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Assurance: Initial thoughts about Why?

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Richard Heyduck

Why would a person want assurance of salvation? That seems like a silly question. If having salvation means going to heaven when you die – and not having salvation means an eternity in the other place, the unquenchable fires of … Continue reading →

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Assurance: How Does it Happen?

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Richard Heyduck

Supposing that assurance of salvation is possible, how might it happen? The Bible and the Wesleyan theological tradition give us some ideas. First, and most importantly, is the witness of the Holy Spirit. Texts that explicitly use witness language are … Continue reading →

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Assurance of Salvation: Two Objections

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Richard Heyduck

The idea that Christians can have assurance of their salvation has deep roots in the theology of John Wesley. Though he struggled with his own assurance from time to time, Wesley preached and taught that it was the privilege of … Continue reading →

Posted in Assurance, John Wesley, Salvation, Theology, United Methodism | 1 Comment

Individual vs. Collective

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Richard Heyduck

Listening to Peter Harrison’s fifth Gifford Lecture as I drove to Marshall today, I heard his description of a shift from natural philosophy to science in the early modern period. Under the old paradigm (and I use Kuhn’s term intentionally), … Continue reading →

Posted in church growth, Discipleship, Leadership, Spirituality, Theology, United Methodism, Will Willimon | Leave a comment

A Baptism of Repentance

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Richard Heyduck

John the Baptist is described in the Gospels as preaching a “baptism of repentance.” In the descriptions of his ministry in the Gospels we see people coming to him, confessing their sins. Matthew tells us that when Jesus comes to … Continue reading →

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“Liberal” & “Conservative”

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Richard Heyduck

Our special speaker at Annual Conference this year was Adam Hamilton, pastor of Church of the Resurrection in Overland Park, Kansas. In more than three hours of teaching he shared leadership strategies and tactics that have helped him grow his … Continue reading →

Posted in Texas Annual Conference, Theology, United Methodism | 2 Comments