More Baptist World Alliance Coverage

Both Robert Parham (EthicsDaily.com) and Tony Cartledge (Campbell University, Baptists Today) have provided excellent coverage of the 2008 gathering of the Baptist World Alliance. Below you'll find snippets from Cartledge's posts on the BWA and the Baptist International Conference on Theological Education (BICTE):

Newsblog: BWA Looks Inward, Outward (7/25)

Read Tony Cartledge's overview coverage of the 2008 BWA Gathering.

What Makes a Baptist? (7/27)

The Prague-blogs continue, now from the seventh Baptist International Conference on Theological Education (BICTE), which got underway Saturday afternoon on the campus of the International Baptist Theological Seminay (IBTS). The stately campus is located in a peaceful setting on a ridge of the Sarka Valley, on the outskirts of Prague.

The opening session sought to look both backward and forward, with Ian Randall of IBTS offering a paper on “Tracing Baptist Theological Footprints over the Past Four Hundred Years.” He was followed by Daniel Carro, an Argentian theologian who currently teaches at the John Leland Center for theological studies, who spoke on “Anticipating Kairos Moments that Await the Baptist Theologian of the 21st Century.”

What makes a good theological education? (7/28)

Dominion or Stewardship? (7/28)

Participants in the seventh Baptist International Conference on Theological Education focused on practical – but often neglected – theological issues during a lengthy morning session July 28. About 135 educators and interested persons are meeting at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, the Czech Republic. Two papers were designed to address ecological issues and a proper understanding of creation. Three others dealt with the rampant exploitation of women and children, serious issues on which churches have largely remained silent.

John Weaver, dean of the theology faculty at Cardiff University in Wales, is trained both as a geologist and a theologian. Addressing the global environmental crisis, he reviewed examples of present and looming ecological catastrophes and advanced a theological position that humans are called to be channels of God’s redemption for the earth as well as humanity.

David Gushee, who writes widely and currently teaches at Mercer University, discussed a paper with the provocative title “Can a Sanctity of Human Life Ethic Ground Christian Ecological Responsibility?” Gushee emphasized that the “sanctity of human life” is a much broader topic than the abortion issue, with which it is most commonly heard. Appreciating the sanctity of human life is something of a two-edged sword, Gushee said, because “the more we elevate the sacredness of humans, the more we downplay the rest of creation.” He called for “a radically reframed approach to God, humanity, and the rest of creation.”

Also check out the following articles and blog posts on the BWA:

Baptist Pastors in West Face Decline and in South poverty (7/27)

(Christianity Today) The biggest problem a pastor faces depends on where the minister is located. That was the message from speakers at the Baptist World Alliance annual conference in Prague last week. For pastors in North America, the greatest challenge is the cultural shift away from Christianity, said David Laubach, the North American presenter at the BWA workgroup about church health and effectiveness.

BWA Meeting in Prague (7/24)

Read the thoughts of Jim Hill, Executive Director of the Baptist General Convention of Missouri. Hill is also reporting for the Associated Baptist Press while in Prague.

May It Ever Be So (7/24)

Read the thoughts of Campbell University professor Glenn Jonas: "There is a lot of common ground between Muslims and Christians. Let's celebrate what we have in common rather than fight over our differences. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God." May God give us the grace and strength to be peacemakers in this violent world!"