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"We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and folly to Gentiles". In so writing, St. Paul stated in its briefest form the scandal of the Christian faith. To human reason it is nonsense to suppose that a man who grew up and lived like other men, and who ultimately died on a cross, could at the same time be the Son of God, equal to God, eternal like God, and Creator of the world with Him. Contrary to the painfully-evolved and carefully formulated conclusion reached by philosophers, that God is one, and diametrically opposed to the monotheistic divine revelation given to Israel, the belief that Jesus was Son of God and equal to His Father seemed; when it was first postulated, to imply some kind of flaw in the indivisibility of God. Men were being asked to believe that they could see God incarnate, that is, in a being of flesh and blood. Yet all our faith hovers around this precise point.

The Intention of this thesis is to develop a Process christology which is valid and coherent with respect to the principles of Whitehead's Process philosophy and adequate with respect to Christian faith. As indicated by the title, the study moves from Whitehead's vision to the christological adventure. Although this necessitates that the criteria are essentially philosophical, it is stressed that the discussion finds its inspiration in faith. For that reason the second chapter describes the Process christologies of Norman Pittenger. John Cobb, Schubert Ogden and David Griffin. That discussion isolates the major questions and issues which arise. Chapter three is an examination of the philosophical principles of Whitehead's vision. A central thesis of the work is that the theory of "initial aims" is inadequate to account for the idea of a Divine purpose relevant to human beings. I illustrate why this is so and, after presenting a Process theory of the "self", describe how the notion of purpose mediated in history is Intelligible. Chapter four is a synthesis between the issues raised in the second chapter and the philosophical themes of chapter three. This chapter presents the christology which is valid with respect to Whitehead's vision. The following chapter observes that the Church is an essential aspect of Process christology, and then evaluates Christ and the Church with respect to some of' the themes of Biblical and traditional christology. The intention is to justify its status as an appropriate expression of faith, although it is accepted that the essential subjectivity of faith renders an objective evaluation impossible. The final chapter offers some concluding remarks, noting particularly how Process christology is a theology of liberation : freedom and responsibility.

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Within the first chapter I highlight the extent Platonism influenced modern eschatology and motives for mission. This dualism led to separating divine and secular history and suited the philosophy of secular historians and theologian's who had no taste for divine reality purveying both everyday history, and individual lives. The second chapter discusses how these views, because of Premillennial-Dispensationalism, created American fundamentalism that changed what motivates foreign and local missions. Oppression and the poor have become nothing more than the evidences of a corrupt world that is destined to be destroyed; hence, all stress is concentrated on saving individual souls from the wrath to come. The third chapter consists in analysing David Bosch's aversion to this very notion and his reasons for avoiding apocalyptic language in many of his writings. I conclude in agreement with Bosch's motivation for mission and a similar view of eschatology which embraces a present realised kingdom and a future consummation thereof. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

When reading the Bible in an independent way, i.e., not through the lenses of any official Church dogma, one is amazed by the many voices that come through to us. Add to this variety the literary finds from Nag Hammadi, as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls, then the question now confronting many spiritual pilgrims is how it came about that these obviously diverse theologies, represented in the so-called Old and New Testaments, were moulded into only one "orthodox" result. In what way and to what degree were the many Christian groups different and distinctive from one another, as well as from other Jewish groups? Furthermore, what was the influence of other religions, Judaism, the Mysteries, Gnostics and Philosophers on the. development, variety of groups and ultimately on the consolidation of "orthodox" soteriology? / Philosophy Practical and Systematic Theology / Th.M. (Systematic Theology)

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ABSTRACT THE REFORMED AND CELIBATE PASTOR: RICHARD BAXTER’S ARGUMENT FOR CLERICAL CELIBACY Seth DeShields Osborne, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2018 Chair: Dr. David L. Puckett This dissertation explores Richard Baxter’s (1615-1691) argument for clerical celibacy. It argues that his teaching on clerical celibacy was a very controversial way of resolving tensions in English Protestant marriage doctrine. His argument was a product of a very stringent model of pastoral care developed in response to England’s ecclesiastical situation, was deeply influenced by his personal qualities and life experiences, and was rooted in his overarching ethical principles for Christian living. Baxter remained remarkably consistent, even when appearing to violate his convictions by marrying later in life. Chapter 1 details the importance of the study for scholarship, the state of research, and finally the methodology and sources to be used. Chapter 2 examines English Protestant attitudes toward marriage and celibacy in Elizabethan and Stuart England in order to demonstrate their struggle to reconcile the Bible’s praise of marriage in Genesis 1-2 with its teaching on celibacy’s expediency in 1 Corinthians 7. Chapter 3 analyzes Baxter’s theology of soul care in the church and the family; it argues that Baxter did not possess a negative attitude toward marriage and family life, but rather he realized that clerical marriage strained the ability of ministers to fully implement his burdensome pastoral model of soul care. Chapter 4 explores several internal and external factors in Baxter’s life that shaped “particularities” that would come to define him as a theologian and minister of the gospel. Chapter 5 studies Baxter’s practical divinity in order to show that his argument for clerical celibacy logically arose from themes repeated in his teaching on Christian ethics. The next two chapters explore Baxter’s seemingly contradictory marriage to Margaret Charlton. Chapter 6 argues that he did not violate his convictions, because the 1662 Act of Uniformity appeared to have closed off all opportunities for public ministry. Chapter 7 proposes a solution to the question of why Baxter continued to advocate for clerical celibacy, despite the great help Margaret was to him and his pastoral work during their marriage; it argues that even though Baxter received many blessings through Margaret, his experience of marriage also reconfirmed many of his arguments for why pastors should remain single. Chapter eight summarizes the conclusions of the study and its contribution to understanding both English Protestant Marriage doctrine as well as Richard Baxter as a pastor and theologian.

This dissertation seeks to retrieve a crucial aspect of the spiritual heritage of Anne Dutton, her Trinitarian spirituality as it was developed in the historical context of eighteenth-century Trinitarian controversies in England and especially the Particular Baptists’ defense of the Trinity. It argues that Dutton’s Trinitarian spirituality is not only doctrinally orthodox, but also full of doxological devotion and practical comfort. It typifies the 1689 London Baptist Confession’s statement about the Trinity being the foundation of “communion with God and comfortable dependence on him.” The first three chapters serve introductory and biographical purposes. Chapter 1 introduces the purpose of the thesis, the primary sources to be examined, and the organization of the dissertation. Chapter 2 presents a historical literature review of Dutton and her works. Chapter 3 sketches a portrait of Dutton in the four biblical images of the sinner, sojourner, servant and saint. Chapter 4 supplies the historical context for Dutton’s Trinitarian spirituality. It attends to both the Trinitarian controversies in eighteenth-century England and the defense of the Trinity by such Particular Baptist ministers as John Gill, Benjamin Beddome, Benjamin Wallin, and Andrew Fuller. Chapters 5 and 6 focus on the nature and work of the Trinity. Chapter 5 presents Dutton’s thought about the ontology of the Trinity, which highlights the co-deity and co-equality of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Chapter 6 studies her doctrine of the work of the Trinity. In addition to the tripartite work of the Father in election, the Son in redemption, and the Spirit in particular application, attention is also given to Dutton’s expostulations of the adoption of the Father, advocateship of the Son and the sealing of the Spirit. Both the distinctive work of the triune God and their unity are underscored in the economy of human salvation. Chapters 7 and 8 deal with Dutton’s application of the Trinity in Christian experience. Chapter 7 examines her view of communion with the triune God primarily from her work, Walking with God and from comparison with John Owen’s work on the topic. The ways of this communion, which entail the primary way of Christ and the derivative ways of faith, worship, providence, and holiness are then illustrated by her spiritual autobiography. Chapter 8 discusses Dutton’s use of the Trinity in her epistolary counseling of the afflicted souls. They were directed to depend on the sovereign grace of the Father, the love of the Son, and the comfort of the Spirit. This dissertation concludes with a call for re-centering Christian devotion and practices, such as worship, education, and counseling, on the Trinity as the way to revive the Christian life in praxis as well as in doctrine.