tableauxtableauxa publication for the McAfee community

from the dean

Welcome to Tableaux: A Publication for the McAfee Community. This tri-annual publication celebrates what McAfee is knowing, being and doing as a theological institution. You will find within its pages news about past and upcoming events, articles on key theological issues, book reviews, featured stories on alumni and current students and an array of information to keep you connected with McAfee.

As you may have noticed, we chose Tableaux as the name for this publication. Its origin comes from a 1690s Middle French word meaning “table.” We are a community gathered around a common table. We worship together, eat together, study and learn together. At this table we discern God’s will and the relationship between divinity and humanity. At this table we affirm, pray for, and care about one another. In essence, it is at the table where we learn we are one in Christ. This image of table is central to our Christian faith. We commune regularly in church around the Lord’s Table and preach weekly about God’s Messianic Banquet.

A tableau is also “a picturesque grouping of persons,” and among the McAfee faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends there are many noteworthy—not to say “picturesque”—people, so Tableaux will bring you some of their stories too. Together these two definitions mirror the McAfee experience. We are a picturesque group of persons around a common table. We invite you now to sit down with us. Feel free to join in on our conversations and contribute to that which makes McAfee so great: The journey of knowing, being and doing.

Join us at the table.

TABLEAUX: plural [ta-bloh]: A picturesque group of persons around a common table

R. Alan Culpepper

contents

Coming Events

“McAfee is Changing” by Karen Massey

“Looking Back” by Graham Walker

Doing: a focus on Park Avenue Baptist

“Life on a Raft in a River” by Dean Culpepper

Knowing: a focus on Ron Johnson and Larry McSwain

“The Book of Psalms” by Nancy deClaisse-Walford

Being: a focus on Abraham Deng

Center for Theology and Public Life

Center for Teaching Churches

Recent Faculty Publications

Class Notes

End Notes

Admissions

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Alumni Book Review25

McAfee was founded in 1996 as one of the schools and colleges at Mercer U n i v e r s i t y ; yet, in this short tenure McAfee has hosted some

of the premier lecturers in theological studies today through the school’s endowed lecture series. Let me introduce you to our guests this past fall, 2011.

First, in September we welcomed Dr. John F. Haught, Senior Fellow of Science and Religion at the Woodstock Theological Center of Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. Haught literally expanded our horizons as he focused on the “Evolution of Faith,” “Astrobiology and Cosmic Purpose,” and “Science and the Quest For Cosmic Purpose.” This three-day event concentrated on Haught’s most recent of eighteen books addressing Making Sense of Evolution: Darwin, God and the Drama of Life (WJK Press, 2010).

The D. Perry and Betty H. Ginn Lectures in Christian Faith and Modern Science annually provide the Mercer community with opportunities to hear leading scientists and theologians as they explore the interface between Christian faith and contemporary science, and enhance their scientific literacy. This lecture series challenges ministers to discover the complementary tasks of science

and theology in the promotion of responsible, faith-based community as part of God’s creation.

Haught drew the audience into dialogue with Charles Darwin and some of Darwin’s well-known followers. At key points, Haught engaged the evolutionary naturalist assumptions of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Jerry Coyne noting that they “get it wrong when they go beyond the science of evolution and try to extrapolate to theology.” Haught urges us to think in terms of layered explanations, for example: both/and instead of either/or. Different levels of explanation are thus simultaneously operative without ruling one another out. He suggests that we allow for divine creativity at a more fundamental layer of explanation than that at which natural science operates noting the role of the narrative structure of meaning and purpose as integral to human understanding. Haught approvingly returns to Roman Catholic paleontologist Teilhard de Chardin’s view stating that “the intellectual context for any believable theology today is shaped primarily by science, and especially its new story of an unfinished universe.” So what is needed theologically is a thoroughgoing reinterpretation of Christian teaching about God, Christ, creation, incarnation, redemption, and eschatology in keeping with Darwin’s unveiling of life’s long evolution and contemporary cosmology’s disclosure of the ongoing expansion of the heavens.

Less than two months later, November 9th, McAfee hosted N. T. Wright, the former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England and one of the world’s leading Bible scholars. When he is not on speaking tour he is serving as the chair of New Testament and Early Christianity

According to Dr. Perry Ginn, John Haught was exactly the right fit for the lecture series that Ginn endowed.

Looking back: Fall 2011 Lecture Seriesfeaturing John Haught and N.T. Wright

at the School of Divinity at the University of St. Andrews. For twenty years Wright taught New Testament studies at Cambridge, McGill, and Oxford Universities, and he has been featured on ABC News, Dateline, The Colbert Report, and Fresh Air. Wright is the award-winning author of After You Believe, Surprised by Hope, Simply Christian, The Challenge of Jesus, and The Meaning of Jesus (coauthored with Marcus Borg), as well as the much-heralded series Christian Origins and the Question of God.

Wright was brought to the McAfee campus in Atlanta as part of the Peter Rhea and Ellen Jones New Testament Lectures. Wright connected immediately with the standing room only community that heard him. Dr. Peter Rhea Jones noted that

Dr. Jones further elaborated that we are living in a rare age when some of the most prolific New Testament scholars have turned their attention to a critical and confessional view of Jesus and two of those scholars have been featured here at McAfee in this lecture series: James Dunn (2009) and N.T. Wright (2011).

Wright’s lecture: “How God Became King: Why We’ve Misread the Gospels” urges the church to wrestle with ways to regain a kingdom footing and end its empire heritage. He asks us to reshape both what we think about Jesus and how we follow him in our world. The lecture itself is a prolepsis of his forthcoming text (March 2012) by the same title as the fourth

volume in a projected six-volume scholarly series Christian Origins and the Question of God.

Wright draws his audience in with his thesis: “There is just now a fashion for upholding something called ‘Nicene’ Christianity. But the great creeds of the fourth and fifth centuries were never intended as a complete teaching syllabus, and when used that way they screen out the central theme of the four Gospels: How God Became King (aka The Kingdom of God). Western Christianity has thus lurched between a faith based on incarnation and cross (but without ‘kingdom’) and a social-gospel ‘kingdom’-movement (but without incarnation and cross). How can we put back together what the Gospels were trying to tell us all along?”

Years from now, those who were able to attend these endowed lectures will be able to reflect with favor one more reason why they chose to be a part of the McAfee community.

_Graham Walker

Wright’s “fresh read on the tradition combines both head and heart in ways that address both the congregation and university.”

Looking back: Fall 2011 Lecture Seriesfeaturing John Haught and N.T. Wright

McAfee is

First major revision in fifteen years. Needed and timely.“ Dean Culpepper

”The most balanced and integrated curriculum to date.Dr. Graham Walker

Designed with students’ diverse needs in mind. Dr. Dave Garber

More adaptable than ever

before.Dr. Dock Hollingsworth

This new curriculum combines breadth with depth.Dr. Karen Massey

[Revised Curriculum]

Required Courses Credits

Intro to Theological Thinking & Writing 2 Spiritual Formation 2 Choose One:

Intro to Biblical Languages 3 Hebrew Exegesis I or II Greek Exegesis I or II

Advanced Language elective Foundations in Old Testament* 3 Foundations in New Testament* 3 Foundations in Church History* 3 Foundations in Theology* 3 Ethics* 3 Preaching* 3 Faith Development* 3 Baptist Heritage 2 Missional Theology 3 Pastoral Care 3 Worship 3 Leadership 3 Capstone 3

Required Core Hours: 45

Birthdays, anniversaries, and other milestones are great opportunities for celebration, but they can also be good opportunities for looking forward and making changes. During its 15th anniversary this past year, McAfee took time to celebrate its accomplishments as well as evaluate where changes might be needed. One area that was identified as needing change was the MDiv curriculum. While the current curriculum has served McAfee well for 15 years, it was noted that students’ needs and interests have changed in recent years. With the approval of the faculty, Dean Culpepper appointed a committee to develop a new curriculum for the school. For almost a year, the committee conducted various focus groups in order to gather input from current students, graduates, and the Board of Visitors. The committee also gathered information

implementing new curriculumfall 2012

from other seminaries and divinity schools, and considered current trends in adult teaching and learning. The new curriculum was introduced and approved by the faculty this past September. Major changes in the new curriculum include: (1) more student choice in both core and elective courses; (2) more advanced options for students with religion or Christianity degrees; (3) more emphasis on foundational courses for students with non-religion degrees; (4) the addition of a required first semester course in theological thinking and writing; and (5) more emphasis on peer learning and faculty mentoring through placement in track communities. _Karen Massey

Prescribed Electives Credits

Spirituality 3 Old Testament 3 New Testament 3 Church History 3 Theology 3 Contextual Ministry** 3

Required Prescribed Elective Hours: 18

Free Electives: 12 hrs

Track Electives: 15 hrs

TOTAL HOURS FOR M.DIV: 90

*Advanced elective may be taken instead** Different tracks require specific types of placement (i.e. CPE, overseas, etc.)

[Revised Curriculum]

coming events

William L. Self Preaching LecturesFeb 27 & 28 - Atlanta, GA - featuring

brianmclaren“Preaching Peace in a Crumbling Empire”for registration and more info, visit the McAfee website: http://bit.ly/xaikOK

Spring Preview ConferenceExplore your sense of call by

engaging with faculty and students

experiencing classes

joining us for community worship

learning about academic programs & financial aid

interviewing for merit-based scholarship

Feb 26 & 27http://bit.ly/A33aaJ

graduationMay 12May 12

A [Baptist] Conference on Sexuality and CovenantApril 19-21 - First Baptist Decatur

“Participants will be encouraged to consider what it means to live as covenant people the contemporary and emerging situation. Everyone is welcome.”

Co-sponsored by the CBF Resource Center and the Center for Theology and Public Life, Mercer University

To read about the conference from David Gushee: http://bit.ly/v8S5NYFor more info on the conference: http://bit.ly/zdwlQXTo register for the conference: http://bit.ly/kdED1Z

http://on.fb.me/AuUgFU http://bit.ly/z8L3ni http://bit.ly/yWQtGZ

R. Alan Culpepper

“Mark 6:17-29 in Its Narrative Contest: Kingdoms in Conflict,” in Mark as Story: Retrospect and Prospect, ed. Kelly R. Iverson and Christopher W. Skinner (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2011), pp. 145-163. http://bit.ly/zhuP5P

“The Rationale for Missions,” (co-authored with Hugo H. Culpepper), in On Mission with God: Free and Faithful Baptists in the Twenty-First Century, ed. Pamela R. Durso, William O’Brien associate editor (Atlanta: Baptist History and Heritage Society, 2011), 21-34. http://bit.ly/yoAsmi

“A Sample of Baptist Contributions to Johannine Scholarship (1940-2010),” in The “Plainly Revealed” Word of God? Baptist Hermeneutics in Theory and Practice, edited by Helen Dare and Simon Woodman (Macon: Mercer University Press, 2011), pp. 30-71.http://amzn.to/zvfLW2

Review of Imperfect Believers: Ambiguous Characters in the Gospel of John, by Susan E. Hylen (2011) in Review of Biblical Literature.http://bit.ly/zVnPKW

Nancy L. deClaisse-Walford

“A Word About . . . the Tongue.” In Review & Expositor 108/3 (2011): 363-65.

“Psalm 145: All Flesh Will Bless God’s Holy Name.” In Catholic Biblical Quar-terly 73/1 (2012).

Working Preacher lectionary commentaries online:“Psalm 22:23-31” http://bit.ly/ytJq3B“Psalm 25:1-10” http://bit.ly/zhxlhe“Psalm 70” http://bit.ly/wsuUvZ“Psalm 96” http://bit.ly/ynf32A“Psalm 97” http://bit.ly/tL7WJ2“Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22” http://bit.ly/zC9sPd

David Garber

Garber, Jr. David G. “A Vocabulary of Trauma in the Exilic Writings.” In Inter-preting Exile: Displacement and Depor-tation in Biblical and Modern Contexts. Edited by Brad E. Kelle, Frank Ritchel Ames, and Jacob L. Wright, 309-22. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2011.

Working Preacher lectionary commentaries online:“Isaiah 50:4-9a” http://bit.ly/z8uBl8“Ezekiel 37:1-14” http://bit.ly/xQnFwe“Exodus 17:1-7” http://bit.ly/yVjVAu“1 Samuel 16:1-13” http://bit.ly/wqjCoC

David P. Gushee

“Can Anything New Be Said About Abortion?” Associated Baptist Press, January 18, 2012. http://bit.ly/A1K6RF

“The Evangelical Candidates Fizzled.” New York Times, December 13, 2011. http://nyti.ms/y1ygxO

“The Contemporary US Torture Debate in Christian Historical Perspective.” Journal of Religious Ethics 39:4 (De-cember 2011): 589-597.

“Christian Politics Create Unholy Alli-ances.” USA Today, November 7, 2011. http://usat.ly/tdxREK

“The Sacredness of Human Life.” Asso-ciated Baptist Press, October 10, 2011. http://bit.ly/qRhFKk

“An Open Letter to America’s Christian Zionists,” with Glen H. Stassen. New Evangelical Partnership,September 13, 2011. Reprinted as “Christian Zionism,” Christian Ethics Today 19, no. 4 (Fall 2011): 3-6.http://bit.ly/odchan

“9/11 and the Paradox of Christian Pa-triotism in America.” Associated Baptist Press, September 7, 2011.http://bit.ly/o5Lmzm

“A Former Catholic Returns to Ash Wednesday Mass.” Associated Baptist Press, March 14, 2011. http://bit.ly/flTmET

“Common Sense and Common Ground.’ Washington Post On Faith, March 3, 2011. http://bit.ly/eqW0LA

“Seeking the Truth about What Our Na-tion Did.” Prism 18, no. 2 (March/April 2011): 6. http://bit.ly/wyDtVy

Religious Faith, Torture, and Our Nation-al Soul. Co-editor and Contributor, with Jillian Hickman Zimmerand J. Drew Zimmer. Macon: Mercer, 2010. http://amzn.to/ycujIC

Peter Rhea Jones

1,2 and 3 John (Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 2009). http://amzn.to/A7aqMu

Karen Massey

And Your Daughters Shall Prophesy: Sermons by Women in Baptist Life (Ma-con: Mercer Press) May 2012.http://bit.ly/x0KrvN

Brett Younger

“A Warm Spot for Benchwarmers,” Baptists Today, January 2012. 31.

“A Wrinkle in God’s Palm,” and “Choices,” Lectionary Homiletics. February/March 2012. 7-8, 54-56.

“Children Who Knew God” and “Parables of the Kingdom,” Formations Commentary, Macon, Georgia: Smyth & Helwys, January-May 2012, 24-68.

“Guess Who Should Be Coming to Dinner,” “Counting the Cost,” “Feeling Lost,” and “Crying God’s Tears,” Abingdon Preaching Annual 2013, David N. Mosser, ed. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2012.

“Service with a Smile,” Baptists Today, February 2012.

“1.6 Billion Served,” Baptists Today, March 2011. 24.

“A Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Church Behavior,” Baptists Today, September 2011. 31.

“A Preacher Looks at Fifty,” Baptists Today, April 2011. 28.

“A Worshipping Church,” Lectionary Homiletics. October/November 2011. 45-47.

“Bluff the Reader,” Baptists Today, August 2011. 31.

“Bread of Heaven,” Baptists Today, October 2011. 31.

recent faculty publications

The ancient sage of the second century B.C., ben Sirach, commented, “from morning to evening conditions change; all things move swiftly before the Lord” (Sir 18:26, NRSV). Never has change been more pervasive. We are all racing to understand and adjust to the changes that impact our lives, hence the image of guiding a raft down a fast-flowing river. American society is changing. The demographics, economics, and politics of American culture are changing. The middle class is eroding, and African-Americans have experienced disproportional losses. Under the headline, “African-Americans See Gains Reversed,” David Markiewicz reported that “black Americans continue to have markedly higher unemployment rates than other ethnic groups.”1 The report continues, “persistent joblessness among African-Americans—and its effect on home ownership and wealth building—is raising

concerns about the future of a black middle class that had grown to become a potent economic force in cities such as Atlanta.” Similarly, asset disparity is 47-1 for older vs. younger Americans, five times what it was a quarter-century ago, and the greatest disparity ever recorded: “The median net worth for the younger-age households was $3,662, down by 68 percent from a quarter century ago, according to the analysis by the Pew Research Center,” reported Hope Yen.2 Coming changes in Medicare, regardless of who wins the elections this year, will also impact Americans over 65.3

Churches are changing.Les Robinson, Jr., in a column for the Center for Congregational Health documents what we are all aware of: “Organized religion in America is in a slump. Numbers of regular attenders are down

the challenges of changeLife on a Raft in a River Life on a Raft in a River the challenges of change

the challenges of changeLife on a Raft in a River Life on a Raft in a River the challenges of changeacross all denominations and many congregations are struggling with dwindling attendance and shrinking finances.” The decline has been especially dramatic among mainstream Protestant denominations. In the period between 2005 and 2010, “the median Oldline Protestant congregation saw their average worship attendance move from 179 to 73”—a 59 percent decline!4 Family and leisure activities, including league sporting events, for example, are now regularly scheduled on Sundays. In urban centers the effects are especially visible as congregational life no longer occupies the place it once did in the social life of its families.

Theological education is changing.From 2006 to 2010, the total enrollment of all ATS accredited schools has declined from 80,388 to 75,898.5 All enrollment increases have been in new schools, persons of color, and women students. The average student debt is over $20,000, and many schools are spending capital from the corpus of their endowment. The number of students in 30-50 age range is shrinking: fewer mid-career adults are changing careers. Schools have responded by catering to the needs of students with intensive, short-term courses, evening courses, weekend courses, courses offered off campus, and on-line and hybrid courses. Predictably, at the biennial ATS meeting this summer, policies related to residency requirements and the length of the M.Div. program are up for debate.

McAfee is constantly changing.The faculty has adopted a new curriculum (the first major overhaul since the school opened), which will go into effect in the fall. The new curriculum reduces the number of required courses while requiring all M.Div. students to choose a track. Areas that have had two semesters of foundational courses (OT, NT, CH, TH, EVM) will now have a one-semester survey course. A new introduction to theological research and writing will be implemented. Students who have taken religion courses as undergraduates will bypass foundational courses in these areas and move on to elective courses. The faculty is also experiencing changes. Drs. Ron Johnson and Larry McSwain retired at the end of December—and we will sorely miss them! Dr. Dock Hollingsworth will become Assistant Professor of Leadership, and the faculty is conducting

search processes that will lead to the appointment of new professors for Missions and Pastoral Care in July 2012. Last year McAfee began offering courses at Mercer’s regional academic center in Henry County, and its first on-line courses. The Center for Teaching Churches is steadily becoming more robust, offering resources for ministers and congregations and support for McAfee graduates in congregational ministries. These changes at McAfee illustrate the school’s approach to the challenges of our time.

• This is a time for informed leaders and strategic thinking. Stressful times require that we have good information, plan carefully, and make strategic choices. Changes invariably create new opportunities and needs. Those who are in a position to meet those needs will prosper and succeed. To meet new needs with limited resources, however, we must reduce investments in lower priorities, as painful as that may be.

• Change offers the opportunity to prioritize what is important, make differences that matter, and position our families, churches, and communities for the future. Networking is more important than ever, so stay connected—and stay connected to McAfee. We may be hurtling down a river on a raft, but

• The changes occurring all around us require renewed faith and faithfulness. Our faith provides strength and perspective. James voices assurance of God’s constancy: God is “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (Jam 1:17 NRS). And the Psalmist said, “therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah” (Ps 46:2-3 NRSV). God has called us to be leaders and ministers at a time when people need “the assurance of things hoped for” (Heb 11:1).

Paddle hard. There are more rapids ahead!

_R. Alan Culpepper

we are on the raft together, and if we paddle together we can steer the raft through the current.

Larry McSwain and Ron Johnsonan interview

What has been your most memorable experiences as a professor?

Dr. McSwain Dr. Johnson

As I look back on my time, the collegiality of the faculty has been extraordinary. We really are friends as well as teachers, and that has been very meaningful for me. There is more community here than in most seminary environments.

Of course, I must say the students. Their stories and

struggles and the times when students came to my office to talk gave me an opportunity to share a few encouraging words with them outside of class…The

faces of these students will ever be important to me.

Which of your courses has influenced you personally the most?That one’s easy – Change and

Conflict in the Church. I devel-oped this course over my years of teaching. In short, this class influenced me the most because it’s where I personally learned the most.

I have really enjoyed teaching Missiology. Getting students

to understand God’s missional heart is vital in my mind. Bringing others to the knowl-

edge of Jesus as Lord and helping churches partner with God in redemptive ways is what we should be

about.

Larry McSwain and Ron Johnson

What do you think is distinctive about McAfee?It’s diversity. I taught for 23 years at South-ern Seminary and the difference in the makeup of the student body here is night and day. There’s a much greater gender and racial inclusiveness and theologi-cal variety at McAfee that makes for a yeastier kind of learning environment.

There really are many things…however, I

would have to point to the faculty. Friends who teach at other places tell me that what we have at McAfee is

special. To have a faculty where we love one another and respect one another is a gift. I think it shines

through to the students.

What have you found most rewarding and meaningful about teaching at McAfee?

How has theological education changed over the course of your teaching career? What has been gained, and what has been lost?

What advice, challenge, or encouragement would you give to current students and alumni?

The freedom of expres-sion. McAfee is a very free place where faculty can explore new ideas without fear of some adminis-trator coming down on them. This academic freedom is amazing and a little scary, but a wonderful strength.

The most rewarding part to me has been the

philosophy of Alan Cul-pepper. He has viewed the faculty as a baseball team

where each one of us has certain strengths. He lets us play our position and use our talents with freedom.

I hate to sound like an old geezer...but I think

some things have in-deed changed: smaller

schools, more part-time students, increase in cost of seminary education, and grade inflation! But we have

gained something very significant...more women in seminary who have a real chance to shape ministry in

creative ways for the future.

It’s changed in variety of students attending semi-naries. More women, older students, and more minority students are attending than when I began teaching. The biggest gain birthed from these chang-es is a renewed focus on globalization. Theological education is more ethnic. It also has more specializa-tion in the practice of ministry. Unfortunately, there is less focus on the classical disciplines. Students today are less focused on the core biblical, theological, and historical coursework that was more central in theo-logical education fifty years ago.

First, we must be open to global experiences. In our line of world, more students and alums need

to invest their lives in overseas ventures. Secondly, the church is not perfect. Congrega-tions are clay pots. But I believe in the church more now than I ever have. Keeping the church central is my encouragement.

My challenge would be to let God write your

resume. You were called by God into this ministry; now let God direct you in every way. Don’t kick open any doors...instead, let God open them for you. Approach it all in a

spirit of humility and prayer. Let God lead. Walk through

the doors God opens. And in the end, after you have been in ministry for 30 or

40 years, you will look back over your shoulder and be

amazed at the resume that God has written.

Find the full interview here: http://bit.ly/yyZm4n

I have had, for quite some time, an interest in the influence of the

wisdom tradition on the shaping of the book of Psalms. In 2010,

I signed a contract with Liturgical Press to write the commentary

on Psalms 90-150 in their series titled “The Wisdom Commentary.”

When I was granted a sabbatical leave for the fall for 2011, I spent a

month at Philipps University in Marburg, Germany, dialoguing with

their professors about the wisdom tradition and the book of psalms.

The reflections below are the culmination of that month of reflection

in Marburg and fodder for the Liturgical Press commentary. “ ”

I have been a student of the book of Psalms for twenty years. During the past ten years I have ex-tensively studied Book Five of the Psalter, Psalms 107-150. I maintain its “shape” provides clues to the overall “shaping” of the Psalter. What do I mean? Let us read a literary piece, say a book of the Bible, from its beginning to its end and proceeded backward through it--seeking the meaning of the in-between from the way it ends and begins. Might we gain a deeper understanding of its meaning? Thomas Mann, in The Book of the Torah: The Narrative Integrity of the Pentateuch, writes this about the Pentateuch, “The meaning of a story is often significantly deter-mined by the way it ends.” The Pentateuch ends with Moses’ death and the people camped outside the land of promise; the Pentateuch’s ending in-forms our reading of all of Genesis through Deu-teronomy. In like manner the ending of the Psalter informs our reading of the entire book. Two terms are key to understanding this study: shape and shaping. By “shape,” I suggest that every biblical book is a unified whole with a

logical arrangement of texts within it; we can read each from its beginning to its end and find coher-ence. By “shaping,” I maintain that the biblical books are products of communities of faith and that understanding who those communities were is crucial to fully understanding the texts. Such an approach may seem rudimentary--we certainly read, say the books of Genesis and Matthew as connected wholes. But the Psalter is a collection of individual hymns and prayers, each a discreet unit with its own “story-line.” We study individual psalms with little or no regard for their contexts within the book itself. But what if we approached the book of Psalms like the book of Genesis, as a connected whole, a story with a beginning, middle, and end? Those who study the Psalter think they have come up with its story-line: Book One consists of psalms of David (Psalms 3-41) to which Psalms 1 and 2 are add-ed as introductory words. Psalm 1 presents two paths in life—the wicked or the righteous. Its open-ing words are “Ashre (usually translated “happy”

Nancy L. deClaisse-Walford

“The Book of Psalms:Reading Backwards from the Beginning”

”or “blessed,” but better rendered as “content”) is the person who does not follow the advice of the wicked.” The wicked person is like chaff that the wind blows away, but the righteous person, through diligent meditation on the torah, is like a tree firmly planted by a stream; it grows and flourishes. Psalm 2 introduces the theme of royalty—for ancient Israel, royalty from the line of David. But in Psalm 2 the theme has a twist: God, not human-ity, determines who will be king and what role that king will play. Psalm 2 ends with the same word with which Psalm 1 begins--“Ashre are the ones who take refuge in God.” The remainder of Book One (Pss 3-41) and Book Two (Pss 42-72) recount the Israel’s life dur-ing the kingship of David and David’s naming of Solomon as his successor. The majority of the psalms in the two books are attributed, in their superscriptions, to David. Book Three (Pss 73-89) reflects the time of Solomon, the period of the di-vided kingdoms, the fall of the Northern Kingdom to the Assyrians in 721, and the eventual fall of Je-rusalem to the Babylonians in 586. Book Four (Pss

90-106) addresses the time of the Exile in Babylon. Book Five (Pss 107-150) recounts the return from Exile to Jerusalem, the rebuilding of the Temple, and life in postexilic Jerusalem. The Israelites are permitted by the Persians to return to the land; they rebuild the temple; and they are allowed to resume their religious practices, so long as those practices do not contradict the laws of the Persian Empire. Thus, temple and cult are restored, but the Israelite nation is not. We may conclude, therefore, that the story of the Psalter is a summons to postexilic Israel to review its history, to understand that in its new life-setting having an earthly king like David is no lon-ger possible, and to see that the way to survive in the present circumstance is to acknowledge God, rather than a Davidic king, as sovereign.

Thus we have the shape of the Psalter.

To read more click here: http://bit.ly/x5QEPJ

Lecture at Philipps University in Marburg, GermanyNovember 9, 2011

abraham dengfocus on a current student

My name is Abraham Deng. I am a first year

seminary student at McAfee as well as one of

whom the United Nations calls “The Lost Boys of

Sudan.” Here is my story.

abraham dengI was six years of age when I was separated from my parents in 1987 due to civil war between Christians and Muslims in Sudan. I was at the cattle camp tending cows when Sudan’s government military and militia forces attacked my village of Duk in southern Sudan. Due to the confusion of war, I joined the groups of other children and we all ran into the jungle to seek protection. I walked in the jungle barefoot for three months, which was over a thousand miles.

I did not carry any food with me, which forced me to survive from leaves, roots, fruits, birds, dead animals, and whatever I could find. In extreme situations, I drank dirty water and wet mud in order to stay alive from thirst. Trekking in the jungle with other thousands of unaccompanied children from southern Sudan, I was also subjected to aerial bombardments, disease, starvation, rains, extreme cold and mosquitoes. At various occasions, I became exhausted to the point that I did not want to walk any further. My feet were so rough they constantly kept bleeding despite how many times I tried to wrap them with tree bark.

In spite of the extreme conditions, some of us were able to persevere. There were, however, times when

I kept thinking about my parents and siblings whom I thought to be dead as a result of the military and militia attacks on my village. There were other times that I saw the extremities and other remains of the kids eaten by the lions and hyenas. I also cried when I saw dead bodies placed horizontally on the paths and others tied on the trees.

We slept during the day and walked at night. There were over 20,000 of us, who got separated from our parents and forced to seek refuge for our dear lives.

and I settled in a Pignudo Refugee Camp. Fortunately, the United Nations provided us humanitarian relief through the Ethiopian government. I had to live on individual kernels of corn and a few beans every day. I would still go to the jungle to get leaves, roots and fruits. Sadly, my world of hope was turned upside down when I lost my cousins and friends as a result of disease and starvation. I could

not believe when I participated in digging my cousins’ and friends’ graves.

Unfortunately, life became more difficult due to the civil war in Ethiopia. We were forced out of Ethiopia at gunpoint back to Sudan in 1991 when the new regime came into power. We trekked six months across Sudan barefoot to Kenya in 1992. We were chased into Gilo River back to southern Sudan.

But another older Lost Boy encouraged me to hold on his shoulder and to have faith in God. I immediately recalled Daniel’s story when he was thrown into the lions’ den and was rescued by the Angel of the Lord. By faith, we both jumped into the water while holding on his shoulder and kept kicking my legs into the water. Only by the Lord’s grace, love and mighty power, both of us made it to the other side of the river safely. Unfortunately, about 2,000 other children died in Gilo River on that day as a result of enemy shootings, crocodiles and drowning.

It is a great miracle that I am still alive today!

I was only wearing a pair of shorts and had no shoes.

I cried.

I finally made my way to Ethiopia after three months of walking,

I finally made my way to Ethiopia after three months of walking,

I still remember putting soil on their dead bodies. I was seven years old.

I did not know how to swim and had decided to die on the other side of the river.

I did not know how to swim and had decided to die on the other side of the river.

As I struggled to save my dear life through whatever I could find in the midst of my subjection to such horrible conditions without parental supervision and care, I became quite inquisitive in questioning my existence and God’s superpower over the creation. I had been down to earth with streams of tears rolling down from my eyes as I prayed to the Lord to provide answers to my questions as to what had become of my life. In the darkest days of my life, I would ask myself these questions:

To read my full story: http://bit.ly/wSXDjy

“Where is God?”“Why would God do this?”

“Why did God separate me from my parents?” “How do I survive on leaves, roots,

and fruits, birds and dead animals?”

_Abraham Deng

mcafee school of Theologymercer universiTy

Equipping women and men called of God for authentic ministry

ProGrams offErEd:master of arts in Christian ministry

master of divinitymdiv/master of Business administration

mdiv/master of science in Clinical mental Health Counselingmdiv/master of science in Nonprofit Leadership

doctor of ministry

Engage your call

3001 Mercer University Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30341(678) 547-6474 • (888) 471-9922 theoadmiss@mercer.edu

Offering courses in Atlanta, McDonough and online, McAfee offers you a fully integrated

curriculum, nationally recognized Christian scholars, a broad network of

partner churches, and a beautiful campus in one of the nation’s most popular cities.

Visit us year-round when classes are in session.

theology.mercer.edu

McAfeeAd11_Smyth&Helwys_StudyGuide.indd 1 5/10/11 12:33 PM

Center for Theology and Public Life

The Center for Theology and Public Life was founded in 2010 by Dr. David Gushee at Mercer University. Though it is located at McAfee School of Theology on the Atlanta campus, the CTPL serves the wider Mercer University community, often co-sponsoring events on the Macon campus.

history

past eventsWe hope to show, through all of our events and activities, that religion, and in particular the Christian ethical values so central to the history of the United States and the historic vision of Mercer University, can make an indispensable contribution to a better country and better world.

The common good – moral passion – love of neighbor – service to the marginalized – human dignity – these are the themes taken up by Center events. We hope you will find ways to participate!

“

”David Gushee

upcomingevents

Feb

27-2

8

2012Self LecturesCo-Sponsored by CTPL and McAfeeFeaturing Brian McLaren“Preaching Peace in a Crumbling Empire”

Apr 19-21A [Baptist] Conference on Sexuality and CovenantCo-Sponsored by CTPL and CBFFirst Baptist Church, Decaturhttp://ctpl.mercer.edu/sponsored-events/upcoming.cfm

Christian Faith, Moral Values, and Public Service: Two Views from Capitol HillFeaturing Joshua Trent and Katie Paris

Oct 4, 2011

Latino Evangelicals, Immigration, and Global Church

Conversations withRev. Gabriel Salguero

at Mercer University in Macon

Oct 11-12, 2010

To learn more, visit us atctpl.mercer.eduGo here to read more about Dr. David Gushee: davidpgushee.com

ctpl.mercer.edu/sponsored-events/past.cfm

http://theology.mercer.edu/programs-events/self-preaching-lectures/

Churches play an essential role in the preparation of new ministers. No school can do the job by itself. To be successful, ministers need the knowledge, experi-ence, skills, and encouragement that they can only acquire in a local church. A teaching church, as the Center uses the term, is one that affirms that teach-ing new ministers is part of its mission and joins with McAfee in developing the institutional structure to support new McAfee graduates as they make the transition into ministry.

What is a Teaching Church?

For recent McAfee graduates, the Center provides benefits including:

How do I get our church involved?

Minister Support CommitteeTheological Reflection and feedback

Monthly consultation with trained ministry coachesPeer group memberships

Established curriculum for spiritual nourishment

Participation in programs

by the Center

Having a ministry coach to walk with me through new leadership experiences has proven to be invalu-able. Young ministers may be able to get by without a coach, but I’m not sure why anyone would take such a critical risk.“ ”Rev. Rusty Grace (‘10), Associate Minister: Youth

Haddock Baptist Church, Georgia

Email or call Dr. Ron Grizzle, Director of the Center for Teaching Churches to explore how your church can become a Teaching Church. (678) 547-6479

grizzle_rh@mercer.eductc.mercer.edu

Lydia’s housemissiology with Trey and Jennifer Lyon

Lydia’s House began as a ministry of Park Avenue Baptist Church to offer housing to churches and mission groups coming to serve the city. Since we’ve joined the process, we’ve expanded the scope of Lydia’s House to facilitate missional engagement in Atlanta through an urban immersion program. Our new goal is to offer a field lab for churches to cultivate missional awareness. Both Jen and I grew up in and around Atlanta. As we began to discern God’s will for us as missionaries, we realized CBF had no active field personnel living and serving in Atlanta. We began to consider that God was up to something new—something that fused the two aims of CBF to create missional churches and foster involvement among the “least of these” around the globe. That’s when we decided, thanks in giant part to Park Avenue Baptist, to pursue becoming CBF Field Personnel. And at the 2011 General Assembly, our dream became a reality. Much of the first six months has been spent renovating Lydia’s House and preparing space for our After-School Program. With the help of multiple volunteers and donations, we have renovated Lydia’s House and have created rooms for the after school program.

Mercer University’s Atlanta Campus donated 49 twin-size mattresses to Lydia’s House, which not only provides mission teams a more comfortable stay, but also adds to our total capacity. We can now house 70 people thanks to the generosity of Mercer! In the next few months we look forward to bringing Jen on as full-time field personnel, which requires us to raise an additional $19,000—quite a challenge. Bringing her on full-time, though, will help us fulfill our vision to expand our After-School program to a 5-day a week schedule. We definitely covet the prayers and financial support of the McAfee community during this exciting time! In terms of Lydia’s House, our biggest surprise has been the response we have received whenever people find out about us. There’s a hymn that says “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy.”

I think it may just as easily be said that there is a wideness in God’s kingdom that we often overlook.

I am grateful to those who are drawn to what God is doing in Atlanta, and we embrace the diversity of God’s kingdom! So thank you to all who have supported us thus far! Within the After-School Program, we have learned what many in church already know—teenagers are teenagers regardless of context. So it shouldn’t surprise us in how open our After-School youth are in

The body of Christ is at its best when we ackowledge the gifts, talents and resources God has given us and put them together to help bring the Kingdom here and now.

“”

Lydia’s housefocus on alumni

talking about their experiences—from poverty and violence, to their abilities and dreams for the future. Their optimism and realism is contagious. It gives us a renewed sense of hope about our vocation. The single greatest challenge we face, though, is genuine ignorance—people who do not know, and perhaps are not willing, to consider the circumstances that make this work necessary. CBF’s stated mission is to seek and serve the most neglected individuals in any given community. This is exactly what we are doing. In the urban environment, amidst heavy gentrification, there are conflicting societies that rarely meet except in church or in acts of crime. It is our firm belief that we must increase church to end crime. Helping these two communities view each other as neighbor is a difficult task, yet it has its own reward as we press toward what Dr. King called “The Beloved Community.” Jesus’s answer to the lawyer who asks, “Who, then, is my neighbor?” is to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan. The short answer to Jesus’ parable is or “all of humankind.” This is where we start. We try to offer people a place to come and see, to learn and experience—a place to uproot

from their every-day context and step into a new world full of people who are soon-to-be neighbors. It is the Holy Spirit then, that sets the spark of the missional imagination—a spark which, when fanned into flame in its native context, can inspire churches and individuals to transform their communities by knowing and serving their neighbors. So come and see us! Let us show you what God is doing in our little corner of this terrestrial ball. We hope that your holy curiosity will lead you to ask new questions and dream new dreams of God’s kingdom in your community. As partner-funded field personnel, we derive 100% of our salary and ministry budget from churches and individuals who feel called to join us in what God is doing in Southeast Atlanta. If you feel God leading you to be a part, or you’d just like to find out more about us and our work, please check out thelyonfamily.org and urbanvillageministries.org.

We would love to dream with you about what God might be calling us to do together. _Trey Lyon

Tell us about yourself and how God has led you to Park Avenue Baptist.

I grew up in Fayetteville, GA. I came to know Christ and was baptized in 6th grade. I went to Shorter College and was called to my first church, Second Baptist of Cedartown, as an associate minister to youth. I stayed nearly five year till the summer before my final year at McAfee. My wife, Tiffany, and I both felt our next call was to the pastoral role. Truett Gannon and Joel Harrison arranged for me to preach as a supply preacher at Park Avenue Baptist. There were eight older adults in attendance. Those eight, however, really had a missional passion to recommit to the community and use the church building in creative ways. So, I stayed while at McAfee, received a Lilly Grant to stay another two years, at which point the church had grown to be able to sustain a full time pastor.

When did you first feel God leading you to partner with Trey and Jennifer Lyon?

We envisioned Lydia’s House about six years ago. Even then I had a vision of one day having someone take it to the level Trey and Jenn are beginning to do. Also, for years I had been saying to anyone who would listen that CBF needed a field personnel presence in the city of Atlanta. About two years ago, Trey and I began to toy with the idea of that presence being them. Those jovial conversations eventually turned into serious, “could this really work” conversations about two years ago.

What has been the biggest surprise since bringing Jennifer and Trey on board?

How well Trey and Jenn work with the teens...and how much clarity Trey has brought to the Lydia’s House ministry. Trey has expressed goals for the ministry that I had deep down, but had never known how to express or make a reality.

How have you been able to help the members at Park Avenue catch such a missional vision?

I believe in constant vision casting. I do two things...I try to celebrate everything possible. Every little thing we do that brings us closer to our missional goal, I believe should be celebrated. Secondly, I try to keep our mission in front of our folks. Constantly talking about what we are doing is important in maintaining clarity for doing God’s Kingdom work here in the city.

What are your hopes for Lydia’s House for the near future?

I would love to see it grow to be a better asset for CBF churches. I am glad for the ecumenical work of Lydia’s House. But, I would love to see us facilitate more CBF churches working in downtown Atlanta.

How has McAfee prepared you to be where you are today?

I felt very prepared to go into the pastoral role upon graduation. I was blessed to have professors who taught with a high level of academic excellence, but at the end of the day I knew they loved and valued the local church. I knew they would be somewhere worshiping and leading on Sunday morning. I learned to love and value the local church because my professors loved and valued the local church.

Interview withTony LankfordPastor,ParkAvenueBaptistChurch

I remember the day, as a child, when our family went to the Carver’s home for lunch in 1953. Years later my father served as the W. O. Carver professor of Missions and World Religions, a chair that meant a great deal to him because of the formative influence Carver had on his life. From his student days my father was drawn to Carver’s progressive spirit, his breadth of learning, his social conscience, and his devotion to missions. This book is Mark Wilson’s dissertation, completed under the direction of Dr. Wayne Flint at Auburn University. Wilson (McAfee M.Div., 2000) sets Carver’s career in the social, intellectual, and religious movements of the early twentieth century in the South, and more specifically among Baptists, and in the history of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Carver (1868-1954) was a progressive conservative and for most of his long career professor of comparative religion and missions. He stood against the champions of Landmarkism, rejecting rebaptism of those who had been immersed as believers in other denominations, and working to bring Baptists to a broader view of their place in the Christian world and its mission. He led in efforts to provide education for women. He was a leading force in the establishment of the Woman’s Missionary Training School in 1907, and he delivered the first report of the Woman’s Missionary Union to the SBC in 1913 because a woman was not allowed to speak to the convention. Wilson is careful in characterizing Carver’s nuanced views, as Carver remained committed to core Baptist principles such as the spiritual experience of the believer, the autonomy of the local church, the authority of scripture, separation of church and state, and the centrality of missions, while at the same time working to free Baptists from obscurantist, provincial, and isolationist movements in their midst. At the height of the debate over evolution, Carver articulated a mediating position, teaching that the biblical

creation story is a theological rather a scientific text (Wilson, p. 70). At times, Carver trod a fine line when he found himself on the opposite side of issues from seminary presidents Mullins and Sampey. When Mullins led in the writing of the Baptist Faith and Message in 1925, Mullins wrote in his diary, “I am wholly opposed to their making such (or any) creed” (Wilson, p. 75). Carver was similarly skeptical of the Cooperative Program because he thought there should be stronger support for missions. Later, although he was a product of the southern culture of his time, Carver criticized Sampey for not allowing African Americans attending a conference to eat in the seminary cafeteria. Wilson has reminded us how deeply the issues that still divide Baptists are rooted in the controversies of the early twentieth century, and how greatly we are indebted to the vision and courage of Carver (and before him Whitsitt), for their efforts to move Baptists in the South beyond their provincial beginnings while holding steadfastly to the Bible, Baptist distinctives, and his passion for missions. _R. Alan Culpepper

William Owen Carver’s Controversies in the Baptist SouthReview of Mark R. Wilson’s (‘00) new book:

class notesScott Ford (M.Div. ’01) has been serving as Operations Coordinator with Passport, Inc. since August 2009. In May 2010, Scott and Dixie (M.Div. ‘08) welcomed their fourth and final child, Anna, following Allie, Amber, and Thomas. As of January 2012, their children are ages 1, 2, 6, & 7.

W. Brent Jones (M.Div. ‘01) received a PhD in American History from the University of Virginia in May 2011. His dissertation was entitled “Moving Mountains: Southern Appalachia and the Faith of the Nation, 1730-1835.”

Andrea Dellinger Jones (M.Div. ‘02) received a D.Min. from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond in May 2011. Andrea serves as the senior pastor at Millbrook Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC and teaches as an adjunct professor at Duke Divinity School.

Michelle Brooks Garber (M.Div. ’03) graduated from Mercer University with a Ph.D, in Educational Leadership and is currently serving as Assistant to the Dean at McAfee of School of Theology.

Ginny Brewer-Boydston (M.Div. ‘04) graduated December 2011 from Baylor University with her Ph.D. in Biblical Studies with an emphasis in Old Testament.

Stephanie Little Coyne (M.Div. ‘05) is serving as a hospice chaplain in Louisiana and

gave birth to a daughter, Annie Brennen, in November 2010.

Teresa Anderson Franklin (M.Div. ’06) was ordained February 28, 2010, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and has been serving as Stated Supply Pastor, Mount Hermon Presbyterian Church, Ila, Georgia since January 2010.

Josh Hughes (M.Div. ’06) and his wife Ginger celebrated the birth of their little girl, Ella Grace Hughes, on September 24, 2011. She was 19 1/2 “ long and weighed 7 lbs 12 oz.

Tina Cansler Clark (M.Div. ‘07) has moved to Macon, GA and is working as the Director of Spiritual Care and Bereavement Services at Hospice Care Options in Macon.

Dixie Ford (M.Div. ’08) Dixie has been serving as Minister of Youth & Children with Crosscreek Baptist Church in Pelham, Alabama since January 2011. In May 2010, Dixie and Scott (M.Div. ’01) welcomed their fourth and final child, Anna, following Allie, Amber, and Thomas. As of January 2012, their children are ages 1, 2, 6, & 7.

Michael Oliver (D.Min. ’08) accepted a call to be pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Madison, Alabama in December 2011.

Yolanda Fountain (M.Div. ’09) is serving as a therapist (LAPC, NCC) at Laurel Heights

Hospital and is currently a Ph.D. student in Counselor Education & Supervision at Mercer University.

Kristen Ivy is living in Cumming Georgia with her husband and two children: Sawyer (2) and Hensley (3 months). She attends Browns Bridge Community Church and is currently the Creative Director for 252 Basics and all children’s resources produces by Orange.

Barrett Owen (M.Div. ’10) accepted a call to pastor National Heights Baptist Church (Fayetteville, GA) in November 2010 and married Noelle Spears in March 2011.

John Rogers (M.Div. ’10) was called as the Student Minister to First Baptist Church Fort Payne, AL

Kara (Blankenship) Wheeler (M.Div. ‘10) married Chris Wheeler, of Charlotte, NC in May of 2011, at Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain, GA and served as Minister to Families with Children and Youth at Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church, Atlanta, GA until September 2011. She is currently serving as Minister with Preschool and Families at Central Baptist Church of Bearden, Knoxville, TN.

Timothy W. Shirley (D.Min. ‘11) was called in November 2011 to serve as the settled pastor of First Congregational United Church of Christ in Big Timber, Montana.

‘01

‘02

‘03

‘04

‘05

‘06

‘07

‘08

‘09

‘10

‘11

for all the references in these articles

Dean Culpepper’s column “Life on a Raft in a River: The Challenges of Change”

1 David Markiewicz, “African-Americans See Gains Reversed,” Atlanta Journal Constitution, September 23, 2011, A1, A10.2 Hope Yen, “Downturn Widens Nation’s Wealth Gap,” Atlanta Journal Constitution, November 7, 2011, A3.3 Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “Medicare Future Faces Big Changes,” Atlanta Journal Constitution, January 2, 2012, A1.4 Les Robinson, Jr., “Honest Options for a Declining Faith Community,” The Doorpost Weekly Newsletter, January 2, 2012.5 http://www.ats.edu/Resources/PublicationPresentations/Documents/AnnualDataTables/2010-11Annual; Table 2.2-A Head Count Enrollment – All Member Schoolsfr

om p

ages

10

& 1

1:

from pages 14 & 15:Dr. Nancy deClaisse-Walford column “The Book of Psalms: Reading Backwards from the Beginning”

1 Thomas W. Mann, The Book of the Torah: The Narrative Integrity of the Pentateuch (Atlanta; John Knox Press, 1988), 157.

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