‘Putting Theology Back Into Practice’ was the title of the John Owen Centre conference on 7–8 September at the London Theological Seminary.
What is the role of theology in our pragmatic age? Six speakers tackled the subject ably from a variety of viewpoints over two days.
Dilemmas
Beginning with the biblical data, Colin Burcombe (Northern Ireland) and Alistair Wilson (Highland Theological College) addressed Old and New Testament examples respectively. Colin took the account of Isaac in Genesis 26 to show both principle and pragmatism in the patriarch’s life and how each worked out for him. Alistair focused on 1 Corinthians 9 and the apostle’s statement that he ‘became all things to all people’. He showed how Paul addressed different facets of the gospel message with different audiences (e.g. Acts 13, 17) and how his language and approach differed in each case.
