KANSAS CITY, Mo – Midwestern Seminary released its Fall 2022 issue of the Midwestern Journal of Theology on December 20, featuring works by several of the institution’s faculty as well as theologians and pastors from across the country.
The fall edition began with four paper presentations that were given at the Midwestern Seminary 2022 Spurgeon Library Conference. Article topics ranged from preaching and the Lord’s Day to pastoral care and church discipline. Additional articles featured a vision for theological higher education and an encouraging reminder for pastors and ministry leaders.
Midwestern Seminary President Jason Allen said of the Journal’s newest edition, “I am particularly thankful for this edition of the Midwestern Journal of Theology. The articles and book reviews in this edition are rich and helpful, and I pray they get a wide readership. I want to give a special word of thanks to Michael McMullen who did a great job of assembling this edition of the journal.”
In the Journal’s opening remarks, Midwestern Seminary Professor of Church History and Editor of the Midwestern Journal of Theology Michael McMullen stated, “Once again, I would like to express my sincere thanks to all who have contributed to make this happen. Special mention goes to Dr. Jason Duesing, Provost and Academic Editor, for all his invaluable assistance; to Dr. Blake Hearson for all the time and energy he invests in each issue; and to Mrs. Caitlin Collins for all she does so patiently and efficiently in the background.”
He went on to say, “We are again blessed to publish a rich and varied assortment of articles for this issue, and we are always very grateful for the many articles we receive.”
The first of these articles, written by Tom Nettles, senior professor of historical theology at Southern Seminary, was titled, “Unwavering in the Cause of Truth: The Consistent Preaching Witness of C.H. Spurgeon.” In the article, Nettles argued that Spurgeon displayed his personal investment not only in the sermon, but also in the issues of his day and the eternal weight of the truth he preached.
Brandon Rhea, pastor at Faith Baptist Church in Kirksville, MO, authored the Journal’s second piece, “Three Sabbath Controversies in the Life of C.H. Spurgeon.” Rhea surveyed three controversies in Spurgeon’s life to display his firm conviction in keeping the Fourth Commandment.
Richard Sams, pastor at Calhoun Baptist Church in Calhoun, KY, wrote the third article entitled, “Pastoral Thanatology: An Exegetical Examination of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 as a Theological Model of Ministry to the Grieving.” In this article, Sams advocated that pastors must “proclaim the Word of God during times of great sorrow if they are going to offer any true solace.”
The fourth article, also featured in the 2022 Spurgeon Library Conference with the previous three articles, was authored by Colton Strother who serves as an instructional designer at Midwestern Seminary. The article was titled, “Protecting the Sheep of Goat Yard Chapel: John Gill’s Doctrine of Church Discipline.” Strother, working from Gill’s understanding of ecclesiology, argued that a healthy understanding of church discipline should flow naturally from a healthy understand of the doctrine of the church.
The Journal concluded with two articles dedicated for the church. The first was by Midwestern Seminary Research Professor of Old Testament Jason DeRouchie titled, “A Biblical Vision for Theological Higher Education.” As DeRouchie posited in the article, “Faithful theological higher education can benefit Christ’s universal church and serve as an agent for extending the church’s mission on earth.”
Davy Ellison, director of training at Irish Baptist College in Northern Ireland, authored the final article in the fall edition, entitled, “The One and Only?” In this piece, Ellison spoke to temptations pastors may experience in believing they are the one and only for their church and sought to reorient this type of thinking to God as the One and Only for their church.
In addition to the scholarly articles, the Journal includes several relevant and thought-provoking book reviews, many of which were written by Midwestern Seminary doctoral students.
Midwestern Seminary’s Journal of Theology is available in print version for subscribers. To subscribe, contact the Academic Office at (816) 414-3745 or ccollins@mbts.edu.
Additionally, guests may view the issue in its entirety for free on the seminary’s website, mbts.edu/journal.
