Michael Pahl leaves Cedarville: Does it matter 'why' Christian professors agree with their colleges' doctrine?
“I hold to a historical Adam and Eve, though not on exegetical grounds,” Pahl wrote in his defense to trustees, which CT obtained. “My reasons are more theological in nature….”
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It’s an odd way to frame the issue. There are really two propositions at stake:
- Are Adam and Even historical?
- Does Genesis teach that Adam and Eve are historical?
Cedarville is basically saying you must believe both to teach there. Good for them.
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
yes.
Hoping to shed more light than heat..
Ah, the modern American church in all it’s tarnished glory.
“It doesn’t make sense,” said Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga. “It does damage to a college atmosphere to pretend there’s no sensible diversity of opinion among Christians.”
Diversity reigns supreme. Who cares if we gut the foundational 3 chapters of the Bible. Who cares if we gut Paul’s reasoning behind the Gospel. As long as we exult the college atmosphere. Used to be that verbal, plenary, infallible, unlimitedly inerrant inspiration was considered a fundamental of the faith. Fundamentals schmundamentals - we’re all God’s children today no matter what we decide to believe in our postmodern approach to Christianity.
Frankly, I’m not even sure what the guy means when he says he affirms literal Adam for literary reasons but not exegetical reasons. What does that even mean - I believe what the text says but not because the text says it?
Why is it that my voice always seems to be loudest when I am saying the dumbest things?
Chip,
Evangelical hermeneutics is getting fixated on literary genres and structure and often that trumps the words and grammar in context. They use it to mess with the propositional nature of Scripture; they use it to mess with the creation chapters; they use it to mess with the covenants; they use it to mess with prophecy.
Basically, motifs and genres can be and are used to make Scripture teach nearly anything. It comes down to, “Except you receive my word like a modern biblical scholar you cannot be my disciple.” Okay, that’s a bit much, but more and more the Bible is being made the domain of “specialists.” Just my ten cents :-)
Dr. Paul Henebury
I am Founder of Telos Ministries, and Senior Pastor at Agape Bible Church in N. Ca.
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