Inspire, Winter 2005

Inspire 17 Christian education, comprehensive Bible, international studies- missiology, pastoral studies, philosophy, and preseminary Bible, along with our newly revised women’s ministry minor. Each student has the incredible opportunity to learn from 20 full-time faculty members in our department. Those who teach and mentor in the department are qualified academically as well as experientially. Our professors possess long-term and successful ministry track records. This combination of ministry experience and academic ability helps to create a biblically balanced and relevant atmosphere for each student as they prepare for life and vocational ministry. Hence, each student can experience a broad range of educational experiences. Some of these in-class and out- of-class experiences include communicating their faith on a secular college campus, experiencing the reality of urban ministry from a homeless perspective, developing a discipleship plan for new Christians, discipling students, and impacting children, youth, or adults in various settings. In addition to more than 300 students majoring within the department of biblical education, we have the opportunity to impact each and every Cedarville student. Every student will minor in the Bible program in addition to majoring in their field of study. In this environment every student learns to think biblically, engage in personal Bible study, become familiar with both Testaments, and learn to apply truth to real-life situations. Another unique aspect of Cedarville entails the institutional priority of integrating faith and knowledge. While students are trained in the skills and knowledge to serve and excel in various fields such as nursing, history, media, etc., each student also learns how to integrate biblical truth with the knowledge of their specific discipline. This model of integration is reflected throughout campus. Currently about one in 10 students are involved each year in mission projects that take them (and their skills) around the world. In addition, about 80 different teams of students serve the greater Dayton and Cincinnati area in churches and various community organizations. In today’s Postmodern culture, where answers to basic life- shaping questions are being redefined (for example, “What is marriage?”“What is the family?”“What is truth?”“What is right or wrong?”“What is the nature of man?”“What is the best way to change people for the better?”), there is a need for students to have the skills and training necessary to respond biblically. I cherish the call and opportunity to educate and equip students as I help them engage and impact the world for Christ. Two Sermons of Major Impact by Dr. David Mappes At the turn of the 20th century, the church faced significant and multi-faceted challenges. Industrial changes in the latter half of the 19th century were transforming rural American society into a rapidly growing, urban, industrial, fast-paced society. Social changes, however, were not the only challenge the church encountered. The very essence and understanding of the gospel and truth were challenged. Harry Emerson Fosdick (a noted liberal spokesman) claimed that the church could no longer debate between old historical theology and the new theology but rather, Fosdick contended, the church must decide between either no theology or the new theology (see Harry Emerson Fosdick, Christianity and Progress , New York: Flemming H. Revell, 74-76). Fosdick was convinced the church’s historic positions on essential matters of truth were incorrect. Fosdick advocated this new theology and new understanding of the gospel as he preached his most famous sermon titled “Shall the Fundamentalist Win?” In this sermon he challenged the church to embrace a new, tolerant, more open, and less exclusive understanding of Christianity. He essentially redefined key doctrinal truths of Christianity. Fosdick and others redefined and thus denied the virgin birth, the Trinity, the deity of our precious Lord and His physical return, the historicity of various miracles including inspiration, and the substitutionary atonement, etc. Fosdick’s intent was to build a bridge between liberal churches and conservative churches. He continually cited new discoveries in science and literature as products of Modernism, which he argued should be used as a lens to reinterpret Scripture. Fosdick and others referred to those who did not embrace these new ideas and interpretative model as fundamentalist. While some conservative believers retreated and marginalized non-conservatives through reductionistic rhetoric, many believers rose up to clearly articulate, teach, and thus defend Scripture and the faith. Clarence E. Macartney was one such man. Macartney was an ordained Presbyterian minister and Princeton graduate. He responded to Fosdick’s sermon with a sermon of his own titled “Shall Unbelief Win?”Macartney biblically defended these key core beliefs of Christianity in his sermon and in more than 57 books. Macartney argued from the context of Scripture as he employed a grammatical historical model to surface the intention of the Scripture authors. This sermon and many others are a testament to the literary clarity of Scripture on these critical issues of the faith. Today, the 21st century church also faces incredible social and theological challenges. In recent years a number of critical interpretative issues have arisen in both the academic and evangelical community. These issues range from a redefinition of inspiration and inerrancy to redefining truth along with the knowability of truth and in some cases even denying the absoluteness and universality of truth. Other questions involve the interpretative process, the proper understanding of justification, matters of the atonement, the sufficiency of language to communicate truth, and the very nature of propositional revelation. Other issues include the fate of those who have not believed and those who have never heard the gospel. Many of these interpretative issues have to do with the nature, the resident authority, and the clarity of Scripture . The post-conservative movement offers many significant theological challenges today. Rather than allowing Modernism or Postmodernism to serve as a lens for interpreting Scripture, believers must maintain a high commitment to the full verbal inspiration and inerrancy of the Scriptures and, like Clarence E. Macartney, allow the Scriptures to speak to the issues of the day.