Out of the Closet!

I wasn't going to succumb to this meme but in the light of the fact that I have enjoyed reading the confessions of so many others, I felt duty bound to add my own contribution, not least as a way of getting out of a lack-of-blogging rut.

1.  I confess that, despite David Bentley Hart, I still love listening to Wagner (Bach as well mind you).

2.  I confess that some times I wonder whether I should really be a Roman Catholic, but that in the end I am not sure I could be anything other than a Baptist (despite some fundamental differences with much of what passes for standard Baptist opinion on matters liturgical, doctrinal or ethical).

3.  I confess that although I love Manchester and could live here my whole life, there is a place in my heart that is always Oxford.

4.  I confess that every attempt I have ever made to introduce some basic spiritual discipline in my life has failed ... miserably.

5.  I confess that it annoys me when comments in favour of contextual approaches to theology are accompanied by comments disparaging the historical western theological tradition and used as a way of avoiding the necessary in depth engagement with it.  The point is that the whole lot, from Paul, through Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin and Barth is contextual theology.

6.  I confess that I still think that Greek should be mandatory for anyone studying for the ordained ministry of word and sacrament.

7.  I confess that I can be really rather lazy and that I do not write as much as I should.

8.  I confess that I fear that I am more of a politician than a prophet - and this bothers me.

9.  I confess that I often think that being a Baptist minister is the thing that has kept me Christian and that becoming a NT scholar and teacher is the thing that has kept me in ministry.

Comments

[Michael Westmoreland-White]

Greek AND Hebrew. I only spent a year in Oxford (at Regents' Park), but there is part of this American Southerner than will "always be Oxford," too. And who doesn't struggle with spiritual disciplines. I can never get the hang of journaling, for instance.

[graham]

I love your honesty with number 4.

Andy, I found that if I crammed in the vocab, the Grammar was (mostly) soaked-up by osmosis. I'm not sure if my tutors would have recommended that approach, but it worked for me.

[Sean Winter]

Thanks Andy.
Catriona, my sticking with Greek is a compromise solution (see no. 8)
Fred, I am not sure it it also bothers you that I am more of a politician, or that you are as well!

[Fred]

#8 bothers me too.

[Catriona]

Thank you for sharing.

I agree with number 5 entirely - I wish people of all theological 'schools' would stop dissing each other. I also confess that sometimes I think I could do with some systematics as I don't know what other people are talking about half the time, though I could draw you a lovely three circle diagram for almost anything.

I'll happily accept number 6 - so long as we don't have to pass it... What about Hebrew too?

[andy goodliff]

Excellent set of confessions. I haven't done it because I'm not sure what to confess. I guess I better get back to learning greek! I did one year, but the grammar was beyond me.