{"id":1071,"date":"2010-04-01T04:01:17","date_gmt":"2010-04-01T04:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most.html"},"modified":"2010-04-01T04:01:17","modified_gmt":"2010-04-01T04:01:17","slug":"what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most.html","title":{"rendered":"What Kind of Theological Renewal Does the Evangelical Church Need Most?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Evangelical Portal<\/a> of the Patheos<\/a> website is featuring a new conversation called the Cross Investigations Group. Here’s how Patheos describes this endeavor:<\/p>\n

The Cross Investigations <\/em>series encourages pastors, professors, authors, and bloggers to explore questions of import to the church in a coherent and cooperative manner. Every two weeks, a question will be posed to the group, and individual responses will be featured as they arrive at the Cross and Culture <\/em>blog on the Evangelical Portal<\/a>. One week after the question is sent, the answers will be gathered together into a single article. We hope that reflecting together will stimulate thought, focus conversation, and ultimately prove more edifying to online readers and to the church more generally.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The first question posed for Cross Investigations asked commentators to weigh in on the king of theological renewal that is most needed among evangelicals today. Specifically, here’s the question:<\/p>\n

“Evangelical churches are showing renewed interest in theology and theological training. If the church in America could recover one area of doctrine or theological tradition (i.e., ecclesiology, pneumatology, doctrine of God), what should it be?”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you were going to answer this question, what would you say?
\nI was asked to participate in the Cross Investigations Group, which includes a number of top thinkers and leaders among evangelicalism. So if you visit the Patheos website, you can find my answer to this week’s question<\/a>. But I would encourage you to read all the answers<\/a>, and to listen to the video answer provided by Andy Crouch. You’ll find a variety of answers to the question, and some significant overlaps and connections as well. In fact, Christian theology is so interconnected that its impossible to single out any one particular doctrine from others. You can’t, for example, talk about the church (ecclesiology) without also dealing with history and the end times (eschatology), salvation (soteriology), and the doctrine of God (theology proper).
\nI hope, by the way, that you’ll become a regular visitor to the Patheos site<\/a>.\u00a0 I continue to be impressed with the quality of the conversation there about matters of faith and religious practice.
\nP.S. I have not fogotten that I stopped my conversation about Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC midstream. I’ll pick that up after Easter.<\/p>\n

<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Evangelical Portal of the Patheos website is featuring a new conversation called the Cross Investigations Group. Here’s how Patheos describes this endeavor: The Cross Investigations series encourages pastors, professors, authors, and bloggers to explore questions of import to the church in a coherent and cooperative manner. Every two weeks, a question will be posed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-life"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Kind of Theological Renewal Does the Evangelical Church Need Most? - Mark D. Roberts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Kind of Theological Renewal Does the Evangelical Church Need Most? - Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Evangelical Portal of the Patheos website is featuring a new conversation called the Cross Investigations Group. Here’s how Patheos describes this endeavor: The Cross Investigations series encourages pastors, professors, authors, and bloggers to explore questions of import to the church in a coherent and cooperative manner. Every two weeks, a question will be posed…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2010-04-01T04:01:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/media.patheos.com\/Images\/Evan_CrossInvestigations_Main.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Kind of Theological Renewal Does the Evangelical Church Need Most? - Mark D. Roberts","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Kind of Theological Renewal Does the Evangelical Church Need Most? - Mark D. Roberts","og_description":"The Evangelical Portal of the Patheos website is featuring a new conversation called the Cross Investigations Group. Here’s how Patheos describes this endeavor: The Cross Investigations series encourages pastors, professors, authors, and bloggers to explore questions of import to the church in a coherent and cooperative manner. Every two weeks, a question will be posed…","og_url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most.html","og_site_name":"Mark D. Roberts","article_published_time":"2010-04-01T04:01:17+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/media.patheos.com\/Images\/Evan_CrossInvestigations_Main.jpg"}],"author":"Mark D. Roberts","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most.html","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most.html","name":"What Kind of Theological Renewal Does the Evangelical Church Need Most? - Mark D. Roberts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most.html#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/media.patheos.com\/Images\/Evan_CrossInvestigations_Main.jpg","datePublished":"2010-04-01T04:01:17+00:00","dateModified":"2010-04-01T04:01:17+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most.html"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most.html#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/media.patheos.com\/Images\/Evan_CrossInvestigations_Main.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/media.patheos.com\/Images\/Evan_CrossInvestigations_Main.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2010\/04\/what-kind-of-theological-renewal-does-the-evangelical-church-need-most.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What Kind of Theological Renewal Does the Evangelical Church Need Most?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/","name":"Mark D. Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1071","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1071"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1071\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}