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 Papers
These collected papers have either been written as assignments while at
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary or presented at various theological
conferences.
Relatively Unsafe: Why
the Church Must Be Freed From the Trap of Relativism
A Paper Presented to The Annual Meeting of the International Society of
Christian Apologetics, Kansas City, Missouri, June 1, 2007
Just one generation ago, the most quotable Scripture in American churches would
have easily been John 3:16. Today, it is arguably Matt. 7:1 "Do not judge so
that you will not be judged.” There are several reasons why this verse is so
popular among believers today, but the most obvious is the mistaken concept that
it provides a safe haven for the tolerance and acceptance of personal sin,
regardless of its egregious nature.
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THE PASTORAL INFLUENCE ON THE ECONOMICS, APOLOGETICS, AND
ETHICS OF GEORGE BERKELEY
A Paper Presented to Dr. Douglas K. Blount Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary, May 7,2007
Virtually every author who studies and comments on the life and works of
George Berkeley refers to him initially as simply an “Irish philosopher.” While
this description certainly cannot be argued straightforwardly, it is critical to
establish that the works of Berkeley were much more than philosophical musings.
In fact, clear attention is not always paid to the fact that Berkeley was the
Bishop of Cloyne in the Church of Ireland. This “detail” is essential to
understanding his philosophy. Berkeley was not a philosopher who happened to be
Christian. Virtually everything about his writings is built upon his faith. Many
scholars who ignore the Christian influence on Berkeley’s work misunderstand his
philosophies and mistakenly categorize him as the scholar whose work falls
between Locke and Hume in the timeline of “British Empiricists.”
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THE IMPERATIVES OF MINISTERIAL ETHICS FROM THE LETTERS TO
TIMOTHY
A Paper Presented to Dr. William E. Goff Southwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary, April 25, 2007
When Jesus uttered his final earthly words, also known as the Great Commission,
He had 11 faithful men who would initiate this part of His mission, with the
power of the Holy Spirit. In order for churches to have confidence in the
ministers who graduate from our seminaries, it is more important that ever that
we train them to obey the teachings of Jesus rather than be encumbered with
secular camouflage. We can teach them church history and we can teach them
ethics in general, but unless we teach them what is demanded of each minister
from a moral perspective, we will have created a purely academic clergy that has
no idea how to live righteously, much less how to train new disciples how to
obey Christ’s commands. Couple this with the postmodern church’s pattern for
ordaining untrained men for pastoral leadership, and the result imitates the
blind leading the blind.
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UNCOMMON GROUND: WHY CHRISTIANS MUST AVOID THE COMPROMISE
OF THEISTIC EVOLUTION
A Paper Presented to Dr. William A. Dembski Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary, December 7, 2006
Scientists, theologians, philosophers, and people of various other walks of life
have engaged in the debate over the origin of life, especially since the
publishing of Charles Darwin’s landmark work, The Origin of Species in 1859.
However, this paper will take broad looks at both extreme positions of the
debate as well as a more focused approach to the neutral or compromised position
known as Theistic Evolution. The primary purpose of this evaluation will be to
show that Christians should not accept any stance that involves naturalistic
evolution. Even more specifically, it will argue that Christians should avoid
what appears falsely to be a safe haven in the dispute. By seeking to blend the
best of both extremes of the debate, theistic evolution proponents actually fail
to engage in the debate whatsoever. Francis Collins’ recent work, The Language
of God, will serve as the primary target for scrutiny, while the works of
numerous other contemporary scholars will be employed for the support of the
thesis.
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Webb, William J., Slaves, Women, & Homosexuals (Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press), 2001. An Evaluation
William J. Webb has constructed an incredibly thorough structure through which
he proposes that cultural analysis must be included in the hermeneutical
process. His system is tremendously detailed, and covers virtually every angle
imaginable. Readers who may have been familiar with Swartley’s Sabbath, Slavery,
Women, and War may have been expecting a similar type of approach, but Webb’s
angle seems even more scientific and mechanical than does Swartley’s.
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