When Theologians Go Feral!

Our ongoing contention has been the declension of the evangelical church, post Darwin, with particular emphasis on the Episcopalian Diocese of Sydney which prides itself on being a haven, even a light to the world, for trust in the Word of God yet bears all the symptoms of those it criticizes.

Recent reading brought home to me some more sense of the pain and warnings experienced within the evangelical church over forty years ago. Provided herewith is an extract of an address given by Frederick S. Leahy, Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics when giving the opening lecture in the Theological Hall of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland on 17 October 1968:

"Inscribed on many pulpits in Germany is the text [Gottes Wort bleibt ewig], 'God's Word stands forever.' Yet a young German pastor remarked recently: 'During our theological training our professors plucked the Bible to pieces - no one can put it together again for us. We ourselves can no longer believe in the Bible as the Word of God; so how can we bring its message home to others ?' A professor of secular history recently said to a professor of theology, 'If we treated our historical sources as you theologians treat your Biblical sources, there would be no history at all - for there is far less evidence for our sources than for yours.'" [E. H. Robertson in The Bible in Outline, p 39].

The theological institution of the Sydney Episcopalian Diocese of Sydney and some of its graduates now given a platform to speak and influence the Diocese bear striking resemblance to European theologians some forty or more years ago in their approach to the early chapters of Genesis. They lay the groundwork today for others to attack the remainder of the Word of God tomorrow.

Sam Drucker