Faith And Mission: Love In The Form Of A Servant -- By: John W. Eddins, Jr.
Journal: Faith and Mission
Volume: FM 01:1 (Fall 1983)
Article: Faith And Mission: Love In The Form Of A Servant
Author: John W. Eddins, Jr.
FM 1:1 (Fall 1983) p. 41
Faith And Mission:
Love In The Form Of A Servant
Professor of Theology,
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Beginnings are both exciting and threatening. The beginning of a new scholarly journal by the faculty of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary is an unusually exciting and exhilarating series of events. Gladness of heart and mind accompanies this project with its possibilities for enriching the quality of Christian life and thought among our alumni, other readers, and ourselves. Any anxiety associated with this worthy endeavor will arise from our reluctance to pay the price necessary for its success. Doubts are quickly dispelled, however, as the joy of thinking and writing is attended by the hope of participating in the church’s fulfillment of the mission of Jesus Christ.
The title, FAITH AND MISSION, is intended to express both the scope and purpose of the journal. The interests and concerns of the community of Christians, the circle of faith (Paul Tillich), will constitute the subject-matter of this periodical. Since the Christian life is lived in church and culture, topics both confessional and apologetical may be anticipated. The purpose of the journal is to promote and enhance the well-being of the church and its members through constructive discussions of relevant issues in biblical and historical studies, theology, ethics, philosophy of religion, philosophy, church, and culture.
The title also serves to define and shape the direction in which the journal intends to reconnoiter. The Christian Faith and the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ and his church establish the territory’ to be surveyed, explored, and occupied.
One critical need which may be met, in part, by this kind of publication is the bridging of the gap, real and/or imagined, between the academic and other institutions of the church. A cursory comparison of the subject matter considered in a seminary or divinity school curriculum with that in many educational programs of denominations and local churches reveals an inadequate correlation between Christian life and thought. A scholarly journal can be relevant and informative to scholars, pastors, ministers of education, and other leaders in the church and denomination without abandoning either the canons of scholarship or the classical studies of the Christian Faith. Furthermore, such a publication may encourage ministers and laypersons in their intellectual pilgrimages as they seek both to grow in knowledge and to assist others who want to hold the faith with “a sound mind and a clear conscience.”
Additional attention to the meanings of “faith” and “mission” may serve to clarify the perspective of this jou...
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