Theological papers

Theological Papers This section contains theological papers and documents written by members of Ivy Manchester, submitted for your interest.

 

General Theology
	Women in Leadership (Frank Green) Should women be excluded from leadership in the Church? What does the New Testament say about this? This paper was submitted as Frank's MA Biblical Studies dissertation for the University of Manchester and focuses in depth and detail on what many scholars believe to be the key passage in the debate, 1 Tim 2:11-15.   Understanding the Bible (Frank Green) What is the Bible for and how are we to interpret and apply it. This paper was prepared for a c.net Theological Forum and is a treatment of the Conservative Evangelical approach from a sympathetic yet challenging position.   Identificational Repentance (Frank Green) Another c.net Theological Forum paper - this is a critique of the recently discovered practice of repenting on behalf of former generations to aid the process of winning cities for God. The Forum asked the questions: Is it biblical? & Is it necessary?   Is Hell Eternal? (Frank Green) Frank tackles the very controversial subject of the nature of Hell, again in answer to a question posed by the c.net Theological Forum. Increasingly, there are scholars questioning the traditional view of Hell as a place or experience of conscious, never-ending torment. What does the Bible actually say?   Chalcedon and The New Testament (Jon Paul Witt)  "The council of Chalcedon convened in 451 AD, marked a milestone in early church Christological debate. It is at this council that the Chalcedonian formula was expressed. This formula or statement was the definitive statement of Orthodoxy's understanding of the incarnational relationship of Jesus to God and humanity"
Evangelism and Missiology
	Trinity and Mission (Jon Paul Witt)  "What challenge can we take from this discussion? Has God laid a challenge before us to rethink our contemporary situations in a Trinitarian shape? God’s very being wants to reach out, to share himself, and to include people within his communing creation. Gods very being and his overflowing mission, bring liberation to the heart of humankind. "
	Bridging the Gap - Networking and Evangelism (Jon Paul Witt)  "We have examined how networking can provide a way for the church to be relevant in a post modern society and explored that relationship between the shape and ethos of the church and the resulting interaction that characterises the Church. The essence of networking is the building of relationships. If the outward relational activity of God is central to our mission, then then the church has been afforded a great opportunity and mission field: the networks that are connected to it and those that surround it."

The Arts

Redeeming the Arts  (Robin Stevens) What do we mean by 'Redeeming the Arts'?  Is there a divine blueprint for practising the arts?  Are we all called to be part of God’s redemptive purpose for art, whatever that might be?  Do the arts need to be reclaimed for God, and if so, how do we set about doing this?  These are big questions, about which I offer below my personal reflections as part of our ongoing attempts, as the body of Christ, to hear and implement what the Spirit is saying to the churches about the arts.