Nazarene Theological Seminary

On March 3-5, 2005, theologians, professors, graduate and undergraduate students gathered at the 40th annual meeting of the Wesleyan Theological Society at Seattle Pacific University. In attendance were five faculty members and four students from Nazarene Theological Seminary. During the three-day event, four of the NTS faculty presented papers as well as one student.

The conference’s theme was The Church: Working Out the Body and Blood of Christ on the 8th Day of Creation. Focusing on ecclesiology in the Biblical, philosophical, theological, historical, ecumenical and psychological aspects, the sessions covered all fields.

Kara Lyons, a senior NTS Master of Divinity student, participated in the Biblical studies session presenting a paper on “The Formative Language of a Worshiping Community: Christological Usage of the Old Testament in the Gospel of Mark.” Lyons was impressed by the scholars represented and their enthusiasm for students’ future plans. “Being able to draw from the experience of seasoned scholars from a range of backgrounds was a great opportunity,” commented Lyons.

During the Saturday session, NTS Professor of Theology, Dr Thomas A. Noble presented a paper entitled, “Zizioulas, Volf and the Structures of the Church.” Dr. Steve McCormick, NTS Professor of Historical Theology, followed Noble with his presentation of “The Heresies of Love and the Church, After the likeness of the Holy Trinity.”

Dr. Harold Raser, NTS Professor of the History of Christianity, presented a perspective on ecclesiology through the historical. Dr. Raser described his paper entitled, “Christianizing Christianity: The Holiness Movement as Church, The Church, or No Church At All,” as “discussing a historical examination of the ‘come-outer’ impulse within the holiness movement, which produced the Church of the Nazarene and other holiness churches.”

Also assembling at WTS was The Society for the Study of Psychology and Wesleyan Theology (SSPWT) and the Wesleyan Philosophical Society (WPS) for their 7th annual conference. Dr. Judith Schwanz and Dr. Douglas Hardy presented. Focusing on the conference theme Sustaining Healthy Communities of Faith, Dr. Judi Schwanz, NTS Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, presented a paper entitled, “The Self-Differentiated Leader: A Prescription for Health?”

Dr. Hardy’s paper, “‘Christian Spiritual Direction Practice and Wesleyan Ecclesiology: Cultivating Subjective Awareness of God and the Church,” examined the place of spiritual direction within a Wesleyan ecclesiology, with an eye toward the articulation of a specifically Wesleyan understanding of and approach to the ministry of spiritual guidance. Dr. Hardy is Professor of Spiritual Formation at NTS.

Among the conference highlights were keynote speakers Stanely Hauerwas, Professor of Theological Studies at Duke University, and Nancey Murphy, Professor of Philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary.

NTS will be hosting the WTS, Friendship and Hospitality, meetings in March 2006.