Gideon Will Not Enroll at Iliff - Apparently

 The blog post is linked here.

Pastor,

I've been thinking about this for a couple of days and it rather dovetails into the Concordia mess in St. Louis (debating Creation, or more accurately negotiating the veracity of Scripture).

So here we have ILIFF, the Methodist "seminary?"  Doing well apparently:

“It’s a social justice-oriented institution. It’s the perfect place for me because they care for people who are rejected and not accepted in society.”

“She worked to provide an alternative to the narrative that permeates our culture — the idea that everything around us can be traced back to individuals and their psychology, rather than social forces. At its core, this required constant (and frequently uncomfortable) critical thought. Given the nature of sociology, this also required us to think critically about our own lives and social positioning. It takes a special person to cultivate such a space for this. She always contextualized the need for such critical thought, as well.”

 My little seminary has been named Martin Luther University College, because its main program is now in counseling, with a side helping of seminary, its lowest enrollment. The dean's statement - "At the seminary, we have done so for decades. Our school has grown to become an inclusive and multifaith learning environment. Our students represent over 30 religious traditions — or claim to no faith tradition at all. Many are also members of historically marginalized groups including LGBTQ, physically challenged, Jewish, Muslim, and Indigenous communities."

At this point, it may be debated if LLIFF is even a seminary at all since it seems to be more concerned with sociology and psychology than the Gospel.  One may wonder how on earth did the church of Wesley get here.  The answer may be with Wesley himself:  “And at the same time that we are justified, yea, in that very moment, sanctification begins.”  And, this is true as far as it goes, but Wesley went further.  It has been said of Wesley, "Luther got Justification right, I will get Sanctification right." (Craig Parton said this once at a conference paraphrasing Wesley.  The Remarkable Decline of American Evangelicalism).

And so he went, and so many followed.  Sanctification becomes the focus and Justification became a mere academic point.  Our egos love it when we can do things, and we get so full of that self adoration.  Accomplishments feel good.  Our accomplishments.  This is the danger of getting away from the Cross (Justification).  Justification by Faith is something that God does; it's his gift to us, but Sanctification is something we do in response to give him glory-- as it should be.  BUT...once Justification is removed, things can and do go sideways.

This is not something unique to Wesley, but rather common to all men.  We want to have that "garden moment" when we can take that fruit and stand on our own.  God is forgotten; this is our moment.

So, what is the result?  Where did the successors and followers of Wesley (and his ilk) end up?  Eventually we have the things like the Salvation Army (as it exists today) and what was known as the "social gospel."  Neither had much or anything to do with the Cross, and I believe ultimately these eventually gave birth to the Social Justice movement we have today ( completely devoid of the Gospel and Christ and his Cross as evidenced by a complete lack of forgiveness of its adherents).  Hence, we have the Methodist LLIFF.  Seems extreme to say that's antichrist, but where's the Gospel in that "seminary."

Herein lies the importance of being grounded in what God does and not in what we do.  Law and Gospel.  The Scriptures.  The Confessions.  Cathechisis.  With these we never stray too far.

To be sure, the likes of Bonhoeffer will remind us of the importance of Discipleship, but we won't be need to be reminded if we remember how we are justified.  If we understand Justification by Faith for what it is (which does not tend to antinomianism)  and for what OJ/SJ/UOJ is not(which does tend to antinomianism).  Faith demands an answer on it's own.  2 Cor. 5 and 6 have much to say about this.  If one reads the entire chapter it become clear that those addressed are believers (and not the entirety of humanity).  We (not the world!) are compelled / controlled / constrained. (v.14) That's what faith does.  Without faith, look to the world, and ILIFF.  With faith (the faith that God [the Holy Spirit] gives through Word and Sacrament) we cannot help but bear fruit.  For faith bears witness to both the Law and Gospel.  This fruit is real and God pleasing.  We go beyond that, we become self important.

This is why Concordia needs to stop with this foolish debate over Creation.  What do the Scriptures say?  Case closed.  Persisting in this foolishness can only eventually result in a slow slide into apostasy.  Need proof?  Just run the history of the synodical conference in reverse and ask those who walked before what they think.  Yea, ask Luther, Chemnitz, Augustine...or better yet the Scriptures which are chock full of warnings about the slow slide.  Stop the slide!  Engage the world with the Gospel!  Matt 28-18-20.  We need faithful Pastors!

SDG,

Gideon

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Another brilliant letter from "Gideon".

 

Thank you for posting.  It's a comfort to the soul.

 

Alec 

Holding Steady by Being Lefty? Iliff Methodist Seminary

Denver's Methodist Seminary Holding Steady

At a time when theology schools and seminaries are downsizing, merging or closing, Denver’s Iliff School of Theology is holding steady.

The United Methodist-related school, tucked next to the University of Denver on South University Boulevard and East Iliff Avenue, is little known around the metro but has garnered a national reputation as a progressive theology school rooted in social justice causes. And that reputation might be what’s saving them.

Fewer students have been attending theological schools; enrollment dropped 9 percent in the U.S. and Canada from 2007 to 2017, when there were 72,896 students. That drop comes as Pew Research studies find that fewer Americans identify as religious, a change largely attributed to the growing number of millennials who aren’t members of any organized religion.

But despite the grim picture, the United Methodist seminary has been able to buck the downward trend, surviving in part because of its liberal theology instead of rigid doctrine that is more typical of many religious seminaries, administrators say.

“That is not Iliff’s future,” school President Tom Wolfe said of seminaries closing. “That is not even in our thinking. We are turning this exactly in the opposite direction.”

Students seek social justice

While Mina Nau pursued a career in fashion in Los Angeles, she stayed with a family friend whose son was in San Quentin State Prison.

She answered the phone once when he called. Nau could tell he needed advice, so she dropped a Bible verse. The two began writing and talking about faith. After the fifth letter, they began dating. They’ve been together for six years.

Nau’s boyfriend repeatedly urged her to study theology. He wasn’t the first to make that suggestion. Nau’s family is from Tonga, a Polynesian kingdom of South Pacific islands, and Christianity is one of the biggest tenets of Tongan culture. Eventually, Nau, 35, decided her boyfriend might be right.

“I really don’t know how I ended up (at Iliff) but I was spiritually led to be here and it totally makes sense,” said Nau. “It’s a social justice-oriented institution. It’s the perfect place for me because they care for people who are rejected and not accepted in society.”

Between 35 and 40 faiths are represented in the school’s roughly 300-person student body. Around 30 percent openly identify as LGBTQ.

Four Faculty Promoted to Full Professor

Published on June 18, 2018

 Gail Murphy-Geiss, Sociology

Gail Murphy-Geiss, SociologyMurphy-Geiss earned her Ph.D. in religion and social change at University of Denver/Iliff School of Theology and became an assistant professor at Colorado College in 2004. She teaches Gender Inequality, Sociology of Religion, Sociology of Family, Research Design and Thinking Sociologically. She also teaches courses in the Feminist and Gender Studies program and has taught the course, Contemporary French Society in Lyon, France. One student described Murphy-Geiss’s teaching as follows: “She worked to provide an alternative to the narrative that permeates our culture — the idea that everything around us can be traced back to individuals and their psychology, rather than social forces. At its core, this required constant (and frequently uncomfortable) critical thought. Given the nature of sociology, this also required us to think critically about our own lives and social positioning. It takes a special person to cultivate such a space for this. She always contextualized the need for such critical thought, as well.”
Since earning tenure in 2010, Murphy-Geiss has authored or co-authored three journal articles and two book chapters. The most recent article, “One Size Does Not Fit All: A Case Study of an Alternative Intimate Partner Violence Court,” was published in Feminist Criminology.