When, what theological perspective.

Blair Laird
Blair Laird Member Posts: 1,654 ✭✭✭
edited November 20 in Resources Forum

So when is this program going to be available?

Are the course going to be like a traditional seminary?

Homiletics

Systematic theology

Hermeneutics etc..

If so what is the perspective of those teaching the courses? For example, I know if I take a course from Reformed theological seminary, I am going to be getting a reformed, covenant perspective.

But if I go to Dallas theological seminary, it is going to be dispensational..

Both schools have a totally different perspective when surveying the bible.

Comments

  • Mark Barnes
    Mark Barnes Member Posts: 15,432 ✭✭✭

    I don't know the answer to the 'when' question, but Dale has answered the theological perspective question here: http://community.logos.com/forums/p/70628/491686.aspx#491686

    Our goal is to offer multiple courses from various theological perspectives. For those who desire it, there will also be courses offered that highlight multiple perspectives from adherents to those respective positions. We are facilitating the learning process, not embracing a single viewpoint.T

    This is my personal Faithlife account. On 1 March 2022, I started working for Faithlife, and have a new 'official' user account. Posts on this account shouldn't be taken as official Faithlife views!

  • Lynden O. Williams
    Lynden O. Williams MVP Posts: 8,979

    Based on the direction that Logos is going with Product Managers, if the demand is great enough, they will offer the same course from various theological perspectives. If should be pointed out though, that Bible scholars/teachers are not joined at the hip to their denominational teachings, as anyone who who has done graduate work can attest.

    We have conservative, liberal and moderate scholars within our faith. So to look at an authors denomination and try to determine what their writings will be like is not a good idea. Even those conservative teachers of a particular faith, will disagree with you over some fundamental passages, or positions.

    Mission: To serve God as He desires.

  • Claude Brown Jr
    Claude Brown Jr Member Posts: 310 ✭✭

    We have conservative, liberal and moderate scholars within our faith. So to look at an authors denomination and try to determine what their writings will be like is not a good idea. Even those conservative teachers of a particular faith, will disagree with you over some fundamental passages, or positions.

    That is interesting so you are saying that the denominational label has no real value as the teachers within a particular may or may not be adherents to the same?

  • Lynden O. Williams
    Lynden O. Williams MVP Posts: 8,979

    That is interesting so you are saying that the denominational label has no real value as the teachers within a particular may or may not be adherents to the same?

    In some cases that is so. Samuele Bacchiocchi (deceased) was a Seventh-day Adventist teacher at Andrews University Seminary in Michigan, and studied at Pontifical Gregorian University, where he got his doctorate degree, and his dissertation From Sabbath to Sunday .

    I read from many perspectives, that gives breath of knowledge. A critical thinker learns to sift information and decide what to keep and what to discard. Very few serious scholars simply regurgitate what their denomination teaches. As a matter of fact, very few denomination have an officially voted statement on every passage of scripture or doctrine.

    So I will be looking forward to the videos, and hope I have the money to order those of interest. Even "liberal" scholars teach me different approaches to the text, and sometimes their differences from the traditional interpretation, helps me to learn how others think. 

    Craig Blomberg is not Adventist, I am, but our Bible Commentary agrees with him that the differences in manuscripts do not have any major impact on any Biblical teaching. See my post here: http://community.logos.com/forums/t/72432.aspx

    Mission: To serve God as He desires.

  • flmember
    flmember Member Posts: 19

    I don't think the original question has been answered.  Does LOGOS intend to teach a various assortment of theologies?  Doesn't LOGOS lean heavily toward Calvinism?  I have gotten that impression from the books they concentrate on selling.  Doesn't LOGOS take a theological stand or does anything go?

  • Bob Pritchett
    Bob Pritchett Member, Logos Employee Posts: 2,280

    Doesn't LOGOS lean heavily toward Calvinism?

    We over more than 35,000 titles, and I think that you'll find a wide variety of views represented. Sometimes a particular publisher is easier to work with, or is willing (or has) more books, and it can seem like we're putting out a lot of stuff from one source, but if you survey the catalog I think you'll find nearly the whole spectrum of views in the church represented.

  • DMB
    DMB Member Posts: 13,613 ✭✭✭

    Jeannie, I have my browser set to 'no evangelical' and the Logos catalog loads a whole lot faster. I kind of doubt you're going to get an actual answer, but if you look at their present work (Faithlife dictionary, guides, etc), it appears to range between a tiny bit left of evangelical, all the way over to right of Bart Erhman (who has yet to win a place by himself in the catalog).  It's really quite surprising concerning the range.

    "If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.

  • flmember
    flmember Member Posts: 19

    The original question was not 'what theology does LOGOS sell" but "what is the perspective of those teaching the courses?"  And that's key, because we shouldn't be happy about learning doctrines we reject.

     

    So what I need to know is, is the perspective of the teachers 'reformed' (Calvinism)?  If so, then I could reject the course instead of finding out $999.00 later that it's the wrong theology.


    -----
  • Clifford Kvidahl
    Clifford Kvidahl Member, Logos Employee Posts: 146

    The original question was not 'what theology does LOGOS sell" but "what is the perspective of those teaching the courses?"  And that's key, because we shouldn't be happy about learning doctrines we reject.   So what I need to know is, is the perspective of the teachers 'reformed' (Calvinism)?  If so, then I could reject the course instead of finding out $999.00 later that it's the wrong theology. -----

    Jeannie,

    Thank you for your question. Let me try to answer this the best that I can. As one who is involved in Mobile Ed, I may be able to shine some light on this subject. While I in no way speak for the leadership and their direction, I can tell you that the courses we have filmed since I came on board have been taught by a wide variety of seminary professors. We have had Dr. Darrell Bock (Dallas Theological Seminary), Dr. Mark Futato (Reformed Theological Seminary), Dr. Jonathan Pennington (Southern Seminary), and Dr. John Walton (Wheaton) in studio to film course material. As you can see from the institutions represented, we are more concerned with getting the best in the field when it comes to capturing course material. Our goal is to have the best professor in studio to teach on a subject in which they are considered the best in the field. For example, if we were to shoot a course on Romans, who would come to mind as a potential lecturer? Once we have a list, our awesome team goes to work to get the best lecturer possible! I like to think of this as building the "Dream Team" for seminary education. While there will certainly be debates about who is more of an expert on Romans, rest assured that we are trying to build the best in biblical education for the edification of the church.

    I hope this helps in someway to answer your question. Please let me know if you have any other questions, and I will do what I can to help answer them.

    Cliff

  • Ken McGuire
    Ken McGuire Member Posts: 2,074 ✭✭✭

    Often the labels use say as much about the perspective of those who are applying the labels as those to whom it is given.  For example, it seems to be the opinion of many classic Lutheran theologians that there are four real theological positions - that of the Eastern Church, that of Rome, the Lutherans, and the Reformed.  This is because of the importance we Lutherans see in the God-given means of grace.

    That, perspective would make Gabe quite busy at Logos...

    SDG

    Ken McGuire

    The Gospel is not ... a "new law," on the contrary, ... a "new life." - William Julius Mann

    L8 Anglican, Lutheran and Orthodox Silver, Reformed Starter, Academic Essentials

    L7 Lutheran Gold, Anglican Bronze

  • DMB
    DMB Member Posts: 13,613 ✭✭✭

    Jeannie's question speaks to the heart of the issue; but the answers are amazing. Since I'm to the far right of the evangelicals (much less the reformed), I'd view the offering no different one about Philo (e.g. descriptive, not theological).

    "If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.

  • Todd Phillips
    Todd Phillips Member Posts: 6,735 ✭✭✭

    "what is the perspective of those teaching the courses?"

    I think this is an important concern.  Especially when the product page doesn't give us any info about the instructors or their backgrounds.  The Theology courses are going to be especially important to know the perspective of the teachers.  I've never heard of  Dr. Ronn Johnson or Dr. Carl Sanders, and a quick Google search provides no easy answers either (No offense to either of them, perhaps I just run in different circles). What motivation does one have in learning theology from a stranger?

    MacBook Pro (2019), ThinkPad E540

  • Lynden O. Williams
    Lynden O. Williams MVP Posts: 8,979

    Children keep in the middle of the road, children keep in the middle of the road, don't you look to the left, don't you look to the right, just keep in the middle of the road.

    For most courses, it does not make too much of a difference. Look at the schools where the professors went, and you may be surprised to find that the lecturer is mainline, but studied at a liberal school.

    In academic, everyone does not fit neatly in a box, and many would call themselves moderates. Take the best and leave the rest. That is what I plan to do. If you are not sure, ask your clergy or some other individual who can speak with authority, look at the courses that the lecture teaches, read on published works, or research the school. 

    No matter what, it gives no guarantees. The way Logos operates, if the courses are from perspective "A", and there is a large demand for perspective "B", then they will supply perspective "B".

    Mission: To serve God as He desires.

  • DMB
    DMB Member Posts: 13,613 ✭✭✭

    Lynden ... your last paragraph is a jewel. Now that's the kind of theology that makes sense!  Dollars and cents.

    "If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.

  • Mark Barnes
    Mark Barnes Member Posts: 15,432 ✭✭✭

    This is my personal Faithlife account. On 1 March 2022, I started working for Faithlife, and have a new 'official' user account. Posts on this account shouldn't be taken as official Faithlife views!

  • Jack Caviness
    Jack Caviness MVP Posts: 13,513

    Both of my browsers seem to ignore this link. From what I could learn by a few Google searches, he was an Associate Professor of Bible at Washington Bible College. This school was acquired by Lancaster Bible College in January 2013. He does not appear in their list of Faculty.

    Here is a link to his FaceBook page https://www.facebook.com/carl.sanders.982?fref=ts . It threw me for a moment as he uses an image of Harlan Sanders (KFC) as his profile picture. He attended Pillsbury Bible College, Central Baptist Theological Seminary, and holds a Phd from Dallas. According to his profile, he still teaches at Lancaster Bible College https://www.facebook.com/lancasterbible However he does not appear in the faculty lists of either Lancaster or Capital Baptist Seminary.

  • Dale Pritchett
    Dale Pritchett Member, Logos Employee Posts: 32

    Todd, We are not attempting make this so hard. We will post bios of each contributor on the Mobile Ed web site. What Mobile Ed web site you ask? And that is the point. The web development is trailing behind the course development. Hopefully it will all come together with both bios an clip of the professors from the actual courses.