I haven’t posted for while. I would like to say that this is because I’ve been flat out working on my thesis and that I have just gone through a particularly productive spurt. In truth, I’ve just spent 10 days galavanting around Germany and Poland (Wittenberg and Krakow were definitely the highlights for me), and now I’m off to Cambridge for the SST Conference. Reading through some of the papers (and I particularly appreciated Ben Quash’s) to be discussed has been accompanied by the usual anticipation of the coming discussions.

I’m also planning to give a paper on ‘The Elusiveness, Loss, and Cruciality of Recovered Holiness: Some Biblical and Theological Observations’. My paper arises out of my observation that while holiness is one of the motifs in theological discourse that can legitimately be said to entwine many others, the coinage it receives for such honour is being largely exiled from discussion. Thus, any contribution that could be made by considering Jesus Christ as the defining revelation of holiness is sidelined. Beginning with some biblical observations, and proceeding with some help from Scottish Congregationalist P T Forsyth (who else!), the paper seeks to encourage a reclaiming of holiness vocabulary as a distinctly christological reality and gift.

Last night, I also started reading Gockel’s book on Barth & Schleiermacher on the Doctrine of Election. So far, I’m thoroughly enjoying it and am looking forward to reading more, and to posting on it when I get back. I also hope to post some thoughts about SST, and some reflections from my recent trip to ‘the continent’.