The T & T Clark Blog

Not a "Political Sermon" by Robert D. Hughes, III, author of Beloved Dust

The Reverend Doctor Robert D. Hughes, III, author of Continuum's recently released Beloved Dust: Tides of the Spirit in the Christian Life, has accepted our offer to contribute to our occasional Author's Circle and has written a timely sermon for the American electorate. Please enjoy!

SERMON FOR Chapel of the Apostles, School of Theology, Sewanee: The University of the South,

Oct. 22 2008  PROPER RCL 24A TRACK 2

Texts:  Isaiah 45:1-7; Ps. 96: 1-9; I Thess. 1:1-10; Mt. 22:15-22

Robert D. Hughes, III, Ph.D.    Norma and Olan Mills professor of Divinity

School of Theology        Sewanee: The University of the South

“Cyrus and Caesar, What in God’s Name is Going on Here?
A Sermon about Politics, but not a “Political Sermon.”

“Render to Caesar,” Caesar, please, not “the Emperor.”  That was one of those changes the NRSV seemed to need to make because it needed to make changes.  It is not, I think, felicitous.  Well, a preacher in this place needs a lot of chutzpah to preach on that text, given Fr. Dr. Bryan’s learned book on the subject [Christopher Bryan, Render to Caesar: Jesus, the Early Church, and the Roman Superpower (Oxford U.P.: 2005).  And what a time to preach a sermon about texts that really cannot avoid politics, so close to an important election.  No, I do not intend to put the 501(c)3 tax exempt status of either the University or the Church at risk.  But our lessons today require us to ask what in God’s name is going on if Cyrus and Caesar can be seen as instruments of the divine providence, and what that might mean for us.

Beyond the Reformation?

Paul Avis' critically acclaimed work is now out in paperback, priced at £25:

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'Avis gives a forceful and convincing demonstration of the relevance of the conciliar tradition for the contemporary church; he raises precisely the issues we need to be discussing concerning authority, reception, and role of the entire community in the decision-making of the church. His ecumenical insights are rooted in a thorough grasp of the historical realities; he presents an eminently readable introduction to a portion of our past we ignore at our loss. This is a book I will return to regularly in the future.'

 Michael Root, Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, USA

'Paul Avis’s study is a timely reminder of the importance of the late–medieval conciliar tradition for questions about the reformation and reunification of the Western church. A historian and a practical ecumenist, he shows us the pervasive influence of conciliarist constitutional principles through the intervening centuries, as well as their continuing relevance to our contemporary search for Christian unity. There is much to be learned here by those who concern themselves with the church in our times and its roots in the past.'

Oliver O’Donovan and Joan Lockwood O’Donovan, Edinburgh University, UK

'This timely study of the historical debates between conciliarists and monarchists/papalists throws light on the catholicity of the Church. It shows the continuing relevance of conciliarism and the necessity of an ecumenical balance between the two principles of collegiality and of primacy. It will be an excellent introduction to contemporary dialogues on the structure of the Church.'

The Late George H. Tavard, Professor Emeritus, Methodist Theological School, Ohio, USA

'Avis presents a careful, descriptive analysis of fourteenth- and fifteenth-century conciliarism and then proceeds to an examination in the light of the conciliarist legacy of the ecclesiological preoccupations and practices of the churches of the Reformation. The account he gives is solid and informative.'

Francis Oakley, The Catholic Historical Review

A Brief History of Theology

I am delighted to announce the publication of A Brief History of Theology by Derek Johnston. The book is published under the Continuum imprint and provides a concise introduction to theology for the uninitiated. Whilst readers of this blog are unlikely to have need of it themselves, it should prove perfect fodder for the very start of undergraduate reading lists [over the summer before going up to university] or first term/semester light reading.

It is also an excellent book to recommend to A-level/High school students considering taking Religious Studies or Theology as a degree or for general readers interested in knowing a bit more about theology.

It, no doubt, would make a charming Christmas Present priced at less than a tenner.

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