The main sessions featured Dr. Daniel Treier from Wheaton College. His topic was “Evangelical Theological Method.” To be truthful, most of it was over my head, and it served as a good reminder that I don’t know as much as I sometimes believe I do. I believe his primary point was that interpreting Scripture theologically, when done correctly, can lead to true biblical wisdom. Or… maybe that wasn’t what he meant at all.

I attended three papers. The first was presented by Russell Schaffner over 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16. The passage in Thessalonians deals with the fate of the Jewish people, and is often compared (negatively) with Paul’s theology of the Jews from Romans 9—12. Schaffner argued that in 1 Thessalonians 2:13–16, Paul used an effective rhetorical strategy to communicate his message. It was well researched, written, and delivered.

The second paper was titled “Pop Psychology and the Pulpit: The Preaching Ministry of Joel Osteen.” I was intrigued by the topic and was not disappointed with the content. The presenter, Dr. Paul Jacobs, was even-handed and fair in his evaluation of the pastor of America’s largest church. However, he concluded Osteen’s lack of doctrinal and biblical teaching causes his messages to be swayed by the pull of modern society.

The third paper was presented by Dr. Glenn Kreider, Professor of Theological Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. It was entitled “‘I Want to Live Like I Know What I’m Leaving’: Eschatological Hope in the Lyrics of Jonathan Foreman.” Dr. Kreider’s ability to weave theology and culture together was on full display as he briefly introduced his topic and then played four Jonathan Foreman (front man of Switchfoot) songs. This was followed by a twenty minute discussion of Foreman’s theology.

I have attended these meetings before, but I was especially appreciative of the opportunity to “translate” what I learned through the “grid” of church ministry.

And, I was able to get some great deals on books! Some I picked up for reference, other for future reading. They are:

Leland Ryken, The Legacy of the King James Bible
Paul Copan, Is God a Moral Monster?
Michael W. Goheen and Craig G. Bartholomew, The Drama of Scripture
Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen, Living at the Crossroads: An Introduction to Christian Worldview
John S. Feinberg and Paul D. Feinberg, Ethics for a Brave New World, 2nd ed.
Louis Markos, Apologetics for the Twenty-first Century
James R. Payton, Jr., Getting the Reformation Wrong
Thomas R. Schreiner, 40 Questions on Christians and Biblical Law
Paul D. Patton, Prophetically Incorrect: A Christian Introduction to Media Criticism
Jeremy S. Begbie, Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music
And, Moody gave the attendees a free copy of John Walvoord’s revised commentary on Revelation.