All posts by Robert Dean

Reformation Resources

On September 16, 2017, the Centre for Mentorship and Theological Reflection hosted a special event at Tyndale Seminary to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.  It was a rich evening of fellowship and reflection upon the life, theology, and legacy of Martin Luther.  Video of the evening’s presentations have now been posted online.  Continue reading Reformation Resources

Robert Jenson: Servant of the Church, Evangelical and Catholic

September 5 marked the passing of the Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson.  Widely regarded as the leading American theologian of his generation, and perhaps, as some maintain, the greatest American theologian since Jonathan Edwards, Jenson was  a leading influence in advocating for a theological renewal of the church that was, at one and the same time, profoundly evangelical and catholic. Continue reading Robert Jenson: Servant of the Church, Evangelical and Catholic

Upcoming Conference Presentation on Canadian Evangelical Ecclesiology

I am going to be presenting a paper engaging with the work of some emerging Canadian evangelical theologians at an upcoming interdisciplinary theology conference in Rochester, NY, hosted by Northeastern Seminary and the Canadian-American Theological Association.  The conference, to be held October 20-21, is entitled, “Evangelical Theology: New Challenges, New Opportunities.”

Continue reading Upcoming Conference Presentation on Canadian Evangelical Ecclesiology

Newbigin on the Challenge of Preaching Christ Today

In the 18th Joseph Smith Memorial Lecture delivered at Overdale College in Birmingham, England in 1979, published as a pamphlet under the title “Preaching Christ Today”, Lesslie Newbigin suggested that the crucial issue facing preachers today is discerning the proper relationship between Law and Gospel.  (Interestingly, this was also a pressing concern for Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his seminarians in the mid-30s.) Continue reading Newbigin on the Challenge of Preaching Christ Today

Some Delectable Morsels on Preaching from Robert Farrar Capon

In addition to teaching two theology courses at Tyndale Seminary in the upcoming fall semester, I am also going to be teaching the “Basics of Preaching” course at Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto.  In preparation for my foray into the homiletics classroom, I’ve been revisiting many of the preaching books I’ve read over the years.  One such book is The Foolishness of Preaching: Proclaiming the Gospel against the Wisdom of the World by the late Episcopalian priest Robert Farrar Capon. Continue reading Some Delectable Morsels on Preaching from Robert Farrar Capon

Audio of Tyndale Chapel Sermon

Earlier in the summer I had the privilege of preaching at the mid-week community chapel at Tyndale University College and Seminary.  The primary text for my sermon was the account of the apostle Paul’s visit to Athens found in Acts 17:16-34.  The sermon was entitled, “An Earthquake of Heaven, An Earthquake of Love.”  If you are interested in hearing the sermon, it is available for download or streaming through the Tyndale Chapel website.