September 12, 2023
Polemics
This course was taught by five lecturers, who each specialized in a specific area of study to help equip students to evangelize proponents of false religions. Dr. Jon English Lee helped students better understand Roman Catholic sacrementology, ecclesiology, and soteriology. Former Mormon turned Christian John Divito shared his conversion to Christianity, taught about the history and theology of Mormonism, and then gave practical tips to have meaningful evangelistic conversations with Mormons. An intentionally unnamed missionary to the Middle East taught through the five pillars of Islam, taught about Islamic textual criticism, and shared his experience in the Middle East.
In addition to addressing false religions, this course further covered multiple doctrinal errors held by genuine Christians. Dr. Sam Waldron’s first section of lectures presented a scriptural presentation of the cessation of the Apostolic gifts, i.e., cessationism. His second section addressed older forms of theonomy held by men such as Bahnsen, Rushdoony, and North. Dr. Tom Hicks continued by addressing current expressions of theonomy and gave pastoral wisdom to engage modern proponents of theonomy. Dr. Hicks ended the course by covering the errors of antinomianism.
Several students from across the United States and various parts of the world joined the class in person and via Zoom. One in-person student traveled from Poland to Owensboro to take the class for credit. We give thanks to the Lord for allowing CBTSeminary to host this class and hope it is useful for ministry.
ThM Research Methodology
Dr. Jon English taught CBTSeminary’s inaugural ThM class, helping students to think through research skills, academic integrity, the relationship between academia and the church, acquiring good research tools, and more. Three in-person students attended this 1-day class, and more tuned in via Zoom. We look forward to how the Lord will develop this program over the years, and we are excited about possible academic contributions that CBTSeminary students could make in their areas of research.
About CBTSeminary
The vision of CBTSeminary is to see the church of the Lord Jesus Christ strengthened and expanded worldwide, to the end that Christ would be known, loved, and exalted. Its mission, therefore, is help the church to prepare men to undertake the full range of pastoral responsibilities they will face in serving Christ and His kingdom, and to equip Christians for effective service in the church. They do this work by providing rigorous academic training and by facilitating extensive pastoral mentoring.
To learn more about Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary, visit CBTSeminary.org.