ETS National Meeting, Nov. 2009: The Burden is Easy

This year’s ETS national meeting took place in New Orleans. The key topic was ethics. If you have never been to an ETS meeting you need to go at least once. With over 550 presenters on as many topics, one can go with intent to research or satisfy informed interest and walk away with something. The problem I find writing on an event like this is the coverage is very narrow and specific, but here are a few highlights.

Kelly M. Kapic had a great presentation Living in God’s Gifts: Generosity and the Cross. Kapic’s paper was a preview of an upcoming project on getting theology from the internal life out into the world. Author Ken Stuart continued the discussion of Calvinism and Antinomianism, the fruit of which should be published (IVP) early next year. Bruce Waltke, Willem VanGemeren and C. Hassell Bullock presented the shape of modern studies in Hebrew poetry: outstanding. Matt Jenson, Joanne Jung, and Benjamin Shin presented the fruit of a year-long project on theological imperatives for diversity. Joanne’s studies are rooted in English Puritanism (Baxter) so look for her contributions and conclusions in the area of spiritual theology. John Coe of the Talbot School moderated the session on spiritual formation and sanctification with a goal of challenging conventional views of pragmatic spirituality and the indwelling of the Spirit. Not to mention Bruce Ware’s lengthy but well digested key note speech on Christ’s impeccability delivered at the ETS banquet. It truly was an immovable feast.