Volume 23 Issue 2

Martin Luther King was shot when I was a junior in high school. The black students walked out the next day like they did all over the country. They were peaceful but understandably upset and just needed to express it somehow. I remem- ber feeling sympathetic to them and curious about King. Who knows? Maybe my early friendship with Michael had something to do with this.

In kindergarten and first grade I walked about eight blocks to school each day (real- ly). Of course, almost no child today that little walks to school now. We did back then because in the mid-'50s cities like ours in Waukegan, Illinois (population 50,000, 50 miles north of Chicago), were considered safe, and buses were not needed so much. To get there I walked through the "colored” neighborhood, which it was called. It consisted of about three blocks just before you got to Whittier Elementary. Every day I passed the house of one of my new friends at school. His name was Michael. He was black. We did a lot of laughing together as I remember. In second grade I changed to a new school. Glenwood Elementary was one block from my house (Pretty convenient when everyone went home and back for lunch in an hour!) Plus, it was all white because that's who lived in our newish neighborhood (I did not know about redlining then). I did not see Michael again until seventh grade, but I thought of him (and still do today) every time we drove through his neighborhood and passed his blonde-brick house on the corner.

It's not like I was unfamiliar with how blacks were treated in the South. Every sum- mer we journeyed around Chicago through the seemingly endless Ohio Turnpike down through Virginia to Wilson, North Carolina (Northeast North Carolina about 100 miles from the Atlantic), where I slept on a cot at my Uncle Glen and Aunt Catherine's home for two weeks. This was tobacco country and my father, Ronnie, grew up with his brother and three sisters on a tobacco farm not far from Wilson near a tiny town called Nashville. We visited his family where I played with my cousins, drank bottles of Royal Crown Cola into which we dumped plastic packets of salted peanuts, and attended the annual family reunion. But I also saw the shacks that black folk lived in as we drove through the coun- tryside. I saw the separate facilities and fountains marked "whites only” and "colored.”

I heard talk one night of my Uncle Glen asking the other men to join him to attend a Klan meeting. They talked like it was a risky thing to do. In the end they didn't go. But I seem to remember it, like maybe it bothered me. I remember my father taking me with him to an old shack down a dusty road to visit old "Shep.” He was dying, and apparently my father was close to him "'cause” he worked on their farm for many years alongside my dad.

So, we come to George Floyd and the amazing cultural conscience-arousal it has caused for so many, not just individuals but institutions, businesses, and clubs. Many have sought to search their souls to recognize how "white” blind they have been in their organization to exclude blacks and other minorities and tried to figure out how to make up for the imbalance now. It seems culturally a time for us to do something to redress the situation.

Our board of Stone-Campbell International has thought about this and talked about it. I have thought deeply about it. We have done a good job to right the imbalance regarding women in scholarly studies, starting with a woman on our seven-person board, but also featuring multiple women as plenary speakers, authors, and SBL recep- tion speakers and enlisting three women as consulting editors. Our higher educational institutions are hiring women like these to teach biblical studies, with more on the way. Individually, too, we have done well to encourage these smart, talented women to pre- pare and pursue the advanced degrees to qualify for these positions when we spotted their potential in our classrooms. In earlier years they would have been sidelined or encouraged to go into Christian education or take the secretarial science degree. They would have been barred from Greek and preaching classrooms and prevented from majoring in biblical degrees. In a few places they still are, but the ball seems to be rolling downhill in the right direction.

Now it is time to take that same energy to correct the imbalance of blacks and minori- ties in our organizations. Stone-Campbell International, with our primary activities, Stone- Campbell Journal and SCJ Conference, is stepping into this challenge. We are looking toward placing a person of color on our non-profit board in the near future. However, we have taken a first step by adding as a consulting editor for Stone-Campbell Journal a black scholar in Stone-Campbell history, especially black history. He is Edward Robinson, Professor of History and Religion at Texas College, located in Tyler, Texas.

In terms of SCJ Conference one of our study groups for this year's virtual confer- ence held Sept 10-12 had the foresight to make Robinson's book, Hard-Fighting Soldiers: A History of African American Churches of Christ (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 2019), the focus of a review session. He also introduced one of our plenary speakers. Our study group called Peace and Social Justice has refocused and for 2021 is now the Race and Social Relations study group. The leader Paul Axton asked to make this change in their focus moving forward. Just as we have had a study group Women and the Bible for many years, we need a group like this to advance our thoughts and actions regarding blacks and other minorities.

We want to do more, such as have young black scholars as presenters. We have had a few in study groups, but we need to make this a priority. Same with SCJ articles and reviewers. But here is the challenge for all of us as scholars of Bible, theology, and his- tory connected to the Stone-Campbell Movement. The pool of black or other minority students in our colleges is tiny to begin with. But it is there in our colleges that are near major cities who draw from minority populations as well as our historically black col- leges. Until making an effort this summer, I did not even know that we still had one his- torically black college connected to the tradition of the Christian churches. This summer I discovered that Winston-Salem Bible College had changed its name to Carolina College. I now know that connected to Churches of Christ is one historically black col- lege, Southwest Christian College.

So, can we do like we have done with young women? Find the cream of the crop of black and other minority students and encourage them in an academic future? Maybe encourage someone to enter the SCJ annual, student paper competition? I want to chal- lenge us all to keep a sharp eye out for academically talented black and other minority students to encourage toward advanced degrees in Bible, theology, and history. Let SCJ and SCJ Conference be involved in nurturing them also. Let's be involved in changing this situation as we have begun to do with regard to women.

We are hoping to advance the discussion regarding blacks and minorities by offer- ing in our next issue a review article of an extremely important book that was published this year. It is a festshrift to honor the career of Doug Foster. Doug served as professor of church history and director of the center for Restoration Studies at Abilene Christian University for twenty-seven years where he now serves as scholar-in-residence. In addi- tion to being involved in the two massive encyclopedia projects of the Stone-Campbell Movement, Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement (Eerdmans, 2005) and The Stone-Campbell Movement: A Global History (Eerdmans, 2013) he has recently authored an important biography of Alexander Campbell (Eerdmans, 2020).

I have been so honored that Doug was one of the five founding editors with me of Stone-Campbell Journal and then one the first board members of our non-profit organ- ization, Stone-Campbell International, a position he still holds. He has been a great friend who has been such a crucial resource to me for understanding Churches of Christ and helping this stream of movement be a valuable partner in our mission to serve the church and promote its unity through the advancement of scholarship within the Stone- Campbell Movement.

Besides all the many other things Doug has done in his career, he has also been a leader in ACU's efforts over the years to address African-American issues. The publica- tion, edited by James Gorman, Jeff Childers, and Mark Hamilton, is titled Slavery's Long Shadow: Race and Reconciliation in American Christianity (Eerdmans, 2019). The articles expose the dark history about slavery in the South and the unvarnished truth about the role of members of Churches of Christ as slave holders. This is a crucial book of "self-examination” on the issue of race that models what is needed iin these times. Its impact will likely be deep and long-lasting. It will be reviewed by at least two black scholars and maybe one other. This review is a project that is in development right now, admittedly a small step, but a step nonetheless.

The race issue is a cultural and theological arena which I would encourage scholars of various disciplines to address in articles and submit them here to SCJ or even to just start with a presentation at the SCJ Conference. Be encouraged to submit requests to review important books in this arena as well. Let's do what we do well as scholars and tackle this issue for the benefit of our movement and beyond. Encourage black and minority scholars to get involved.

I am excited for you to read the important articles included in this issue. The first three focus on Stone-Campbell history or theology, including the first one that is based on the Jess Hale's plenary presentation at the 2020 SCJ Virtual Conference on September 10-12. He highlights the impact of his Stone-Campbell heritage on his career as a lawyer writing state and federal law statutes. Joel Childers locates an early Churches of Christ educational enterprise that encouraged women to enroll. Shaun Brown uncovers an area of Alexander Campbell's theology that has so far been unexplored.

The next three articles cover theology, New Testament, Old Testament, followed by a timely review of a much-anticipated biography of Alexander Campbell, the venerable theologian in Stone-Campbell history. Carrie Birmingham brings the wisdom of the indubitable C. S. Lewis to bear on evaluating instructional textbooks in education. Benjamin Lantzer proposes an insufficiently examined interpretive issue regarding the referent of "The Ruler of this World” in John's Gospel. Robert Miller brings a well- known African term to bear on interpreting Amos. Finally, this issue publishes an up-to- date book review article by respected Stone-Campbell historian, Richard Hughes, of Douglas Foster's important biography of Alexander Campbell.

The 20th annual SCJ Conference ventures to Lincoln Christian University, Lincoln, Illinois, on April 16-17, 2021 (Friday, 8:00 AM–8:00 PM; Sat, 8:00 AM–1:00 PM). If COVID-19 conditions necessitate, the conference will function virtually. The plenary sessions and maybe more will be available virtually regardless.

The theme is Violence of God in the Old Testament. Featured speakers include: Eric Seibert, Professor of Old Testament, Messiah University, who will present "Solving the Problem of God's Violent Behavior in the Old Testament: Is Jesus the Answer?” and "Preaching and Teaching from Violent Old Testament Texts: Pitfalls and Possibilities;” Michelle Knight, Assistant Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, who will present "Sexual Violence at Gibeah (Judges 19)”; and Mark Hamilton, Onstead Professor of Biblical Studies, Abilene Christian University, who will present "No Shalom for the Wicked? Peace after War in the Book of Isaiah.”

Related papers or papers on other biblical, theological, or historical topics are sought for parallel sessions from experienced scholars as well as from student scholars. Send your paper title (no abstract needed) to Jeff Painter, Conference Parallel Paper Coordinator, at jeff.painter@scinternational.org absolutely no later than January 25, 2020. The first 35 paper topics submitted are guaranteed a slot. After that it will depend on rooms available and cancelled papers.

Eleven study groups welcome inquiries, no later than January 5, 2020. See these at stone-campbelljournal.com under 2021 Conference News in the news column.

Inquiries regarding study groups may be directed to the coordinator of the study groups: toddwuske@scinternational.org.

Student paper competitions will occur in three categories: Junior/Senior; M.A./M.Div., and Restoration (Isaac Errett Award from the Disciples Historical Society). Contact Les Hardin (lhardin@johnsonu.edu) immediately to indicate your interest and to obtain the competition rules (also available on the SCJ website) for the undergrad and grad competition, and also receive information on the $2500 scholarship available to both undergrad and grad winners. Papers due: January 5, 2021. For the Isaac Errett competition, contact Doug Foster (fosterd@acu.edu). The winner receives a cash award. Submissions are due January 25, 2020.

Registration is open February 15–April 5, 2021.

William R, Baker, Editor

Chosen by Samuel Guy
Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan
SCJ 23.2 Quotables
View Quotables from Other Issues Here

Featured Quote:

"Amos claims valuing a person as equivalent to a pair of sandals violates justice. Therefore, justice is broader than the law. Justice is about the value of the human person—human dignity."

Robert D. Miller II, "Amos, Prophet of Ubuntu: New Insight on Amos's Concept of Justice" (SCJ 23.2:241)

"For Disciples, the Lord's Table is a table open to all. But the image of table in our culture is not just a religious table—it is not just our table."

Jess O. Hale, "Disciples at Public Tables: A Public Servant's View of Stone-Campbell Movement Engagement with Public Policy" (SCJ 23.2:167)

"Just as my Stone-Campbell heritage passionately engaged the societal issues of the day, so did my public service. I felt no sense of disconnect, as we were all at the same public table."

Jess O. Hale, "Disciples at Public Tables: A Public Servant's View of Stone-Campbell Movement Engagement with Public Policy" (SCJ 23.2:169)

"Aiding the extension of healthcare to the vulnerable is a work of love. Justice and faithfulness are also consistent with a biblical witness to the kingdom of God and with the Disciples' historic sympathy for the social gospel."

Jess O. Hale, "Disciples at Public Tables: A Public Servant's View of Stone-Campbell Movement Engagement with Public Policy" (SCJ 23.2:172)

"So, while Shelburne, Clark, and others held traditional, restrictive views of women's roles in the home and church, their willingness to reach across theological divides to share fellowship made the NBC tradition open to allowing female participation where others may not have."

Joel Childers, "Female Participation in the Kerrville, Texas, Bible Training Work" (SCJ 23.2:183)

"Women were involved in the BTW from its earliest days, at times making up half the student population."

Joel Childers, "Female Participation in the Kerrville, Texas, Bible Training Work" (SCJ 23.2:183)

"Because the NBC churches rejected Sunday schools as splitting up the church assembly and opposed to scriptural teaching, 51 and they treated the BTW classes as a church assembly, they could not have imagined barring women or holding separate classes for them."

Joel Childers, "Female Participation in the Kerrville, Texas, Bible Training Work" (SCJ 23.2:184-5)

"Campbell, like Leibniz and others before him, sees ‘natural' or ‘physical evil.' Such as sickness and death, as the result of sin."

Shaun C. Brown, "Alexander Campbell's Christological and Eschatological Response to Evil" (SCJ 23.2:195)

"Campbell made a projection in his debate with Robert Owen that the "cleansing of the sanctuary” (Dan 8:14) would begin in 1847. While their dates are close together, Campbell and Miller understood the phrase ‘cleansing of the sanctuary' quite differently. Miller identified the cleansing with the second coming of Christ, while Campbell saw it as a symbolic cleansing of the church."

Shaun C. Brown, "Alexander Campbell's Christological and Eschatological Response to Evil" (SCJ 23.2:205)

"However, Campbell serves as a reminder to contemporary theologians that God and the presence of evil and suffering within creation should not be discussed as an abstract problem, but instead must be discussed in connection with the person and work of Christ and eschatology."

Shaun C. Brown, "Alexander Campbell's Christological and Eschatological Response to Evil" (SCJ 23.2:206)

"The educational predicament continues today. We want students to develop critical thinking and creative problem solving, but we assess them with high-stakes tests of memorized knowledge and isolated skills."

Carrie Birmingham, editor, "Grown Birds and Poultry-Keepers: C. S. Lewis on Education" (SCJ 23.2:210)

"If schooling within the Tao is characterized by adults providing moral, intellectual, and social guidance to developing young people through significant human relationships, schooling outside the Tao is characterized by measurements, machines, systems, and efficiency."

Carrie Birmingham, editor, "Grown Birds and Poultry-Keepers: C. S. Lewis on Education" (SCJ 23.2:217)

"Many Christian adults bypass or exit public schools for private Christian schools or homeschooling. However, public schools, whose students make up 90 percent of children in the United States, 76 should not be abandoned to the Conditioners."

Carrie Birmingham, editor, "Grown Birds and Poultry-Keepers: C. S. Lewis on Education" (SCJ 23.2:224)

"The Jewish authorities had cast Jesus' disciples out of the synagogue. Now the ruling representative of the unbelieving Jews would be cast out of the true community of God."

Benjamin Lantzer, "A New Look at ‘The Ruler of This World': The Role of Caiaphas in John's Gospel" (SCJ 23.2:233)

"Caiaphas is primarily responsible for providing Judas with the resources to betray Jesus (John 18:3). In that sense, Judas—under the devil's influence—acts as a servant and messenger of the high priest (John 18:10; 13:16). Through Judas, Caiaphas, the ruler of this world, ‘comes.'"

Benjamin Lantzer, "A New Look at ‘The Ruler of This World': The Role of Caiaphas in John's Gospel" (SCJ 23.2:234)

"Taking Caiaphas as ‘the ruler,' underlines John's recurring testimony/judgment motif rather than introducing a motif that is in tension with John's narrative."

Benjamin Lantzer, "A New Look at ‘The Ruler of This World': The Role of Caiaphas in John's Gospel" (SCJ 23.2:237)

"Amos claims valuing a person as equivalent to a pair of sandals violates justice. Therefore, justice is broader than the law. Justice is about the value of the human person—human dignity."

Robert D. Miller II, "Amos, Prophet of Ubuntu: New Insight on Amos's Concept of Justice" (SCJ 23.2:241)

"For Amos, the vertical ubuntu—God's respect for the dignity of Israel in the Exodus, even his solidarity with them—ought to be the counterpart of the horizontal ubuntu between Israelites."

Robert D. Miller II, "Amos, Prophet of Ubuntu: New Insight on Amos's Concept of Justice" (SCJ 23.2:241)

"Amos's idea of justice is, like ubuntu, an assumption that people deserve both human dignity and group solidarity, and Amos sees this as the core of morality."

Robert D. Miller II, "Amos, Prophet of Ubuntu: New Insight on Amos's Concept of Justice" (SCJ 23.2:241)

"While part of the genius of Foster's book lies in its brutal honesty, it also lies in its balance, its attempt to acknowledge the competing complexities that shaped this man."

Richard T. Hughes, "A Life of Alexander Campbell by Douglas A. Foster: Review" (SCJ 23.2:254)

"One finds on page 296 of Foster's book a stunning photograph of Campbell, taken during the Civil War. If we look deeply into his eyes, we see a man who is tired and worn. But we also see a man who yearns for what might have been—a restored Church of Christ, uniting Christians, inaugurating the millennial dawn, and sustained by an American nation chosen by God for a special mission in the world."

Richard T. Hughes, "A Life of Alexander Campbell by Douglas A. Foster: Review" (SCJ 23.2:257)