My name is Jerry Shepherd. I am Associate Professor of Old Testament at Taylor Seminary in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I am married to Cheryl, and we have three grown children.
Courses that I regularly teach are Biblical Hermeneutics, Old Testament Introduction, Worship in Ancient Israel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Psalms, Wisdom Literature, Motifs in Biblical Theology, Biblical Theology of the Love of God, Hebrew, and Greek and Hebrew Tools.
I have written a commentary on Ecclesiastes for the Expositor’s Bible Commentary, rev. ed., articles for the New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, and for the Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary. I am currently writing a commentary on Leviticus for the Zondervan Story of God Commentary series.
To see what this blog is all about, please read the “Introductory Article.”
You may contact me by email at jerry.shepherd@taylor-edu.ca.
Jerry: saw your analysis of Tylor Standley’s 6 Heretics — good coverage. I had though this article might have been a response to the Licona/Geisler debate, but I agree with your observation that it’s really about Rob Bell. In some sense, both debates are about the same topic: inerrancy. But I can side with Standley based on a discussion on another board years ago: “evangelical” has no inerrant definition. The fabric of beliefs and mission statements and statements of beliefs is more complex, and especially when considering prominent leadership. I observe that neither Standley nor you have posted a statement of beliefs. Affiliations with organizations don’t mean anything to me: what’s your statement? I did read your introductory message which operates as a mission for activity, though. I encourage you to do what I first did in the 1990s: post a statement of beliefs.
Hi Mark. Thanks for your response and questions. It seems that almost all terms, over time, contract a bit of elasticity, and “evangelical” appears to have suffered the same fate. But I do believe there are some core characteristics of evangelicalism which have been fairly defining, roughly along the same lines as delineated by Bebbington: commitment to the authority of Scripture, commitment to evangelism and conversion(ism), and crucicentrism, with the atonement being specifically regarded as vicarious and penal. To be sure, even these defining terms can entertain fuzzy boundaries. But, for me, abandonment of the authority of Scripture, a declared universalism, and a denial of penal substitutionary atonement removes one from being evangelical. As for my own statement of faith, I don’t want to recreate the wheel, but I do belong to the North American Baptist Conference, and I find our statement of faith to be adequate. Beyond this, I would subscribe to the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and, in accord with my Calvinism, am also quite happy with a number of Reformed statements (e.g., Westminster Confession, Heidelberg Catechism), with some modifications.
Hello Jerry;
I am visiting your site from Fr Stephen Freeman’s blog and lo, I see you’re a fellow Canadian! I live in Agassiz (near Vancouver).
I have friends who attend St Herman’s in Edmonton there, including David Goa, Director of the Chester Ronning Centre at UofA. He has written an interesting paper on interpreting Scripture called “The Bible and the Land of Shades,” among other things. You and he are very different people, yet both fine minds and living in the same city. Perhaps there is room for continuing in a fruitful Orthodox-Calvinist conversation.
Peace;
-Mark Basil
Hi Mark,
Thanks so much for commenting, and I appreciate our bit of exchange on Fr. Freemans’s blog. I know of David Goa, but I haven’t met him or read anything by him. But I’ll be looking for that essay. And perhaps I might try to attend a service or services there. Thanks for the information. Blessings.