FROM THE HILL: Lewis discusses the future of worship ministry, Dockery answers Handbook of Theology questions, Wainscott addresses Holy Week, and more

“From the Hill” is a regular series highlighting the work of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Texas Baptist College’s faculty. Check back here regularly to find articles, blogs, podcasts, interviews, and more.

“Praying for revival: Will Asbury’s outpouring lead to lasting change?” (article on WORLD), written by Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “Thousands of people flocked to Asbury last month to witness a spiritual phenomenon that unfolded for 16 days. Students say what happened on campus bore the hallmarks of previous spiritual awakenings in America, and Christians off campus quickly labeled it a revival. Asbury’s leaders have been more cautious in applying that label, preferring to call it an ‘outpouring.'”

“The Future of Worship Ministry with Charles Lewis- 131” (podcast episode on Leadership Lessons with Dr. Todd Gray), featuring Charles T. Lewis Jr, professor of church music and worship and associate dean of the School of Church Music and Worship

• “Worship music is one of the fundamental ways churches around the world are continuously giving glory to God. In this episode of Leadership Lessons, Charles Lewis with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary discusses the history and future of worship ministry.”

“Jews popular in U.S. despite increase in antisemitic attacks” (article in The Washington Times), featuring comments from David S. Dockery, interim president

• “Judaism is the most favorably viewed religion in the United States, according to a Pew Research Center study, despite a rise in antisemitic incidents across the country.”

“Agents of Grace: How to Bridge Divides and Love as Jesus Loved” (book published by Zondervan), written by Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “Political division. Racial tension. Vaccine wars. In Agents of Grace, award-winning writer, journalist, and podcast host Daniel Darling equips us to discern what’s worth fighting for, how to move beyond our profound disagreements, and how to live as agents of Jesus’s love.”

“From Sin to Disease: The Medicalization of Addiction and Its Influence on How the Southern Baptist Convention Approaches Ministering to Those Who Struggle with Mind Altering Substances” (book published by Wipf and Stock Publishers), written by Jonathan K. Okinaga, assistant professor of biblical counseling

• “Since Benjamin Rush first introduced the disease of wills as the cause of alcoholism, a steady and slow infiltration of the disease model has infected how the church treats those who struggle with addictions. The first organization that truly sought to remove the soul care of addicts from the church was Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), through their bestselling The Big Book of AA and the introduction of the 12 Steps. AA’s influence on how the church confronts addiction still reverberates today, with many of the ministries that address addiction firmly rooted in what can be found in AA literature. Addictions were once viewed as an issue caused by sin and best addressed through faith and prayer. Currently addiction is seen through the lens of disease. The ramifications are consequential as more church members are struggling with addictions than ever before. Tracing the progression of addiction from sin to disease will reveal that the SBC and its churches have been negligent in understanding the underlying foundations of AA and the influence that the medicalization of substance abuse has had on how churches approach what should be classified as a sin issue.”

“Teach Theology-Your Church Needs It” (article on Baptist Press Toolbox), written by Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “The 2022 biennial State of Theology study conducted by Lifeway Research revealed some troubling findings about what evangelicals say they believe.”

“Q&A with David Dockery (A Handbook of Theology)” (interview on The King’s Table) interviewing David S. Dockery, interim president

• “Below is my interview with Dr. Dockery on his new book A Handbook of Theology. To purchase a copy of A Handbook of Theology, click here.”

“Tech-Mediated Ministry with Bryan Barrineau and Heath Woolman” (podcast episode on Social Media Church), featuring Heath Woolman, instructor of educational ministries and chief of staff

• “Many believe technology use in the church started only in the last century. However, it didn’t just begin with radio broadcasts and TV evangelism; it dates back to the Old Testament, when God’s people used various tools to communicate messages from God. One example was when Noah built an ark to deliver a message from God.”

“How do we begin to understand the majesty of God? – Alex McFarland | The public call to faith is still relevant – Matt Queen” (podcast episode on Faith Radio), featuring Matt Queen, interim provost and vice president for academic administration, professor of evangelism, and L.R. Scarborough Chair of Evangelism (“Chair of Fire”)

• “Historic denominations are dying. Pastors and church leaders are concerned about their churches plateauing. Why? When Dr. Matt Queen joins Bill, he discusses one of the major reasons is because congregations aren’t being publicly called to faith in Christ, through his book, “The Gospel Invitation: Why Publicly Inviting People to Receive Christ Still Matters.”“

“The Importance of Holy Week” (article on The Center for Baptist Renewal), written by Justin Wainscott, assistant professor of pastoral ministry and director of professional doctoral studies

• “This coming Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. But for many of us who have grown up in Baptist churches, celebrating Holy Week has not been a long-standing tradition that we have practiced. Sure, we celebrated Easter, and we may have had some sort of drama or choir cantata to remind us of Jesus’ death and resurrection, but we certainly did not order our schedules, our thinking, or our lives around these all-important days that commemorate Jesus’ redemptive acts.”

“A general social collapse? An erosion of trust-and trustworthiness-hurts the common good” (article on WORLD), written by Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “Recently published data released by the comprehensive General Social Survey reveals a massive erosion of confidence in American institutions over the last 20 years. Congress and the presidency, organized religion and corporations, educators and the media have lost credibility. Even the scientific community, banks, and schools are no longer trusted. The outlier institution is the military, whose approval has held steady among every generational cohort except for millennials, who have grown up in the shadow of two costly and controversial wars.”

“You, Me, and the Easter Pharisees” (article on Baptist Press Toolbox), written by Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “On Easter, we see two diametrically opposed groups of religious leaders find common cause in opposing Jesus; Sadducees because they saw Jesus’ claims of deity, His talk of resurrection and kingdom, and His dismissing of the temple as a threat to their hold on power; and Pharisees because they saw Jesus as a threat to God’s coming kingdom reign, an assault on their desire for spiritual renewal.”

“FIRST-PERSON: The sadness and joy of Holy Week” (article on Baptist Press), written by Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “I came across a Facebook ‘memory’ a few days ago, reminding me of a sad and haunting Easter three years ago where, for the first time in our lives, we couldn’t leave our homes because a deadly virus was on the prowl. I recall the uncertainty and sadness of that moment. Yet, there was a sober confidence that Easter was just what we needed.”