The Queen S Foundation

RESEARCH SEMINAR

Thursday 3December 2015

in the Handsworth Room

P R O G R A M M E

1000Welcome, introduction, notices

1010Professor Tom Greggs,‘The Catholic Spirit of Protestantism: The Third Article, Visible Unity and Ecumenism’ (long paper)

1100Brief comfort/drinkbreak

1115Response and discussion continued

1200Finish in time for worship in chapel (12.30pm)

1300Lunch

1345Andrea Hill, ‘Mark’s use of Old Testament allusions in his Transfiguration account: An exegesis of Mark 9:3b’ (short paper)

1430Brief comfort/drink break

1445Workshop on Methodology and Methods in Theological

Research’ led by Nicola Slee, with Fran Porter & Dirk-Martin Grube

1600Finish

FURTHER DETAILS AND ABSTRACTS

Tom Greggs says: ‘This paper considers what catholicity and visible unity might mean for a Protestant family of churches, and in relation to this understanding of catholicity and visible unity, how to account for the plurality of churches and opinions that the Protestant emphasis on conscience seems to give rise to. The theological reasoning for a Protestant account of visible unity is located in relation to the way in which Protestantism understands the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the institutional church. In articulating this relationship between ecclesiology and Pneumatology, a potential corrective is offered to the dogmatic topography of ecclesiology within the broader Protestant tradition in order to make it possible to understand the manner in which Protestantism can understand itself as a visibly catholic church. The title of this paper arises in part from one of John Wesley’s sermons, ‘A Catholic Spirit’, and the paper is in dialogue with this sermon throughout.’

Tom Greggs is Professor of Historical and Doctrinal Theology at the University of Aberdeen. His publications include Barth, Origen, and Universal Salvation; New Perspectives for Evangelicalism; and Theology against Religion. Tom sits as the Methodist Representative to the World Council of Churches Faith and Order Commission.

Andrea Hill says: ‘At best, the phrase “fuller” in Mark 9:3b (“such as a fuller on earth is not able to whiten”) is considered to emphasise the “whiteness” in the first half of the sentence (9a); at worst it fails in its attempt to do so. Commentators adhering to the latter view describe Mark as failing to describe adequately the glory of God: Hooker (1991) has him “out of his depth” and France (2002) as “in danger of descending into bathos”. Contra to both views, this paper contends that Mark delivers intentional, significant meaning that goes beyond the enhancement of “whiteness”. It proposes that OT allusions regarding Malachi, Exodus and Daniel make his use of the “fuller” particular, coherently placed in the context of Sinai allusions and his gospel message’.

Andrea Hill is currently a research student at Queen’s and is registered with Gloucester University to do an MPhil, with a view to developing the work in a PhD at VU. Her first degree concerned the teaching of children with special needs, later followed by a course in Psychotherapeutic Observation and she worked for 15 years in Birmingham Special Schools. After gaining a Diploma in Music she continues to work inclusively with people of all abilities to realise potential and community, through music making.

Nicola Slee says: ‘In this workshop we will consider the difference between methodology and methods in theological research, look at a range of models of theological methodology that may be useful to you, and consider the importance of methodology and methods in your own research projects. Fran Porter and Dirk-Martin Grube will offer insights from their own experience and research alongside Nicola, and we will all respond to queries and issues as presented in the workshop. IT WILL BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD CONSIDER YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING OF METHODOLOGY AND METHODS AHEAD OF THE SEMINAR, and be prepared to share insights and questions pertaining to your own research methodology and methods.’

Nicola Slee is Director of Research at Queen’s and currently working on a short book on Sabbath as well as a number of papers and (too many) book reviews.