The Auburn Avenue Pastors’ Conference 2005 just concluded this last Wednesday, and I just got back from Louisiana last night. I’d like to briefly review the conference in three posts. Here in the first one I would like to thank the conference organizers and the participants for a very helpful conference, both in terms of structure and theme.
The structure and theme were a set of parallel lectures on the theology of Paul by Richard Gaffin and N.T. Wright, each of them giving five lectures. In the question and answer sessions, each session would begin with the lecturers asking one another questions before we got to the questions from the audience.
The conference was not a debate, but it was very helpful in highlighting areas of agreement between a classical (historical/redemptive) expression of the Reformed faith represented by Gaffin, and a conservative expression of the New Perspective on Paul represented by Wright. In addition, the set up was well suited for showcasing where there is continuing and significant disagreement.
The last thing about this topic has to do with the helpfulness of this kind of irenic theological discussion. Nothing was more apparent than that there is a great deal to talk about and work through. Each speaker was very respectful of the other, and the way the conference was set up it is probable that a good many misunderstandings were cleared up, and no whacking great new ones were generated. This expression of gratitude is not so that we will never differ in some sort of false ecumenism, but rather that we might get to the actual differences. In many ways, it was a very satisfying conference.