Announcement of an Exciting and Important Theological Debate

I'm excited to pass on word of an October 2008 debate between four excellent theologians on the Trinity. Below is the announcement of the debate, originally posted on the blog of the Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding (bookmark this link if you haven't already!). I added the bit at the end about the Henry Center, which is the academic center that I manage at TEDS. Hope to see you at the free debate in October--should be very stimulating and worthwhile as four theologians tackle the matter of how the persons of the Godhead relate to one another.

Here's the formal announcement (feel free to spread word of this as you can):

"The Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is excited to announce that on October 9^th, 2008 at 6:30pm, it will host a Trinity Debate at the TEDS Chapel in Deerfield, IL featuring Drs. Bruce Ware (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) and Wayne Grudem (Phoenix Seminary) versus Drs. Tom McCall (TEDS) and Keith Yandell (University of Wisconsin-Madison) on the question:

“Do relations of authority and submission exist eternally among the Persons of the Godhead?”

This debate follows current argumentation in the academic sphere between the two sides. Though a theological exchange between expert scholars, this event will prove beneficial for Christians of all backgrounds. The doctrine of the Trinity is at the heart of the Christian faith and takes into account questions of scriptural interpretation, theological synthesis, and philosophical reasoning. Determining the identities and roles of the persons of the Godhead is thus of great importance not only to the academician, but to the pastor, the layperson, the student and all who would seek to probe and comprehend the beautiful complexity of orthodox Christianity.

The Center anticipates that the debate will be lively, informative, charitable, enjoyable, and, we trust, helpful to a wide variety of Christians and even non-Christians who wish to better understand one of the central realities of the faith. This event is not intended to be intramural, but rather to stimulate discussion that clarifies the Word of God in the life of Christ’s church. All should consider themselves invited and welcome to this free evening of debate and dialogue over theological issues that matter.

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About the Henry Center: Led by Director Doug Sweeney, professor of Church History and the History of Christian Thought at TEDS, the Center seeks in the spirit of its namesake, theologian Carl F. H. Henry, to bridge the gap between the evangelical academy and the Christian church through conferences, lectures, and events. The Center focuses on the concerns not only of the Western church but of the international Christian movement. It is committed to the exchange of biblical wisdom, the authority of Scripture, and the advancement of kingdom work among diverse groups and peoples for the greater glory of God."