Sunday, June 1, 2008. 10 AM
Witnessing in the Postmodern World
The Sunday Forum: Critical Issues in the Light of Faith
The Very Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III, host
Cathedral Dean Samuel T. Lloyd III hosts Dr. Thomas Long in a discussion of “Witnessing in the Postmodern World.”
Testimony: Talking Ourselves into Being Christian is the title of one of Long’s books. The idea arose from questions about faith that Long’s children asked him, and his efforts to answer, which he describes as stammering. “I wouldn’t know what to say,” he admits. “But as I did [answer], I was not only sharing my faith with my children, but I was getting clearer in my own mind about what I believed,” he says. Answering questions about belief is a matter of trial and error, which leads to a deeper belief beyond the experience of sharing.
601longlloyd.jpg" alt="Thomas Long, Dean Lloyd" align="right" hspace="6">Dean Lloyd cites a “tongue-tied quality” of attempted testimony, particularly among mainline Protestants. Long finds that many have “ceded” the dialog about faith to evangelical believers and “professional” talkers.
Long recommends worship as one way for more Christians to find their voices and identify common ground. He also encourages conversation. “Honest testimony does not sound like, ‘Hey, brother, are you saved?’” Long says. “It’s woven into the fabric of everyday conversation. It takes place at the breakfast table, it takes place on the subway, it takes place at work, it takes place in the classroom.”
Long does not favor stark demands that people believe. “There is no irrefutable proof of the Christian faith,” he contends. “There’s simply the trustworthiness of testimony. It began with those who came back from the tomb on Easter, it continued through the apostles, it carries on through preaching and worship, and it lives on in the community of faith.”
Christianity continues because someone had the courage to talk to others. “If Christians stop talking, then the Gospel stops spreading,” Long says.
About The Rev. Dr. Thomas G. Long
Dr. Thomas G. Long is the Bandy Professor of Preaching at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He received his B.A. and M.Div. from Erskine Seminary and his Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1980. He began his career as a preacher at McElroy Presbyterian Church near Atlanta, Georgia, and since that time has taught at a number of seminaries, including Princeton and Candler. He served on the Cathedral College Program Board and was a frequent faculty member of the College.
In 1996, Dr. Long was named one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English speaking world by Baylor University, along with the likes of Fred Craddock, Billy Graham, James Forbes, Barbara Brown Taylor, and William Willimon. He was ordained by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church and currently his ordination is being held by the PCUSA.
Dr. Long’s field is in homiletics and is a strong proponent of the two pillars of preaching: strong exegetical work held alongside with strong presentation skills.
His most recent books are Testimony: Talking Ourselves into Being Christian and Accompany Them with Singing: The Christian Funeral. Other titles include: The Witness of Preaching, Second Edition; Testimony: Talking Ourselves into Being Christian; Beyond the Worship Wars: Building Vital and Faithful Worship; Hebrews (Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching); Matthew (Westminster Bible Companion Series); Preaching and the Literary Forms of the Bible; Shepherds and Bathrobes: Sermons for Advent and Christmas; and The Senses of Preaching.