EVANGELICAL THEOLOGIANS FACING THE FUTURE: AN ANCIENT AND A FUTURE PARADIGM by Clark H. Pinnock 1 Today is a time of opportunity for Christian theology. With the demise of Marxism, no belief system is better placed than ours is to pro- vide a compelling faith and promising vision of the human future. With the crisis of Darwinistic materialism, there is the possibility again of mutual, beneficial relationships between religion and science being restored and the modern mind being re-opened to the truths of religion. With the waves of pentecostal renewal, the prospect exists for a world- wide outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Islam is a serious competitor, but more politically than theologically. Who knows what might happen when the ban on Christianity is lifted in Arab lands? Consider the possible sig- nificance of Christianity for China as its leaders seek the path to modern- ization. There also are the promising new alliances of evangelicals and mainline believers from the spheres of Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Protestantism. The time is surely ripe for theological advance in the con- text of world mission. With the completion of his systematic theology, Wolfhart Pannenberg is already showing us what is possible. Donald Bloesch is doing the same in a different way. The question is—will we grasp this opportunity for evangelical and Wesleyan theology? I think we keynote Address, annual meeting of the Wesleyan Theological Society, convened at Mount Vernon Nazarene College, Mount Vernon, Ohio, November 7-8,1997. — 7 —
