Geoffrey Paxton
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey J. Paxton has been an ordained minister in the Anglican Church of Australia
. He is a graduate of Australian College of Theology
and the University of Queensland
. He tutored in the history of Christian thought at the University of Queensland, and in Greek and New Testament
studies in the Brisbane College of Theology
. Paxton traveled extensively in the United States
, Britain
, South Africa
, the Philippines and New Zealand
lecturing in Reformation theology. He has also held classes on homiletics
(preaching) for over a decade, a subject about which he is passionate.
) in Brisbane
, Australia
for 7 years.
, and a "keen interest" in its theology. This began through his acquaintance with Robert Brinsmead
, as both were critical of the charismatic movement
. One source described the pair as "anti-Charismatic
crusaders" after one meeting. They held public meetings supporting belief in justification by faith alone
. Paxton contributed to Brinsmead's Present Truth Magazine
.
He published The Shaking of Adventism in 1977, about the struggle within the Adventist church over what it means to be saved, and also over the nature of Christ
. It evaluates the Adventist claim to being heirs of the Protestant Reformation
. The title comes from the traditional concept in Adventism of a "shaking" time.
The Adventist magazine Spectrum
devoted a special section to the book (see below). Also Adventist Richard Rice
affirmed the book's review of past and then-present views of salvation in Adventism as "well informed and generally accurate", yet claims the standard by which Paxton compares Adventist views as "artificial". He says, "Paxton reads more into their claim to be heirs of the Reformation than most Adventists do," and "the Reformers themselves held that justification and sanctification are inseparable."
Paxton lost his job at the Bible school because of his association with Adventists, or as Desmond Ford
puts it, "because of his refusal to lay aside his interest in the Adventist 'cult'."
Anglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
. He is a graduate of Australian College of Theology
Australian College of Theology
The Australian College of Theology is an Australian theological education provider. The college was one of the first Australian non-university providers to offer an accredited bachelor's degree and a research doctorate. Over 15,000 people have graduated since the foundation of the college,...
and the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
. He tutored in the history of Christian thought at the University of Queensland, and in Greek and New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
studies in the Brisbane College of Theology
Brisbane College of Theology
Brisbane College of Theology, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, was an ecumenical theological education consortium, comprising St Francis' Theological College , St Paul's Theological College and Trinity Theological College . It was based at Raymont Lodge in Auchenflower and offered both...
. Paxton traveled extensively in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, the Philippines and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
lecturing in Reformation theology. He has also held classes on homiletics
Homiletics
Homiletics , in theology the application of the general principles of rhetoric to the specific department of public preaching. The one who practices or studies homiletics is called a homilist....
(preaching) for over a decade, a subject about which he is passionate.
Biography
Paxton was principal of the Queensland Bible Institute (now Crossway CollegeCrossway College
Crossway College is a Bible college in Toowong and Rothwell in Queensland. The Head of College is currently Johan Ferreira. Crossway College offers degrees through the Australian College of Theology.-External links:*...
) in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for 7 years.
Interaction with Adventists
Paxton has had significant interaction with the Seventh-day Adventist ChurchSeventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, and a "keen interest" in its theology. This began through his acquaintance with Robert Brinsmead
Robert Brinsmead
Robert Daniel "Bob" Brinsmead is a formerly controversial figure within the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the 1960s and 1970s, known for his diverse theological journey....
, as both were critical of the charismatic movement
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
. One source described the pair as "anti-Charismatic
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
crusaders" after one meeting. They held public meetings supporting belief in justification by faith alone
Sola fide
Sola fide , also historically known as the doctrine of justification by faith alone, is a Christian theological doctrine that distinguishes most Protestant denominations from Catholicism, Eastern Christianity, and some in the Restoration Movement.The doctrine of sola fide or "by faith alone"...
. Paxton contributed to Brinsmead's Present Truth Magazine
Present Truth Magazine
Present Truth Magazine is an evangelical Christian magazine, started by Robert Brinsmead, a former Seventh-day Adventist.- History :The magazine was started by Robert Brinsmead in 1972. It was a free monthly publication....
.
He published The Shaking of Adventism in 1977, about the struggle within the Adventist church over what it means to be saved, and also over the nature of Christ
Christology
Christology is the field of study within Christian theology which is primarily concerned with the nature and person of Jesus Christ as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Primary considerations include the relationship of Jesus' nature and person with the nature...
. It evaluates the Adventist claim to being heirs of the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
. The title comes from the traditional concept in Adventism of a "shaking" time.
The Adventist magazine Spectrum
Spectrum (magazine)
Spectrum is the official publication of Adventist Forums, published four times a year. It was established "to encourage Seventh-day Adventist participation in the discussion of contemporary issues from a Christian viewpoint, to look without prejudice at all sides of a subject, to evaluate the...
devoted a special section to the book (see below). Also Adventist Richard Rice
Richard Rice
T. Richard Rice is a Seventh-day Adventist theologian and author. He is a leading proponent of "open theism", a term he invented, which describes a controversial understanding of God...
affirmed the book's review of past and then-present views of salvation in Adventism as "well informed and generally accurate", yet claims the standard by which Paxton compares Adventist views as "artificial". He says, "Paxton reads more into their claim to be heirs of the Reformation than most Adventists do," and "the Reformers themselves held that justification and sanctification are inseparable."
Paxton lost his job at the Bible school because of his association with Adventists, or as Desmond Ford
Desmond Ford
Desmond "Des" Ford is an evangelical Christian and an Australian theologian. He is the father of pornography gossip columnist Luke Ford....
puts it, "because of his refusal to lay aside his interest in the Adventist 'cult'."
External links
- The Shaking of Adventism by Paxton, reprinted on the Present Truth Magazine website (formerly of Robert Brinsmead). Grand RapidsGrand Rapids, MichiganGrand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
, MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
: Baker Book HouseBaker Book HouseBaker Publishing Group is an evangelical Protestant Christian book publisher based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It has six subdivisions: Bethany House, Revell, Baker Books, Baker Academic, Chosen and Brazos Press.-Identity:...
, 1977 - "A Discussion of Holiness Theology: Summary of an Interview with Geoffrey J. Paxton". Present Truth Magazine, vol. 6
- The 9:3 (July 1978) issue of SpectrumSpectrum (magazine)Spectrum is the official publication of Adventist Forums, published four times a year. It was established "to encourage Seventh-day Adventist participation in the discussion of contemporary issues from a Christian viewpoint, to look without prejudice at all sides of a subject, to evaluate the...
ran a "Special Section: The Shaking of Adventism?":- "A View from the Outside" by Fritz GuyFritz GuyFritz Guy is a Seventh-day Adventist theologian and Research Professor of Philosophical Theology at La Sierra University in Riverside, California. He has worked as a college and university professor, an academic administrator, and a church pastor...
- "Paxton’s Misunderstanding of Adventism" by Herbert Douglass
- "The Truth of Paxton’s Thesis" by Desmond FordDesmond FordDesmond "Des" Ford is an evangelical Christian and an Australian theologian. He is the father of pornography gossip columnist Luke Ford....
- "Paxton and the Reformers" by Hans LaRondelleHans LaRondelleHans Karl LaRondelle was a respected Seventh-day Adventist theologian; a strong proponent of the gospel and salvation by faith alone. In a 1985 questionnaire of North American Adventist Theology lecturers, LaRondelle tied for fourth place among the Adventist authors who had most influenced them,...
- "An Interview with Paxton" by Jonathan M. ButlerJonathan M. ButlerJonathan M. Butler is an historian of religion. He was formerly employed as a lecturer by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.- Biography :Jonathan Butler completed his doctorate at the University of Chicago....
, p58–60 - Responses: "On Paxton", letters to the editor from Richard B. Lewis, George W. Colvin, Jr. and Eric C. Webster. Spectrum 9:4, p63–64.
- Responses: "On Paxton", letters to the editor from Douglas Hackleman and (brief) Thomas J. Zwemer. Spectrum 10:1, p60–63
- "A View from the Outside" by Fritz Guy