On October 26, 2015 By Dustin Messer In Scribblings Like

“Bless my Soul, People were Getting Baptized!” Newbigin on his Life and Mission

I once heard Greg Thompson at Trinity Presbyterian Church say something to the effect, “every time I think I have an original idea, I always find that Lesslie Newbigin beat me to it.” I resonate with Greg’s sentiment. Often, his ideas have so assimilated in my mind and soul I forget their origin. I go to Newbigin again and again to be challenged, confronted, and shaped.

Below is a rare interview with the good Bishop. By the end, you’ll get a taste for what animates him. In Newbigin’s estimation, the gospel isn’t just a private affair of the heart. Rather, it is public truth. It’s about this world, the real world, the one which Christ is redeeming. I find the best entryways into Newbigin’s work to be Truth to Tell, Foolishness to the Greeks, and Geoffrey Wainwright’s definitive biography, Lesslie Newbigin: A Theological Life.

Watch and enjoy!

About the Author / Dustin Messer

A Sr. Fellow at the Center for Cultural Leadership, Dustin ministers at All Saints Dallas and teaches theology at Legacy Christian Academy in Frisco, TX. Additionally, Dustin serves on the board of directors at both the Evangelical Fellowship in the Anglican Communion (EFAC-USA) and the Center for Christian Civics in Washington, DC. Before starting his doctoral work at La Salle University, Dustin graduated from Boyce College and Covenant Theological Seminary, serving as Editor-in-Chief of Covenant's Bantam Journal while a student. Dustin's commentary on politics and culture has been quoted by several news outlets, including The American Conservative and WORLD Magazine. Having completed a fellowship at the National Review Institute, his writings have been published by Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.