“From Every Tribe and Tongue and People and Nation”

A new publication has just been released online by GCRR's bi-annual academic journal, Socio-Historical Examination of Religion and Ministry (SHERM)! You can read the article for free here.

Title

"“From Every Tribe and Tongue and People and Nation”: The All-Inclusive Group"

Abstract

This article seeks to take a position different from John Hartung’s position in his article entitled, “Love Thy Neighbor: The Evolution of In-Group Morality.” His article was originally written in two separate issues in Skeptic in 1995 and 1996. Hartung takes the position that in-group morality (a moral code for a specific group) exists so that religious groups can compete against other groups, even overcoming them through violence and subordination. The position of this present article seeks to show that Hartung’s premise falls short through examination of presuppositions, the central motif of redemption, and a high view of Scripture in light of its context. This article will address certain components from Hartung’s article to state a position that remains true to the biblical text. Instead of an in-group morality, this article promotes an all-inclusive group morality that is intended to extend beyond that group to others for the purpose of evangelism, not competition.

About the Author

David Hellwig has an earned PhD from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Cordova, TN. He is a Professor of Biblical Studies at Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary (BMATS) located in Jacksonville, TX. He is pastor of First Baptist Church, New Summerfield, TX. Dr. Hellwig has authored and co-authored articles for Mission: World. This is the missions magazine for the Baptist Missionary Association of America (BMAA). He has also authored and co-authored expositional commentaries for Baptist Expositor (Bible study literature from the Baptist Publishing House) on Colossians (Fall 2019), Acts 1‒8 (Spring 2020), and Sermon On the Mount (set to come out in Fall 2020).

Submit Your Research for Publication!

If you have an academic or ministry-related article that you'd like to publish, submit your manuscript to SHERM journal today! Start by clicking this link here and then following the instructions laid out in the Author Guidelines document on the SHERM website.