In early 1820 a young farm boy by the name of Joseph Smith believed he had a vision of God the Father and Jesus Christ appearing to him, exhorting him not to join any of the existing churches of his day, for they were all corrupt. Just over 200 years later in 2023 in Wilmore, Kentuck in the main chapel on the campus of Asbury Theological Seminary, something of a revival began. For two weeks, thousands of people from all over the world came to Ashbury to see for themselves what was happening. During these two weeks, people prayed and sang worship songs. Many Christians, however, debated as to whether or not this was a genuine revival or just an emotive outpouring of mostly Gen-Z'ers. And most Evangelical Christians criticize Joseph's Smith's first vision as either legendary, completely fabricated, or theologically aberrant. How can we rightly discern whether or not people's personal experiences are truly from God? This week on the Profile we wrap up our conversation with theologian and literary scholar Dr. Jeffery Barbeau about his new book The Last Romantic - C.S. Lewis, English Literature, and Modern Theology and consider more of Lewis's insights and how they can equip us to think biblically about personal religious experiences.
Jeffery Barbeau (Ph.D., Marquette University) is professor of theology at Wheaton College, Editor of The Coleridge Bulletin, and a writer on British Romanticism, religion and literature, and the history of Christian thought. His other works include The Cambridge Companion to British Romanticism and Religion (2021), The Spirit of Methodism: From the Wesleys to a Global Communion (2019), and Religion in Romantic England (2018).
Related Links: Go deeper with these related apologetics tools:
- Watchman Fellowship's Spiritual Abuse Recovery Workbook by David Henke: www.watchman.org/SA
- Watchman Fellowship Profile on the International Christian Church: by Steve Matthews and Dr. Brady Blevins: www.watchman.org/ICC
- Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Tim Martin: www.watchman.org/Mormonism
- Watchman Fellowship Profile on Atheism by Dr. Robert M. Bowman, Jr: www.watchman.org/Mormonism
- Watchman Fellowship Profile on the Islam by James Walker: www.watchman.org/Muslim
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