Asbury Theological Seminary President Dr. Timothy Tennent is facing a social media backlash for preaching a solidly orthodox sermon at Asbury’s convocation for the 2021-22 academic year.
Titled “The Restoration of Personhood”’, the sermon referenced a conversation between Tennent and the late Asbury theologian Dr. Dennis F. Kinlaw. Tennent, as he explained, asked Law what the most pressing theological issue of the age was. Kinlaw, instead of a long-winded answer, responded with one word: personhood.
Tennent proposed that the overarching problem with the spirit of the age is that it has a severely misguided notion of what it means to be a human being. In particular, he referenced the work of Grove City College professor Carl Trueman, author of The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution.
Trueman wrote Triumph of the Modern Self out of curiosity at statements like “I’m a woman trapped in a man’s body” going from nonsensical several generations ago to being “not only regarded as meaningful and authentic, but to deny it is stupid or immoral or an irrational phobia.” As Trueman argues, the 1960s saw the rise of a new kind of individualism, one radically different from what has come before. Canadian Philosopher Charles Taylor, called this shift “expressive individualism.”
The Asbury Seminary president described some features of this new individualism. Firstly, “this new vision of human personhood has created a seismic dualistic separation or fracturing of the human will from the physical body. In this twist of Neo-gnostic dualism our bodies become moldable, like plastic contingent instruments which must be conformed to the intuitions, feelings and what other social constructions we may dream of in order to conform to our understanding of ourselves.”
“This new vision of human personhood has moved us as a culture and society from what Charles Taylor calls a transcendent frame to an immanent frame,” Tennent continued. “Our society has fully jettisoned any transcendent moral… boundaries to our existence or our decisions which refer or defer to God or any other authoritative source… The immanent frame refers to the solitary, socially constructed self leading to a whole new view of human personhood. It renders us forgetful of the image of God in us as that frames our dignity and our identity…. In a culture where all that’s left of personhood is the atomized self, ethics becomes merely a function of feelings, what [Scottish philosopher Alasdair] MacIntyre calls emotivism.
“This new vision of human personhood marks the rise of the therapeutic self,” he went on. “The once particular language of therapy has now become the common language of common discourse… the very notion of personhood today has become a socially derived psychological construction.” The result of these shifts has been the elevation of sexual satisfaction to the apex of our culture and making sexual identity our deepest source of self-knowledge. He concluded with an account of how Christianity enables a proper sense of identity; one rooted in the transcendent law of God instead of authentic individual expression.
While everything Tennent said is in-line with the theological tenets held by Asbury Seminary, some who attended or live-streamed the convocation were unimpressed.
Hey @AsburySeminary, maybe don’t make your entire convocation sermon from the president centered on lambasting LGBTQ people.
— Elijah (@Personhoodlives) September 7, 2021
You’re doing worse than just making it dangerous for me to be on campus
One seminarian charged on Twitter to great acclaim that Tennent’s actions were even worse than dangerous.
I walked out of chapel. I do not have to sit under evil disrespect.
— Elijah (@Personhoodlives) September 7, 2021
This was followed by his apparent early exit from the chapel because Tennent’s words caused him to take offense.
How is it possible that the worst case scenario would occur on the first day of seminary.
— Elijah (@Personhoodlives) September 7, 2021
Why am I still here??
More than a hundred other tweets were issued in response to Tennent’s speech, many of which were highly critical of him for the manner in which he spoke about LGBT+ topics. Elijah, the seminarian, identifies as a “Side B” celibate gay Christian and many of the responses to his criticisms urged him to transfer to a seminary which affirms homosexual behavior.
Hi. I’m sorry, I don’t know you, & I know a really gay-affirming place isn’t for everyone, but I love working at @VUDivinity because we are queer & trans inclusive & in admin, anything mostly run by lesbians is just gonna be better organized. 🤷🏻♀️ Prayers & love your way.
— Laura M. Cheifetz (@lmcheifetz) September 7, 2021
Another twitter user wrote:
@AsburySeminary ‘s whole market niche is triumphantly standing upon the bruised and bloodied bodies of queer people, Christians included. You and I are powerless against such a fundraising juggernaut.
— Christopher Ashley (@chrislashley) September 7, 2021
The ultimate point of debate seems to be what exactly the proper language is to use around issues of gender and sexuality. There are “Side B” Christians who try to live in accordance with orthodox Christian faith, but while they don’t seem to want to fundamentally alter Christianity, some still have problems with how these issues are addressed in the church. Tennent has not yet responded to the Twitter-storm around his sermon, but it will be interesting where the debate between celibate gay Christians and everyone else lands.
Comment by Jeff on September 13, 2021 at 7:28 am
I’m way beyond tired of the alphabet people and their glorification and celebration of mental illness, and I’m especially tired of their incessant demands that all of us with sound minds join them in their affirmation of perversion and insanity as somehow “good”.
Thank you Dr. Tennant (and Professor Trueman) for speaking the TRUTH. Hold the line, brother! “Be not deceived. GOD is not mocked.”
Elijah, seek healing help, not the suppression of God’s TRUTH.
Comment by Al on September 13, 2021 at 8:54 am
Well said, Jeff.
Comment by Mike on September 13, 2021 at 9:04 am
Jeff, I totally agree with you. Liberals expect everyone to agree with their ideas simply because they feel themselves to be enlightened geniuses, whereas the rest of us are “socially backwards”, as one respondent answered on another article (Hauerwas & 9-11).
Comment by Gary on September 13, 2021 at 10:46 am
Well put, Jeff. Kudos to Dr. Tennent for saying what needs to be said.
If one is living in open defiance of the book that is the basis of the profession that they have chosen to pursue, then they have made a questionable career choice.
Comment by David Unkles on September 13, 2021 at 11:19 am
Well, they say the flak is the heaviest when you are over the target. Preach on Dr. Tennent!
Comment by MJ on September 13, 2021 at 11:36 am
Just wondering why Elijah chose to go to Asbury. There’s no shortage of LGBTetc affirming Methodist seminaries.
Comment by Palamas on September 13, 2021 at 12:17 pm
Exactly, MJ. One has to wonder whether Elijah did any research into what Asbury stands for before deciding to go there. Or perhaps he went there deliberately in the hope of creating controversy and making himself a martyr. In any case, perhaps he should learn something (maybe even listen to the entire sermon and try to argue with it, rather than just emoting) before spouting off.
Comment by Paul on September 13, 2021 at 1:24 pm
Jeff uses “mental illness” and “insanity” to describe others, and includes himself among “…all of us with sound minds …” I invite anyone interested enough to read about Kristin Beck who was a highly decorated career combat US Navy SEAL as Christopher Beck. Perhaps we owe a debt of gratitude rather than a label of “insanity” to Kristin as Christopher for multiple acts of heroism in combat zones around the globe, including being a master parachutist, a military freefall jumpmaster, a Ranger, and a SEAL with a chest full of service ribbons.
Comment by Brian Evers on September 13, 2021 at 2:13 pm
Regarding the Navy Seal bit. Everyone can go off the rails. Once sane isn’t always sane.
Comment by Jim on September 13, 2021 at 2:44 pm
I agree with Jeff wholeheartedly. I was fighting the homosexual agenda in the 90s in Southern California, and found few allies in the church. Christians, including a pastor or two, told me I sounded “mean” or “hateful” when I spoke against the burgeoning movement. I explained that I loved all people but would never accept their perverse behavior or agree with them teaching others to accept it (our children, for example). I knew at that time that if or when their agenda gained traction Christians would forever refuse to speak against them. That has come to pass, with the exception of myself and a few brave souls like those above who are willing to fight against the acceptance of perversion. God help the rest of you.
Comment by Jeff on September 13, 2021 at 3:11 pm
Paul, I note that Christopher the man, and not Kristin the delusional “woman”, served HIS country with honor. I thank HIM for HIS service. GOD bestows gender; His creation does not choose it.
Comment by Tom on September 13, 2021 at 5:31 pm
If we are going to disregard the clear commands of Scripture in order to have gay Christians, why not have bank robber Christians? Why do Christians no welcome and accept bank robber Christians? (They might be especially attractive to the prosperity gospel types…)
Comment by Beth on September 13, 2021 at 6:30 pm
Why would a celibate Christian not go to ATS? Don’t celibate ssa Christians support traditional church teaching? Why would a Celibate ssa Christian have to go to an “affirming” seminary? Is this article basically saying people who are ssa traditionalists shouldn’t be able to disagree with how someone describes them? Did Dr Tennant talk about ssa celibate Christians in this talk?
Comment by Robert on September 13, 2021 at 8:00 pm
The comments I have seen on social media regarding Dr. Tennent’s sermon was fraught with emotive rhetoric/appeal to emotions/”feelings” than any substantial theological counterargument. None, nada, zilch.
Comment by Gerard Flood on September 14, 2021 at 12:38 am
Anyone seriously interested in these issues needs [Professor of Bioethics at University of Notre Dame Australia, previously Samuel Gale Professor of Law at McGill University] Margaret Somerville’s review in Newsweekly March 15 2021 of O. Carter Snead’s “WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN: THE CASE FOR THE BODY IN PUBLIC BIOETHICS”, which concludes, ” … Respect for individual autonomy is an important ethical and human-rights requirement. Problems with it arise only when it is treated as the sole requirement for judging what is ethical or, at the least, the one always to be given priority. This results in the claims of individuals not being balanced by adequate concern for the “common good” or, indeed, any consideration of what protecting and promoting the latter requires (See Margaret Somerville, Bird on an Ethics Wire: Battles about Values in the Culture Wars, 2015).
Moreover, as “expressive individualism” recognises, individuals’ feelings, intuitions and preferences are relevant to ethical decision-making because they are important “human ways of knowing”; but, again, they are not the sole determinants of what is or is not ethical.
As Professor Snead so amply demonstrates, public bioethics is a complex, contested, and conflictual domain and resolving the conflicts ethically is vital because they concern the zero-sum game of life and death. His book, What It Means To Be Human, is a very important contribution to undertaking a much deeper exploration of what is required if we are to be ethical individuals, communities, institutions, and societies.
It is essential reading for bioethicists. For others, while it is certainly not bedtime reading, I believe that most will find “the game is worth the candle”. https://ncc.org.au/newsweekly/music-cinema-books/what-it-means-to-be-human-the-case-for-the-body-in-public-bioethics-snead/
Comment by Nice Statement... on September 14, 2021 at 9:20 am
Wow, some really powerful prophetic words in response to this sermon. I wonder if the responders will have as powerful a statement concerning a few other things:
1. The increasing persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Asia.
2. The continuing crisis of the homeless population in several states, and the ineffective governmental response to it.
3. The growing carnage and crime increases in minority communities in large cities.
4. The continuing use of slave labor by multi-national corporations.
There are others too, but the point is its easy to make a statement on social media where there is no price to pay for it. I hope and pray change comes to the people involved in the responses.
Comment by Rev. Paul T. Stallsworth on September 14, 2021 at 11:32 am
Sadly, most of the critical comments made over against Tennet’s talk illustrate in living color Tennet’s case for the corruption of personhood.
Comment by betsy on September 15, 2021 at 9:32 am
In response to Beth: “Why would a celibate Christian not go to ATS? Don’t celibate ssa Christians support traditional church teaching? Why would a Celibate ssa Christian have to go to an “affirming” seminary? Is this article basically saying people who are ssa traditionalists shouldn’t be able to disagree with how someone describes them? Did Dr Tennant talk about ssa celibate Christians in this talk?”
This question addresses a core problem in how “ssa Christians” perceive Christianity: It is about still clinging to their perception of themselves. What you do not understand is that the whole basis of historic Christianity is that we all fall short, we all have ill conceived perceptions of ourselves, and none of us are truly the person God wants us to be. Therefore, we need to give up our perceptions and open ourselves up to becoming who God wants us to be. Christianity is about dying to self and turning ourselves over to God to be transformed into the truly human person God wants us to be. Historic Christianity is about God’s ongoing story of redemption and salvation and it is a story that never changes because human nature never changes and neither does God. This is the Christianity that has survived 2000 years.
If you feel the need to reinvent Christianity and make it fit your perceptions nobody can stop you. Just stop expecting everybody to be on board with your perceptions and understandings. Some of us have a broader understanding than this is just about right here and right now. Christianity started with Passover in 33 AD and has never changed.
Comment by Pastor Mike on September 15, 2021 at 11:36 am
I read Dr. Tennant’s original message. I didn’t detect anything that spoke in a derogatory way about any person who group of people. It was actually very compassionate, honest, biblical and relevant.
But then, I don’t have a chip on my shoulder.
Comment by Cathy on September 17, 2021 at 11:17 pm
The larger issue is one of living one’s life prioritizing from the outside in – body, soul and spirit- as the culture promulgates and promotes under its materialistic, self-interest based ethics, instead of from the inside out- spirit, soul, and body as in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 that prioritizes the role of spirit/Spirit union with God being the driving force for Christian living. Living from the priority of one’s “flesh”, as one’s priority subjects persons constantly to the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride of life, which John called “all there is in the world.” These three temptations represent the lowest common denominators that trapped Eve (Gen 3:7) and that satan used against Jesus (Matthew 4 and Luke 4) and that John says are the very things that define life in the flesh in opposition to life in the Spirit. This is at the heart of how one views personhood… spiritual beings with eternal souls in temporal bodies (tripartate) or physical beings with souls that may or may not include any desire or need for spiritual connection to God. (dualistic view) I think the Christian Scriptures make it clear which is an accurate depiction of Personhood in the image of God.
Matthew 23:25-28 25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.
Comment by Search4Truth on September 19, 2021 at 5:32 pm
Well said Pastor Mike. What seems to me to be missing is the admission that we are all sinners yet each very different. Different temptations affect each of us differently. Most of us understand that giving into and pursuing these would constitute sin. but it also appears that that word is no longer accepted in today’s lexicon. Is a celibate gay Christian anything like a kleptomaniac Christian who is refraining from stealing? Let’s get real.
Comment by Coulter on October 2, 2021 at 10:06 am
Thank you Dr Tennant and Jeff for standing up for what scripture says and calls use to follow. We need others as strong as yourselves.