SEBTS Chapel - Edwin Luther Copeland September 21, 1965

Description
  • Instrumental music plays (0:00-01:59), and an opening prayer is offered to God (02:04-04:36). Worship continues with “God of Grace and God of Glory” (04:50-08:26), and a responsive reading from “Selection 96” occurs between the speaker and the audience (08:27-10:12). An introduction is given for other SEBTS faculty briefly before Dr. Copeland delivers his message (10:13-13:00). No formal introduction was given for Dr. Copeland, but he was Professor of Missions at SEBTS, and his message is on the person of Albert Schweitzer. Dr. Copeland begins his message with the words of Norman Cousins, a great friend and admirer of Schweitzer, a missionary to Africa, on the account of his death (13:01-17:33). Dr. Copeland outlines Schweitzer’s controversial character, offering criticisms that could be made concerning his pantheistic outlook on God, his neglect of the reality of divine atonement, and his representation of an age of paternalism in missions (17:34-20:14). However, Dr. Copeland affirms that these criticisms do not effectively detract from the impact of his life, including his positions against conformism, materialism, and inhumanity, his intellectual genius and mastery of certain fields, his faith that outshone his theology, his life that outshone his faith, and his successful efforts to block nineteenth century liberalism’s attempts to remake Jesus in the form of the nineteenth century as opposed to the first century (20:15-23:01). Dr. Copeland quotes Dr. Pelican’s words concerning Schweitzer’s answer to criticisms made concerning his life and theology. The quote communicates the relevant and relatable style in which the Gospels were written as opposed to the less relatable and existential style of Proverbs (23:02-25:08). Dr. Copeland ends by reading a quote from Dr. Schweitzer himself which emphasizes the authoritative real version of Jesus—the historical Jesus—who calls those who follow Him to be “other than” the world instead of “like” the world and who reveals Himself to both the simple and wise without regard of persons (25:09-29:23). Dr. Copeland closes his message with a brief prayer (29:31-29:49).
Last modified
  • July 20, 2021
Creator
Subject
Language
Identifier
  • SEBTS_Chapel_Edwin_Luther_Copeland_1965-09-21
Date Created
  • September 21, 1965
Location
  • Wake Forest (N.C.)
Resource Type
Preferred Citation
    SEBTS Chapel and Special Event Recordings - 1960s, SEBTS Chapel and Special Event Recordings, Archives and Special Collections, Library at Southeastern, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC.