Editors Preface

If you have been to the new SCJ website you will see that our new marketing slogan is T3 "Thinking Things Through." We believe our mission is to provide students, ministers, teachers, and scholars resources to stimulate and at times challenge their thinking. Whether a person's chief area of interest is Stone-Campbell Restoration issues, philosophy, theology, preaching, church, missions, biblical culture, current culture, New Testament or Old Testament, each issue has a well-researched article from someone working in that field, or at least a book review on current reading in that area.

Coincidentally, it was pointed out to me at the 2007 SCJ Conference that a book with the exact same title, Thinking Things Through, was published in 1940 (St Louis: Bethany) by Alonzo Fortune, a Disciples of Christ pastor in Lexington, Kentucky, and a professor at The College of the Bible. He wrote this biographical tribute to the ideas of his friend and mentor, E.E. Snoddy, who taught philosophy at The College of the Bible and Transylvania College from 1914 to 1935. Fortune describes Snoddy (29-30): "He profited from others, hence he read widely; but he thought things through for himself. He was a progressive thinker. Instead of seeking to justify the status quo, he kept his mind open to the truth. . . . He refused to be labeled, and he was careful not to attach labels to his brethren. He realized many fine men were misunderstood and maligned because of false labels.

I don't know much else about Professor Snoddy. The book speaks of his trying to grapple with such things as evolution and the Bible as well as the challenge of atheism. However, I would like to think—with that kind of approach—he would have been a friend and supporter of SCJ. Today SCJ readers strive to think about the Bible and Christianity in relationship to ever-developing challenges related to the biblical and theological academy as well as the culture. We trust each issue, including this one, is an aid in your own efforts to continue to be "thinking things through."

SCJ has had the privilege of publishing numerous significant articles over our ten years (20 issues), but none is more significant to Stone-Campbell history than our headliner article in this issue. From this point onward, thanks to the careful work of David Matson (Hope International University), the Lunenberg Letter from the "Conscientious Women" sent to Alexander Campbell in 1837 will no longer be regarded as anonymous. Her story will be told; her name will be etched into history. Alexander Campbell's response to this letter from the lady who challenges him to denounce all who are unbaptized or baptized for the wrong reasons as outside of Christ will be put into full perspective.

This issue also includes another unique article, this one by Randy Todd, that reveals Alexander Campbell's not widely known views dating the beginning of the millennium. Brian Messner (Lincoln Christian College) adds to his detailed, historical investigations into Pontius Pilate from two previous articles in SCJ (1.2 [1998] 201-212; and 3.2 [2000] 195-208). Keith Stanglin (Harding University) challenges the theological foundation of George Barna's view of the church. Two recent graduates of Emmanuel Theological Seminary provide two more insightful articles. W.G. Hulbert ponders the discrepancies between the accounts of Manasseh in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles. Lastly, Alisha Paddock's winning entry in the 2007 SCJ Conference Student Paper Competition (Graduate) places Paul's familial language in the context of Graeco-Roman society.

In an effort to bring thoughtful ideas into ever wider arenas, this summer SCJ will be sponsoring two lectures and having a booth both at the North American Christian Convention in Cincinnati (July 1-4) and at the World Convention in Nashville (July 30–August 3). At the NACC our guest lecturer will be Richard Hughes (Senior Fellow, Ernest L Boyer Center; Distinguished Professor of Religion; Messiah College) who will present "Converted Anew to Christ by Barton W. Stone." At the World Convention (July 30–August 3, Nashville, TN) Douglas Foster (Graduate School of Theology; Abilene Christian University) will speak on " Thomas and Alexander Campbell: The Irish Years." David Matson will discuss the content of his article in this issue, "Who Wrote the Lunenburg Letter?" at both the WC and the NACC (though for the latter details are still awaiting confirmation).

William R. Baker, Editor