Remembering an All-But-Forgotten, Extremely Influential Theologian: Christoph Blumhardt

Remembering an All-But-Forgotten, Extremely Influential Theologian: Christoph Blumhardt
March 29, 2015 by Roger E. Olson Patheos.com

Much to their credit, a few historical theologians are trying to revive memory of German theologian-evangelist Christoph Blumhardt. My friend and co-author Christian Collins Winn (Bethel College, MN) is one of them. (He and I collaborated on our recently published book Reclaiming Pietism: Retrieving an Evangelical Tradition [Eerdmans, 2015].) In my opinion, however, Blumhardt is one of those great Christian thinkers and leaders who has been pushed to the deep background and only remembered (vaguely) by some as an influence on Karl Barth’s theology. However, even some books about Barth and his theology neglect to mention Blumhardt who deserves much more credit for helping launch theological renewal in the twentieth century.
Christoph (1842-1919) would consider it a disservice to himself not to mention his father Johann (1805-1880). The father was catapulted to fame in Germany and the Christian world by the story of his months-long exorcism of a demonic spirit possessing a young woman. Johann was a fairly

VATICAN EXORCISM COURSE DISTINGUISHES DEVILRY FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL ILLNESS

The Vatican is offering a course on exorcism—or casting out demons—this April to teach priests and laypeople how to recognize and fight demonic possession.

by THOMAS D. WILLIAMS, PH.D.3 Apr 2015
for breitbart.com

Sponsored by the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy and organized by the Sacerdos Institute, the weeklong course titled “Exorcism and Prayer of Liberation” will take place at the European University of Rome from April 13 to 18.

This tenth annual edition of the course will

Deliverance minister deals with ‘Monsters and Mysteries

Deliverance minister deals with ‘Monsters and Mysteries’
by Ashley Conner for the Gazette-Virginian

He dealt with a demonic attachment for years, something he says he picked up while working as a sex offender counselor in his early 20s, and after receiving a calling from God, former pastor Russell Irby is now a deliverance minister.
The county resident speaks of his time as