Released by the Baptist College of Florida …
In addition to teaching at The Baptist College of Florida (BCF) in Graceville and offering area wide pastoral ministry, BCF Professor of Theology and Philosophy Mark Rathel considers writing as an extension of his role as an educator. For years, Rathel has published articles and provided commentary on numerous biblical topics in multiple venues.
Rathel wrote seven articles in the five-volume Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States, published by academic publisher Roman & Littlefield. He wrote five articles on Baptist leaders Thomas Armitage, B. H. Carroll, James B. Gambrell, the Leavell family, and Rufus Weaver. He also contributed articles on fundamentalist leader Bod Jones, Jr. and liberal Episcopal Priest James Pike.
In a volume commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, Rathel authored “Martin Luther’s Sola Fide: Redefined as Baptists’ Affirmation of Justification by Faith.” Rathel contrasted the Catholic and Protestant understandings of the doctrine of justification by faith and discussed Luther’s contribution to the democratization of the Christian faith through Bible translation, rediscovery of the biblical doctrine of the priesthood of the believer, and Luther’s emphasis on the church as community rather than an institution.
For the 100th anniversary of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Rathel contributed “The Cross and the School of Providence and Prayer: Atonement Controversies at New Orleans Baptist Seminary,” in the NOBTS on-line academic publication, Journal for Baptist Theology and Ministry. In the article, Rathel focused on controversies regarding the meaning of the death of Jesus in the teachings of Frank Stagg, Theodore C. Clark, and Fisher Humphreys.
Rathel contributed “Nicopolis: City of Victory” to the summer issue of Lifeway’s publication, Biblical Illustrator, highlighting Paul’s request for Titus to meet him in Nicopolis (Titus 3.12). Caesar Augustus founded the city near the location where the emperor’s forces defeated the Navy of Mark Antony and Cleopatra in one of the most important battles in history. Since Paul wrote to Titus from his Roman imprisonment, Paul’s desire to travel to the city of victory gives insights into Paul’s evangelistic plans after his release from imprisonment.
For more information on the exciting articles and publications authored by BCF Professors, contact The Baptist College of Florida at 850-263-3261 or visit the website at www.baptistcollege.edu.