Journal of European Baptist Studies, 2017

with others. Conclusion There are not many stories that can trump the litany of Paul’s hardships described in Acts and his letters to young churches (see especially I Corinthians 4.11-13, from which Scum of the Earth Church derives its name, and II Corinthians 11.23b-33). Yet he states assuredly, I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Philippians 4.12) When practised deeply, contentment contributes to spiritual maturity of people devoted to the full development of Christ-like character. This community in turn is witness to and evidence of the ability to live alternatively to the influence of the dominant culture. Particularly during the young adult developmental stage, the practice of contentment can provide orientation for identity formation and direction for selecting commitments. It supports what Brett McCracken calls ‘authentic Christian cool’, which he characterises as celebrating the simple good without cynicism, centring on Christ rather than consumption or image, willingness to say “no” to sin and ‘creating a culture of contrast rather than a culture of relevance’. Its timelessness demonstrates McCracken's conclusion: ‘True relevance lasts’. 52 Scum has certainly not found a magical formula for forming Christian character and virtues in our young adult congregants. But the intentional 51 Eli Pariser, The Filter Bubble: Flow the New Personalized Web Is Changing What We Read and How We Think , reprint edn (London: Penguin Books, April 2012). In the same vein, we can expect to see much more analysis of the phenomenon and impact of ‘fake news’ in coming years. 52 Brett McCracken, Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2010), pp. 213, 234 (italics in original). 56 Journal of European Baptist Studies 17:1 (2017) practice of certain ‘old-time’ habits such as contentment has yielded fruit in the lives of young adults immersed in a culture of discontent. Fran Blomberg has been involved with Scum of the Earth Church for more than 12 years, and served on the pastoral staff from 2010-2016. She is a graduate of IBTS, Prague. Hutcherson, The Relationship between Faith and Reason 57 The Relationship between Faith and Reason in al-Ghazali’s Philosophy of Education: Implications for Arab Christian Theological Education Caleb Hutcherson Introduction The question of how faith and reason relate to one another runs through the history of religious thought. The answers we give to the question shape how we approach many issues of life and belief, including how we think about and practise teaching and learning. 1 As a theological educator involved in Arab evangelical theological education, understanding the philosophical influences shaping education in Arab contexts is crucial to my t