G H Morling and pastoral theology (Part 2)

PART 2 Prayer occupied a central place in Morlingโ€™s pastoral theology because it was the natural expression of this communion with Christ. He regarded prayer not merely as one pastoral responsibility among many but as the atmosphere in which all Christian life and ministry are sustained. Drawing upon the practice of the apostolic Church, he …

G H Morling and pastoral theology (Part 1)

PART 1 George Henry Morling (1891โ€“1974) was one of the most influential Baptist leaders in twentieth-century Australia. Serving as Principal of the Baptist Theological College of New South Wales from 1922 to 1960, he shaped generations of ministers through his teaching, preaching, pastoral care, and personal example. Although he published comparatively little, his influence extended …

Christian mystics as “great souls”

In his writings, the Australian Baptist theologian G. H. Morling occasionally refers to โ€œgreat souls,โ€ people of extraordinary humanity or spiritual insight โ€“ those rare individuals able to express uncommon empathy or magnanimity, whether in actions or words. The phrase โ€œgreat soulโ€ echoes the classical Greek notion ofย megalopsychos,ย the โ€œgreat-souled man,โ€ย articulated by Aristotle, denoting largeness of …

โ€œThe vital breath of the churchโ€: Prayer, personalism and spiritual power in the thought of G. H. Morling

Prayer, worship and intimacy with God feature strongly in George Henry Morlingโ€™s evangelical approach to spirituality. In a diary entry dated 19 August 1928, Morling famously states, โ€œThere must be a very strong stand taken for doctrinal-experimental truth.โ€[1]ย His commitment to this principle prompted him to seek a balance between what he viewed as rival extremes …

The quest for serenity and union with Christ (part 2)

A paper presented to the Baptist Historical Society by Rev Rod Benson (part 2 of 2) Click here for Part 1 Despite his protestations to the contrary in the introduction,[1]ย G. H. Morling's book,ย The Quest for Serenity, is tightly and logically structured. Chapters 1-5 set the scene for the resolution of the quest in chapters 6 …