An “Adventurous Faith in God”

Abstract

The worldwide church and the theological academy owe a great debt of gratitude to John A. Mackay, third president of Princeton Theological Seminary and founding editor of Theology Today. Missionary, theological educator, ecumenist, author – Mackay was by any set of criteria an extraordinary leader. This year marks the 125th anniversary of his birth and we take this opportunity to remember and give thanks for the man and his many important contributions to the worldwide church. Essays by James Moorhead and Darrell Guder explore key aspects of Mackay’s contribution and ongoing significance. In this editorial, I draw attention to his groundbreaking vision for theological journalism in the midst of a world undergoing profound upheaval. Writing a preface to a collection of essays in honor of his long-time editorial assistant and then editorial torchbearer, Hugh T. Kerr, Mackay reflected back on the founding of Theology Today in 1944 that ‘‘the hour had arrived to bring to birth a journal that would give relevancy and status across wide frontiers to the study of religious ultimates, to truths concerning God and man and their relationship. It was then and in that context that Theology Today came into being.’’ In the first editorial to appear in this journal, he set out his vision for Theology Today in four parts: