David Robertson

David Robertson is the minister of St Peter’s Free Church in Dundee, Scotland (a church that is best known for being the church of Robert Murray McCheyne).  He is theauthor of Awakening (a contemporary account of McCheyne’s life) and The Dawkins Letters.  The latter has resulted in him being invited to debate and discuss all over the UK and elsewhere in Europe.  This has been done in cafes, bars, libraries, universities, publs, restaurants, village halls, and even occasionally in churches!  David is the Church planting advisor for Europe for Mission to the World (MTW), a chaplain at the University of Dundee, and Chairman of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity.  David has preached through Ecclesiastes twice and is currently working on a contemporary edition of the book, suitable for evangelism. David is married to Annabel and they have three children; Andrew (24), Becky (22) and Emma Jane (13). 

2011 Forum Sessions

Luncheon Workshops

Pre-Forum Seminar

Post-Forum Seminar

Luncheon Workshops

Why the New Atheism is an Open Door for the Gospel in Europe

Some Christians have rightly felt threatened by the vehemence and fundamentalism of the New Atheism. In contrast, this session will argue that, once again, the Devil has overreached himself: the New Atheism has backfired in that it has opened previously firmly closed doors in modernist Europe. Millions of people who thought religion dead and buried are suddenly reading about Jesus, the Bible and Christianity. Much of what they read is negative and hostile and yet this provides us with an opportunity to communicate the truth of the Gospel. Many doors have been opened in modern Europe. This workshop will look at how we can walk through some of those doors and have a renewed and reinvigorated presentation of the Gospel in 21^st-century Europe.

Cappuccino Culture: Coffee House Apologetics

Europe is full of coffee houses.  Long before Starbucks, stopping for a coffee and a pastry (whether Danish, Dutch or Croissant) was a favourite pastime for many Europeans.  Every European city has a café culture.  The café is more than a place to get a drink.  It is also a place to relax, read, discuss.  It is part of the public market place and therefore is a place where Christians can seek to spread the Gospel.  The combination of food, drink, people and discussion is one that is very conducive to biblical evangelism.  In this seminar we look at how we can reach this café culture.   We will also take some time to look at some responses David has received and consider how we might answer.

Crime and Punishment vs. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Using European Literature in Persuasive Evangelism

In this workshop we look at how we can use literature in apologetic evangelism.  We contrast the classical literature of such as Dostoevsky, whose writing is incomprehensible without an understanding of Christianity, with modern popular writers such as Stig Larsson – whose ‘Dragon’ trilogy offers insight and connecting points into where our fellow Europeans are at.   As well as looking at how reading such literature can help us understand our fellow Europeans, we also consider how such literature can be used in communicating the Gospel to todays Europeans.

From Mozart to Metallica: Using Music in Persuasive Evangelism

John Calvin argued that of all the gifts God has given us – music is the most powerful.  Churches have spent a great deal of time discussing the role of music in public praise.  However when we discuss the more general role of music in society, it is often in a condemnatory way.  Is there such a thing as Christian music?   What does secular music tell us about our culture?  This seminar will look at how understanding music and using music can be a real bridge to communicating the Gospel.

Pre-Forum Seminar

Where do we begin?  Using History, Culture and Art in Persuasive Evangelism

1) History – it is surprising that whilst post-modernism is essentially a-historical, post-moderns are fascinated by history.  Is there a single community to day in Europe whose history does not include substantial references to Christ and his Church?  Contrary to Henry Ford, history is not bunk, it is a real opportunity to tell His Story.    How do we use that opportunity?  Where are the connecting points?   What ideas, methods and practices have others been using that can be helpful?

2) Culture – What do we mean by culture?   How do we understand culture?  Is there one culture in each area?  Are we multi-cultural?  Should the church be a completely different culture?   What aspects of culture can be helpful for harmful as we seek to communicate the cross-cultural Christ?   In this section we look at these questions and how taking time to identify and understand cultural factors, can help in sharing the Good news.

3) Art – Picasso once said that ‘art is the lie which leads us to the truth’.  Human beings are artists, because we are made in the image of the great artist.  By taking a broad sweep of modern European art (with particular reference to Picasso, Van Gogh, Kandinsky and Chagall) we will show how art sometime reflects the culture and sometimes creates the culture.   Because it asks questions, pictures emotions and attempts to deal with the deepest spiritual questions, contemporary European art gives us a window into the modern and post-modern European mindset and culture.  Can we use it to give Europeans a window into the Gospel?

Post-Forum Seminar

Ecclesiastes and Evangelism

We do not need to make the Bible relevant.  It is relevant.  Our problem is often in our understanding of the Bible or our communication of it.  Sometimes it seems as though there are those who have a good grasp of the culture, but struggle with their grasp of the Bible.  At other times it seems as though there are those who ‘get the bible’ but don’t ‘get the culture’.    In this seminar we look at the book of Ecclesiastes – a 3,000 year old book that reads like a commentary on contemporary culture – one we get it.   We will work in some detail through the book and show how, without forcing the book into our mould, it fits perfectly with the kind of questions and issues that people have today.    It is not a program or a ‘How to’ – but it is a book which almost indirectly takes people to Christ.  Come prepared to think, question and then communicate.

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