Good things have also been happening in the theological seminaries, but here the progress has been a little slower. Evangelicalism is a movement shaped by many theological battles of the past, and evangelicals tend to watch their theologians a little more closely than they do their philosophers, historians, and literati. Fuller is a refreshing place in this regard, and this is due in great part to David Hubbard, who led the school as president for thirty years. He cultivated a board of trustees who were strongly supportive of a progressive evangelicalism, and he encouraged a scholarly approach that was not plagued by the usual evangelical inhibitions. But from our perspective we simply have to take the risks.
Evangelicalism is a populist movement, and a kind of missionary impulse is basic to our ethos.
We want to get the message out, to spread the Word. We want to serve as many people as possible. This expansionist attitude means that we feel guilty if we are not serving people who need what we have to offer. Furthermore we have also been literally shaped by missionary activity. They are leaders in their own right, and they want us to provide them with the intellectual resources necessary for their ministries.