Looking Back and Asking Questions
Check out Five good questions a "Reformed Catholic" asks himself as he looks back over his days in the American Evangelical subculture. It is really quite amazing the growing number of my fellow Protestants who are discovering the value - no, the importance - of catholicity. Steve Harmon of Campbell University Divinity School has just written a book called Towards Baptist Catholicity that will be published by Paternoster Press beginning this July. Even my congregational home during college - a very paragon of moderate and individualistic Baptist thought - recited the Apostles' Creed at the end of a sermon the other week.
Yet at the same time the disheartening news of mainline denominations nearing schism over the issue of homosexuality simply continues to grow. The Episcopal Church USA is not at all likely to follow the guidelines of the Windsor Report, and so church after church may soon be making a decision whether to go the way of the national body or to remain in fellowship with the global Anglican Communion. Similar debates continue to shake bodies such as the Presbyterian Church USA and the United Methodist Church. One wonders how such two very different trends - catholicity and schism - are simultaneously advancing through the American church. Lord help us.
Yet at the same time the disheartening news of mainline denominations nearing schism over the issue of homosexuality simply continues to grow. The Episcopal Church USA is not at all likely to follow the guidelines of the Windsor Report, and so church after church may soon be making a decision whether to go the way of the national body or to remain in fellowship with the global Anglican Communion. Similar debates continue to shake bodies such as the Presbyterian Church USA and the United Methodist Church. One wonders how such two very different trends - catholicity and schism - are simultaneously advancing through the American church. Lord help us.
Chris:
I am finding myself more and more a reform(ing) catholic (though reformed non-confirmed, non-practicing anglo-catholic would be a more accurate--albiet wordier--description). Especially since my marriage (to someone from a charasmatic background, no less!), I've been forced to evaluate how confessional I am willing to be, and how much I am willing to impose on my family.
And through that whole journey, I find myself creedal (but not particularly confessional), holding a covenantal view of justification, and floundering. Though I have a special love for the people in the Reformed congregations that I have attended, I grow weary of Calvinists outside of those paradigms. To quote my great Calvinist pastor: "Sometimes you raise the veil, and lo, it is Leah!"
I just want to be happy with being a [catholic] Christian for a while.
Wow...I've been incredibly long-winded and off-the-point.
Posted by
Vershal Hogan |
Tuesday, June 20, 2006 10:15:00 AM
Dear Chris,
Thanks for mentioning Towards Baptist Catholicity on your blog. The book is now available for order from Eisenbrauns:
http://www.eisenbrauns.com/wconnect/wc.dll?ebGate~EIS~~I~HARTOWARD
Yours,
Steven R. Harmon
Posted by
Steve |
Thursday, August 24, 2006 7:10:00 AM
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