Christian Blogger

This is my first entry as a Christian blogger. I'm uniquely qualified to present opinions and reasonable interactions with current events, theological trends, and political issues in the United States and the world.

I completed a master of divinity program at Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, Kentucky in 1995 and my college training was completed at Southeastern College, Lakeland, Florida in 1991. Though my current theology is Anglican and Reformed (Calvinistic), my prior experience was pentecostal/charismatic. I consider myself a "post" charismatic/pentecostal due to exposing my faith to a serious examination from a biblical standpoint and from a philosophical/theological standpoint. As Anselm said, faith seeks a greater understanding. All truth comes from God and therefore a lively faith is able to examine itself and seek greater understanding within the realm of Christian faith. This does not mean we are free to redefine Christianity any old way we see it, however.

I am unashamedly a conservative, Evangelical Christian who also happens to be catholic and Anglican. I believe in unity and catholicity in the Christian communion so long as the essentials of the Christian faith are upheld and established. The ecumenical creeds are one source of identity and catholicity that establishes a denomination or local parish as part of the Christian communion. These creeds are the apostles' creed, the nicene creed, the athanasian creed, and the definition of Chalcedon.

The Wesleyan quadrilateral or the Anglican trilateral are also helpful to establishing whether or not a denomination or parish is consistent with true Christianity. Holy Scripture is preeminent over tradition, reason, and experience. The Anglican trilateral would not include experience but pragmatically speaking most theologians and pastors and lay persons judge issues from their own personal experiences as well as utilizing Holy Scripture, tradition and reason. Traditions of the church are always to be examined and subjected to Holy Scripture as the final authority. The Protestant Reformers and the Anglican Reformers upheld the principle of sola scriptura in contrast to the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox idea that holy tradition interprets Holy Scripture.

What is a true church? The Reformers would have answered this by saying that the true church is where the Gospel is rightly preached and the sacraments are rightly administered. The 39 Articles of Religion from the Anglican tradition says that there are only two sacraments, holy baptism and holy communion.

I might also mention the five solas of the Protestant Reformation. Sola scriptura (Scripture alone), sola fide (faith alone), sola gratia (grace alone), solus Christus (Christ alone), and sola gloria deo (to God alone be the glory). Without giving a full exposition of these terms let me just say that Reformed Anglicanism is akin to Lutheranism and Prebyterianism in this respect, though Anglicanism retains an episcopal form of polity and a sacramental theology which includes the doctrine of real presence in eucharistic ministry at the Lord's table.

Finally, the purpose of this blog is to critically examine other Christian traditions and churches, the political climate, and to offer useful commentary to Christians seeking an informed foundation for their political and ecclesiastical decision making.

Sincerely in Christ,

Charlie