R. Scott Clark evaluates the modern church growth movement and its tendency to minimize doctrinal commitments:
To read the entire article, click here: Don’t Like Labels…or Commitment? « Heidelblog
Parallel to these socio-economic developments has been another, religious, aspect. Among American neo-evangelicals there has been a reluctance to embrace labels. There has been strong drive among [sic] to emphasize a personal relationship with the risen Christ but the list of Christian doctrines considered necessary for the faith has been gradually shrinking for decades. The doctrine of the church and identification with particular ecclesiastical and theological traditions rarely made the list. Evangelistic crusades were trans-denominational and personal, immediate, religious experience of the risen Christ was front and center.
To read the entire article, click here: Don’t Like Labels…or Commitment? « Heidelblog
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4 comments:
I like your blog, but I did notice that you listed "The Christian Challenge" and David Virtue as "liberal" Anglican sources! I think those folks would be a little surprised to read that they are not conservative and/or traditional Anglican Christians. Maybe the term should be just "Other Anglican Links" (non-Calvinist?). Just my 2 cents, for what its worth. Sometimes Reformed believers are too narrow in their definition of who is and is not in the Faith. We need to realise that united we stand (against the Apostates), and divided we fall. Labeling allies like pro-life Anglicans and others as "liberals" may further diminish your ability to minister to them and bring them into a deeper understanding and appreciation of the historic Anglican Way. I myself came out of an Anglo-Catholic Parish, but now embrace the Reformed heritage that was denied me by accident of birth and upbringing. I desire to see my brethren in the Church to understand the fullness of the Gospel of Grace without assuming they are not as "spiritual" as I am. Or "liberal". Many of the more traditional Episcopalians/Anglicans are desirous of a robust faith and sound teaching, but can't find it in their locales. The love of God toward these folks and sound Biblical instruction is what is needed, not further alienation of these sheep without shepherds. Calling less conservative Christians names does not help to reach them with the message of the authentic (Anglican) Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I put Christian Challenge and Virtue Online in the "liberal" section because they have a "latitudinarian" theology.
The dividing line between a true church/congregation and a "liberal" or "heterodox" denomination/congregation is the Protestant Reformation. Basically, to qualify as a true congregation or even denomination is to believe the essentials of what it means to be a Protestant Christian. All Protestants accept that the three ecumenical creeds are not enough to qualify as "Christian" in the Evangelical sense of the word. The doctrine of justification by faith ALONE defines who is and who is not preaching the Gospel. There is only one Gospel. (Galatians 1:6-9). There is only one Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3-4). There are five essentials of the Protestant faith: Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria. That is not all we believe, of course. Different Reformed churches have different Confessions or Standards of doctrinal agreement. But those Reformed Confessions are in surprising agreement as to what Protestant Christians believe the Bible teaches.
Basically, Anglo-Catholics are in the same category as the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches. Both of those traditions teach man's theology as if it were God's Word. Both worship and venerate statues, icons and saints. Both teach a semi-pelagian view of salvation that undermines the biblical doctrine of original sin, total depravity, and man's utter helplessness to save himself.
The problem with David Virtue, like all liberals, is that he wants to reconcile two completely different gospels under one roof. Make no mistake about it. The Anglo-Catholics are not Christians. They are lost and in need of conversion. It is the Evangelical and Reformed faith that is based on Scripture alone that is true to the one Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I do not and will not fellowship with apostate congregations or denominations. The Anglican Church in North America is as lost as The Episcopal Church because it teaches another gospel, a gospel of faith plus works.
Sincerely yours,
Charlie
My allegiance is to the Scriptures and to the Gospel, not to the Anglican Communion or any denomination. Denominations are basically secular organizations that soon forget the Gospel and their Reformed roots.
The Anglican Formularies are in wise open to any such thing as Anglo-Catholicism or Tractarianism.
Charlie
I also distinguish between co-belligerency against liberalism and the sound preaching of the Gospel. Co-belligerency too easily deteriorates into confusing co-belligerency with the Gospel.
See my article on Chuck Colson's "Evangelical Latitudinarianism".
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