A second problem that I have with hard exclusivism is the reality of hell. This is one of those topics that when brought up to Christians most just assume the reality of a lake of fire in the center of the earth where all the non-chosen will be sent to live in eternal torment. While I disagree with the literalism of many interpretations of hell, I think Christians must deal with the reality of really really believing in hell.
One of the best illustrations that I have come into contact works something like this. In order to really really believe in hell, you would have to foresee a future where you would live in a wonderful mansion on top of a hill. You would live with all the creature comforts that a human can enjoy, every wish and desire is met. The only drawback to the life of bliss that you are living is that there is a concentration camp at the bottom of the hill where your fellow man is being tortured day after day. That doesn't exactly sound like the life of bliss that I look forward to upon my exit from this world.
I am not saying that the existence of hell, or judgment should come under attack. I personally read the Scriptures as having clear indications that a life of rejection of God leads to personal judgment. But what I am saying is that most Christians are too quick to assume that they are in and others are out, and those who have not assented to a specific message are destined for a life of indescribable torture at the hands of God.
Really really believing in hell must bring us face to face with this reality. I wonder how many Christians have really ever thought this one through. I also wonder how many Christians have actually looked up all the references in the Scripture on hell, and asked themselves what the Scriptures actually say.
I have found that too often our visions of hell are more influenced by popular culture than they are by what the Scriptures actually say. None of this means that I don't believe in hell or judgment, but rather I would call all serious Christians to an examination of what the Scriptures actually say. And my challenge is this. To really really believe in hell you have to deal in some way with that concentration camp at the bottom of the hill.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The Problem of Exclusivity
"There can be no doubt that certain types of evangelical theology have caused considerable anxiety in this respect by their apparent insistence that only those who respond to the explicit verbal proclamation of the gospel will be saved... But this is flawed theology, which limits God's modes of action, disclosure, and saving power."
--Alister McGrath
Most evangelicals consider themselves exclusivists, without ever realizing some of the pitfalls of their position. While conservatives will be willing to defend the hill of exclusivity till death, maybe a softening of the position is long overdue. Hard exclusivism teaches that only a direct response to the verbal proclamation of the gospel is effective in atoning for the sins of the hearer. But I agree with McGrath that this limits the breadth and scope of God's saving power. There are certainly Biblical examples of those outside the line of salvific history that are considered part of the family of God [Melchizedek, Abimelech, etc.]
This is not to say that pluralism should rule as king, or even inclusivism that views all paths as leading to salvation through Christ. We must begin to recognize the saving power of Christ that extends beyond our abilities. The eternal purposes of God will be established. Perhaps a better way forward is to begin to recognize the saving power of God, that can extend beyond an explicit elucidation of the gospel.
Does general revelation take the place of specific revelation? I don't think so personally, but what I do believe is that God will judge each individual on the basis of their knowledge and their personal response to God.
While I am personally not an inclusivist, I am also not a hard exclusivist. I recognize that the work of God is possible outside of my preconceived notions of how a person is to be saved. I do not believe that salvation lies in any religious path to the divine, but I do believe that God will judge all people individually, and he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy
Christians often times become obsessed with creating dividing lines of who is in and who is out. I believe our stance on that particular question should remain a stance of the agnostic. God alone will judge, our time on earth is better spent doing unto others as we would have them do to us, than on deciding who fits into the "in" category. Christians love to draw lines in the sand and defend their territory, but perhaps a better way forward is to first recognize our similarities, and our mutual need for the work of God in our lives.
--Alister McGrath
Most evangelicals consider themselves exclusivists, without ever realizing some of the pitfalls of their position. While conservatives will be willing to defend the hill of exclusivity till death, maybe a softening of the position is long overdue. Hard exclusivism teaches that only a direct response to the verbal proclamation of the gospel is effective in atoning for the sins of the hearer. But I agree with McGrath that this limits the breadth and scope of God's saving power. There are certainly Biblical examples of those outside the line of salvific history that are considered part of the family of God [Melchizedek, Abimelech, etc.]
This is not to say that pluralism should rule as king, or even inclusivism that views all paths as leading to salvation through Christ. We must begin to recognize the saving power of Christ that extends beyond our abilities. The eternal purposes of God will be established. Perhaps a better way forward is to begin to recognize the saving power of God, that can extend beyond an explicit elucidation of the gospel.
Does general revelation take the place of specific revelation? I don't think so personally, but what I do believe is that God will judge each individual on the basis of their knowledge and their personal response to God.
While I am personally not an inclusivist, I am also not a hard exclusivist. I recognize that the work of God is possible outside of my preconceived notions of how a person is to be saved. I do not believe that salvation lies in any religious path to the divine, but I do believe that God will judge all people individually, and he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy
Christians often times become obsessed with creating dividing lines of who is in and who is out. I believe our stance on that particular question should remain a stance of the agnostic. God alone will judge, our time on earth is better spent doing unto others as we would have them do to us, than on deciding who fits into the "in" category. Christians love to draw lines in the sand and defend their territory, but perhaps a better way forward is to first recognize our similarities, and our mutual need for the work of God in our lives.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
The Task Of The Community
"Good theology... is the disciplined and critical reflection of the community of faith upon the gospel entrusted to it. It is reflection carried out within the community of faith, from the standpoint afforded by faith, and for the sake of the community of faith. Christian theology, then, is a pursuit of the church. It is the attempt on the part of those who belong to the church of Christ to explore and to comprehend more fully the shape and structure of the truth which they are called upon to profess and to live out in all its varied aspects."
--Stanley Grenz, Renewing The Center, page 209
Regardless of what some may think, the Bible does not interpret itself, and the task of theology is not confined to those in the hallows of academia. The task of Christian theology remains the task of the community of faith, for the benefit of the community of faith. That task involves contextual interpretation, and subjective application, which is what makes the center of theology always shifting, and moving as the church of Jesus Christ grows, and adapts to it's current context.
Reclaiming theological construction as a key responsibility of the church takes us beyond fundamentalism and it's foundational constructs, and beyond the protestant liberalism of experience claiming the right to be the cornerstone of theology. Rather it acknowledges the shared religious experience of people of faith in Jesus Christ, and rests on the foundation of the faithful interpretation of Scripture by those in the community of faith.
Everyone that claims the name of Christ is a theologian, and as a result must practice their task in the context of their own community of faith.
--Stanley Grenz, Renewing The Center, page 209
Regardless of what some may think, the Bible does not interpret itself, and the task of theology is not confined to those in the hallows of academia. The task of Christian theology remains the task of the community of faith, for the benefit of the community of faith. That task involves contextual interpretation, and subjective application, which is what makes the center of theology always shifting, and moving as the church of Jesus Christ grows, and adapts to it's current context.
Reclaiming theological construction as a key responsibility of the church takes us beyond fundamentalism and it's foundational constructs, and beyond the protestant liberalism of experience claiming the right to be the cornerstone of theology. Rather it acknowledges the shared religious experience of people of faith in Jesus Christ, and rests on the foundation of the faithful interpretation of Scripture by those in the community of faith.
Everyone that claims the name of Christ is a theologian, and as a result must practice their task in the context of their own community of faith.
Monday, December 29, 2008
The End Of Theology
"In this sense, then, the postmodern turn spells the end of theology. No longer can any one group, tradition, or sub-narrative claim without reservation and qualification that their particular doctrinal perspective determines the whole of evangelicalism. Rather, the ongoing evangelical theological task includes (among other things) a never-ending conversation about the meaning, in the contemporary context, of the symbols that as evangelicals they are committed to maintaining and that form the carriers of meaning for all."
Stanley Grenz, Renewing the Center, pg. 189.
Stanley Grenz, Renewing the Center, pg. 189.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Quote of the Day
"I approach theology in a spirit of adventure, being always curious about what I may find. For me, theology is like a rich feast, with many dishes to enjoy and delicacies to taste. It is like a centuries-old conversation that I am privileged to take part in, a conversation replete with innumerable voices to listen to.
[I see myself] more like a pilgrim than a settler, I read the path of discovery and do my theology en route.
Being a theological pilgrim involves listening ever more carefully to what the Scriptures actually say and teach and making appropriate course corrections in response."
--Charles Pinnock
[I see myself] more like a pilgrim than a settler, I read the path of discovery and do my theology en route.
Being a theological pilgrim involves listening ever more carefully to what the Scriptures actually say and teach and making appropriate course corrections in response."
--Charles Pinnock
Monday, December 22, 2008
Church Advertising
I work in a church, and live near several "seeker sensitive churches". I am always amazed at how quickly staff members of churches rise up to criticize and tear down their fellow brothers and sisters. While I think most church marketing sucks, there are a few notable exceptions in my area. Churches that seem to be on the cutting edge of marketing, constantly working on new and creative ideas for their church series. I love driving by Flamingo Road Church simply so I can see their enormous billboard out front announcing the next series.
I think the impetus for most of our criticism comes not from some divine mandate that we constantly be on the lookout for those who are "compromising the message", but rather from our own jealousy. I don't really hear much criticism about churches of 20 in the area, but rather only about churches with large membership roles.
Ministry envy seems to be at an all time high, and it's continually frustrating to me to hear people tear down other pastors. My feeling is this: Before you criticize another pastor, or ministry, you should be required to first visit that church, and have lunch with that pastor. You should visit his home, meet his family, and church staff. Find out what they are all about. Walk a mile in their shoes. Only then will you be qualified to criticize, or judge their ministry. Throwing stones from a distance is far too easy.
There are many reasons why I think church marketing sucks, and I'll probably delve into that topic later... I'm continually frustrated that the church is not the hub of creative activity...
I think the impetus for most of our criticism comes not from some divine mandate that we constantly be on the lookout for those who are "compromising the message", but rather from our own jealousy. I don't really hear much criticism about churches of 20 in the area, but rather only about churches with large membership roles.
Ministry envy seems to be at an all time high, and it's continually frustrating to me to hear people tear down other pastors. My feeling is this: Before you criticize another pastor, or ministry, you should be required to first visit that church, and have lunch with that pastor. You should visit his home, meet his family, and church staff. Find out what they are all about. Walk a mile in their shoes. Only then will you be qualified to criticize, or judge their ministry. Throwing stones from a distance is far too easy.
There are many reasons why I think church marketing sucks, and I'll probably delve into that topic later... I'm continually frustrated that the church is not the hub of creative activity...
Friday, December 19, 2008
Obama and Warren
Barack Obama recently announced that Pastor Rick Warren from the Saddleback Church in California will give the invocation at his inauguration. This announcement has been met with much criticism from the left and right. I've heard Warren called a hate monger because of his views on homosexual marriage, and an inappropriate pick to give the invocation at one of the most historic moments in our history.
While I certainly don't agree with everything that Warren says or believes, I do agre with Obama on his statement that we need to have a variety of views present at the inauguration. He has defended his pick, saying that Warren represents views that differ from his own, but in those differences America's greatness is represented. We are a country of multiple belief strains, having Warren at his inauguration represents something that I love about Obama, his willingness to have a variety of views represented.
I'm hopeful that Obama will continue this practice throughout his presidency. I'm hopeful that he will lead from a centrist position in the White House. And I also think that many Christians could learn a thing or two from this encounter. Our differences, while they are important to us, are not what should divide us. Conversation amongst people of faith is a good thing. Not so that we may be swayed to another position, but rather so that we are able to hear the viewpoint of the other. So that we can understand the perspective of our brother next to us. And some times, it may be ok for us to be friends even if our belief systems don't match up like a connection on eharmony.
While I certainly don't agree with everything that Warren says or believes, I do agre with Obama on his statement that we need to have a variety of views present at the inauguration. He has defended his pick, saying that Warren represents views that differ from his own, but in those differences America's greatness is represented. We are a country of multiple belief strains, having Warren at his inauguration represents something that I love about Obama, his willingness to have a variety of views represented.
I'm hopeful that Obama will continue this practice throughout his presidency. I'm hopeful that he will lead from a centrist position in the White House. And I also think that many Christians could learn a thing or two from this encounter. Our differences, while they are important to us, are not what should divide us. Conversation amongst people of faith is a good thing. Not so that we may be swayed to another position, but rather so that we are able to hear the viewpoint of the other. So that we can understand the perspective of our brother next to us. And some times, it may be ok for us to be friends even if our belief systems don't match up like a connection on eharmony.
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