If you are like me then sometimes you don't think things through fully before you launch into them. I'm getting better as I age, but can I tell you stories. For me this is one of the reasons that I'm so passionate about precision and clarity in evangelical terminology. Not only is it so that we can have better interface with those beyond our religious community, thinking it through allows us to better understand the implications of our own doctrinal assertions. I feel like too many evangelicals (and other religious folk) think that doctrines, theologies, understandings just drop out of heaven fully formed and completely obvious to everyone else. This is probably one of the best lies the 20th century evangelical church has swallowed (as if lies could be good). We might chuckle at the above post. But how often does our misunderstanding of the gospel lead to bait and switch (ie. dishonest) practices? Just saying.
Thursday, August 05, 2010
Thinking it Through
If you are like me then sometimes you don't think things through fully before you launch into them. I'm getting better as I age, but can I tell you stories. For me this is one of the reasons that I'm so passionate about precision and clarity in evangelical terminology. Not only is it so that we can have better interface with those beyond our religious community, thinking it through allows us to better understand the implications of our own doctrinal assertions. I feel like too many evangelicals (and other religious folk) think that doctrines, theologies, understandings just drop out of heaven fully formed and completely obvious to everyone else. This is probably one of the best lies the 20th century evangelical church has swallowed (as if lies could be good). We might chuckle at the above post. But how often does our misunderstanding of the gospel lead to bait and switch (ie. dishonest) practices? Just saying.
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3 comments:
I think Voltaire said, "If you wish to converse with me, define your terms." I think you're right, the evangelical church largely seems to believe that doctrine was handed down through the centuries intact. At least OUR doctrine. It's astonishing the assumptions that are made - but frankly frank - I think we encourage them to better keep the administration in power.
It is funny how much time, energy and money we sink into building out kingdoms while playing lip service to God's Kingdom.
This is a theme my research swirls around continually. One of the aspects of God's Kingdom I think we need to restore is that we don't have it cornered - it isn't ours and we don't build it - we see a bit of it, like a pearl of great price, and we need to sell everything for it. How often, in my own life even, do we forget the pearl and enshrine our comfort instead.
Maybe you are getting at Jesus' continual critique of power structures. Great comment Brian.
This is a great post thannks
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