Book Review: A Generous Orthodoxy Part 10 of ??
Post/Protestant (and on Restorationism)
McLaren gives two meanings to the term protestant , the first of which is protest. He then gives a brief historical overview of the Reformation and says that he is glad to have this as part of his heritage.
However, not everything about the Reformation was positive, according to McLaren. Protestant groups had (and still have) the tendency to protest each other after they had broken from Catholicism. This lead to a greater and greater emphasis being placed on the unique parts of each group's belief system, and a "majoring on the minors" type mentality. The resulting "debates" sometime make it hard to read the Bible for what it says, instead seeing Biblical passages as providing ammunition for winning an argument (something that admittedly sometimes affects my reading of the Bible).
Although there are still major differences between Protestants and Catholics, McLaren notes that on some issues the Roman Catholic Church has come to the same conclusion as the original protesters. Examples of this include the rejection of indulgences and an increasing understanding by average Catholics that God's grace is a free gift and cannot be earned.
The other definition McLaren gives to the term protestant is pro-testifying. He writes that sometimes Protestants get so caught up in what they're against that they forget to proclaim what they're for. He then writes that perhaps this pro-testifying would be better termed post-protestant .
McLaren finishes this chapter by writing about restorationists, which he sees as being the highest expression of the Protestant "protest". These are groups that tend to think that they, and only they, have recovered the true "New Testament Christianity." Some restorationist groups are: Churches of Christ, Seventh Day Adventists, and Plymouth Brethren. McLaren admires such groups for their "desire to follow Jesus whatever the cost and however lonely the road." However, McLaren doesn't think it's a good thing when these groups think of themselves as a remnant. This type of thinking can lead groups to thinking they're small not because they might be wrong, lazy, ingrown, or ineffective, but because they're the only faithful remnant and everyone else has compromised. This leads to pride and uncharitable opinions of other Christian groups.
McLaren writes that a true remnant acting with pride is not the example given in the Bible. In the 32nd chapter of Exodus, Moses was the only faithful one left, the ultimate remnant. God said that he would destroy the Israelites and make Moses into a great nation. However, Moses was not prideful and self-centered, but he pleaded with God to spare the Israelites, which God did.
McLaren gives two meanings to the term protestant , the first of which is protest. He then gives a brief historical overview of the Reformation and says that he is glad to have this as part of his heritage.
However, not everything about the Reformation was positive, according to McLaren. Protestant groups had (and still have) the tendency to protest each other after they had broken from Catholicism. This lead to a greater and greater emphasis being placed on the unique parts of each group's belief system, and a "majoring on the minors" type mentality. The resulting "debates" sometime make it hard to read the Bible for what it says, instead seeing Biblical passages as providing ammunition for winning an argument (something that admittedly sometimes affects my reading of the Bible).
Although there are still major differences between Protestants and Catholics, McLaren notes that on some issues the Roman Catholic Church has come to the same conclusion as the original protesters. Examples of this include the rejection of indulgences and an increasing understanding by average Catholics that God's grace is a free gift and cannot be earned.
The other definition McLaren gives to the term protestant is pro-testifying. He writes that sometimes Protestants get so caught up in what they're against that they forget to proclaim what they're for. He then writes that perhaps this pro-testifying would be better termed post-protestant .
McLaren finishes this chapter by writing about restorationists, which he sees as being the highest expression of the Protestant "protest". These are groups that tend to think that they, and only they, have recovered the true "New Testament Christianity." Some restorationist groups are: Churches of Christ, Seventh Day Adventists, and Plymouth Brethren. McLaren admires such groups for their "desire to follow Jesus whatever the cost and however lonely the road." However, McLaren doesn't think it's a good thing when these groups think of themselves as a remnant. This type of thinking can lead groups to thinking they're small not because they might be wrong, lazy, ingrown, or ineffective, but because they're the only faithful remnant and everyone else has compromised. This leads to pride and uncharitable opinions of other Christian groups.
McLaren writes that a true remnant acting with pride is not the example given in the Bible. In the 32nd chapter of Exodus, Moses was the only faithful one left, the ultimate remnant. God said that he would destroy the Israelites and make Moses into a great nation. However, Moses was not prideful and self-centered, but he pleaded with God to spare the Israelites, which God did.
posted by Freethinker at 2:08:00 PM
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