In my blog entitled “Liberal or Conservative”, I explained why I identify myself with the “conservative” rather than the “liberal” church. I explained that I share the conservative church’s high view of Jesus, the Bible and the Church, without agreeing with much of the conservative church’s antipathy to science and culture.
I am not alone in this. Within the evangelical or conservative church there is just as much diversity as there is unity.
ENGAGING WITH SCIENCE AND CULTURE.
Firstly, in terms of commonality; apart from the vital and laudable commonality around a high view of Jesus, the Bible, and church, the conservative evangelical church is also characterised by less laudable common characteristics.
For example, it is my observation that for the most part, evangelicals have little interest in engaging with and learning from science and culture (due to their specific understandings of the Bible, God and creation). Typically, it has been left to the liberal church to engage with science and culture in this way. To oversimplify matters, one finds this binary situation, where one is forced to choose between these stark options: either one has a high view of science and culture, forcing one to have a low view of Jesus, the Bible and church, or one has a high view, of Jesus, the Bible and church, forcing one to disengage (or even actively oppose) science and culture.
In my doctorate I argue that this is a false dichotomy and contrary to a true understanding of the Bible and God’s sovereignty. In my doctorate I argued for a high view of Jesus, the Bible and the church AND a maximal engagement with and learning from science and culture, without compromising the truth of the gospel. This is easier said than done, but I believe it is required by a truly high view of God’s sovereignty and it is part of my agenda in this website.
THE REFORMED VERSUS CHARISMATIC TENSION.
Secondly, in terms of diversity, the key division I have presently noticed in the conservative evangelical church is between the Reformed versus the Charismatic type of churches, which I will need to present in an oversimplified way for the sake of establishing an argument.
Reformed type churches are very focused on the Word of God and favour expository preaching. They are wary of and may even actively oppose charismatic experience and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They hold to the five solas (latin for alone) of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Sola Fide (faith alone), Sola Gratia (grace alone), Solus Christus (Christ alone) and Soli Deo Gloria (glory to God alone). I saw a good example of the Reformed position in the documentary “American gospel: Christ alone.” I thought this documentary delivered a vital critique of the prosperity gospel movement and I found myself saying “Yes! Yes! Yes!”.
Now, for clarity, the prosperity gospel movement is located within the charismatic church. However, this does not mean all charismatic churches buy into the prosperity gospel. Nevertheless, you are more likely to hear a sermon on how to receive your inheritance and beat your Goliath in the charismatic church than in the Reformed church (watch the documentary, and you’ll get the reference).
Getting back to the documentary: in equal proportion to saying “Yes! Yes! Yes!” I found myself saying “No! No! No!” I though the non-Reformed, charismatic church was over-simplistically presented. And, while some of the doctrinal statements that underpinned the prosperity or healing practitioners were validly critiqued, the alternative theology presented didn’t represent the fullness of Scripture either. If some charismatic churches are simplistic and unbiblical in their extreme focus on “beating your goliath” and “walking in your inheritance”, then some Reformed churches are just as simplistic and unbiblical in excessively downplaying (or even completely rejecting) this focus.
OPENLY ACKNOWLEDGING THE OVERSIMPLIFICATION.
These statements risk being misunderstood and provoking ire, but they are not glibly or judgmentally stated. Furthermore, I realize that each of these streams is incredibly diverse. There are Reformed pastors who are very charismatic and charismatic pastors who are highly theological and biblically grounded. These kind of balanced individuals may often have more in common with people in the opposite stream than they do with their own movement.
THE GOAL OF FULLNESS AND UNITY, BASED ULTIMATELY ON SCRIPTURE.
The goal is not to judge, box, or polarize. The goal is to encourage fullness and maturity that glorifies God, blesses the whole church, and benefits ministry. How wonderful it would be if we didn’t have to choose between extremes, if we didn’t have to leave our particular denomination to find the missing element in our ministry and spirituality that we may be longing for.
The main methodology I use, as I focus on the evangelical church, and these two streams in particular, is a collating and exposition of all the relevant verses from the Bible on any topic under examination. This first step needs to be followed by the vital step of interrelating these rich groupings of verses in a theologically warranted and consistent manner.
Only secondarily do I integrate data from church history, theology, and current church practices, from all parts of the evangelical church.
This leads me to challenge the charismatic church to be more focused on the Word, the Sovereignty of God, and the many scriptures they may have overlooked.
Similarly, this will leads to encouraging the Reformed church to be more focused on the Holy Spirit, the glory, freedom, blessing and inheritance of the church (which God, in His sovereignty, has decreed), and the very many Scriptures that they (more ironically) may have overlooked.
And I do not place myself above this. As someone who values and interacts with both streams of the church, I wish to be challenged and urged to change by that which is valid from both sides, until I see Jesus face to face.
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (13) Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, (14) I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (15) All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. (16) Only let us live up to what we have already attained.” (Php 3:12-16)
