Some of the good folks in the denomination’s Theology, Worship & Education office saw my post comparing the pastor’s study group of the Presbytery de Cristo to the “Congregation” of Calvin’s Venerable Company of Pastors in 16th century Geneva.
They sensed a connection to one of their own initiatives to spark and deepen theological conversation among sessions and presbyteries. So this week they interviewed me and a couple of the Arizona ringleaders.
The press release came out last night. I thought I would share it with you. Here’s the start:
How times have changed.
Historically, Presbyterians and those who stand in the Reformed tradition were bound together primarily by a shared theology and a common theological vocabulary, observes Gary Neal Hansen, associate professor of church history at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.
Increasingly, however, Hansen maintains, the church’s historic commitment to the way of theology has ceded to the way of politics, pragmatics, and institutional preservation.
“Over time, we in the American churches have evolved away from our shared theological heritage,” says Hansen. “We need that common theological vocabulary for the sake of the integrity of the faith that we share…” (Read more — just click here)
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts about this in the comments!
(And I’d love to give you a free e-book copy of Love Your Bible: Finding Your Way to the Presence of God with a 12th Century Monk. Just click here, or use the annoying pop-up. Wait… wait… there it is!)
Theological discussions can open up our minds to possibilities in a way that supposedly “pragmatic” discussions about institutional survival do not.
Given what we know about God from the Scriptures, what might be God doing here and now? What might God be calling us to be and do? Really reading deeply the texts of Scripture — and the “texts” of our situations in light of the Bible — may be one of the most hopeful things that we can do.
Thanks Gary. I think you are right — and they focus our attention directly on what matters, even when sometimes we are afraid to do so because of known disagreements.