Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Reformed Anglicanism and SGM-Mahaney

We continue to watch the SGM-Mahaney phenomenon and disputation. It's a real mess. We continue to watch various blogs over the implosion-explosion on the SGM-nets.  The comments at the varied blogs are illustrative as well.  (Do a search here for SGM for the wider inquiry.) We continue to weigh the varied blogs, documents, and inquiries.  They are Enthusiasts and non-Confessionalist anti-intellectuals throughout.  The commenters evince this. We will be offering a larger perspective in the days to come.  Our views are developing.  We are not impressed by SGM of the past or present. Mahaney never had the decency or humility to go to school.  What hubris?! Their 9-month and unaccredited school, entitled the "Pastors College," put forward many youngsters and this, itself, warrants evaluation.  Their anti-intellectuals don't like this point being raised.  We are not impressed by the (anti) Confessional posture (and ignorance), the liturgical posture (and enthusiast ignorance), the enthusiastic musical tradition, the independentism, the autocratic government akin to ABC Laud, the Charismaticism, the Shepherding Movement from which it arose, the sniff-sniffing without the Gospel affirmations routinely offered in the Declaration of the Remission of Sins (Anglican and Lutheran liturgies), as well as the glomming onto the Piper-Mohler-Driscoll phenemenon of revivalist and enthusiastic Ana-Baptacostalism.  We're not ready to render a judgment, but preliminary indications are not favourable--in the least--to this Baptacostalistic movement.  The Anabaptists in the 16th century cried up, "Spirit, Spirit!"  That cowed poor Melancthon.  Luther, lead that he was, proclaimed, "That foul and odious spirit, I smite thee on the snout!"  We are Lutherans here.  Ligon Duncan, a PCA Presbyterian, President of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals (better termed "Alliance of Professing Evangelicals," or APE), came out quickly, hastily and stupidly in defense of Mr. Mahaney.  Unlike Mr. Duncan, we continue to weigh the developing facts...the material and relevant facts at dispute.  It doesn't look good for these Ana-Baptacostals. More to follow. This much, Mr. Duncan needs to step down from future leadership positions.

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