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

Saturday, July 14, 2012

A Personal Encounter with a Theological Liberal

One Personal Engagement with a Theological Liberal

It’s not weighty, profound or singular, but it is “an” evening musing on “one” (of many) interactions with theological liberals.  Let me quickly give you a quick sense of it.
Background. Years ago, while studying at the Navy War College, Newport, RI, an opportunity to attend area churches was present.  (Through years of service and worldwide travels, this happened often.) One Sunday, three to four of us attended the historic First Congregational Church, Newport, RI (now with a different name).  The church had a 300-year history.  It had been the church where the famed Rev. Samuel Hopkins had been a pastor.  Although not the best reference, a few quick notes are offered at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Congregational_Church_(Newport,_Rhode_Island).  Also, as an aside, Newport had some distinctive names (e.g. Jacqueline Kennedy's halcyon homestead) and mansions on the coastline, as well as some distinctive relationships to the American Rebellion (or War for Independence), the Un-Civil War, as well Edwardseanism’s “New Haven Theology,” a development of Edward’s thought.  On this Sunday, we attended the morning service at this historic church in a famed Rhode Island city.
The Service. The service was demure, dignified, sedate, non-liturgical (in the Anglican sense of the old Book of Common Prayer), and was well attended.  I suppose that many attendees were well-heeled and well-educated.  The exterior is per the picture.  The interior, as memory serves, was dark with mahogany pews and other church furnishings.  It was rather dark in the interior.  The sermon was—well—rather unremarkable, irrelevant, un-theological, and un-impressive.  As a Westminster Confessionalist who had read rather widely, I took the Reverend for a theological liberal, rightly or wrongly.  Following the service, the Reverend invited us to attend their post-service get-together at the yacht club.  We went. It was a dignified affair in an outside setting near the piers at tables with umbrellas with light refreshments and a few glasses of wine.  "Charming, Ridgely." (Go ahead and laugh, but my classmate and shipmate's last name was "Ridgely," a fellow Westminster man and Confessionalist (PCA) who was reared as an Episcopalian, a delightful friend.)
After the Service.  During the course of a charming and dignified affair at the yacht club, the Reverend and I chatted.  Rather sedately and as an aside, I said, “Well, theological liberals and Confessional Churchmen have a different vision and version of the Divine Being.”  Holy moly! The Reverend was highly offended. He proceeded to chastise me in gentlemanly tones, but, unmistakably, with high dudgeon.  Although this was stated by me as a matter of fact rather than an averment of contention or rebuke, he took offense.  I quietly took my chastisement without further ado or rebuttal.  (By the way, the rebuttal was unremarkable, untheological, and, frankly, a bit churlish.)  So, the conversation was steered to less stormy waters for the sake of the poor Reverend's blood pressure.  The Reverend apparently was not used to heavy seas. Rather, we were there to enjoy and learn about and from these people…and we did too.  So what?
The Points.  Here are the points.
(1)  I’m beginning to reflect on varied interactions with theological liberals through the years.  This was just one interaction and I’ve had many.  
(2)  I’m beginning to reflect on leadership failures and corruptions.  The Penn State matter last week prompted the musings.
(3)  Beneath the well-polished, urbane, and dignified veneer, theological liberals are hostile to Reformed and Confessional Churchmen.  Read the "comments," for example, by many theological liberals on blogs and news sites following the Episcopal GC 2012.  Venom, hostility and more. 
(4)  Don’t be fooled, that’s how liberalism developed and advanced their views.  They weren’t nice about things.  I suppose Isaiah or Jeremiah might not be nice to theological liberals.  Now that's a point worth evaluating.

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