An interesting and essentially correct set of insights from Mr. Robin Jordan on the Romewardizing in the new ACNA [think ACNA-Bob, ACNA-Keith, ACNA-Jack, and 2-Stepper-REC-Ray]. Mr. Jordan calls it the "Catholic Resurgence." I disagree with the term of the title; Protestant and Calvinistic Anglicans are the "true Catholics." Churchmen like Thomas Cranmer, Matthew Parker, Edmund Grindal, John Whitgift, Richard Bancroft, John Jewel, Thomas Rogers, Charles Simeon, John Newton, Augustus Toplady, Griffith Thomas and many, many others never surrendered the term to the Italians. The word "Catholic" must not be surrendered to them. But, given that important objection (with other corollaries), Mr. Jordan's thesis is essentially correct. ACNA is in bed with Italy (with some variations). What is...yes...is obnoxious...yes, offensive...yes, contemptible...is the lack of integrity, honesty and transparency. To pray against and seek deliverance from pride and arrogance (as was done with our Thanksgiving Day Prayer) is to "hate" lying, abhor lying, abominate deceit (this is throughout the Psalms and Proverbs, for those for whom the canon rules). The top dogs are hiding the doctrinal blueprint under the strategy of a continued blackout. The indifferentists and other post-modernistic convergence types aren't concerned about propositions. The Roman Trojan horse is in the ACNA house. Here's a piece from Mr. Jordan. But, what are ya' gonna do with a drunken sailor, early in the morning? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGyPuey-1Jw
http://anglicansablaze.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-catholic-resurgence-in-anglican.htmly, November 29, 2013
The Catholic Resurgence in the Anglican Church in North America
By Robin G. Jordan
Historically the Thirty Nine Articles serve four functions. First, they are meant to establish the theological identity of the Anglican Church. They were drawn up to support the Anglican Church’s claim to be “a true apostolic church, teaching and maintaining the doctrine of the apostles.” Second, the Articles are intended to make the truth of the gospel safe—to protect the gospel from being lost to the church again as it was lost to the church during the centuries leading up to the Reformation. Third, they are meant to protect the church from false teaching. They are also meant to provide doctrinal standards for the interpretation of the Prayer Book. Fourth, they are meant to set the boundaries of the comprehensiveness of the Anglican Church.
Those who question the relevance of the Thirty-Nine Articles to the contemporary Anglican Church and dismiss the Articles as a relic of the past typically subscribe to doctrines and practices that are outside the boundaries of the comprehensiveness that the Articles set. The arguments they make against accepting the authority of the Articles are entirely self-serving. The Articles represent a major obstacle to their aspirations. They are far from disinterested parties.
If they cannot persuade the rest of the church to accept their claims that the Thirty-Nine Articles are no longer authoritative for Anglicans today, they may adopt the stratagem of interpreting the Articles in a way that disconnects them from their historical context and the intent of their authors. The Articles are claimed to sanction doctrines and practices that they do not sanction. This reinterpretation of the Articles has the effect of weakening their authority.
If they establish a large enough following in the church, its existence will also serve to weaken the authority of the Articles. Acceptance of their authority will become a cause for controversy, which will also have that effect.
Wherever the authority of the Thirty-Nine Articles has been eroded (or, in the case of the Episcopal Church, never accepted), the Anglican Church has exchanged its theological identity for something else; the gospel has been obscured and even lost again; and false teaching has flourished. The limits of historic Anglican comprehensiveness have been ignored.
In the twenty-first century the major challenge to the authority of the Thirty-Nine Articles comes from three quarters. The Way, the Truth, and the Life: Theological Resources for a Pilgrimage to a Global Anglican Future identifies two direction from which this challenge is coming—Anglo-Catholicism and liberalism. Since the second half of the twentieth century a major challenge to the authority of the Articles has been coming from a third direction—the theology of the convergence movement.
The theology of the convergence movement suffers the same weaknesses as the theology of the charismatic movement of which the convergence movement is an offshoot. In Keeping in Step with the Spirit J. I. Packer points out these weaknesses:
Historically the Thirty Nine Articles serve four functions. First, they are meant to establish the theological identity of the Anglican Church. They were drawn up to support the Anglican Church’s claim to be “a true apostolic church, teaching and maintaining the doctrine of the apostles.” Second, the Articles are intended to make the truth of the gospel safe—to protect the gospel from being lost to the church again as it was lost to the church during the centuries leading up to the Reformation. Third, they are meant to protect the church from false teaching. They are also meant to provide doctrinal standards for the interpretation of the Prayer Book. Fourth, they are meant to set the boundaries of the comprehensiveness of the Anglican Church.
Those who question the relevance of the Thirty-Nine Articles to the contemporary Anglican Church and dismiss the Articles as a relic of the past typically subscribe to doctrines and practices that are outside the boundaries of the comprehensiveness that the Articles set. The arguments they make against accepting the authority of the Articles are entirely self-serving. The Articles represent a major obstacle to their aspirations. They are far from disinterested parties.
If they cannot persuade the rest of the church to accept their claims that the Thirty-Nine Articles are no longer authoritative for Anglicans today, they may adopt the stratagem of interpreting the Articles in a way that disconnects them from their historical context and the intent of their authors. The Articles are claimed to sanction doctrines and practices that they do not sanction. This reinterpretation of the Articles has the effect of weakening their authority.
If they establish a large enough following in the church, its existence will also serve to weaken the authority of the Articles. Acceptance of their authority will become a cause for controversy, which will also have that effect.
Wherever the authority of the Thirty-Nine Articles has been eroded (or, in the case of the Episcopal Church, never accepted), the Anglican Church has exchanged its theological identity for something else; the gospel has been obscured and even lost again; and false teaching has flourished. The limits of historic Anglican comprehensiveness have been ignored.
In the twenty-first century the major challenge to the authority of the Thirty-Nine Articles comes from three quarters. The Way, the Truth, and the Life: Theological Resources for a Pilgrimage to a Global Anglican Future identifies two direction from which this challenge is coming—Anglo-Catholicism and liberalism. Since the second half of the twentieth century a major challenge to the authority of the Articles has been coming from a third direction—the theology of the convergence movement.
The theology of the convergence movement suffers the same weaknesses as the theology of the charismatic movement of which the convergence movement is an offshoot. In Keeping in Step with the Spirit J. I. Packer points out these weaknesses:
Charimatic theology by comparison looks loose, erratic, and naïve, and the movement’s tolerance of variations. Particular when these are backed by “prophecies” received through prayer, suggests a commitment to given truth in Scripture that is altogether too fragile.
” and “Revisiting the Three Streams” Gillis Harp has drawn attention to the problematic way in which leaders in the convergence movement interpret the Scriptures.
The emphasis of the convergence movement upon piety and practice over theological reflection mirrors the charismatic movement’s interest in the reanimation of inherited doctrinal and devotional traditions. An outgrowth of this development is a fascination with the early and Medieval churches which does not take into account that a number of the doctrines and practices of these churches have no real basis in the Scriptures. Unreformed Catholic doctrine and practice has come to increasingly dominate the thinking of the convergence movement.
The emphasis of the convergence movement upon piety and practice over theological reflection mirrors the charismatic movement’s interest in the reanimation of inherited doctrinal and devotional traditions. An outgrowth of this development is a fascination with the early and Medieval churches which does not take into account that a number of the doctrines and practices of these churches have no real basis in the Scriptures. Unreformed Catholic doctrine and practice has come to increasingly dominate the thinking of the convergence movement.
For the rest, see:
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