Thursday, September 01, 2011
Testing video posts, laying foundations
"If you want to build a tower, you have to lay the foundation; and the foundation for a dialogue between the Reformed and the Lutherans begins with the Reformed admitting that the Lutherans are not the Reformed." - Rev. Jonathan Fisk
At first glance this seems self-evident and stupid. What person doesn't know that the Lutherans are not the Reformed? But is it as obvious as it seems? I have hardly ever met a Protestant who is reluctant to celebrate the heroism of Martin Luther, and there is hardly any Protestant who will not try to trade on that heroism by quoting Luther whenever he finds it advantageous to his cause. The Reformed are particularly susceptible to this because they imagine that Luther is really in their camp when it comes to the construction they put on election, and it is the Lutherans who somehow failed to follow their own leader into the light of the truth.
In this video Pastor Fisk explains how there are really four fellowships within the Christian Church as a whole. They are 1) the Eastern Orthodox, 2) the Roman Catholics, 3) the Lutherans, and 4) the Reformed (which is essentially every form of Protestant that is not Lutheran). Having this foundational understanding will be particularly helpful, I think, in understanding how I will discuss certain topics in the future on this blog. Lutherans aren't the Reformed. It's not just that we have an incrementally higher view of the sacraments and a marginally more reverent and formal style of worship than the Reformed have. It is that we have an altogether different view of the sacraments and worship than every other Protestant group on the planet.
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4 comments:
I don't mean to be argumentative, but if "Reformed" for the purpose of this discussion is supposed to mean "Everybody who is not Lutheran", you will be speaking of it as not too many others do (except, perhaps, in your own particular group). For most of us, "Reformed" refers primarily to the belief that God does the saving. As I understand it, the best "test for Reformed" is to ask if regeneration ("born again") precedes faith. If yes? Reformed. If no? Not reformed. The vast majority of "Protestant" would fall outside "Reformed".
If you take a moment (several moments, to be sure) and listen to the way Pastor Fisk makes his case, I think you will see that he is not arguing against the distinctions that ought to be made between all the different elements in the stew that is the "Radical Reformation." Those distinctions are useful and necessary. But he is responding to Pastor Kevin DeYoung's question about the (near) absence of Lutherans in the evangelical world by saying, essentially, "We're not evangelical." Theologically and historically Lutherans are not a part of what we might call, broadly speaking, the Genevan Reformation. Never have been, never will be. (And, oh, by the way... You're not really a part of our Reformation either, no matter how much you like Luther.)
The distinction is ultimately sacramental. The Lutheran Reformation retained the Sacraments while the Reformed Reformation replaced them with sacraments. Pastor Fisk illustrates his point with an extended quote from Calvin. It's not dispositive (because it is not confessional), but it does illustrate the fundamental alienation between these two sides, over this issue.
Pastor Fisk's contribution to this conversation is tremendously valuable, because he points out that this is not some idiosyncrasy. This is not a disagreement over pronunciation or emphasis... "You say tomato, I say tom-ah-to." For Lutherans the Sacraments are at the center of all worship and, indeed, at the center of our very lives. They are "everything," because (as he puts it) "Baptism is JESUS," and the Supper is JESUS.
Eric, I am delighted to have found your blog! It looks like a wonderful place to share theological thoughts. As someone who watched you grow up, I will be very interested to see how your spiritual journey has unfolded.
I'm not going to share any profound remarks at the moment. I'm actualy wanting to connect with your mom. Please have her give a call to...
And old but faithful friend,
Linda Bodwell 214-215-5468
Thanks, Mrs. B. I forwarded your information to my mom, and I'll give her a call to make sure she got it.
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