Church Matters: Retrieving the Great Tradition

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The Problem with Mere Christianity, continued

their own catechism to the side, this large nondenominational church discovers the same catechism to be a profound tool for teaching the Christian faith. Still, both churches illustrate problems with mere Christianity.

One church claims to be nondenominational instead of naming its tradition. The other fails to uphold its explicitly named tradition.

Sometimes churches go further than downplaying their unique beliefs. So-called divisive doctrines get pushed to the side as non essentials, even when they are truly important. For several summers while I was in high school, I served overseas with a team of other teenagers with an interdenominational, evangelical mission organi zation. During orientation, the leaders set ground rules. We should preach the gospel, participate in Christian worship, fellowship, and so forth. But we should not speak about the sacraments. Although we celebrated the Lord’s Supper, we were to avoid discussing its significance. Is it a sacrament or an ordinance, a memorial or a true receiving of the body and blood of Christ? These questions were off-limits. The team regarded Christians as more “spiritual” if they voiced no strong opinions on the Lord’s Supper. Yet doctrines aren’t “dispensable” because they provoke controversy. Consider how the early church debated Christ’s identity as true God and true human. Even such a central teaching hasn’t been immune to dispute. So when it comes to an issue like the sacraments, silencing voices of conviction is not the way forward. Instead, honest yet chari table discussions about our differences can deepen faith. We should not jettison disputed doctrines just because they can be divisive. Differences Illuminate Agreement While theological traditions highlight differences among us, they don’t have to harden us to one another. And they can give us a wealth of resources from which to grow in our faith and help us face the challenges of today’s world. During the ecumenical meeting I mentioned earlier, a Roman Catholic nun and a Reformed pastor both responded to the evan gelicals’ lament. They obviously came from divergent traditions, but both knew where to go for worship resources on justice and