Jesus Cropped from the Picture

The Pragmatic Method

Since churches designed their services and activities to draw in outsiders, they attempted to “keep everything simple and light.” But in this environment, once a person received Christ, there were few opportunities to hear about the deeper and more challenging aspects of discipleship. As new believers became older believers, they were ill-equipped to disciple new converts because they, themselves, had never been oriented to the fullness of following Christ. The New High Priests The 1970s also brought a new openness to the self-actualization movement that started in the 1960s. With it came a fresh interest in introspection and psychological health. This found its way into the church as a method for securing a good life, where the Bible was viewed as the ultimate resource for mental health. So while Traditionals had revered the pastor as the “man in the pulpit” (the primary source of biblical truth), Pragmatics began to view the pastor as the first stop for personal counseling. If the pastor could not provide helpful advice, then professional counseling was available as a fallback solution. With the advancement of psychology as a legitimate science, many Christians believed that therapists had the most effective (Rationalistic) means of dealing with the difficulties of life (Individualism). As a result, counselors surpassed pastors as the new “high priests” of their Pragmatic faith. Celebrity Pastors The Traditionals’ view of the pastor was someone who was “as comfortable with books and learning as with the aches of the soul, who each Sunday took the flock into the treasures of God’s Word.” 83

129