Caught in between
On one hand we are faced with legalism and authoritarianism. On the other we have the over-emphasis of experience-based religion mixed with postmodernism.
Orthodoxy vs. Mysticism
However, I do not like the term 'middle of the road'. If the middle is not what we aspire to, then what on earth do we aspire to?
posted by Looking Upward @ 10/26/2006 01:28:00 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Sir, you've made some interesting comparisons and contrasts here.
Are you saying that legalism and authoritarianism are on the opposite end of the spectrum from experience-based religion and postmodernism?
I can see the link between experience-based religion, post-modernism and mysticism, but are you also equating orthodoxy with legalism and authoritarianism?
It seems you're trying to find a balance between two extremes, what exactly do you perceive those extremes to be?
Good catch Brad. As G.K. Chesterton says, orthodoxy and orthopraxy are not bad words. They just get too dark of paint in this age. I am guilty.
The extremes perhaps are better just left at legalistic authoritarian churchianity AND experience-based postmodern mystical religiosity.
I don't know if I really am seeking a balance. I suppose it is simply a truth-quest. However, like I said before, it seems that that places us somewhere (in man's reckoning) in the middle of the road. Which is why I asked "what on earth do we aspire to?" I know what in heaven we aspire to. Maybe all our aspirations should be bent heavenward, but I am still in the flesh, as it were.
"To whom should I submit in matters of faith and practice, to the leaders of my church (who claim to be informed by scripture), or to my own conscience (which appears to me to be informed by scripture)?"
Is this the question?
I would say that we should aspire to a "biblicist" model. We should seek the Truth in Scripture and strive to live by its commands. I don't think that we should try to be orthodox, reformed, calvinistic, arminian, or whatever. Those are all man made labels that I think we should run away from. For example, I consider myself a 5 point calvinist in terms of labels, but I never want to interpret Scripture as a 5 point Calvinist. I long for God to use Scripture to reveal Himself to me and if that means that I abandon the 5 points then I will - SOLA SCRIPTURA!
Scripture is clear that we should grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord (II Peter 3:18), seek to be doers of the Word (James 1:22), an unashamed workman accurately handling the word (II Tim 2:15)and that Scripture is what makes us adequte for His work (II Tim 3:16,17). Becoming a biblicist is a much more admiral goal than being orthodox or mystic.
That said, in today's culture people who have a high view of God and Scripture tend to be labeled orthodox, reformed, etc....
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