News. Clues. Kingdom views.
A Reformed Biweekly
January 23, 2012
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What is the most important issue currently facing the Reformed tradition? We asked eight CRC pastors, chaplains and professors to reflect on this question. Here are two responses. Read all the responses by subscribing to Christian Courier.
Syd Hielema
I believe the most important issue facing the Reformed tradition is this: do we still have a reason to exist as a distinct Christian tradition? The answer: “Yes, but….”
1. Yes, we have a reason to exist.
Our way of reading Scripture as the story of creation-fall-redemption-consummation gives us a powerful lens for discerning the intersection between God’s faithfulness and human response in a complicated world. This lens helps us to navigate the fine line between the (broadly speaking) evangelical and mainline Christian traditions. We can challenge the evangelical tendency to be simplistic and over-spiritualize complex issues. ...Full Story
I believe the most important issue facing the Reformed tradition is this: do we still have a reason to exist as a distinct Christian tradition? The answer: “Yes, but….”
1. Yes, we have a reason to exist.
Our way of reading Scripture as the story of creation-fall-redemption-consummation gives us a powerful lens for discerning the intersection between God’s faithfulness and human response in a complicated world. This lens helps us to navigate the fine line between the (broadly speaking) evangelical and mainline Christian traditions. We can challenge the evangelical tendency to be simplistic and over-spiritualize complex issues. ...Full Story
James K. A. Smith
In North America, but perhaps also globally, the Reformed tradition needs to navigate between twin temptations: the Scylla of generic evangelicalism and the Charybdis of bland liberal Protestantism. Both represent a loss of a distinctively Reformed heritage.
By “the Reformed tradition” I mean an ecclesiastical tradition rather than an intellectual tradition. But I’m concerned about the ecclesiastical tradition precisely because I think the Reformed intellectual tradition is nourished by Reformed worship. For too long, Reformed scholars and intellectuals have taken for granted the liturgical and ecclesiastical seedbed that produced the rich intellectual tradition in Reformed Christianity. Indeed, at times Reformed ...Full Story
In North America, but perhaps also globally, the Reformed tradition needs to navigate between twin temptations: the Scylla of generic evangelicalism and the Charybdis of bland liberal Protestantism. Both represent a loss of a distinctively Reformed heritage.
By “the Reformed tradition” I mean an ecclesiastical tradition rather than an intellectual tradition. But I’m concerned about the ecclesiastical tradition precisely because I think the Reformed intellectual tradition is nourished by Reformed worship. For too long, Reformed scholars and intellectuals have taken for granted the liturgical and ecclesiastical seedbed that produced the rich intellectual tradition in Reformed Christianity. Indeed, at times Reformed ...Full Story
“As part of my probation conditions, I have to stay away from places where there are families,” says Joe Patterson, “so that made finding a ...Full Story
Orange juice Last night my friend was talking with me about experiencing God and miracles every day. My friend is a wonderful person who (with her husband) ...Full Story
Orange juice Last night my friend was talking with me about experiencing God and miracles every day. My friend is a wonderful person who (with her husband) ...Full Story
In our current issue (subscribers only)
- When parents age
- Our Boss who art in heaven
- Scientific freedom with the flu?
- A life transformed by costly grace
- Christian pacifism series Part 1
- Thoughts on the new year
- The raw milk debate
