Thwaites
'More unites us than divides us'
"THERE IS need to preserve a fundamental unity of the believer, and a recognition that what unites us is always greater than that which divides us." That is one of the lessons Catholic Deacon Ronnie Thwaites identified at the presentation at the 'Horizons on the Reformation' forum.
In articulating the perspective of the Catholic Reformation, and identifying lessons for the contemporary Church, Deacon Thwaites emphasised pursuance of a positive path that recognises the contributions of church leaders in Jamaica - Catholic and Protestant - who have worked hard and sacrificially to bring about greater understanding between the two major groups.
"A common understanding," he said, is identifiable in the understanding that, as Christians, "we are one under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Secondly, that we look to the divinely inspired Scriptures as the basis of our faith, and that we confess a common baptism, and a memorial of the Lord's dying and rising in the Eucharist." He appealed to contemporary church leaders to emphasise these fundamentals of faith, and so, challenged theological exegetes to focus attention away from issues of divisive denominationalism, and, instead, "bearing in mind the broad evangelical thrust toward those who are not yet believers", to demonstrate the power of Jesus Christ in the lives of those who are Christians - showing the compassion and mercy of the Christ."
TIME OF THE REFORMATION
To achieve such, he urged Christians to "seek the purity of the Christian witness in Apos-tolic times" focused exclusively on Jesus - "the Jesus of Scrip-ture - to follow Him only." At the same time he warned against getting distracted from that focus, and so, getting "caught up in the culture of our times" as did the Church leaders at the time of the Reformation, who fell prey to the encrustation of "economic power, social prestige and political influence" so consequently were mired in "materialism and indeed an idolatry not far from our own experiences."
Breaking into almost tearful confession, he said, "The Catholic Church in the 16th century found itself in a state of sin in many respects - the sin of simony, the sale of ecclesiastical benefices... the peddling of indulgences. They were rightly rebelled against."
However, he said that in the historic tradition of the Church a council was called at Trent, in 1545 to address the issues. "It is a pity," he said, as he commented on the work of the Council, that the Fathers did not go further and confront rather than react to some of the reform elements that were to be found in European Protestantism.
Nevertheless, he argued that the Catholic Reformation "released a burst of energy into a church that had been significantly wounded." He spoke glowingly of the spiritual exemplars such as Theresa of Avila, and John of the Cross, organising genius of Ignatius Loyal of the Jesuits, the new discipline imposed on the clergy, the introduction of a central bureaucracy, emphasis on textual analysis of Scripture, and the pursuit of the purity of witnessing in Apostolic times. All those developments, he said generated missionary renewal and outreach "side by side with the nationalist movement, and the movement of imperial conquest of the Americas and the Far East" resulting in the witnessing of the Church reaching millions more, and so "altered the direction of world history."
REGRETS
But to avoid being triumphalistic, he was quick to say, that even though renewal continues in the Catholic Church, there was much in the history of the Church to regret, such as the Inquisition, "which was a terrible, terrible wrong."
He mentioned also wrongs against Catholics, even the "systematic murder of many of Catholic persuasion in the thirty Years War". However, he said that all such are "occasions and instances for which we have to offer forgiveness, even as we must ask forgiveness."
In closing, he said he was delighted to give thanks that Catholics and Protestants can praise together "at this time". He said Jamaican culture had profited from the "plurality of different inspirations" and expressed the hope that "by occasions such as these, as by the whole warp and woof, and design of a historical and current tradition, there will be a binding in worship and service, so that in time we may be one."
B.H.
'Reform must be contextual'
Gordon
CHURCH REFORMATION, as the Rev. Canon Ernle P. Gordon sees it, takes place with sense and soundness when context is respected - theologically and socially. Astute church leaders must be able to understand the text and times, and act accordingly, and when that principle guides, many of the mistakes of the past will not be repeated, is the essence of his argument.
The Magisterial Reformation as he sees it, was the path that did not lead to extremes in the 16th century Reformation, and so is a sound path to follow today. In the current social context, the recommended road to travel is the ecumenical. He says: "This week in Germany the Cardinal of Berlin invited Lutherans to take Holy Communion. In the United States, Lutherans and Roman Catholics have reached the same agreement. Generally, Anglicans and Roman Catholics have reached agreement on the sacraments, and the issue of the 'real presence'. Also, Anglicans and Methodists are advancing discussions to unite." The English Reformers, he said, learned much from the Continental Reformers, but he noted that there was an important difference, for in the English context for the principal issue was nationalism. Under Henry the VIII he said, "The English Church became a national church - the Church of England. The Bible was translated into English, and the Litany was in English... church donations had to stay in England instead of being shipped to Rome," he said.
TEACHING
The first Prayer Book (1549), printed in English, lay the foundation for the spirituality of the English Reformation. The role of Elizabeth I in establishing a via media is powerful. Having defeated Spain, (1588), no other European power was there to challenge her authority, which she used to consolidate the English Reformation, establishing the 39 articles. In regard to theological or textual context, "The intellectual rigor of theology then, must be part of theology now" he said, proceeding in the discussion period to expand his thoughts on issues in theology. His main contention here was that Augustine's teaching about the Fall of human nature, which has lasted for approximately 1,600 years must go, because the teaching is faulty, having no proper grounding in textual context. According to him, the Anglican Church in the Province of the West Indies, its process of continual reform, has shifted from the teaching that sin results from genealogical connection with Adam, the first human being, "There is no such thing as fallen human nature." Asked what happened to Adam in the Garden of Eden, he said, "Adam represents not a person but the totality of homo sapiens. The point is that we have taken the story out of a particular context. We need to understand that all of us go through that experience in falling and getting up."
HUMAN NATURE
In response to the question: "What did Augustine teach happened to Adam in the Garden?" he said. "Augustine had a problem with his sex life, so he taught that through Adam, all human beings sin."
Is man born a sinner?
"No. Man is born good - very good. He was not shaped in iniquity."
"So why was man sent out of the Garden?"
"Which garden? Are you referring to the physical garden? or, the garden of Transgression?."
Because of time constraints this question and answer period was ended prematurely, but as the Rev. Canon Gordon says, there is a need for the Church in contemporary times to return to intellectual rigor in the examination of Scripture, for proper interpretation of texts can only come when there is proper understanding of context.
Billy Hall
'Tolerance must be exercised'
Newman: many of the radical traditions
died, and died gruesomely
WHEN FUNDAMENTAL change came suddenly to the Church in the 16th century the pendulum that swung to a reactionary right also swung to a radical left. It was on the left that the damage was greatest, says Dr. Las Newman, (Caribbean) regional secretary of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. He said, for "many of the radical tradition died, and died gruesomely."
He was speaking on Wednesday, October 22, at 'Horizons of the Reformation', a forum organised by The Gleaner through its mid-week religion feature 'Mind & Spirit' and Grace Missionary Church, West Avenue, Kingston. The forum was held at the church.
21ST CENTURY LIVING
Dr. Newman remarked: "Here we are in the 21st century living at a time when church people of quite different perspectives have achieved remarkable co-operation, working together."
He expressed the hope that such tolerance would continue and grow, as the principles the radicals stood for are better studied, better understood, and better used today, "to enhance our individual spiritual lives, to improve the quality of our congregational fellowship, and to advance our ecumenical witness."
What are those principles? One principle that seems to emerge clearly from Dr. Newman's presentation is the need to understand the movements of our times. He implies that the Reformation at the time of its unfolding was not adequately understood by several of those deeply involved. "It is a very complex movement," he said, suggesting that even today much more work needs to be done, seeking to analyse more keenly its essence, to capture its significance, and to abstract and apply its relevance.
RADICAL TRADITION
For example, he points out that the Radical tradition is multifaceted. There are at least five distinct variations within this tradition, he said, and so lumping them would be confusing. To begin with, the popular term for the Radical tradition, the Anabaptists, is one that has been used too often pejoratively, and too sweepingly. For example, he spoke of the Chiliastic Anabaptists, who tended to make their own imposed prophetic interpretations distort their views of reality, the Evangelical Anabaptist, determined to demonstrate the simplicity of faith, and so ignoring larger or broader social challenges, the Mystical Anabaptists, scholarly but isolationist, the Pantheistic big lesson we can learn from the radical tradition of the Reformation, Dr. Newman says is the need to exercise tolerance. "We must learn to listen to each other," he added. We must allow each other the right of conscience and the grace to express thoughts in accordance with the dictates of their conscience."
Billy Hall
