Shallow ecclesiology
The problem with believing the narrative the politics is the biggest source of good (god?) in a nation is that its faith falters under the heat. In the recent turmoil of Ted Haggard, we get the picture loud and clear. What is the most telling of the whole story is those who distance themselves from Haggard: the White House, Jerry Falwell, and Pat Robertson. Apparently realpolitik runs deeper than the ekklesia of Jesus Christ.
posted by Aaron Perry at
11:23 AM
9 Comments:
I don't know that it's entirely realpolitik. After all, Baptists and independent charismatics are hardly known for thoughtful ecclesiologies are they? It is an unfortunate wedding of bad theology and triumphalist politics.
After last night, of course, the triumphalist politics are sidelined, at least for the time being.
I expect (and I hope I'm wrong) that traditional Christians in the states will now resume their pre '73 ghetto mentality. At least if Greg Boyd has his way, that's what will happen.
Jesus called us to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Unfortunately, for the last six years it has seemed that evangelical leaders have been as naive as rabits and as corruptible as weasels. Now, in reaction, I fear we will become as involved as sloths and as ignorant as ostriches.
CG
If the shortcomings of the theology of Falwell and Robertson isn't their ecclesiology, then I'll let the United Methodist as Commander in Chief stand alone in that charge.
I think you misunderstand. My charge re. Fallwell and Robertson is not that they have a bad ecclesiology, but that they have none. Wed that to a "Take America Back" approach to politics and badaboom, you have our friends. You and I are, I think, in agreement.
President Bush, otoh, is not a theologian. One wonders what counsel his pastor gave him?
FTR, I think the Iraq war was a noble and indeed just venture just as I think that the planning for the occupation was either bad or non-existent. I also think that the UN failed abysmally in its absolute lack of leadership on Iraq for 10 years and that this, more than anything else, is the primary cause of the current Iraqi situation.
CG
Everyone is, of course, a theologian. I doubt he's listening to a (true sense of the word) pastor if the conference calls we hear about are his pastoral insights.
FTR, I agree with your take on the Iraq war. I find myself wondering why no one in the US gov't, though, was reading O'Donovan: Political authority (which Hussein had) cannot be sustained by brute force. I have no doubts about the horrifics of his regime. I have no doubts that some in Iraq would like to have toppled them without the US. That obviously didn't happen--and as Revelation points out, sustained political authority happens because God keeps such challenging forces at bay. Since political authority cannot be maintained by brute force (as is now being shown), then why did God keep those forces at bay? The results of not asking that question are what we now see.
"The wicked man flees though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion." - Proverbs 28:1
hi ryan... can you make the connection for me?
hey ap,
it was just the first thought that jumped into my head when i read the link (and a couple other links from that one) on your post.
i was just alluding to all the questions that people have been asking themselves:
- where were his "friends" before?
- who was he confessing to/confiding in before?
- why are people distancing themselves from him?
- is jesus shocked at the newsreel like the rest of america?
- is jesus trying to distance himself from haggard and his sin?
the obvious answer to the last two questions is what inspired me to post that proverb...the point is that haggard's sin (and yours and mine and everyone else's sin) is nailed to jesus...it's not nailed to "his cross" as if the wood has any power itself...it's nailed to flesh and blood. who's running away from sin? well, the only guy who is not running away is jesus--it's tough to run away from something that's nailed to you!
i'm not sure if this makes sense, but anyway...
ryan
hmmm....nailed to Jesus. i don't know what to think of that. the image i think i resonate more is that sin is left buried in the tomb. sin has done its work, run its course, left its mark and, well, gets defeated.
lol, no worries...what i meant by that is that jesus himself is the atoning sacrifice, the propitiation for our sins (1 john 2:2)...the cross is no more in the past than it is in the present and the future...the death of jesus was a one time event (rom 6:10, heb 9:26, etc.), but all of our lives flow through that vortex of time...
ryan
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