Tag Archives: orthodoxy

“Don’t Stop Believing” by Michael E. Wittmer

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51VDd6LY8nLMichael E. Wittmer writes 1980′s rock and roll songs books that are rocking the establishment in more ways than one. His first book Heaven Is A Place On Earth has now been followed by his second book, Don’t Stop Believing. I’m suggesting that his next book be “Karma Chameleon” but somehow I doubt that will happen.

In the Introduction to “Don’t Stop Believing,” (from Zondervan) Wittmer begins to set the stage for providing a third way between the ubiquitous liberal vs. conservative divide. In fact, he changes the terms to postmodern vs. conservative. I was slow to accept his terminology because I feel like I’m both postmodern and conservative but as I continued reading I began to understand his methodology. In fact, the goal of the book is to come to a middle ground while shaving off the problematic tendencies of both liberals and conservative. I found that I was in agreement with what he was talking about and that’s why I somewhat identified with both categories.

As Wittmer defined his terms and described the postmoderns and the conservatives, I was struggling to recognize those he was describing. He contrasts the worst of the fundamentalist conservatives with the worst of the postmodern liberals and other than TBN and the Ooze, I just couldn’t get there. However, as the first few chapters rolled on I realized that he was highlighting the extremes to illustrate where each of us might be headed if we stray from right belief (orthodoxy) or from right practice (orthopraxy). He is dealing with a systemic problem that both camps seem to have. He did a great job of showing how we have the tendency to align ourselves with one or the other camp. The best way is to have right belief AND right practice.

Wittmer proposes a third way, and that third way unfolds with how we answer the following questions. For too long we’ve simply answered these questions as liberals or conservatives, but Wittmer encourages us to answer them as followers of Jesus who show their love for Him by obeying Him but by also believing in Him.

What are your answers to these questions?

Must you believe something to be saved?
Do right beliefs get in the way of good works?
Are people generally good or basically bad?
Which is worse: Homosexuals or the bigots who persecute them?
Is the cross divine child abuse?
Can you belong before you believe?
Does the Kingdom of God include non-Christians?
Is hell for real and forever?
Is the Bible God’s true word?

Depending on whether or not you are liberal or conservative you might answer those questions in many different ways. Wittmer does a great job of helping us find an anchor in Scripture and tradition but also in the world around us so that we can answer these questions with confidence.

This is a fun, easy-to-read, scholarly book. There are 166 pages of content from Intro to Epilogue, but there are an additional 42 pages of Notes. Don’t let that scare you; as end notes, they aren’t in the way as you read through the book the first time, but there is so much there that you will want to read this book again soon to explore the extra information the author has so meticulously included at the back of the book.

This is a pretty brief book review but I find it to be a well-written and important book and almost exactly what I want to say here at ChurchETHOS. So, I’ve decided to begin a series on it that will dedicate one post for each of the above questions. The series will be interrupted by other posts at various times but at the end I will include a follow up post that will include links to each post in the series. Also, I will be reaching out to the author to see if I can set up an interview with him through email.

Free Books

Finally, to show how much I’m behind this book, I want to give away a free copy. In addition to the free copy I’m giving away personally, Zondervan Academic has offered to give another eleven copies away to ChurchETHOS subscribers. So now I’m giving away twelve free books. Find out how here.

I hope you enjoy the book!

Distinctively Christian: The Trinity

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This series of posts will address the theological and practical ways we as Christians are encouraged to be different. Some Christians become very different and are seen as quirky and out of touch. Other Christians try to blend in and seek to keep their faith to themselves. Both of these extremes are destructive to the Church. The thinking Christian has to discover those areas where they are to be different in thought and action from the world without sacrificing influence and reputation with the world.

GOD

Our view of God is the most radical and original view known to humanity. It is not in the best interests of humanity to come up with the God of the Bible which is a strong argument (though not the only one) in favor of the God of the Bible. All the religions of the world come up with a god in their own image but, again, no human could have anticipated our God.

One God in Three Persons?

The distinct doctrine of orthodox Christianity is that God is one God in three persons. At the beginning of his Gospel, John writes, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” I encourage you to continue reading chapter one of John’s Gospel to discover that “the Word” is referring to Jesus and it goes on to say that “all things were created through Him…” Here, John is not only placing Jesus as an equal with God, he’s teaching something that grates against our human understanding – that Jesus is with God and, at the same time, that He IS God! How can Jesus be with God and be God at the same time? At other places in the Bible we also see that the Spirit of God is a separate person and is also with God and is God at the same time. I’ve said elsewhere that it’s difficult to explain this concept other than to say that if God were easy to explain then there wouldn’t be any mystery or awe when we ponder His divine nature. God is Father, Spirit, and Son together in perfect unity and community and oneness.

One God Not Three gods

This post will not delve into all of the wonderful ramifications of worshiping a God who is One yet three. However, I do want to say a little bit about who or what God is not. The God of the Bible is not three gods. The God of the Bible is not many gods. He also is not simply a god with only one person. In order for God to be God, He must be viewed in terms of the Trinity. Herman Bavinck, a Dutch Reformed Theologian said, “The confession of the Trinity is the heartbeat of the Christian religion. All error is traceable to a departure from this doctrine.” As a result, the God of the Bible is the only God that exists and the only God worthy of our worship. To worship any other god is to deny the one true God, placing oneself in opposition to God. To reject the triune God is to rebel and to be willing to suffer the consequences.

I realize this sounds exclusive and close-minded. As Billy Graham puts it, when he flies he hopes his pilot is close-minded when he decides to land the plane. We certainly don’t want our pilots to be coming in any way they want. We are all close-minded to some extent. I refuse to drive on the wrong side of the road. I guess I could choose to drive on the wrong side of the road but then I would be inviting destruction upon myself and others. You could say I am closed to the idea of driving on the wrong side of the road. G.K. Chesterton said, “The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.” Let’s all just get over the fact that close-mindedness is not always a bad thing. God will not accept our worship of false gods any more than my wife would accept me giving myself to a prostitute (even if she did look like my wife). When you get married, you close yourself to other women. Now that I know God, I have chosen to reject all other false gods.

The God Who Came Down the Mountain

So, is Christianity exclusive and intolerant? Is it bad news to suggest that Jesus is the only path the triune God has given us by which we may know Him? The Trinity is the most inclusive and inviting God humans could ever have wanted. Our God has invited all to repent and believe in Him and has promised eternal and abundant life for those who do. Christians often quote Romans 3:23 out of context: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That is definitely bad news but in the context or Romans 3, it is part of the best news humanity will ever receive. In context, Paul is saying that God is aware of our helpless condition and that we are His enemies because of our sin against Him. Romans 3:23 is from God’s perspective. In other words, He is aware that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” so He chose in His mercy and love to do something about it. The very next sentence says, “They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” The next sentence tells us that God removed His wrath from those who have faith in Jesus and that He passes over their sins. The next sentence after that says that He did all of this to demonstrate His righteousness and to declare us righteous. He doesn’t make us stop sinning and make us perfect (have you met any Christians lately?), but He declares that we have become holy and blameless in his sight.

Every religion of the world says that different religions are like different paths to God. They suggest eloquently that we are all climbing the same mountain and God is waiting tolerantly and lovingly at the top for us to arrive. The thinking Christian has discovered that God is not a passive God waiting for us to figure it out and make it to the top. The thinking Christian knows that those paths lead to nowhere and will eventually end in death and eternal separation from the one true triune God because those religions are seeking a god of their own making (God calls it idolatry). The good news is, the thinking Christian knows that, even though we cannot attain God’s good favor through our own effort, God is an active God who has already made it possible for us to know Him and have fellowship with Him. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6) Sounds very exclusive, but it is the most inclusive offer humanity will ever receive. Though we are completely cut off because of our sinful nature and our rejection of God, God has offered us life through His Son Jesus Christ. Anyone is free to accept Him and enter into a relationship with the Creator God.

Our Trinity is a wonderful God. He is the God who created us. He is the God who saves us from ourselves. He is the God who offers eternal and abundant life through faith in Him. He is the God who will not tolerate a world that denies Him. He is the God who won’t accept the worship of counterfeit gods. He is always consistent, He is always faithful, and He will always love us. He is One God in three persons. This is the God whom I love and serve.

The Trinity Lives in a Shack?

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Not long ago I was reading The Shack by William Young which has quickly swept through the Christian community as a bestseller. I’m not sure why or how this happens, but every once in a while a book (or series) comes along that promotes lazy doctrine and hyped-up, fundamentalist Christianity. I have to check myself every time a new book comes out because if it has universal acceptance and buzz I probably disagree with it…am I always wrong? I can think of books like Piercing the Darkness and This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti, The Left Behind Series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, and The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson. Each of these books, including The Shack have been extremely influential in shaping the theology of the larger Church. Somehow when it’s fictional Christians seem more ready to apply it’s theology to their lives. This doesn’t seem like a good habit to me.

What’s Wrong With Fiction?

The problems in these books are concerned with issues like demonology, eschatology, and the health and wealth gospel, but The Shack has to do with arguably the most important doctrine in Christendom: the doctrine of the Trinity. That is why this book troubles me so much. Since Young decided to put the Trinity front and center in this book, I want to focus the attention on his trinitarian theology.

How Should We Describe the Trinity?

Recently, my professor said, ““He who tries to understand the Trinity will lose his mind. He who fails to believe in the Trinity will lose his soul.” Most theologians believe there are no illustrations that help us think of the oneness of the Trinity. Some explain the Trinity by equating it to H2O. A water molecule can be water, liquid, or gas. The molecule is one substance in three forms. The problem here is that a water molecule cannot be water, liquid, AND gas all at the same time. Others explain the Trinity by thinking of the different roles a person might have: she might be a teacher, a wife, and a mother. She is one person with three roles. However, the trinitarian God is one God in three persons and is accomplishing His three unique roles simultaneously…Father, Son, and Spirit. Still others use the example of marriage; a husband and wife are one. This is probably the closest we can come to an illustration of the Trinity, but it is still limited. For example, Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.” I may be one with my wife but I don’t always know what she is thinking. Sometimes my will conflicts with hers. We don’t always submit to one another fully. We often have selfish moments or times when communication breaks down between us. These are not problems the Trinity faces.

Those examples may be the best ones we’ve got when it comes to thinking about the Trinity but I think the best answer is, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord?” (Ro 11:33-34) and “Listen Israel, The Lord your God, the Lord is One.” (De 6:4). It is actually refreshing that I love and serve a God who’s ways and thoughts are so much higher than my ways and thoughts. I can’t put God in a box or limit Him to human understanding. The uniqueness and the oneness of the Trinity among the other gods and goddesses of other world religions is probably the most compelling evidence in His favor. What human would’ve thought of this?

How Does Young Describe the Trinity?

And that brings us to the description of the Trinity in William Young’s book The Shack. The main character in the Shack is named Mack and he has an incredibly traumatic ordeal that sweeps him off his feet in the first chapters of the book. As he deals with his grief and loss he gets an invitation to meet God at the Shack which is where the traumatic event happened. When Mack arrives he is greeted at the door by Papa, a black woman who later reveals that she is God the Father. He also meets Jesus who is a somewhat clumsy Middle Eastern man with a large nose and Sarayu, a shimmery Asian woman who is presented as the Holy Spirit. They are extremely loving to one another in an anthropomorphic way that sort of creeped me out a bit. I don’t have a big problem with God being humanized as a woman since I know that God is neither man or woman, He is Spirit. However, I mostly had a problem with the Father and the Spirit being incarnated. I almost put down the book when Papa said, “I am truly human, in Jesus.” I can take a fictionalized account of the anthropomorphism of God but when that humanized figure of God the Father tries to teach doctrine that he is now human because of Jesus (as if that’s what Jesus accomplished) is taking fiction too far. This flies in the face of John 4:24 which states, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” In Young’s humanization of God, the Father becomes human, and not even a male human. He incarnates Himself as a woman human. God is Father and God is Spirit. These are attributes that can’t even be fictionalized in a woman character.

Young also tries to suggest that there is no sort of hierarchy within the Godhead. He writes, “Hierarchy would make no sense among us.” However, both the Spirit and the Son submitted to the Father but there is no indication that the Father ever submitted Himself to the Son or the Spirit. Jesus prayed in the garden, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will” (Mk 14:36). Here Jesus has submitted Himself to God’s will. The Bible teaches equality within marriage and in the Trinity but that there is a hierarchy when it comes to roles. God is the Father, the husband is the head of the household. Young offers no support for his theology that hierarchy makes no sense to the Trinity and that it is entirely a man-made structure (emphasis on the man-made part). 

How Serious is the Threat?

All in all, I find Young’s The Shack to be lacking serious theological truth. However, I don’t know that it will be entirely harmful to the Church. Most people will realize that God would notincarnate Himself as a woman and that Jesus is THE Incarnation of God. That incarnation didn’t make the Father and the Spirit humans. We are still to worship God in spirit and truth because He is Spirit. I don’t think people will begin looking for God to come and meet them in person in a shack of any sort. However, the danger here lies in incremental and subtle changes in people’s theology and concept of God. For that reason, I believe it is important to get these issues out in the open. The most important thing is to expose the bad habits of popular Christianity to latch onto these books that are written not by theologians or serious Christian thinkers but by people who are merely dabbling in theology. We must guard our hearts and minds against such things.

Related Post: Distinctively Christian: The Trinity

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What is ChurchETHOS?

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Ethos is a term from classical Greek that Aristotle used to identify the character or quality of an orator. When a person got up to speak but had spent no time establishing a connection with the audience, the audience was less likely to hear him out.

The word ethos also means the fundamental character, habits, or values of a community or person. Together, these meanings have to do with how we live and whether or not the culture around us will take us seriously. ChurchETHOS seeks to apply the term ethos to the way the Church behaves. What are it’s fundamental habits and character? What does a church do or not do? What habits do we need to form? What habits do we need to break? Ultimately, do these habits, that is, our ethos, help to transform culture? What are we saying? How are we acting? Is anyone listening and looking?

These are the questions ChurchETHOS will attempt to address. They are my thoughts on what it means to be a part of the family of God. The global Church is fractured into thousands of shards because of false doctrines and bad habits. It is important to think critically but lovingly about the doctrines and habits of the Church in order to have right belief (orthodoxy) and right practice (orthopraxy). Understanding the Body of Christ from a Biblical perspective under the guidance of the Spirit of God will help us to develop an ethos that will be faithful to God’s will and relevant to the culture around us. Jesus told His disciples that “[the world] will know that you are my followers because of your love for one another.” As one person put it: the Church is the best apologetic for the gospel the world will ever see. So what is the truth about the way we live?