Baxter's Generous Orthodoxy
"In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things charity."This was the motto of Puritan pastor and author Richard Baxter whom I've been reading a bit about recently. I have always been particularly struck by this quote and in thinking about it recently, it seems that this would be the perfect definition for the term Generous Orthodoxy. This term was coined by Yale theologian Hans Frei and is best recognized as the most recent book by Emergent Church leader Brian McLaren. I certainly wouldn't recommend the book, and yet I love the term. While McLaren's "generous orthodoxy" seems to be little more than a hodge-podge of his own personal preferences regarding the beliefs and practices of various Christian traditions (to which it could be argued that there is nothing "generous" about reinterpreting the orthodoxy of a particular tradition in a way that makes it compatible with any other tradition), I believe that this is a term that has considerable value. The trouble in trying to nail down a particular definition will no doubt be that the things considered "necessary" and the things considered "doubtful" will certainly not be agreed upon by all Christians. I'm sure I'd have a hard time finding any believer who found this quote unsavory. However, my suspicion is that many people whom might like this quote would be rather put off by the things that Baxter himself would have considered to be "necessary."
While this concept of unity in essentials and freedom in uncertainties is more than a bit elusive, I do not believe we are without examples of Christian who have demonstrated that it is possible. In his own day, Baxter worked with Anglicans, Presbyterians, Baptists, and Congregationalists in attempts to organize and catechize their congregations. The Westminster Divines were made up of a similar collections of pastors and teaches from Reformed denominations in England and Scotland. Today, groups like Together for the Gospel demonstrate the ability of church leaders with different understandings of baptism, gifts of the Spirit, and church government to effectively work together on the basis of a unified understanding of the essentials of the gospel message.
Is it possible to see unification in the Church on essential issues without minimizing or downplaying or differences? What exactly are those essentials? What about Christians outside of Reformed, or even Evangelical circles that none the less hold firm to "mere Christianity" (a term popularized by C.S. Lewis but which was also coined by Baxter) such as Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox? These are questions that I have few, if any, answers to. I'd love to hear from others as to what they think would fall under the categories of "necessary things" and "doubtful things." How far do you think liberty extends in issues of doctrine, and what would this sort of "generous orthodoxy" look like in a practical sense?
posted by Andrew Stout | 9:56 PM
2 Comments:
I suppose it depends on what kind of "unification" you have in mind. The spiritual unity of the invisible church is simply a given. Reformed and evangelical Christians are all ready in spiritual unity with any of God's elect who may be found in Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy. The difficulty comes in achieving practical, outward unity with groups whose leaders openly deny the supreme authority of Scripture, justification by faith alone, and other central tenets of historic Protestantism. I myself am more than a little cautious about even considering any "unification" with such groups desirable.
Thanks for the comments guys. Gavin, I'm looking forward to your Emergent post. Ishmael, thanks for reading the post! Good comment, I would have to agree with what you say. I certainly hope for a greater visible expression of unity among evangelical traditions without minimizing the elements that distinguish them from one another. I guess that the sort of unity I would hope for from brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches would be a willingness to work together in academic and service oriented projects, focused on what we hold in common in the expression of our faith in Christ (which is something that can be seen happening to a greater degree!). However, I would agree with you, unity with these church bodies cannot be something sought after so long as they deny the doctrines that are the foundation of the text of Scripture.
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