- Pastor Dr. Lothar Schwabe
Some
Lutherans support same-sex blessings and the ordination of
non-celibate homosexuals on compassionate grounds and not
on the basis of theology. But the theological support is given
through Revisionist Theology.
"Revisionist
Theology" or "Reductionist Theology" or "The Emerging Church"
are names given to a new theological movement that is revising
much of what Christian Churches have traditionally believed.
It represents popular psychology in theological terms. Key
concepts in popular psychology such as "Accept me as I am,"
"I am OK, you are OK," and "Unconditional love" are echoed
by Revisionist Theologians as "Inclusiveness," "Christian
hospitality," "Celebrating diversity," "Tolerance," and "Radical
grace." The messages of Holy Scriptures are reduced to the
question "What would Jesus do?" which focuses more on speculating
on what Jesus would do and referring to what he did not say
than proclaiming what Jesus did do and what he did say. The
authority of Scriptures is challenged because interpretation
of it becomes dependent on one's own intellectual assessment
of it instead of one's faith.
Traditional
Theology has stated that Scriptures cannot be understood
by reason alone. "But in spiritual matter, human reasoning
certainly is not in order. Other intelligence, other skill
and power are requisite here -something granted by God himself
and revealed through his Word." (Martin Luther, Epistle Sermon,
Twelfth Sunday After Trinity, Lenker Edition, Vol. IX, # 12-13)
Scripture is understood only if read through the eyes of faith.
It is the Holy Spirit that helps us to see the truth. "I believe
that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus
Christ my Lord or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called
me through the Gospel . . ." (Martin Luther, Small Catechism)
Lutherans
have never believed that human wisdom and reason can lead
us to Jesus. In Traditional Theology, faith comes first and
is then followed by reason, rather than reason coming first
which will then lead to faith - just as much as a man begins
his relationship with his future wife through love and then
employs reason thereafter. Any relationship to Jesus has to
begin with faith and not with reason or logic. Jesus can only
be really understood through a faith relationship.
Throughout
Scriptures we hear the message that it is only through faith
that we can approach God and that we can relate to Jesus.
"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the
message is heard through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17)
"Through whom we have gained access by faith." (Romans 5:2)
"So that your faith may not rest on men's wisdom but on God's
power." (1 Corinthians 2:5)
"I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go
hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."
(John 6:35)
"They must return to God in repentance and have faith in Jesus."
(Acts 20:21)
"The righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ
to all who believe." (Romans 2:22)
Lutherans
have been firm in stating that, though written by humans,
Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the Word of God
through which God still speaks. Scriptures are the only source
of the Church's doctrine and the authoritative standard for
the faith and life of the Church. A purely rational approach
cannot understand the essence of love or faith. Love and faith,
which in nature are very similar, are realities that cannot
be understood except through experience. A rational age that
approaches everything through reason has produced very good
computers and very poor marriages. It has also ruined many
human relationships. A strictly rational approach to Scriptures
will produce very poor churches and will ruin many faith-relationships
with Jesus.
Revisionist
Theology presents a theology very different from the traditional
theology that our Church has taught in the past. This new
theology is based on "New Hermeneutics," which means a new
way of interpreting Scriptures. Revisionist Theology approaches
Scriptures through reason and in a rational way. It is through
a historic-critical method that the real Jesus is discovered.
Revisionist Theologians are sincere. Most of them are not
just mean-spirited people who are out to belittle conservatives
and destroy the "Faith of Our Fathers." But they use the wrong
tool to understand Scriptures. Most Revisionist Theologians
strive to be intellectually honest, but they are trapped in
rationalism and believe that it is only through human reason
that the truth can be found. If reason alone would be capable
to discover the truth, then why do we need Scriptures at all?
If the human mind is capable of discovering all that is good
and true, then what is the point in praying for the guidance
of the Holy Spirit? The track record of those in our world
who use their reason as the only guide in determining their
political action is not very good. Corporate greed may be
a reasonable motivation, considering the shareholders interest
in maximizing profits, but it lacks heart.
Revisionist
Theologians come up with a very different Jesus than do Traditional
Theologians. The Jesus of the Revisionist Theology, which
is inspired by the Jesus Seminar movement, is just a great
human being who had a concern for justice and who never intended
to be the Son of God or to die for our sins. Revisionist Theologians
take great delight in finding rules and prohibitions that
modern Christians no longer adhere to. They use those as reasons
to justify homosexuality as being just as pleasing to God
as heterosexuality.
The
ELCIC is now divided between those who still believe what
they believed at the merger twenty years ago, which was the
faith of Martin Luther and the Reformers, and those who seek
to destroy that faith.
The
following pairings illustrate differences between the characteristic
beliefs of Traditional Theology and those beliefs that are
often expressed within the "emerging" Revisionist Theology.
Traditional
Theology teaches that Scripture is the final authority. "Those
things which have been delivered to us by God in the Sacred
Scriptures must be sharply distinguished from those that have
been invented by men in the Church, it matters not how eminent
they be for saintliness and scholarship." - Martin Luther
Revisionist Theology teaches that what some revisionist
theologians say is the final authority.
Traditional
Theology takes its instruction from the Bible and confronts
contemporary culture from the perspective of the Bible.
Revisionist Theology takes its instruction from contemporary
culture and confronts the Bible from the perspective of culture.
Traditional
Theology teaches that the Bible is the Word of God and that
God actually speaks through Scriptures. "The Scriptures, although
they were written by men, are not of men nor from men, but
from God." - Martin Luther.
Revisionist Theology teaches that the Bible only contains
the word of God rather than is the word of God, and
that many sayings of Jesus are not authentic.
Traditional
Theology teaches that Jesus spoke of himself as the Son of
God.
Revisionist Theology teaches that Jesus was such a
good person that people only thought and believed that he
was the Son of God.
Traditional
Theology teaches that Jesus was the Savior who died for our
sins. Revisionist Theology teaches that it was the
early Church which came up with the teaching that Jesus was
the Savior who died for our sins, and that Jesus never thought
of himself as the Savior.
Traditional
Theology teaches that God accepts all sinners and calls on
them to change their sinful ways. It teaches that justification
must be followed by a transformation of life style and thus
becoming more like Christ (sanctification).
Revisionist Theology teaches simply that God loves
us and affirms us as we are.
Traditional Theology teaches that Christians need to
hear both the preaching of the law and the Gospel.
Revisionist
Theology reduces the message to the question "What would Jesus
do?" Much of the Bible, including the whole Old Testament,
is not needed any more.
Traditional
Theology teaches that even true Christians need to hear and
remember the Ten Commandments for daily living.
Revisionist Theology teaches that the only law left
for us is to love each another and that we do not need the
law.
Traditional
Theology teaches that we are saved by grace through faith
in Jesus Christ. Revisionist Theology teaches universal
salvation.
Traditional
Theology teaches that the unity of the church is based on
sharing the same faith.
Revisionist Theology teaches that the unity of the
church is based upon embracing diversity.
Traditional
Theology teaches that the Lutheran Confessions guide Lutherans
in the way they interpret Scriptures.
Revisionist Theology teaches that the Lutheran Confessions
were written for their time and are only examples for us.
Revisionist Theology encourages contemporary Lutherans to
make up their own confessions.
Traditional
Theology teaches that theology belongs to the people, the
priesthood of all believers.
Revisionist Theology teaches that theology is the domain
of an elite group of scholars.
Traditional
Theology confesses the Apostles' or the Nicene Creed.
Revisionist Theology teaches a faith that, if followed
to its logical consequences, could be expressed in a "Revisionist
Creed" by confessing something like:
THE
"EMERGING" REVISIONIST CREED
We
believe in a higher power, the divine,
which is worshipped by many religions,
like Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism.
We
believe that Jesus was an exemplary human being.
He was so good that people thought he was the Son of God.
He was dedicated to justice and helping the poor.
He preached love.
People thought that he was the Savior.
He died on a cross, and, similar to the ancient belief
in atonement through sacrifices,
people believed that he died for their sins.
Like Socrates, he was a teacher of a subversive wisdom.
Like Buddha, he had an enlightenment experience.
Like a shaman, he was a healer.
Like Gandhi, he sided with the minorities and the outcasts.
He was a classical prophet of Israel.
He was concerned with the shape of society and criticizing
the elites. He was a most remarkable man whose example we
should follow.
We believe that, as the church, we are a group of people
who stand up for justice and the acceptance of diversity.
We have the duty to follow society and culture and recognize
homosexuality
as a natural condition that should not prevent non-celibate
homosexuals
from being ordained as pastors and bishops or being married
in church.
We believe that the New Testament was mostly made up by the
followers of Jesus. But it is a good book that teaches people
to love each other, look after the environment and engage
in social justice.
AMEN
Traditional
Theology teaches us to be faithful.
Revisionist Theology teaches us to be relevant.
Traditional
Theology teaches confessional integrity.
Revisionist Theology teaches diversity.
Diversity,
for Revisionist theologians, means:
All those who believe in Traditional Theology must be
broad-minded enough to tolerate the teachings of Revisionist
Theology including same-sex blessings and the ordination of
non-celibate homosexuals as pastors and bishops of our church.
However, diversity does not mean that Revisionist theologians
have to tolerate the proclamation and distribution of Traditional
Theology.
Lutherans
have insisted on confessional integrity within the Lutheran
Church while being in an ecumenical relationship with those
who embrace a different theology.
Lutherans who take a stand on Traditional Theology consistently
experience that their voices are suppressed by those who embrace
Revisionist Theology. Revisionist Theologians expect those
who stand for Traditional Theology to embrace their Revisionist
Theology in the name of love and understanding. But when those
who dare to believe what they believed 21 years ago, at the
time of the merger, speak up they are branded as intolerant
and desiring to divide the Church.
Revisionist
Theology is very different from the Traditional Theology which
most Christians believe. It amounts to radical theological
make-over of our Church. Revisionist Theology is dividing
our Church.
---------------------------------------------
For further information go to the web.
For
exampole, Google "Marcus Borg - Me and Jesus". An announcement
('ad') in The Canada Lutheran, March 2007, page 16,
promotes the "Living the Questions" series in which Marcus
Borg, a Revisionist Theologian, is a key speaker.
With respect to the "Living the Questions" study
series, also, see the article "Is
This Where the Lutheran Church is Heading?", previously
posted at the Solid Ground site.
Dr. Eta Linnemann taught Revisionist Theology as a New Testament
professor in Germany. In an artcile "Confessions
of a Former Bultmannian" she describes that after a conversion
experience she advised people to trash her books.
Google: "Revisionist Theology". You will find 240,000 entries.
