[1-23-02]

For several years there have been calls for a definition of the "essentials" of the Reformed faith. This is one of the topics that will doubtless come before the recently appointed Theological Task Force. And we notice that Presbyterians for Renewal has recently sent out a survey, in what appears to be an effort to produce their own set of "essentials."

We do not feel this is a legitimate or helpful way to address denominational concerns. Witherspoon board member Barbara Kellam-Scott explains why.

Check out another response to this survey, from the Rev. Blair Moffett.  [2-28-02]

This is the same problem we've had with the "Confessing Church Movement" and that Moderator Jack Rogers so clearly articulated in the Question and Answer period before his election as moderator of the 213^th General Assembly. We have a very good process in place for determining what the church wants to define and how it wants to define it. That process is participatory, democratic, and open to the input of every Presbyterian who has a contribution to make. For any subgroup of the church to preempt that process, even when the group has the Witherspoon Society's "corner on wisdom" - as we'd like to think of it! - is absurdly self-defeating.

In fact, we have several extra processes in place just now, although none of them, in the wisdom of the General Assembly, explicitly aims to define the essential tenets. We have a theological task force formed by the 213^th General Assembly. The Office of Theology and Worship (TAW) has another task force authorized by the 212^th Assembly and working on the doctrine of the Trinity, but not necessarily on whether a particular Trinitarian doctrine is among the essentials. TAW has made some pretty bold assertions about "necessities" in "Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ," its first, though some of us hope not its whole, response to the 213^th Assembly's request for study materials to help us better understand our confessional tradition. And presumably we'll still have the "Belonging to God" Catechisms, approved by the 210^th Assembly, to come back to in the 215^th Assembly (though they were supposed to be examined in a series of meetings across the church, which meetings haven't happened yet) for possible addition to the Book of Confessions.

These actions taken or authorized by General Assemblies are the way we do theology as Presbyterians - as a whole church, with orderly processes. For independent groups, all of which acknowledge that we represent only some of the church, to start tossing around our own opinions, and especially to start compiling them without regard to representation or parity of any kind, is only to come up with new reasons to resent each other, new evidence to hold against each other. We have enough of that kind of information, thank you.

That may even be part of why the General Assemblies over 80 or so years have chosen, actively or not, not to define the essentials. Look at the turmoil we went through the last time we did, the peace and unity of the church salvaged only through the rebellious affirmation of the Auburn sages. Once again, let's choose unity without the turmoil and trust the orderly processes of the synods and councils of our church, error-prone though they may be. That's error that we acknowledge and know how to deal with, better than we can deal with the errors of the self-appointed.

bks

GA actions ratified (or not) by  the presbyteries   

A number of the most important actions of the 219^th General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries, confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.

We provided resources to help inform the reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.

Our three areas of primary interest have been:

If you like what you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep Voices for Justice going ... and growing!

Please consider making a special contribution -- large or small -- to help us continue and improve this service.

Click here to send a gift online, using your credit card, through PayPal.

Or send your check, made out to "Presbyterian Voices for Justice" and marked "web site," to our PVJ Treasurer:

PVJ's Facebook page

Mitch Trigger, PVJ's Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!

Voices of Sophia blog

Heather Reichgott, who has created this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:

John Harris’ Summit to Shore blogspot

John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive

Got more blogs to recommend?