More on the "essential tenets"

[2-28-02]

In January, 2002, some officers of the Witherspoon Society received a letter from the editor of ReFORM magazine, soliciting suggestions for what should be declared as "essential tenets" of the Reformed faith. On Janiuary 23, 2002, we posted a response to the letter, explaining our reasons for not offering a reply to the letter.

We have just received a copy of another response to that solicitation, from the Rev. Blair Moffett, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Stamford, Connecticut. He offers an understanding of our ordination questions, and of the whole notion of "essentials," that we find helpful.

January 16, 2002

The Rev. Mary H. Naegeli
ReFORM Editor
1965 Colfax St
Concord, CA 94520

Dear Ms. Naegeli:

Thank you for your invitation to respond to the question of "essential tenets." I agree that this is a discussion of great importance for the church, and not just at times of dispute.

You say in your letter that "no governing body has yet identified these essentials." I disagree. Every time a governing body makes a judgment about membership or about ordination, it articulates in that instance what it finds essential to the faith.

The nub of the question is precisely how a particular faith conviction acquires the label "essential." Our ordination questions provide a very deliberate ambiguity: "Do you sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our church.?" Copying that text just now I noticed for the first time that the word "confessions" is not capitalized. I take that to suggest that the confession of the Reformed faith is not even bound to a particular document such as The Book of Confessions that is part of The Constitution. In other words, the essential tenets are "in there, somewhere"!

This ambiguity has caused some folks no end of frustration. Why can't we have a list of the really important things? Your upcoming issue offers some palliation in the form of the "top ten" favorites of those polled. But I argue that this is not what the Constitution means by "essential." The great genius of our form of government is expressed in several ways:

First, the "essentials" are not propositional truths but the results of a process of discernment derived from the relationships and responsibilities described in our covenant with God and with one another.

Second, the "essentials" are not absolutes, defined once and for all. Rather, they are specific judgments rendered in particular cases by governing bodies. Oddly, this means that the "essentials" may be different, even contradictory, from case to case. This, too, is highly frustrating for those who value consistency and tidiness. But it has the advantage of placing humble discernment of the leading of the Spirit ahead of arbitrary forms.

I will look forward with curiosity to discover what my fellow Presbyterians value. As you prepare this issue, I would encourage you to think editorially about how our tradition resists being put into lists. Maybe you could engage someone to address the question of why, after 270 years since the Adopting Act, the Presbyterian Church still has no quick-reference list of the essential doctrines.

Your brother in Christ,

R. Blair Moffett

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