More on the confession of faith thing. 1

I woke at a strange hour last night, listened to the rain and thought about confessions of faith.

Sometimes when Evangelicals get together they decide that they need an agreed confession of faith. This is really important because of the 'culture' and 'tradition' thing. (See 'Assumed Evangelicalism')

For example, and I apologise right now for probably misquoting him, but when Rowan was enthroned I think I remember him saying that he valued the evangelicals because from time to time he just needs "to bash a tambourine and sing Blessed Assurance".

He meant this kindly, I think, though it is a startling caricature of evangelicalism and makes me wonder if he knows any evangelicals at all. No, he must. Mustn't he ?

Anyway... The culture and tradition problem is that movements start with a statement of truth, a shared belief system, a common conviction, at first proclaimed, then assumed, then remembered, then neglected, then forgotten. Meanwhile the culture and tradition remains.

In Britain many people equate evangelicalism with praise bands, Towndrickman and preachers in sweaters. It has become in the minds of many, a culture. A way of doing things. It started as shared convictions. Now it has become shared habits.

In France people talk of "a shared Reformed culture". Sometimes that means a form of worship, sometimes synodo-presbyteral church government. It certainly doesn't mean adherence to the Confession of Faith called La Rochelle.

However God in the Bible doesn't just give us a culture. He gives us truth to change our convictions.

Comments

Alan said…
I did misquote him. It was "Sometimes you just need to sing Blessed Assurance and hit a tambourine." ( http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2002/6/12/ACNS3020 )

Apologies, your Grace.

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