Letter from America

Doctrinal controversies are far from uncommon in America. Of course, the ecumenical movement is influential here, with the Evangelical and Catholic attempts to form some kind of statement that can get mutual approval, the broad-based evangelistic campaigns of Luis Palau and the like, and with other, more liberal, ecumenical movements. But, there is still much in the way of doctrinal disagreements and arguments in churches, between churches, in denominations.

One of the most important ongoing battles in this regard is in the Southern Baptist Convention. The SBC is the largest Protestant denomination in the world, has extraordinarily rich reserves of money and talent, and is very influential throughout the world by way of its vigorous and commendable support of missionaries. Being so large makes it vulnerable to mega-politics.

Such doctrinal distinctions play out beyond the confines of the cloister of the church. It is clear from recent surveys of the voting habits of the American people at the last election that a vast majority of those who would call themselves 'evangelical Christians' voted for Bush. He was seen as being more trustworthy, having greater consistency of character, and taking appropriately morally stringent stances on issues like abortion.

And at more domestic levels of politics, such distinctions also create powerful lobby groups and rallying points. New Hampshire recently legalised same sex unions. In Connecticut, the sniff of a similar proposal being railroaded through the legal apparatus of the state has caused frantic campaigning on the part of, yes, the more doctrinally conservative elements of various denominations.

What is immediately obvious in even such a brief survey is that there is a blurred line between doctrine and politics. One of the most ironic comparisons that is easy to make between America and Britain is on the relationship between the church and the state. America has a formalised distinction between church and state but an informal strong connection between the two; Britain has a formalised connection between church and state but an informal strong disassociation. It is in this light that Bush's recent, and generally speaking popular, proposal that the federal government funds religious organisation's charitable work may be interpreted.

Such blurring of lines may become problematic to the cause of the gospel. It may also cloud the real doctrinal issues that are at stake in the various controversies in America.

Does doctrine matter?

At root, the issue in many debates is simply whether doctrine actually matters. There has always been, I think, a fairly strong pragmatic streak to American culture, but tempered, historically, by the profound doctrinal insights of the New England puritans, Jonathan Edwards and the like. At its best, American evangelicals have produced churches and theology with a committed grasp of the deep principles of the gospel and a determined use of pragmatic means to accomplish the mission of the church. But recent well-documented attacks on the philosophical status of truth mean many (even culturally 'evangelical' churches) are becoming simply pragmatic. And, as Nietzsche saw, where there is no truth, all that is left is the 'will to power', or power politics.

This lack of real belief that truth matters is no doubt why many American churches, of all stripes and labels, tend towards one of two stereotypes. They tend to being either highly experiential in style, or to being clubs of wholesome living. Both of these forms of church are essentially indicators that the truth is being sucked out of the church leaving the shell behind.

The irony is that when doctrine does not matter to us we do not have less controversies, we just have controversies over other things, personalities, and power. We need to regain the historic, biblical, Christian conviction that unity can only come around truth.

It seems that doctrinal controversies may be a good thing in some ways. Now that's something controversial for you.

Josh Moody

© Evangelicals Now - May 2001
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