Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Politics and Religion
There already is a church that is both evangelical and sacramental

There already is a church that is both evangelical and sacramental

Last updated on: June 1, 2017 at 6:00 am by Gene Veith

0 Comments

There already is a church that is both evangelical and sacramental 2017-05-31T23:11:38-04:00 Gene Veith

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Gordon T. Smith has written a book entitled Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal: Why the Church Should Be All Three. His thesis is that since Christianity exists in those three forms, we really should have churches that combine them all.

A review in Christianity Today agrees with his “exciting proposal,” that Christians today should bring those strains together in their congregations.

Well, there already are churches that are both evangelical and sacramental. These are called Lutheran. I would also describe them as pentecostal, not in the sense of speaking in tongues and the like but in stressing a personal supernatural experience of the Holy Spirit. Lutherans call that reading or hearing God’s Word. They are charismatic in the sense of receiving God’s supernatural gifts, which they call worshipping and receiving the sacraments.

Prof. Smith’s book only mentions Luther and Lutheranism three or four times, according to the index on Amazon’s “Look Inside!” feature, but never in a way that shows how his dream of combining the evangelical with the sacramental can be done.

I realize that he is not looking for Lutheranism, as such. He views the sacraments as “symbols,” which will prevent him from being truly sacramental. But Lutheran theology would help him with his project, for example, by showing how justification by faith alone fits in with baptismal regeneration.

Lutheran theology would help other non-Lutherans work out their difficulties. For example, Baptists are currently torn between Calvinist factions and Arminian factions. Lutheran theology could show them how it is possible to hold to salvation by grace alone (divine monergism), as Calvinists do, while also affirming, like Arminians, the Universal Atonement, that Christ died for all, so that potentially anyone can be saved.

Why do you think Lutheranism so often gets left out of theological conversations in which it would be highly relevant? It isn’t that Lutheranism is some tiny sect that few people adhere to. Depending on the statistics, it’s the largest or the second-largest (after Anglicanism) body of Protestants in the world. And yet it seems nearly unknown or mistakenly known in Anglo-American Christianity.

Part of the problem may be that Anglo-American Christianity is dominated by Calvinism, with its picture of the Calvinist Luther (the one who heroically started the Reformation but didn’t go far enough, with his work perfected by Calvin). People therefore assume that they know what Luther believed–basically Calvinism plus an idiosyncratic view of the Lord’s Supper–and so they assume that he and his followers have little to add that they don’t already have in Calvin. But maybe another part of the problem is the Lutherans’ fault in not interacting with any other Christians.

Any other ideas?

Illustration: The Lutheran Reformation in Denmark, [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

From Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal: Why the Church Should Be All Three: Gordon T. Smith: 9780830851607: Amazon.com: Books:

Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal: Why the Church Should Be All Three [Gordon T. Smith] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Evangelical. Sacramental. Pentecostal. Christian communities tend to identify with one of these labels over the other two. Evangelical churches emphasize the importance of Scripture and preaching. Sacramental churches emphasize the importance of the eucharistic table. And pentecostal churches emphasize the immediate presence and power of the Holy Spirit. But must we choose between them? Could the church be all three? Drawing on his reading of the New Testament

“This book should awaken us from our churchly slumbers. The evangelical, sacramental, and pentecostal streams of Christianity celebrate different things, but we should not think of them, argues Gordon Smith, as competing alternatives. Rather, each of these traditions highlights something essential to full-orbed and flourishing Christian experience. We can no longer afford to pick one favorite while neglecting what the others have to offer. This is a provocative call for a fresh ecumenical synergy―for weaving all these elements together into something stronger and better than the older, isolating silos were able by themselves to deliver. Ever the pastor-theologian, Smith concludes with some practical proposals for moving us in this right direction.” (Glen G. Scorgie, professor of theology and ethics, Bethel Seminary San Diego)

“In Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal, Gordon Smith is a constructive provocateur. The word and in the title of the book is far from a mere grammatical connector. ‘And’ is indicative of Smith’s call to Christians, including evangelical Christians, to embrace together realities which too often are considered incompatible with each other, if not denied altogether. Furthermore, this call is not a call primarily to individual Christians or to some form of private piety. It is a call to churches―a call to churches to be the church. At the same time, this book is not primarily a critique but an invitation―an invitation to enter into and celebrate, in Smith’s words, ‘an ecology of grace.’ Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal is a wise and thoughtful invitation, accompanied by concrete suggestions, for churches to enter more fully into the grace that is found in union with Christ.” (W. David Buschart, professor of theology and historical studies, Denver Seminary)

“Christians often live in a state of spiritual malnourishment, choosing exclusively between the Word, sacraments, or renewal by the Spirit. In this timely pastoral appeal to overcome historical and theological divisions, Gordon T. Smith invites believers to be drawn into the fullness of life―fellowship with the living God―by embracing the divinely appointed means of grace.” (Jeffrey W. Barbeau, professor of theology, Wheaton College)

Church

Reformation

Theology

evangelical and sacramental

Lutheran Christianity

Lutheranism

Lutheranism and Christian unity

Word & Sacraments

Previous Post

June 1, 2017

Five sentences that killed 200,000 Americans

Next Post

June 2, 2017 The ACLU is targeting Catholic hospitals

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"While she worked for Trump she was a tool's tool!"

reg

Luther on Tools

"I know wired earbuds are making a comeback (I never stopped using them as I ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

"VCRs, tape decks, and cassette players are all having a revival among a segment of ..."

Tom Hering

Luther on Tools

"As a (retired) lawyer I see potential liability from sharing things like power or sharp ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category America Apologetics Art baseball Bible Blog Christ Church crime Culture Economics Education Ethics Family Food Football Government History Holidays Holy Week Humor International Islam Language Law Life Issues Literature Media Medicine Movies Music Nature News Personal Philosophy Politics psychology Reformation Religions Sacraments Science sex Social Science Sports technology television terrorism Theology Uncategorized Vocation war

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said, "Here I am, send me!"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Peter Elijah Isaiah Moses

Books by This Author Books by Gene Veith

See All Titles »