The (Orthodox) Faith

Last updated on: March 4, 2008 at 12:30 am by Scot McKnight

The (Orthodox) Faith 2008-03-04T00:30:45-06:00 Scot McKnight

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.

(Say the Jesus Creed morning and evening during Lent.)

We need a new book on the basics of the orthodox faith; a readable study that anyone can read. I’ve read a few such books in my life, but the challenge of doing so is a little more difficult than most know. Beside having so much to master, the ability to put it all into readable and compelling prose is even more difficult. What books do this for you? I’d like to know your choices. If you want someone to understand the Christian faith, which book would you give them? The most recent attempt to accomplish this task is Charles Colson, The Faith.
We could begin with “what is orthodoxy?” and Colson does: “those essentials that all true Christians have always believed” (9). I can live with that definition. What does he cover?
God is, He has spoken (Word), Truth, fall, incarnation, and Trinity.
Then he delves into exchanging identities (not quite imputation, but more Christ taking on our death and sins and our taking on Christ’s life in this world), reconciliation, the church (classic four marks), the need for holiness, the sanctity of life, last things, the joy of orthodoxy, and then — rather surprisingly — the great proposal. That great proposal is that only orthodoxy can sustain a vision that can preserve the world. Christianity, he says, is a worldview.
I have to admit that I’ve seen Colson as a hard-headed and hard-hitting polemicist at times, and at times saying more than I think he understands about topics. (Found in this book in his chp on truth: “truth [Bible] not bound by any time or place” [47].) This book, though, is not a polemical treatise even if it dabbles in such a few times.
The book’s central characteristics: it is solid conservative evangelical but wide-ranging and refreshingly ecumenical when he can find agreements with Catholics and others across the spectrum. (He doesn’t apparently read much in the Orthodox.) The book is rich in stories — lots of them, most of them very good. His story of Bonhoeffer was very good and the section on John Wayne Gacy haunting.
For all his statement of how important the Trinity is, it made very little appearance anywhere else other than in the chp that defended it and explained it. I’d like to know who Scripture and Truth and Cross, etc, are impacted by the importance of Trinity. In fact, one reason Trinity is so rarely mentioned is that so few see its significance. But, and here Colson’s right, everyone says it is important — now we need some stuff that shows just how important it is!
He makes a really odd comment for me: that the 4th Century was the purest church. Wow, I thought — with all that blood and guts. On top of that, that means Real Presence, which is not addressed, and all sorts of things about Mary (who is not discussed), and the need for ecclesial structures (also not really dealt with).
At times he says things that come out of nowhere for me. Here’s one: “Ultimately, the deepest source we have for understanding or verifying the Trinitarian nature of God is encounter. God meets us in the Trinity in the way that every human heart demands” (103). This could be taken in any number of ways; I think he means it like Augustine’s famous 1.1 statement.

Theology

Previous Post

March 4, 2008

Bishop Tom

Next Post

March 5, 2008 Keys of the Kingdom 43

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 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 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who opposed the rebuilding of the Temple and tried to discourage the Jews?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Their enemies/Samaritans Philistines Moabites Amalekites