Presbyterian Theology and Judaism Part Two

Last updated on: May 6, 2019 at 10:51 am by D. G. Hart

Presbyterian Theology and Judaism Part Two 2019-05-06T10:51:56-04:00 D. G. Hart

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.

If journalists want to dig deeper into the roots of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, they may come across an essay by J. Gresham Machen entitled, “The Relations between Jews and Christians” (originally delivered in 1924 to The Fellowship of Reconciliation):

Against such tyranny, I do cherish some hope that Jews and Christians, Roman Catholics and Protestants, if they are lovers of liberty, may present a united front. I am for my part an inveterate propagandist; but the same right of propaganda which I desire for myself I want to see also in the possession of others. What absurdities are uttered in the name of a pseudo-Americanism today! People object to the Roman Catholics, for example, because they engage in “propaganda.” But why should they not engage in propaganda? And how should we have any respect for them if, holding the view which they do hold–that outside of the Roman church there is no salvation–they did not engage in propaganda first, last, and all the time? Clearly they ave a right to do so, and clearly we have a right to do the same.

But in insisting upon the right of unlimited proselytizing, we hope that we shall not throw all discretion to the winds. Certainly in trying to convert other people we do not mean that we are ourselves setting up to be better than they. On the contrary, we are doing exactly the opposite. It is just because we are so conscious of our own unworthiness that we are unable to satisfy ourselves with the skeptical view that Christianity is a life and not a doctrine. It is just because we are not able to stand upon the basis of our lives before God–or, to use a figure proper to the present moment, upon our “record”–that we cling to the gospel of Christ and try to bring to others the joy that that has brought to us.

Does that mean, then, that we much eternally bite and devour one another, that acrimonious debate must never for a moment be allowed to cease? We do not think that it does. But how can it help doing so? We Christians think that you–as we should be ourselves–are lost and hopeless without Christ. How then shall we live with you in peace and avoid making ourselves insufferable by constant arguments and appeals?

There is a common solution of the problem which we think ought to be taken to heart. It is the solution provided by family life. In countless families, there is a Christian parent who with untold agony of soul has seen the barrier of religious difference set up between himself or herself and a beloved child. Salvation, it is believed with all the heart, comes only through Christ, and the child, it is believed, unless it has really trusted in Christ, is lost. These, I tell you, are the real tragedies of life. And how trifling, in comparison is the experience of bereavement of the like! But what do these sorrowing parents do? Do they make themselves uselessly a nuisance to their child? In countless cases they do not; in countless such cases there is hardly a mention of the subject of religion; in countless cases there is nothing but prayer, and an agony of soul bravely covered by helpfulness and cheer.

There is the solution of the problem presented by the inveterately proselytizing tendency of Christianity. It is a solution which, I admit, in the larger sphere about which we are talking tonight,is only very, very imperfectly tried. But if it were tried, it would work. The problem is very difficult. But love would find a way. (J. Gresham Machen: Selected Shorter Writings, 419-20)

Image

Roman Catholicism

sacred/secular distinction

Fellowship of Reconciliation

interreligious dialogue

J. Gresham Machen

Jewish Americans

Orthodox Presbyterian Church

Previous Post

May 3, 2019

Presbyterian Theology and Judaism Part One

Next Post

May 7, 2019 Jewish Americans and Presbyterian Theology

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2016 Presidential Election 2020 Presidential Election Apocalypse Bible in American Life Biblical authority Books and culture Calvinism Church Life Civil Religion Culture Wars Doctrine evangelicalism Gullibility Heaven and Hell Intellectual life Jesus Ministry modernity moralism Nationalism New Testament Old Testament Otherworldiness Otherworldliness Paul Peter Piety Popular culture Protestantism Psalms Puritans Race Roman Catholicism sacred/secular distinction Sex Shameless Self Promotion Sports Ten Commandments U.S. politics Uncategorized vulgarity worship

Select a Month January 2022 October 2021 August 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

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz