A guest blog by C. J. Dull
The subject of “decline” has held a fatal fascination ever since the appearance of the first volume of the classic work of Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire in that storied year 1776. Three more volumes finished the opus in 1788. Since Gibbon attributed the Roman Empire’s decline in significant measure to the rise of Christianity, that ensured Christians would want to deal with the concept. More recently and more commonly known now is William Shirer’s Rise and Fall of the Third Reich in 1960 with its Wagnerian overtones. He refers to its last days as a Goetterdaemmerung (twilight of the gods).
It is pretty obvious that this is a period of decline for this group. Its main annual gathering, the North American Christian Convention is no more. The main publisher, Standard Publishing, exists only in vestigial form as a section of David C. Cook. That many of the same personnel are still part of it does not augur well for any particular new initiatives but rather an increasing milking of existing assets. The educational situation has seen some especially striking developments. Two of the three graduate seminaries, all with full accreditation at one time, are now gone with the third only surviving by being absorbed by its undergraduate associate; even as Lincoln’s seminary has been absorbed by Ozark so Emmanuel has been absorbed by Milligan.
One major consideration yet to be resolved is the absence of a congruent approach between the two most dynamic segments of the group, especially as it relates to seminal influences. Scholars, whom I designate the theological segment, typically and overwhelmingly look to the liturgical churches for not only background, but guidance. More significantly—certainly financially—the managerial and perhaps pastoral segment, especially the larger congregations, continue to dominate virtually all our institutions. They look to different groups for leadership or inspiration, most often Baptists, Nazarenes and Pentecostals. Influence from business techniques is not lacking. That these two major sources of influence do not integrate well clearly is a significant issue, problem even.
Independents created an impressive educational establishment fairly quickly and inexpensively. The regional schools, of which Lincoln was the most successful, often were able to establish themselves in areas of relatively low cost (Norfolk, NE; Grand Junction, CO; Sturgis, S D; Scottsbluff, NE; Joplin, MO; Moberly, MO; Oklahoma City, OK; Elizabeth City, NC; ) Some older schools had benefitted from the nineteenth century tradition of locating colleges in remote areas or small towns (Milligan College; Kentucky Christian College, Johnson Bible College) as others did by being located near major universities (Manhattan Christian College, NW Christian College, Minnesota Bible College). Newer formations in major metropolitan areas had varied success. Atlanta, Southern California, to a lesser extent Dallas and Boise, seemed to do well. Others such as Puget Sound (Seattle), Eastern Christian College (suburban DC), Memphis Christian College (among other names), Iowa Christian College (Des Moines) often found the going tougher. Many, like Lincoln, began as institutes and never got beyond that stage (NY Christian Institute, Clarence, NY). At least one Spanish language school, Colegio Biblico, has endured. The Ottumwa offshoots (Midwest School of Evangelism, Portland, Dorr Drive, Rocky Mountain, as well as a number of congregationally based schools) often prospered and sometimes in theologically unpredictable ways. Most of the doctoral faculty got their degrees from state universities largely in the Midwest but whatever was approachable in their area. There was a twofold advantage in this. The cost was less, and any particular religious tradition would have to be dealt with only tangentially. The major graduate seminary, Southern Baptist in Louisville, had a number of advantages: central location, free tuition and an atmosphere in which baptism by immersion was supreme. By contrast, Fuller with its California location (and higher cost of living), and significant Presbyterian faculty representation was much less influential even with a Disciple on that faculty, Donald McGavran.
One of the major issues in any movement is what emphases will be dominant or even significant. The paramount need now is to begin work toward a stable synthesis, intellectual and institutional—and above all one that is distinctly ours! Most theological faculties might be a simple example of the problem. There systematic theology is distinctly a Calvinistic specialty while historical theology generally is dominated by graduates of Catholic universities. Integrating the two has obvious difficulties. One can only wonder how difficult it would be to add “liturgical theology”, as in the Orthodox Churches, to the mix. Yet, for better or worse, there will have to be major trends that must be addressed.
First, there is the theme of Christian unity. To put it bluntly, the sooner it is jettisoned, the better. That many will cringe—for lack of a better word—at that thought is a monumental understatement. Yet there is much about “unity” that is a no-win situation. On the frontier, the concept in the form of “union” definitely prospered, creating the impression that even as a major nation could be formed from disparate units, so could the Christian world be similarly addressed. Yet, its increasing identification doomed it in the long run. Connections with current national trends are hardly restricted to specific continents or languages. Such movements seem increasing and ubiquitous. Most movements for unity presuppose a single dominant or at least lingua franca language, a situation becoming more rather than less difficult.
First of all, it ought to be very clear by now that the creation—or re-creation– of a single unified church will never happen. The situation becomes more emphatic when we add research on Eastern and other non-familiar groups. Almost every nation and ex-mission field can claim a plethora of approaches to historic Christianity. Then there are very real and germane issues about connections to various political movements. Many ancient and medieval religious officials owed their positions to what we would consider secular rulers. Pope Gregory the Great became pope because the Byzantine emperor said so. The phenomenon is not limited to that period. During the period of my graduate study, there was in 1973 a coup d’état in Greece by the military. Shortly after they took power, they appointed a new head of the Greek Orthodox Church in Greece.
Next, unity essentially is a validation of the work of others, not a discreet, creative process. The fact that many of the positions of those groups are stable would also seem to leave little room for creativity or growth. In short, it is a recipe for stalemate, not progress. Then there is the issue of the philosophical foundations of ancient and medieval doctrines. They may impress because of their intricacy, but that does not make them any less pagan, from Platonism to Neo-Platonism to Stoicism inter alia. It is haunting that Augustine of Hippo did not quote Scripture on his deathbed, but Plotinus.
The ancient church’s synthesis is in many ways simply a triumphal procession over earlier work and may resemble it only as much as Augustus does Curius Dentatus. The analogy is comparable because the first figure is dominant and familiar while the second is obscure, but both were elected to multiple consecutive consulships. A look at the texts of some early important writers (e.g., Irenaeus, Origen) shows the immense sophistication employed merely to get a workable text—my favorite is the Sources Chretiennes text of Irenaeus on Heresies. Their work was often superseded through neglect, new theological insights, or even outright condemnation, and yet they were much closer—certainly timewise – to the primitive church than what finally prevailed.
End part I.
(Sign up for the upcoming class, “Lonergan & the Problem of Theological Method.” The course will run from the weeks of February 16th to April 11th. Also sign up for Sin and Salvation: An in-depth study of the meaning of sin and a description of the atonement as a defeat of sin and the basis of an alternative community in Christ. This course will run through the beginning of February to the end of March. Register here https://pbi.forgingploughshares.org/offerings)