Paul's theology of grace was rejected as orthodoxy in the early church by, among other formulas, the establishment of Apostolic Succession. Apostolic Succession afforded authority in the late first and early second century Church by granting standing to those who would trace their theological lineage back to the original disciples of Jesus. Thus, it stands as a rejection of the theology of grace in Paul, because Paul, as we all know, was not among Jesus' disciples.
Today, the enemies of the theology of grace are a bit more subtle. They are real and powerful, but they work covertly, behind the scenes. They have shaped the ways that we have thought and acted and spoken.
Firstly, the theology of grace in Paul was powerful in the Hellenistic world because Paul's theology resonated with the Hellenistic virtues. Grace makes great sense when we can claim spiritual status, when we can claim that, in Christ, God has changed the essential nature of humankind from earthly and physical (Adamah) to spiritual (in Christ). If the essential nature of humankind is altered in the Crucifixion and Resurrection, then all human nature is affected. It is a universal grace. In Christ, God diminishes physical human nature, with its passions and desires and hungers, and strengthens the spiritual, perfect, eternal heavenly virtues.
The Emergent Culture, that which has been surfacing since around 1968, is forcing the Emergent Church, or whatever readers may want to call it, to recover the theology of grace. Culture is leading the spiritual evolution of the Church. The Church has tried, for nearly fifty years, to reject the spiritual evolution being made necessary by culture progression. Conservative movements have tried to draw us back, away from a theology of grace, and toward an increasingly narrow understanding of our relationship with God.
The Church that has formed as a response to cultural evolution has rejected the theology of grace in at least three ways:
1. Grace Counters Religious Advantage: If everyone's essential nature is made spiritual in Paul's understanding of grace, then there is no advantage to believing a particular thing in a particular way. There is no advantage to orthodoxy in ritual or sacrifice. There is no essential advantage to being in the Church. All are saved (made spiritual) and all are instruments of God's grace, inside or outside the Church.
2. Grace Requires Action in Application: While the theology of grace reads simply enough, perhaps a bit too simply, it is incredibly difficult in application. It is more than a philosophy or system of belief. Grace required action. It necessitates ministry and mission. Grace can only be true insofar as it is expressed in relationship to living, breathing beings. Grace is the great mobilizing force of the Church-That-Will Be. The Church-That-Was rejects it as too easy in theory and too difficult in application.
3. Grace is About the Here-and-Now Instead of the Hereafter: The Church has learned to diminish the meaning of human life by placing salvation in another world, after humans die. Grace is the construction and maintenance of a new world in the here-and-now. It is qualitative. The effort to which grace calls humanity is development of kingdom...on earth....now. The emphasis of our efforts must lie in the development of a way of life, on Earth, that blesses and benefits every person in every place. It is justice and peace and compassion and mercy as ways of life, personal, interpersonal, social and universal.
The enemies of the theology of grace have been loud and confident. The voices of those who work tirelessly for the Church-That-Will-Be have been increasing in both volume and impact. Those voices are beginning to be heard. Let us shout from the mountaintops and sing in the dales the wonderful theology of grace.
Come sing with us!
1. Grace Counters Religious Advantage: If everyone's essential nature is made spiritual in Paul's understanding of grace, then there is no advantage to believing a particular thing in a particular way. There is no advantage to orthodoxy in ritual or sacrifice. There is no essential advantage to being in the Church. All are saved (made spiritual) and all are instruments of God's grace, inside or outside the Church.
2. Grace Requires Action in Application: While the theology of grace reads simply enough, perhaps a bit too simply, it is incredibly difficult in application. It is more than a philosophy or system of belief. Grace required action. It necessitates ministry and mission. Grace can only be true insofar as it is expressed in relationship to living, breathing beings. Grace is the great mobilizing force of the Church-That-Will Be. The Church-That-Was rejects it as too easy in theory and too difficult in application.
3. Grace is About the Here-and-Now Instead of the Hereafter: The Church has learned to diminish the meaning of human life by placing salvation in another world, after humans die. Grace is the construction and maintenance of a new world in the here-and-now. It is qualitative. The effort to which grace calls humanity is development of kingdom...on earth....now. The emphasis of our efforts must lie in the development of a way of life, on Earth, that blesses and benefits every person in every place. It is justice and peace and compassion and mercy as ways of life, personal, interpersonal, social and universal.
The enemies of the theology of grace have been loud and confident. The voices of those who work tirelessly for the Church-That-Will-Be have been increasing in both volume and impact. Those voices are beginning to be heard. Let us shout from the mountaintops and sing in the dales the wonderful theology of grace.
Come sing with us!
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