The May issue of the Journal of Christian Studies is in the last stages of production and will be shipping soon. The theme of JCS 4.2 is "Restorationism, Sectarianism, and Ecumenism," and it seeks to address these vital questions for Churches of Christ and other Restoration traditions:
How should the restorationist plea be described and pursued on the other side of sectarianism? Can ecumenism and denominational distinctions co-exist? Is it possible for fragmented groups to be members of the one church? In this situation of division, what does it mean to confess that the church is “one” and “catholic”? How should Christians work toward unity, and what role do our “distinctions” play in ecumenical conversation? In what ways can the various Christian traditions “partner” with one another (for example, with regard to moral and/or theological questions)? With regard to such questions, what does a responsible ecclesiology look like?
In addition to articles, the issue consists of several long form interview responses from a diverse group of thinkers in the Restoration tradition. You won't want to miss this issue! In this post, we include the editor's note as well as a list of contributors. Keep an eye open for additional sneak peaks into the issue!
As a reminder: JCS is now being offered through a new subscription model, which offers the journal in both digital only and digital + print formats. As the old subscription is fading out, visit our subscription page and re-subscribe today. Both of these plans offer access to the entire catalog of JCS digitally! Discounts available for current subscribers: email hall@christian-studies.org for more information.
JCS 4.2 Editor's Note, by Keith Stanglin:
The Apostle Paul teaches that the church, the people of God, is united to its head, Jesus Christ, and is the body of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 12:12-13; Eph 5:23). There is one body and one Lord (Eph 4:4-6). Jesus prays for the unity of his disciples (John 17:20-23). At the same time, the New Testament acknowledges that there are concrete, natural divisions within this body—whether out of geographical necessity, household boundaries, ethnic or cultural considerations (Rom 16:4), and the like—that do not seem to undermine the church’s unity. Other divisions, however, are more difficult to square with unity. Sometimes separation is necessary because of differences in doctrine or ethics (2 Cor 6:17; 1 John 2:19). At other times, the divisions are unnecessary and undermine all unity (1 Cor 1:10-17).
Divisions of one kind or another have been present in the church from the beginning and throughout the history of Christianity. These divisions multiplied, though, in the wake of the sixteenth-century Reformations in the Western Church. These divisions were codified in various confessions of faith, the beginning of denominationalism as we know it in the West.
As the denominations proliferated, however, others lamented the state of the divided church. One feature of American Christianity, especially after the founding of the republic, was the renunciation of denominationalism and the search for unity on the basis of the Bible only. The American Restoration (Stone-Campbell) Movement reflected this same spirit, with its call for Christian unity and a return to the faith and practice of the New Testament, which entailed the rejection of the many creeds and confessions of the various denominations.
It is well known that this unity movement that would make denominationalism obsolete instead effectively became a denomination of its own. In many quarters of the movement, the ecumenical spirit was quickly obscured by a spirit of sectarianism, such that inferences from the New Testament—with regard to faith and especially to ecclesiology and to worship practices—became tests of fellowship, salvation issues, and marks of the true church. This brand of restorationism (not unique to those influenced by the Campbells and Stone) sought to return to the old, pristine way, as narrowly defined by a given autonomous congregation, and anyone who saw that way differently was on the outside.
Many, perhaps most, Churches of Christ have long abandoned that style of sectarianism. But what should be put in its place? Must mere Christianity mean superficial Evangelicalism? How should the restorationist plea be described and pursued on the other side of sectarianism? Can ecumenism and denominational distinctions co-exist? Is it possible for fragmented groups to be members of the one church? In this situation of division, what does it mean to confess that the church is “one” and “catholic”? How should Christians work toward unity, and what role do our “distinctions” play in ecumenical conversation? In what ways can the various Christian traditions “partner” with one another (for example, with regard to moral and/or theological questions)? With regard to such questions, what does a responsible ecclesiology look like?
These and other related questions of identity motivate the contributions to this issue of the Journal of Christian Studies. In the first part, I asked five contributors a series of the same five questions and allowed them to respond at will. Those questions are:
1) What are the best distinctives of Churches of Christ that should be shared with the wider Christian world?
2) What are the most significant weaknesses or deficiencies in Churches of Christ that must be addressed?
3) What is the place of Churches of Christ today in the broader Christian world?
4) What principle(s) of the Restoration Movement should we promote; what part of our identity should we pass along in our churches?
5) Have your views on these topics changed over the years? If so, in what ways, and why?
In the second part, we offer two articles that seek to address the themes of this issue from two very different perspectives.
My hope is that the reflections in this journal issue will help not only Churches of Christ come to a healthier and more faithful understanding, but also other fellowships who are experiencing similar identity questions and struggles.
List of Contributors:
Scott Adair
Doug Foster
John Mark Hicks
Ephraim Radner
F. LaGard Smith
Benny Tabalujan
James Thompson
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