Posts filed under 'H'
May 9th, 2012
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Rome Sweet Home: Our Journey to Catholicism - Scott & Kimberly Hahn
Ignatius Press (1993)
Topic: Catholicism
Summary: Scott & Kimberly Hahn’s account of their conversion to Catholicism
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Scott and Kimberly Hahn are the current poster couple of Roman Catholic apologetics. Young, likable, and enthusiastic converts from Reformed Protestantism, they are among the most popular Catholic speakers with an extensive catalogue of books and tapes to their name. Between Scott’s emphasis on theology and Kimberly’s concentration on family issues, they are the one-two punch of the new Catholic apologetics.
Rome Sweet Home is their conversion story spanning their seminary days to Scott’s tenure as pastor in a small Presbyterian denomination to their gradual coming to terms with historic Christianity. Their story may echo familiar themes to those who have watched with interest the tide of evangelical pastors moving to historic communions, but the Hahns were among the earliest of these converts and their story greatly influenced the move of others in a similar direction.
Each takes giving their thoughts at various stages of their move to Rome. The differences in personalities and the dynamics between them are bared early as Scott is the crusader for doctrinal purity (a trait common among young male Christians with a theological bent) while Kimberly is the romantic who dreams of an ideal marriage and family life in God’s service. The former works against the latter as Scott’s growing infatuation with all things Roman threatens to dash her perfectly planned existence. Eventually, she grows to accept Scott’s growing move towards Catholicism and then moves in the same direction although at a decidedly slower rate. In the end, all is well as the joyous couple find a home in the Roman fold and a desire to share it with others.
The storyline traces their personal conversions to Catholicism and is not intended as a systematic defense of Roman doctrine. Issues of greater importance to them (sanctity of life, authority) are emphasized and those with different priorities may remain unconvinced. However, for those looking to Rome as an escape from the growing triviality of contemporary Evangelical Protestantism, their witness might be quite compelling.
Despite the limited nature of the book, there are some glaring omissions where informed opponents of Roman Catholic claims – even those who agree with the Hahns’ indictment of the ahistorical tenor of modern Protestantism – could legitimately object. While emphasizing their admiration for the contributions of Christians outside the Roman Communion, their depictions are often skewed and a double standard applied to Rome and other Christian traditions.
For example, differences between Catholicism and other Christians is often presented in terms of an either/or dichotomy. We must either take the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church as the infallible determiner of Church doctrine or go it alone. Never really considered are the possibilities that Tradition is the Faith of the Apostles handed on with Holy Scripture as both an infallible witness to and epiphenomena of the Tradition (the Orthodox view) nor of Tradition as a generally reliable but not infallible interpreter of Holy Scripture (as held by many Anglicans and Lutherans). The denial of any role for ecclesial traditions may be common among rank and file Evangelicals in the United States, but this is not the case with more thoughtful Evangelical scholars who recognize the role of their own ecclesial traditions without claiming they constitute an infallible witness.
There are also double standards applied when comparing Catholicism to other Christians in their practice. Churches are often far more appealing in theory or through the words and lives of their most saintly practitioners than when you are faced with the average folks who inhabit the pews on a weekly basis. For example, Hahn rejected Orthodoxy as a possible choice because of their ethnic dividions. Clearly, this was a problem more with the Orthodox faithful than the Orthodox faith but he counts it as a fatal flaw. On the other hand, he does not believe the lackluster faith found among many Catholics is an issue since it does not reflect upon the Catholic faith but only individuals. Similarly, while he rightly criticizes the triviality of much of Evangelical Protestant worship, he overlooks the banality of the ICEL translation of the Roman liturgy and the dreadful music used in many Catholic parishes since the 1970s. Although it appears some welcome changes will soon be implemented, this was not the case when this book was written and the current Roman liturgy will still fall far short of the majestic liturgy used in Orthodox parishes. Such uneven comparisons indicate he may have already decided upon Rome as his final destination and his explanations were after the fact.
Despite these flaws, the Hahns do manage a heartfelt case for their restlessness in the chaotic atmosphere of Evangelicalism without conveying any lingering bitterness toward other Christians. Those on their way to Rome will find encouragement for the journey while those with well thought out reasons for rejecting Roman claims will not find their case a convincing one. Yet, for those who reject Roman claims, Rome Sweet Home may provide them a better understanding for why many Protestant clergy have left for Catholicism and other historic Churches. Rather than conjecture about purported psychological reasons for their departure, they need to fact up to the fact the widespread triviality in their own ranks. Such an approach might well lead to a reform of current Evangelical beliefs and practices according to the standards of the Holy Scriptures and that is something any good Protestant should support.
March 28th, 2012
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Recovering Mother Kirk: The Case for Liturgy in the Reformed Tradition – D. G. Hart
Baker Book House (2003)
Topic: Liturgy & Sacraments; Calvinsim/Reformed; Protestantism
Summary: Call for the Reformed Churches to return to their historic liturgical practices
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Increasingly one hears of Protestant pastors concerned over a trivial approach to worship, an individualistic understanding of doctrine, and an ahistoric perspective of the Church, turning to historic Christianity as the answer. These converts have often sacrificed promising careers in the Protestant ministry for the chance to experience liturgical and doctrinal roots stretching beyond the last few centuries. Less noticed is a move among Protestants who, while agreeing with some of the criticisms of those who left, believe the Reformation was right in its stand for the supremacy of Holy Scripture and other doctrinal positions expressible only within Protestantism. Rather than sacrifice these Protestant distinctives for a richer worship and a more historically rooted theological approach, they sound a call to recapture the ideals that fueled the Reformation and rethink the direction Protestantism has drifted for over a century. This includes the reaffirmation of the traditional Protestant use of liturgy and its understanding of the historic beliefs of the Christian Faith enshrined in the Creeds.
An important entry in this reevaluation of the direction of Protestantism is Recovering Mother Kirk by D. G. Hart. The title indicates the attachment to the Presbyterian cause of the author but this should not dissuade others from benefiting from his well reasoned analysis. The ills of the modern Church are not isolated by denominational boundaries and, although the author is primarily concerned with the Reformed tradition, his points can apply (with appropriate adjustments) to others as well.
Hart begins by noting the neglect of worship in Reformed circles among even those who are sticklers on matters of Reformed belief and practice. Rejecting the current trend to conform to the theology of Evangelical Protestantism, he counters the Reformed Tradition is better placed among the magisterial Protestants (e.g., Lutherans, Anglicans) and the current drift is a marked departure from their heritage. Although the Reformed Tradition emphasizes doctrine, cultural transformation, and piety, none of this can be properly understood without the context of Reformed worship. The importation of revivalist patterns into Reformed settings inevitably cause confusion and a weakening of adherence to Reformed distinctives elsewhere.
The main part of the book consists of essays on five topics (the Church’s commission, the contemporary worship scene, offices and ordinances, ecumenism, and the influence of revivalism on Reformed worship). In each section, Hart presents evidence, both historical and theological, supporting his thesis that the Reformed Tradition properly belongs to the “high church” end of Protestantism but was sidetracked by the importation of revivalist theology. The chief culprit, according to Hart, was the Great Awakenings and its blurring distinctions between evangelistic outreach and worship. This error, he concludes, continues to this day with the “church growth” and other modern manifestations of the same confusion between worship and evangelism.
Hart closely examines historical sources in painting a picture of a Reformed worship centered upon Word and Sacrament. Although it shares many aspects with “high church” liturgical traditions, it is governed by the “regulative principle” of using only that with biblical warrant. Important to this Reformed understanding of worship was the development of liturgies heavily dependent upon Holy Scripture and the singing of the Psalter. The net result is a worship both reverent and austere.
Overall, Hart presents a compelling case for the place of the Reformed tradition in the Church. He roots much of his alignment of the Reformed Tradition as a high church manifestation of Protestantism by pointing to Calvin’s high view of the Church and call for a weekly Eucharist as evidence. As with others who have made related claims (e.g., Michael Horton and Keith Mathison), there is truth in the claims but it may not be quite as simple as its supporters contend.
Unlike the Lutheran and Anglican reforms that reformed (however successfully) existing practices by pruning what was perceived as excess, the Reformed Tradition began more with its own distinctives and constructed its worship from a new template. These changes could often be highly sectarian splits within the movement appeared almost immediately. The force of Calvin’s theology restored more of a sense of historical order, but some points of his program (e.g., a weekly Eucharist) were never implemented even in Geneva. Straddling the boudnary between catholicity and sectarianism has often left the Reformed less agreed on doctrine than attitude. These contradictory visions have left them prone to division and subject to the idiposyncratic interpretations of individual Church leaders. Even the slogan “Reformed, Ever Reforming,” while intending to indicate the submission to Scriptural authority, also hints at an inherent ecclesial and doctrinal instability.
Another issue that can be raised is the application of the regulative principle itself. Although aspects of worship are considered in Holy Scripture, much of it is not explicitly discussed. This is not surprising since much of early Christian worship had already developed a basic form and was not a point of contention in the writing of the New Testament. The restriction to explicitly provided aspects may in fact give us an unbalanced view of the worship of the Apostolic Church. Indeed, the historical research into early Christian worship gives us a picture far different than that implemented by Zwngli, Calvin, et al who were influenced by historical and social currents not relevant in a first century context.
Yet for those in the high church side of the Reformed faith, Recovering Mother Kirk is a powerful presentation of their beliefs. As a blueprint for what Reformed Christianity should be, this book and other recent releases have identified the movement some call “the Catholic Presbyterians” as one to watch closely. If the Reformed continue their assimilation into the Evangelical mainstream (on the right) and the liberal mainstream (on the left), they at least have been shown another way. Thoughtful Reformed Christians like Hart are now asking the right questions. It will be interesting to see how many other Reformed believers disillusioned by current conditions find in this movement their answer.
March 14th, 2012
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The Liturgy Explained – Thomas Howard
Morehouse Group (May, 1981)
Topics: Liturgy & Sacraments; Anglicanism
Summary: Introduction to the Anglican liturgy
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Thomas Howard may be the best choice to explain the nature of liturgy to curious Evangelicals. Raised in a heralded Evangelical/Fundamentalist family and gifted with the ability of literary expression, Howard has written numerous books on the spirituality of his new homes in the historic Churches: initially Anglicanism and then later Roman Catholicism. In The Liturgy Explained, a little booklet of less than 50 pages penned during his Anglican period, he provided a wonderful introduction to Christian liturgy for those searching for a more reverent worship but unsure of the purpose behind traditional liturgical practices. While it is not intended to be comprehensive, you do, as Howard points out, have to start somewhere.
In the introduction, Howard focuses on outlining the true purpose of worship, the use of ritual and ceremony, and the nature of Sacraments. Much of Evangelical worship centers on worship as an “experience” shared by the congregation. Howard counters this entire apporach is wrong as the true focus of Christian worship should always be what God has called us to do rather than what we experience.
The main portion of the booklet is divided into two sections corresponding to the Anglican expression of the two main divisions of the historic liturgy of the Church. The first of these concentrates on the Liturgy of the Word. This initial phase of the service begins with an opening acclamation and a collect (prayer) for purity of heart. The congregation then sings two hymns: the first asking for God’s mercy (Kyrie Eleison) and the second a hymn of praise (Gloria in Excelsis Deo). This is followed by a collect for the day (corresponding to the appropriate day in the Church calendar). This is followed by a lesson from the Old Testament, a Psalm, a reading from the New Testament epistles, a Gospel reading, and a sermon based upon one or more of the readings. The people then respond by stating their beliefs (The Nicene Creed), offering prayers (Prayers of the People), asking God for forgiveness (Confession) and having their sins declared forgiven (Absolution). The close of the Liturgy of the Word is the passing of the Peace of Christ. Howard manages to offer clear outlines of each step – not only explaining the practice, but also demonstrating why it is in its proper place in the service.
The second section corresponds the the second main liturgical division: the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Beginning with the collection of gifts (Offertory) and hymns of adoration (Sanctus, Benedictus), to the prayer of consecration, and the Holy Communion, and ending with the Benediction and dismissal, Howard paints a picture of a great mystical drama where Christ feeds His Church through faith by the means He ordained. A fine line is walked here as the Anglican understanding of the Eucharist affirms the Real Presence but allows for differing opinions of the mode of that presence. Howard stays neutral on this and other thorny subjects – thus admirably submitting his personal opinion to his Church in areas of public teaching (this booklet was intended as catechetical material – in other works intended as personal opinion, Howard affirmed his more “high church” beliefs). As in the earlier section, the explanations of liturgical practice are clearly presented.
Howard finishes with an appendix on certain liturgical practices and customs that may be used in some parishes and not others. Such items as Saints’ Days and incense are far more common in high church Anglicanism. Howard explains the rationale for allowing them although they are left optional.
The Liturgy Explained is a straightforward tool for catechesis for Evangelicals considering the historic worship of the Church as well as those in these churches confused by elements of their own liturgical practice. There is often a need in parishes for a “Liturgy 101″ course and for that purpose this little booklet should be ideal.
