JS Park: Why I'm No Longer Self-Identifying As A "Reformed Calvinist"

jspark3000:

“This is not a theology issue, but rather a love issue.  The ivory tower of Neo-Calvinism has reached so high, I’m not sure what the point is anymore.  Calvinist bloggers only stimulate other Calvinist bloggers.  Neo-Calvinism has become the ghetto of the ghetto of the Christian subculture. Somehow the sincere search for deeper doctrine has led to arrogance, inhouse fighting, a ridiculously isolated blogosphere, and 20 year olds condescending to everyone.  Doctrine-nerds are yelling “heresy” and “blasphemy” without a clue how serious those charges are, and also without a single gesture of brotherly love or empathy. Disagreements do not mean nuclear war.  How Jesus would grieve over these New Pharisees.”


I share these feelings JS Park has about the online community of Neo-Calvinism (though I’m sure Park and I probably differ on some theological issues).  Most “Neo-Calvinists” have rarely ever engaged or read other theologies on their own turf - most of what they know of Arminianism, Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox and varying other theologies are from, gasp, Reformed people.  Caricatures abound.  Just because someone you enjoy listening to says something is “biblical”, doesn’t mean it actually is.  I’ve encountered a decent amount of “be wary of this guy” about my blog because I don’t agree with the pillars of Calvinism.  Encountering these people reminds me of the Stoop Kid episode from Hey Arnold.  The Stoop Kid is afraid to leave his stoop, so he terrorizes anyone that comes near.  In actuality, their world is limited to this little place amongst the bigger neighborhood of theology.

That’s not to say all Calvinists are remotely like this.  One of my great friends is Calvinist, but she’s not a jerk (I think I’m more of a jerk to her sometimes…).  We constantly talk about theology and we acknowledge that we don’t agree.  But we both still love Jesus and want to see the Kingdom of God manifest on earth.  And that’s what ultimately counts.

Discuss: The Eucharist and Unity

In order to understand the full context of this post, read this response from Father Shane to a question of mine from a while back:  “What are your personal convictions and scriptural support about Protestants and Catholics taking communion together?”

I thanked him for his honest answer, though I still relayed my disagreement on the “literalness” of the “Body of Christ”.  In case you didn’t know, official Catholic doctrine holds to transubstantiation, the belief that the bread and wine taken in the Lord’s Supper/Eucharist literally becomes the body and blood of Christ.  Protestants don’t believe in this literalness, but more as symbolic and memorial partaking of the Lord’s Supper.  And so, it would be on the grounds of these doctrinal differences that a Protestant would “drink judgement” upon themselves (1 Cor. 11:29) by partaking in the Catholic Eucharist, as Mr. Johnson responded.  His answer ends with a call to “full unity”.

But how do we pursue unity with doctrinal differences?

I totally understand the reasoning and concerns relayed by the Catholic understanding of the Eucharist.  In order for Protestants to partake of the Catholic Eucharist, a Protestant would have to hold to transubstantiation.  That, or official Catholic doctrine would have to drop their understanding of transubstantiation, or at least loosen their strictness on this interpretation, making a memorial recognition a possible understanding.  One party changing doctrine seems to be the only way to “full unity” in the Eucharist.

But is there another way to pursue unity without either party changing doctrinal beliefs?

Polarizing Jesus

When you think of Jesus, what are the first words/biblical passages/concepts/images/things that comes to your mind?  This initial reaction of thinking tells you how you dominantly relate and see Christ.  It tells us want you want to emphasize when you talk about Jesus and ultimately what you think is important to living out the Christian faith.  However, everyone does this and not everyone has the same picture of Jesus - which leads to issues representing Jesus.

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