I am entering into this conversation from a completely different angle. I am a Dalit Christian, Dalits are those who come from communities considered to be polluted and untouchable within the context of the caste system. It is a system that is held up by notions of purity and pollution. I believe that ideas of purity are contrary to core gospel values. God continually reveals Godself in sites considered to be polluted. In wombs, in death, in blood. Purity culture is harmful to whatever dominant forces deem to be impure or polluted.
Yes, exactly this. Do you know Wynand Johannes de Kock? He is from South Africa and describes how purity produced a spiritual apartheid undergirding actual apartheid. I quote him extensively in LLL. I think you two might enjoy comparing notes. And thank you, Rev Peacock, for your work and your witness.
I’m sorry for what you endured at the CRC Synod, but it sounds like you are no stranger to the way people can try to ostracize others. I would take communion with you anytime, Brother.
I think the Church, and the American Church in particular, confuses “purity” for “holiness.”
Who is pure? God. Who is impure? Man. But who can be set apart, which is what it means to be holy? All who trust in Jesus Christ.
Perhaps, as some encouragement for you my brother in Christ… what if the Dalit Christians were set apart, as it were, but not in the way that the rest of the caste system thinks? What if God Himself aims to exalt from your lowly estate all of your people who trust in His Son? It does not excuse that which has been happening to your people, but we can rest in the hope, my brother, that the suffering of your people is not in vain.
There’s a saying that the American Confederates arrogated for themselves when they justified their secession by hating their brother (I read the “cornerstone” speech and the CSA’s founding documents myself, it explains perfectly the evil heart of the man who shows favoritism). I aim to take it back from those who are arrogant and lawless and who have gone out of their way to fill their hearts with murder, because the principle is true, they just didn’t (and still don’t) think they’ll be on the wrong end of it.
The saying? “Deo Vindice.” The translation from Latin? “God will vindicate.” As in, God will vindicate Himself, His Truth, His Word, His Son… and His People. All of them.
God will vindicate your caste, my brother in Jesus; all that believe will be exalted from their lowest of places. Just hold on, and keep hope. I’m watching the headlines and reading my Bible, and I can tell you that it seems like it’s getting close.
I can’t wait to meet you in God’s Heavenly Kingdom. Care to join with me as my brother in praising Him now? I’ll lead: Long live The Sublime King Jesus of Nazareth! May He rule for a thousand years and forevermore! May all who exalt themselves be humbled, and the humble in Christ be exalted by Christ Himself! Laus Deo!
There’s a large portion of the church that reads what I call the SVP Version of scripture - Selected Verses of Paul. They trust in their own righteousness - their adherence to whatever rules, behaviors and standards they have insisted upon. They are the modern-day Pharisees and teachers of the law.
Their doctrine is, essentially, a works doctrine, dependent on a righteousness that comes from the law. Somehow, they not only failed to read John 17, they also seem to have missed the point of Romans 8, also written by Paul.
Humans have several default positions. Separation and distinction are default positions. Law is a default position. Conformity is a default position. Religion satisfies all of our defaults. Jesus smashes them to bits, and says, “ Come, follow me.”
Thank you again. I'm really glad you mentioned John 17. I was raised in a family rife with Texas fundamentalism-- my dad went to DTS in the 'Late Great Planet Earth' heyday. I remember seeing a 'red letter' Bible, and asking my mom about it. She said that they didn't believe in reading the red letters... 'We don't do that.'
What I found out, as I read and worked with the red letters myself, was that she was mostly right. They weren't very interested in what Jesus said, or how he lived, or that he was a Rabbi. Jesus was all too confusing to their theology. Pretty much, 'nothing to see here.' For me, it says an awful lot about the culture war insanity that has been far too influential in American politics.
There is a difference between diversity and division. Unity is not about suppressing or ignoring the distinctions and uniqueness of individuals and groups of individuals. Unity is about seeking to understand and appreciate the distinctiveness and integrating differences for the good of the whole. Suppressing distinctiveness results in denying the unique identity of individuals and groups. It is clear from the scriptures that God loves diversity while simultaneously loving unity. Paul made this clear in his discussion about unity in the church and using the metaphor of the body. Not everyone is an eye, or a hand, or a foot. But together all the various parts of the body formed the body and engage in its functions. It is a violation of the gospel and the scripture to coerce identical beliefs and practices, and to deny our uniqueness.
Religion, including for fundamentalists, is constantly invoked as justification for views, be they social, political, or economic, that are held for prior and other reasons. Religion ices the cake baked with the ingredients of control, especially control of women by men, hierarchy, and an invisible but pervasive fear of otherness and differentness. So, who needs to read about Jesus? All we need to do is invoke retrograde conservatism and prop up his picture in the background.
Following the trajectory ... Eventually an aggregate of folks, rattling around, committed to their own ideas of purity, will replace the congregation of John 17, those who know we are loved by Jesus and are therefore freed up to pursue loving others. The congregation witnesses to the world how the Spirit teaches us to love through differences, and to not elevate morality over meeting basic human needs. And speaking of morality, I find it hard to believe, given the statistics, that many of those standing in judgment aren't harboring sexual addictions themselves, imprisoned in them by their very own judgment and refusal to deal in reality.
"...we are loved by Jesus and are therefore freed up to pursue loving others..." Oh thank you for writing this. As I read it, my soul is stirred in such a way. I can't describe it. Lord, teach me how to love well the people you put in front of me today.
Thanks for continuing to connect so many dots for us. I registered my negative vote on this at synod, especially because of "the process by which members of synod arrived at that decision."
Thank you for addressing an issue that has come close to home for those associated with the CRC. My past experiences within that organization were generally healthy. But for many other reasons I have been more interested in the study of the historical Jesus which has put a quite different perspective than before. Nonetheless, I yearn to see a more healthy representation of Christianity which I see in your writings.
The insight that a doctrine of total depravity could, theoretically, be a foundation for unity across differences, is so interesting to me. In the denomination I grew up in, the opposite was the case. Because we were totally depraved, nothing human could be trusted, every human insight and perspective was worthless, and so only the God-ordained authorities dispensing the group's severe doctrine could be trusted. The fact that the authorities were God-ordained and dispensing the group's ("God's") teachings seemed to be the strategy for avoiding applying the doctrine of depravity to recognize the fallibility of leaders. They weren't acting as fallible humans in their doctrine or teaching; they were just channeling God's authority. I'm really looking forward to reading your research on holiness perfectionism. In that particular sect, I'm not sure perfectionism or holiness per se was really a strong factor - while they did think their denomination was safeguarding the most pure version of Christianity, becoming perfect or even having a basic functioning level of self worth was never really in the cards for members. The purest version of Christianity was the version that most emphasized human worthlessness in all aspects - all other versions were apostasy.
An outsider, adding up all the untestable theological “truths” of all the denominations, estimates that the probability of any one denom possessing the “pure” truth is ~20–25 ppm…
The purity politics that have categorized evangeys are also prevalent in secular society too. The setup was the enlightenment and hyper industrialization pushing generations of laborers v the new aristocracy. There is no clear cut way to make yourself unique from anyone else. Most People desperately need to not just belong to something but to feel superior to something. They need to know where they fit in and who’s in and who’s out. I mean isn’t that what the apostles were always doing even after the resurrection? It’s Paul’s entire career.
Kristin: Thank you for such an honest and heartfelt response to this situation and the larger political framings that are roiling all churches. Your call for a kind of ecumenism is bold and brave. As an Anabaptist whose forebears have suffered such approbation across history (including at the hands of the Reformed tradition) I and we look with alarm at the willingness of many to forget history and turn away from the hard-earned awareness represented by our country’s tradition of separation which protects us all from each others’ “purities.”
I am entering into this conversation from a completely different angle. I am a Dalit Christian, Dalits are those who come from communities considered to be polluted and untouchable within the context of the caste system. It is a system that is held up by notions of purity and pollution. I believe that ideas of purity are contrary to core gospel values. God continually reveals Godself in sites considered to be polluted. In wombs, in death, in blood. Purity culture is harmful to whatever dominant forces deem to be impure or polluted.
Yes, exactly this. Do you know Wynand Johannes de Kock? He is from South Africa and describes how purity produced a spiritual apartheid undergirding actual apartheid. I quote him extensively in LLL. I think you two might enjoy comparing notes. And thank you, Rev Peacock, for your work and your witness.
WJ de Kock has a substack! The Rooster in Flight - @wjdekock
No unfortunately I do not, but I will look him up.
I’m sorry for what you endured at the CRC Synod, but it sounds like you are no stranger to the way people can try to ostracize others. I would take communion with you anytime, Brother.
I think the Church, and the American Church in particular, confuses “purity” for “holiness.”
Who is pure? God. Who is impure? Man. But who can be set apart, which is what it means to be holy? All who trust in Jesus Christ.
Perhaps, as some encouragement for you my brother in Christ… what if the Dalit Christians were set apart, as it were, but not in the way that the rest of the caste system thinks? What if God Himself aims to exalt from your lowly estate all of your people who trust in His Son? It does not excuse that which has been happening to your people, but we can rest in the hope, my brother, that the suffering of your people is not in vain.
There’s a saying that the American Confederates arrogated for themselves when they justified their secession by hating their brother (I read the “cornerstone” speech and the CSA’s founding documents myself, it explains perfectly the evil heart of the man who shows favoritism). I aim to take it back from those who are arrogant and lawless and who have gone out of their way to fill their hearts with murder, because the principle is true, they just didn’t (and still don’t) think they’ll be on the wrong end of it.
The saying? “Deo Vindice.” The translation from Latin? “God will vindicate.” As in, God will vindicate Himself, His Truth, His Word, His Son… and His People. All of them.
God will vindicate your caste, my brother in Jesus; all that believe will be exalted from their lowest of places. Just hold on, and keep hope. I’m watching the headlines and reading my Bible, and I can tell you that it seems like it’s getting close.
I can’t wait to meet you in God’s Heavenly Kingdom. Care to join with me as my brother in praising Him now? I’ll lead: Long live The Sublime King Jesus of Nazareth! May He rule for a thousand years and forevermore! May all who exalt themselves be humbled, and the humble in Christ be exalted by Christ Himself! Laus Deo!
“There’s no cancel culture like religous cancel culture.” Oof. So true.
There’s a large portion of the church that reads what I call the SVP Version of scripture - Selected Verses of Paul. They trust in their own righteousness - their adherence to whatever rules, behaviors and standards they have insisted upon. They are the modern-day Pharisees and teachers of the law.
Their doctrine is, essentially, a works doctrine, dependent on a righteousness that comes from the law. Somehow, they not only failed to read John 17, they also seem to have missed the point of Romans 8, also written by Paul.
Humans have several default positions. Separation and distinction are default positions. Law is a default position. Conformity is a default position. Religion satisfies all of our defaults. Jesus smashes them to bits, and says, “ Come, follow me.”
Thank you again. I'm really glad you mentioned John 17. I was raised in a family rife with Texas fundamentalism-- my dad went to DTS in the 'Late Great Planet Earth' heyday. I remember seeing a 'red letter' Bible, and asking my mom about it. She said that they didn't believe in reading the red letters... 'We don't do that.'
What I found out, as I read and worked with the red letters myself, was that she was mostly right. They weren't very interested in what Jesus said, or how he lived, or that he was a Rabbi. Jesus was all too confusing to their theology. Pretty much, 'nothing to see here.' For me, it says an awful lot about the culture war insanity that has been far too influential in American politics.
I never heard of folks "not reading the red letters" ... golly ... or did I misunderstand what you wrote.
With your reflections on Jn. 17, I think you're now preaching (well!).
Don’t get me into any more trouble!😂
Have you considered approaching Western Theological Seminary and offering your services to them?
Good trouble.
Ha!
There is a difference between diversity and division. Unity is not about suppressing or ignoring the distinctions and uniqueness of individuals and groups of individuals. Unity is about seeking to understand and appreciate the distinctiveness and integrating differences for the good of the whole. Suppressing distinctiveness results in denying the unique identity of individuals and groups. It is clear from the scriptures that God loves diversity while simultaneously loving unity. Paul made this clear in his discussion about unity in the church and using the metaphor of the body. Not everyone is an eye, or a hand, or a foot. But together all the various parts of the body formed the body and engage in its functions. It is a violation of the gospel and the scripture to coerce identical beliefs and practices, and to deny our uniqueness.
What a sad episode. Again the officials of the CRC are ‘gleefully’ disassociating from other Christians. Smug is a word that comes to mind.
A wow moment, Jesus prayed for me! Well said, thanks for this Kristin
Religion, including for fundamentalists, is constantly invoked as justification for views, be they social, political, or economic, that are held for prior and other reasons. Religion ices the cake baked with the ingredients of control, especially control of women by men, hierarchy, and an invisible but pervasive fear of otherness and differentness. So, who needs to read about Jesus? All we need to do is invoke retrograde conservatism and prop up his picture in the background.
Following the trajectory ... Eventually an aggregate of folks, rattling around, committed to their own ideas of purity, will replace the congregation of John 17, those who know we are loved by Jesus and are therefore freed up to pursue loving others. The congregation witnesses to the world how the Spirit teaches us to love through differences, and to not elevate morality over meeting basic human needs. And speaking of morality, I find it hard to believe, given the statistics, that many of those standing in judgment aren't harboring sexual addictions themselves, imprisoned in them by their very own judgment and refusal to deal in reality.
"...we are loved by Jesus and are therefore freed up to pursue loving others..." Oh thank you for writing this. As I read it, my soul is stirred in such a way. I can't describe it. Lord, teach me how to love well the people you put in front of me today.
Thanks for continuing to connect so many dots for us. I registered my negative vote on this at synod, especially because of "the process by which members of synod arrived at that decision."
But I had also written https://network.crcna.org/topic/leadership/crcna-and-synod/considering-church-unity-and-separation-belgic-confession and as you aptly note: crickets. Some denominational leaders greatly welcomed it and encouraged posting it. However, the cultural and subcultural influence for "purity" is too strong. I can't wait to read LLL, as I so appreciated the explanatory power of JJW.
thank you for this!
Thank you for addressing an issue that has come close to home for those associated with the CRC. My past experiences within that organization were generally healthy. But for many other reasons I have been more interested in the study of the historical Jesus which has put a quite different perspective than before. Nonetheless, I yearn to see a more healthy representation of Christianity which I see in your writings.
The insight that a doctrine of total depravity could, theoretically, be a foundation for unity across differences, is so interesting to me. In the denomination I grew up in, the opposite was the case. Because we were totally depraved, nothing human could be trusted, every human insight and perspective was worthless, and so only the God-ordained authorities dispensing the group's severe doctrine could be trusted. The fact that the authorities were God-ordained and dispensing the group's ("God's") teachings seemed to be the strategy for avoiding applying the doctrine of depravity to recognize the fallibility of leaders. They weren't acting as fallible humans in their doctrine or teaching; they were just channeling God's authority. I'm really looking forward to reading your research on holiness perfectionism. In that particular sect, I'm not sure perfectionism or holiness per se was really a strong factor - while they did think their denomination was safeguarding the most pure version of Christianity, becoming perfect or even having a basic functioning level of self worth was never really in the cards for members. The purest version of Christianity was the version that most emphasized human worthlessness in all aspects - all other versions were apostasy.
An outsider, adding up all the untestable theological “truths” of all the denominations, estimates that the probability of any one denom possessing the “pure” truth is ~20–25 ppm…
The purity politics that have categorized evangeys are also prevalent in secular society too. The setup was the enlightenment and hyper industrialization pushing generations of laborers v the new aristocracy. There is no clear cut way to make yourself unique from anyone else. Most People desperately need to not just belong to something but to feel superior to something. They need to know where they fit in and who’s in and who’s out. I mean isn’t that what the apostles were always doing even after the resurrection? It’s Paul’s entire career.
there are basic psychological dynamics at play for sure.
Kristin: Thank you for such an honest and heartfelt response to this situation and the larger political framings that are roiling all churches. Your call for a kind of ecumenism is bold and brave. As an Anabaptist whose forebears have suffered such approbation across history (including at the hands of the Reformed tradition) I and we look with alarm at the willingness of many to forget history and turn away from the hard-earned awareness represented by our country’s tradition of separation which protects us all from each others’ “purities.”