extra ecclesiam nulla salus?
January 29, 2010
As one reads and thinks one begins to get interested in particular rabbit holes in theology. Feeling called to Ecumenism, Ecclesiology is one such rabbit hole of mine.
I wish to propose some brief propositions that have swum around in my mind. I realize that they are not positions that the Church has traditionally agreed with but I’m trying to follow out some logic that stems from good Catholic theology. Mostly, I want to locate the Church. If one cannot do such, even if in a provisional way, it seems difficult to speak at all about it. Tell me what you think.
- I am, along with at least the RCC, a religious inclusivist. That is to say I trust that there will be many from different faiths who “find salvation.”
- Karl Rahner called these people “anonymous Christians”
- Catholicism is concerned with the locatability of the Church as opposed to Protestant spiritualizing and volunteer’izing of the Church.
- A “Christian” is someone who in faith is baptized into the Church and prayed over to receive the Holy Spirit
- A so-called “anonymous Christian” has not been baptized nor prayed over to receive the Spirit and even if their ‘faith’ is truly toward God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit it is not shaped in this way.
- If such a person can be “saved,” and if “there is no salvation outside of the Church,” then by this logic A) People can be “saved” without the Sacraments B) People can be part of the church without knowing it…
- There seems to be a tension to me. Now, if the Sacraments are necessary to become part of the Church (as I would argue), AND “there is no salvation outside of the church,” THEN “anonymous Christians” (or their souls?!) must be baptized post-mortem.
- This is just plain silly to me.
- Would it not make more sense to use the old dictum (was it Luther?): ”There is no salvation outside of Christ?”
- This would allow us to locate the Church, which is absolutely necessary for witness, fellowship, worship, evangelism, discipline, etc…
- AND it would allow us to remain religious inclusivists who acknowledge, no, Rejoice!, that God is at work in the whole world?
- This also makes sense of some otherwise puzzling passages in the New Testament
So how ’bout it? There is no salvation outside of Christ but there is outside of the Church?
Open Thread on Baptism
January 23, 2010
A slight change of direction. Let me give some background only to make sense of what I’m going to say at the end…which has everything to do with those personal experiences attributed to Christianity.
I come from a background where baptism is chosen by the baptized as an initiation into Christianity.
Now I’m in the Episcopal church, which baptizes infants.
I have a strong appreciation of catholic theology regarding the baptism of infants, but other theological hang-ups leave me unwilling to baptize my kids without their own desire. These stem from a stubborn belief that grace is big enough to not worry about their discipleship and a strong belief that baptism is an act of political allegiance…which can only be taken willingly.
I don’t want this to become a referendum on baptism and hijack this excellent post…all this was preface for this part:
My son Kyler just turned 12 and was telling me that he wanted to be baptized. I asked him if he understood what baptism is and talked to him about death, burial and resurrection. To be fair, I gave him as many reasons not to get baptized as reasons to get baptized. Counting the cost.
In particular, I told him this:
One day you will wonder why you got baptized. You will look out at the world and think to yourself: “I’m not sure God exists. I’m not sure that I’m willing to follow Jesus past this point.”
And that is when I and the rest of the Church will say to you, “It doesn’t matter. You are no longer your own. You made a promise and you are bound to keep it no matter how you feel. That’s the faith you signed up for…to die to yourself and to live by things unseen (or in this case, unfelt).”
This attitude of mine is probably a reaction (overreaction?) to the emotionalism of my youth…which never served me well in times of depression or serious paradigm shifts.
It’s time to see Christianity as something more like adoption or marriage or citizenship (metaphors that are scriptural). To break an adoption or a marriage or citizenship, it takes more than a vague feeling that you made a commitment that you no longer want to keep, or that you’re not sure you fit in.
No, it takes an act of will that says: “I’m not going to keep my promises anymore.”
Of course, there are reasons that certain promises can be broken. However, the very nature of all these promises (especially, in my experience, getting married or having children), are that you have NO idea what you’re getting into when you make them.
It is no small thing to break a promise. Especially in a Jewish religion such as Christianity. YHWH is a promise-making God.
He also added this:
Writing that out made me realize something funny…
Before someone is baptized, I see their feelings as fairly important in the equation. They are an individual, so to speak.
After someone is baptized, I see their feelings as secondary or tertiary. They are interdependent, so to speak.
It appears I believe that crucifying yourself high individualism might be a significant political meaning of baptism in this age.
Baptism & Eucharist
December 22, 2009
It is pretty rare that we dedicate a post to pointing out someone else’s blogging but I thought this series by Fr. Matt Gunter about the necessity of Baptism for Eucharist was exemplary. O that all our priests could consider theologically in like manner!
PART I – A Sketch of an Argument for the Logic of the Traditional Discipline
PART II – Inclusion vs. Renewal & Incorporation
PART III & IV – Community vs. Association & Fellow Citizens
PART V – Under Judgment
PART VI & VII – Transformation & Whose Table?
PART VIII – Hospitality
PART IX – Conclusion
Pentecost Reflection: A Good Day To Be Anglican
May 31, 2009
A few of us theophiliacs attend Messiah Episcopal in St. Paul, MN where a number of Anglican Karen attend.
Part of our Pentecost celebration today involved baptisms. There aren’t many Anglican Karen Priests in the USA, so when Father Samuel came to visit Messiah this morning, it was no surprise that our Karen parishioners showed up in force (they made up more than a third of our 9 o’clock service.)
The Baptism service was conducted in both English and Karen. It was a beautiful experience and one of my favorite mornings at Messiah in recent memory. I got goosebumps when I renewed my Baptismal vows in my language and then the Karen echoed the creed in theirs. It was moving to celebrate the birth of the Church at Pentecost by welcoming so many more into this Body through the Sacrament. I was once again flush with the notion of commonality in Christian faith around world. God lovingly reminded me that my Karen brothers and sisters are no mere “mission field” but equal participants in this Kingdom of God (how easy that harmful distinction can creep into my mind).
It was a good day to be Anglican. Christian.
Tony Hunt
jstambaugh
Shawn Wamsley
