About Me

Arborg, Manitoba, Canada
Married to the love of my life with whom I (and God - all three of us) have co-created three incredible sons. Interested in philosophy, theology, and how to live Truth. Love music but couldn't carry a tune to save my life.

Saturday 8 August 2009

Anabaptist Lectionary

Is there such a thing as an Anabaptist lectionary? Or is that kind of structure too much of a departure from Anabaptist values to be a valid term? Is "Anabaptist Lectionary" an oxymoron? Historic Anabaptist values have always emphasized following Christ in life over clearly formulated Christian thelogy. Is an Anabaptist Lectionary too much of a concession to an emphasis on following a structure rather than following Christ?

6 comments:

Matt said...

following Christ in life over clearly formulated Christian thelogy

Snow, this is more than a false dichotomy. It's actually an impossibility in itself. How can we follow and love one whom we do not know?

Your love for your wife and your knowing her go hand in hand.

Is an Anabaptist Lectionary too much of a concession to an emphasis on following a structure rather than following Christ?

Considering that Menno Simons was a prolific writer, and that his magnum opus was a work called Dat Fundament des Christelycken leers (Foundation of Christian Doctrine), and considering that he clearly lays out the importance of biblical infallibility, of justification by faith, of the necessity of a Christ glorifying life, of the importance of being a good steward, especially to the weakest in society, I'm going to have to say that at least one prominent Anabaptist did not set up a choice between doctrine and praxis. He seems to see the two as a team.

Snow said...

Snow, this is more than a false dichotomy. It's actually an impossibility in itself. How can we follow and love one whom we do not know?

It’s not a dichotomy. The word you omitted just prior to the quote was emphasized. It is not an either/or question (dichotomy), it is a question of emphasis. It would be strange notion to love and follow someone or something that one did not know, but it could be equally strange to consider that a clearly enunciated rational linguistic analysis of the loved object that meets some arbitrary and artificial standard was a prerequisite to loving and following. What it means to know is precisely the heart of this question. One need not have a textbook knowledge of one’s spouse in order to love. In fact, a focus on such knowledge would likely be a distraction from the love that is required to make a marriage work. In KJV English “know” is a euphemism for the sex act. That kind of knowing does not refer to an academic study of a how-to sex manual. It refers to participation in an act of knowing that no scientific or theological formulation can measure up to. Again, it is not a matter of having either one or the other, but a matter of emphasis. To say that Anabaptists emphasized othopraxy over orthodoxy is entirely uncontroversial in almost every context. One of the criticisms leveled against Anabaptists has been along the lines of “I just wish they would preach more of what they practice”. Rather a complimentary criticism, I would say.
Menno Simons’ Foundation of Christian Doctrine is precisely where his emphasis on practice over doctrine is evident. Foundation does not read like any other evangelical or mainstream theological text. Simons’ “doctrine” is very heavily canted towards the matter of how one lives, rather than what one should believe. The list of articles in his Complete Writings likewise indicates a strong concern with practical matters of how to live rather than focusing on how to think. And don’t forget that the biblical infallibility you cite in Simons’ clearly includes the apochryphal writings. I suspect you won’t want to follow him there.

Matt said...

Menno is strong on praxis. This is because, somehow or another, he knows what pleases and displeases God.

You take your wife out to Tony Roma's for supper. Turns out that she hates ribs, and requests that you not go there again.

How do you handle this the next time you go out?

Snow said...

There is a curious serendipity in your choice of restaurant. If I was to take Mary out again Tony Roma's would always be a prime consideration because it so happens she loves ribs. In your example however, I would look for a different place for next time. Having taken her to Tony Roma's when she actually hated ribs would indicate a problem in our relationship, either in my attentiveness to her tastes, or my desire to do her thing rather than my own thing. In the latter case pretending to take her out for a treat when I am really more interested in doing my own thing is only an insulting hypocrisy.
Herein lies the challenge in the doxa praxis balance. It's important to know the right stuff if you are committed to following it up with the right action. If you are not committed to following right knowledge with right action it is pretty much worthless, and maybe worse than worthless.
My experience in Christianity (and let's be honest, my experience has been mostly in evangelical Christianity) is that we have not been well-balanced on this. We have made theology and salvation a matter of intellectual knowledge that should affect action. We have not wedded the two very well.
John 14:15"If you love me, you will obey what I command.... If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.... He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.
Love is reflected in obedience, not only knowledge.

Matt said...

Herein lies the challenge in the doxa praxis balance. It's important to know the right stuff if you are committed to following it up with the right action. If you are not committed to following right knowledge with right action it is pretty much worthless, and maybe worse than worthless.
My experience in Christianity (and let's be honest, my experience has been mostly in evangelical Christianity) is that we have not been well-balanced on this. We have made theology and salvation a matter of intellectual knowledge that should affect action. We have not wedded the two very well.
John 14:15"If you love me, you will obey what I command.... If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.... He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.
Love is reflected in obedience, not only knowledge.


I couldn't agree more, Henry. This is why I believe true conversion (and not only "decisionism", a one-time sinner's prayer, etc.) is so vital to the health of the church.

I better check Environment Sheol's website to see what the forecast is...:-)

Blessings,
Matt

Snow said...

Thanks, Matt. I appreciate the response. Thanks for the heads up on the Environment Sheol website, too. I didn't know they had one!! I suppose they should have more luck with forecast accuracy, huh? Or could they only lie as well?? Hmmm...