Evangelical Soap Opera, Or, Who Taught J.L.?
The current excitement over television dramatic serials has prompted one of my publishers to suggest that I write a similar serial—for another publisher. It must be evangelical, of course, and deal with the burning issues of our day. I have accepted the challenge.
My story centers on the Reverend Dr. Jeroboam Liddon (call him Ishmael for short), the senior (and only) minister of the Little Church Next to the Sewer on the north side of Grand Rapids, Michigan. I seek to answer the burning question: Can a bankrupt, middle-aged, evangelical minister, who has forgotten all his Hebrew, honestly use “The Four Spiritual Laws”?
The story opens in Jeroboam’s kitchen where the minister is severely reprimanding his Saint Bernard, Tinker Bell, for burying the neighbor’s Toyota. Tinker Bell slinks under the sink, gets caught in the dispose-all mechanism, and is flushed down the drain. At that point, Mrs. Liddon enters.
“Jeroboam!” she shouts. “Why aren’t you in your study preparing spiritual nourishment for your flock? Tomorrow is Sunday!”
Slinking past the sink and his wife, Jeroboam goes to his study; but in his nervousness, he knocks down his shelf of Kittel. This triggers a scene of wild confusion in German, as Liddon throws books all over the room. “Sermons!” he shouts. “Always sermons!”
Hearing the commotion, Mrs. Liddon comes to the door and is seriously beaned by volume II of Edersheim. As the volume (and the woman) fall to the floor, a piece of paper flutters out from the book. Jeroboam picks it up.
“My dear, do you know what you have found?” he cries. “This is a savings bond worth thousands of dollars!”
His wife slowly gets to her feet and takes the paper from his hand. “Don’t be a dunce,” she moans. “This is a Chrysler stock certificate.
The picture fades as both fall to the floor and the paper sails into the kitchen where it drops into the dispose-all and disappears.
EUTYCHUS X
A Bright Beacon
Your editorial, “The Difference CT Means to Make” [Jan. 2], achieves a high crescendo. Yes, “Christians across the land are looking for leadership.” One of the foremost qualities of a good leader is a sound sense of direction. Sharp delineation of key guides in this article provides every committed believer with bright beacons for facing into the crucial problems before our church and nation in the years just ahead.
CHARLES W. JAMISON
Santa Barbara‚ Calif.
I don’t really know for which Christians CT is written. Your editorial leads me to believe it is written for an all-encompassing audience. For me, it is good when you cover a subject from the technical point of view and from the point of view of the pastors in the trenches. For example, “It’s Time to Excise the Pornographic Cancer” hit it from one side, and “One Town Made a Clean Sweep of Pornographic Films: Here’s How” from the other. I can go right to the “practical” article and read it quickly. Then, if I need the more technical view, I can flip over to it.
REV. RUDY MASON
Loomis, Nebr.
Thinking Rationally
I hope that Dr. Outler [“Loss of the Sacred,” Jan. 2] is not equating “linear” and rational thought. While I hope it’s Theodore Roszak’s definition and Dr. Outler’s, it also happens to be the definition that has gotten many a Western missionary in trouble when dealing with thought patterns of African or Asian minds. Regrettably, our Aristotelian bias tends to show through—suggesting that unless sequential logic prevails there can be no order.
If such definitions were valid, we’d be hard pressed to deal with such biblical incidents as visions, the work of the Spirit, and a host of nonlinear yet perfectly rational communication forms God has chosen to use.
PHILLIP BUTLER
Seattle, Wash.
Deeper Issues
While I do not want to deemphasize the importance of the presentation by ORU professor Charles Farah and the “faith formula” teaching controversy [Dec. 12], this was not the only thing—or even the major thing—the SPS [Society for Pentecostal Studies] meeting was about. SPS members seem unified in opposition against “faith formula” teaching; the Farah paper thus did not symbolize tensions withinSPS. More important, mention should be made of what is happening within the organization itself.
There is a struggle for recognition by blacks and Hispanics. The installation of Dr. Ithiel Clemmons as the new SPS president makes him only the second black president in its history; he is a bishop in the Church of God in Christ.
There is a serious battle taking place between representatives of the classical white Trinitarian bodies, who belong to the Pentecostal Fellowship of North America, and representatives of charismatic “Oneness,” and black/Hispanic bodies, who can only be associate members of SPS if they sign the PFNA doctrinal pledge. The SPS appointed a committee to study the matter and bring back a possible recommendation to open full membership to all Pentecostals and charismatics at the next meeting.
Intraevangelical issues such as the inerrancy debate, the social dimension of the gospel, political activism, and the relationship of tongues speaking to a postconversion experience or as evidential “proof” of such experience, are also creative tensions within SPS.
In addition, the Tulsa conference was marked by two other significant items: the nonappearance of Oral Roberts or any member of the Roberts family at any of the SPS sessions; and a lengthy and rousing debate between Pentecostals supporting the new wave of “born-again” conservative politics, and those opposed to identifying Christian faith with conservative politics.
JAMES S. TINNEY
Howard University
Washington, D.C.
Community Action
“One Town Made a Clean Sweep of Pornographic Films” [Jan. 2] brought to mind how La Mirada, California, prevented a pornographic bookstore from being established. Less than one year ago one of the largest purveyors of pornographic literature in the United States attempted to occupy one of our city’s satellite shopping centers. The city resisted in a number of ways, a few of which were: (1) not granting the occupancy permit of the proposed store site; (2) turning off the electric power; (3) imposing stringent code enforcement. I am convinced this bookstore was prevented by an overwhelming outpouring of community resistance, coupled with swift and appropriate city response. While the bookstore did not find its way into La Mirada, a very solid, carefully worded antipornography ordinance did!
C. DAVID PETERS
Councilman
La Mirada, Calif.
Transatlantic Viewpoint
There is absolutely no electronic church in Britain, virtually none in Australia, and indeed very little in all of Europe—by government decree. In such an atmosphere, reading your article made us long for the U.S. situation where an electronic church can exist. Trans World Radio at Monte Carlo and Radio Luxembourg, where occasional time is on sale, are two stations which are kings—because in a land where no one has a nose, a man with a nose becomes king!
Unlike America where most programs are geared to Christians, there are programs here which reach completely pagan listeners. I am left wondering if our American friends know that there are parts of the world where radio is front-line evangelism and that it never makes any money for the broadcaster.
REV. ERIC HUTCHINGS
Hour of Revival Association
Sussex, England
A Preference Declared
It seems so terribly true to form that the National Council of Churches is setting about to conform Christ to culture or to exorcise from Scripture all that they perceive to be “sexist, racist, classist, and anti-Semitic” [News, Jan. 2]. If I had to choose, I should prefer George Burns, whose Americanization of God is done with better humor, and with at least a modicum of tongue in cheek.
JOHN OLIVER
Malone College
Canton, Ohio
Ambiguous Text
You imply that Psalm 68:11 has been translated with a male bias because the Hebrew is “explicitly feminine.” Hebrew nouns that are grammatically feminine do not necessarily refer to feminine persons or objects. Closely parallel to Psalm 68:11 is Ecclesiastes 1:1, where the feminine participle gohelet (“the preacher”) refers to a man. In translating Psalm 68:11, “Great was the company of those that published the word of the Lord” (not specifying men or women), the KJV has left an ambiguous text ambiguous in translation. The RSV and NIV rightly do the same thing.
WAYNE GRUDEM
Bethel College
Saint Paul, Minn.
Exonerating Lewis
Your review of They Stand Together: The Letters of C. S. Lewis to Arthur Greeves (1914–1963) [Jan. 2] says that “sensitive” parts of the letters were deleted by Lewis himself and restored by the editor, Walter Hooper. However, Hooper states in his note that the deletions were made by Arthur Greeves, not by Lewis.
REV. DAVID DEVORE
Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church
Carbondale, Ill.
True Social Gospel
Why are you taking up so much space in CHRISTIANITY TODAY for social issues?
Before I was saved, I belonged to five liberal churches and they all talked about the social gospel, but I never saw that they practiced it. They taught me how to dance, drink, smoke, go to nightclubs, shows, and so on. When I got converted at the age of 19, I met God’s people who believed in the Book, the blood and the blessed hope. They took me to the rescue missions where I dealt with dope addicts and drunkards. They took me to prisons where I had the privilege of winning to Christ rapists, murderers, robbers, and so on. Isn’t this the real social gospel? Haven’t God’s people always been zealous of good works?
Let’s not get caught in the trap that the liberals have something to offer us in their so-called social gospel. While they are talking about it, let’s keep doing it.
JACK WYRTZEN
Word of Life
Schroon Lake, N.Y.
