Eutychus and His Kin: September 8, 1978

Change and Decay In Eutychus

At a recent sale of used books I acquired a copy of Eutychus and His Pin, a collection of columns by my progenitor, Edmund P. Clowney (Eutychus I).

As I read these old columns, I was impressed with the changes wrought by a quarter-century. Of course, today’s columns are shorter; so are the editorials. But it’s not this sort of change that impresses me. I am rather struck by shifts in our evangelical subculture.

Then, platform recitations on Rally Day were out. Now Rally Day is out.

Then, big cars and small churches were in. Now small cars and big churches are in.

Then, conformity in style was in. Now anarchy in style is in.

Then, Eutychus could write, “Togetherness is confused with the Christian ideal.” Today togetherness has become the Christian ideal.

Then, “A man’s religious creed makes no difference if he’s a good American.” Today a good Christian is a good American.

Then, theological liberals were satirized for their textual criticism of the Bible (Humpty-Dumpty yielded “Humptyist” and “Dentero-Dumptyist”). Today fellow-believers are attacked for their theory of inspiration of the Bible.

Then, a satire of Christian books included Case of the Missing Xylophone (“a first in Sunday School fiction”), Dead Sea Treasures, Ghost Nations of the Bible, and MGKYTII Returns, a missionary story. Today such a satire would probably include God Led Me to Leave My Wife and Children (“a creative Christian divorce manual”), My Born Again Career (“from failure in the world’s stage to success as a Christian entertainer”), Jesus Christ Superstars (“all of whom have been on at least five Christian magazine covers and had two books ghosted for them”), and The New Trinity: I, Me, Mine. (I would add Proposition 13: Christ or Antichrist? except that there really is such a book.)

I wonder what changes will be observed twenty or twenty-five years from now, perhaps by Eutychus XXIII, if the Lord of Glory has not returned and he chooses to read the columns of

EUTYCHUS VIII

Africa Unveiled

For clearly conveying understanding and a defensible condemnation of apartheid in South Africa, the series of well written articles “South Africa Today” (July 21) deserves plaudits of appreciation. Too often major news sources take for granted that every consumer of journalism is well versed on the complex background of every crisis situation around the world. Thank you for the careful and insightful analysis of the situation.

ROBERT WENZ

Calvary Baptist Church

Webberville, Mich.

Thank you very much for the coverage on South Africa. It’s high time that evangelicals sound a prophetic note about the God-dishonoring and person-destructive situation there and be urged to pray about it. However, allow me one quibble about editorial pen slippage. Woltersdorffs essay (“Can Violence Be Avoided?”) can hardly be called “dispassionate”; I find it a moving plea for biblical justice.

HARRY BOONSTRA

Holland, Mich.

I was saddened to see CHRISTIANITY TODAY joining the crowd of those who pertain to be experts on South Africa, supposedly educating its readers about the true situation there. Does it ever worry you that you might be doing more harm than good by giving room for articles by people who either know very little or possibly … distort the facts?

KARI STANGENES

Los Altos, Calif.

Religious Rhetoric Cut Through

Thank you! Phyllis E. Alsdurfs “Evangelical Feminists: Ministry Is the Issue” (News, July 21) was a much needed breath of fresh air cutting through much previous religious rhetoric. It is time we quit debating over women in the ministry and began enabling the God-given gift and calling of ministry rather than blocking it. The (joyful) fact is women are in the ministry. All Christian women are women in the ministry. All Christians are ordained to ministry in baptism. Why then the hang-up on women in the ordained ministry? One begins to think that the church ordains a gender rather than a person called of God. Please let us see more articles like that one, more such events to report on.

LUCY M. RADATZ

Grace Lutheran Church

Sisseton, S.D.

I would like to clear up a misunderstanding raised by Phyllis E. Alsdurfs report.… She cites Letha Scanzoni as calling me a “detractor” from the evangelical feminist cause, because, in The Worldly Evangelicals, I speak of the movement as stemming from the secular feminist struggle of the late 60s and 70s. I do believe it is a product of that movement, but I get my argument primarily from that made by Ina J. Kau whom I quote directly in her unpublished M.A. thesis on evangelical feminism (“Feminists in the American Evangelical Movement”) written at Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, California, in 1977. Kau is not herself an evangelical, but I find her analysis most compelling.

Sometimes God cannot find believers to do his will, so he has to use unbelievers and “heretics” to do it (contemporary evangelical foes of racism should remember that the first martyrs in the civil rights struggle were Unitarian Universalists). When this happens, it is surely a judgment on believers. Personally, I am a feminist (still working to improve my “exclusive” language), and I do support the just struggle of evangelical feminists in general and the Evangelical Women’s Caucus in particular.

RICHARD QUEBEDEAUX

Nevada City, Calif.

Replies to Thielicke’s Response

In response to “A Response From Helmut Thielicke” (June 23): I am not quite clear as to the relevance of my knowledge of the German language to the issue of Professor Thielicke’s theological position vis-a-vis evangelicalism or his criticisms of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod or his vendetta against the evangelical Free University of Hamburg. But he might examine my two-volume study, Cross and Crucible, in the “International Archives of the History of Ideas” (The Hague: Nijhoff), which represented many years of research in particularly difficult seventeenth-century German source materials. He might also check on my linguistic ability with the 600 or so people I have guided to Luther sites in Germany over the last decade … If I held to the critical views of Scripture Professor Thielicke does, and denied Luther’s seminal teaching that “the Scriptures have never erred,” I would feel hesitant to quote him in the present context as well. Luther’s utter dependence on Scripture made it considerably difficult for him to rationalize bearing false witness against the neighbor.

JOHN WARWICK MONTGOMERY

Strasbourg, France

Dr. Thielicke obviously did not understand the true politeness and courtesy with which Dr. Montgomery treated his case.

Considering the facts of the trial from the immediate proximity of the action, it becomes evident that the sentence against Dr. Thielicke represented a moral destruction especially in view of his position as professor of ethics. Dr. Thielicke only apologized to a few insulted scholars by letter; so he was directed to apologize publicly. Contrary to what he confirmed, he was strictly forbidden by the court to repeat his insulting attack. In the case of repetition, the judge threatened him with a two-year sentence and a fine of 500,000 DM. It is evident Dr. Thielicke has thus brought great shame upon himself by this condemnation.…

This rectification is closed with the hint that Dr. Thielicke is one of the most radical antagonists of evangelical theology in Germany all the more so as he does not shrink back even from untruth and political defamation.

PROF. DR. HELMUT SAAKE

Hamburg, Germany

• Prof. Dr. Saake enclosed with his letter a copy of the court order.—ED.

Against The Tide

The July 21 issue of CHRISTIANITY TODAY is already here, and I have not yet taken time to write you this brief note. I am ashamed. The article “The Yoke of Fatherhood” by Thomas Howard (June 23) is excellent. In the hysterical flood of nonsense coming these days from pulpit and press about the position of women, it is both reassuring and refreshing to read something well-written, well-reasoned, and biblical. I have read this article several times (what higher compliment can a reader pay?) and it is good. Thank you for printing it.

LUCILE BRANDT

La Verne, Calif.

A Call To Action

How long will we be silent? In your editorial “A View of‘Holocaust’ ” (May 19) a solutionless question was raised about the violent atrocities that are now occurring in Uganda, Cambodia, and many other places. It simply amazes me, as a Jew who knows Jesus, that the Christian church in America is no different from what it was thirty years ago when Jews were being killed. Magazines such as yours report grisly news items and raise rhetorical questions, yet actually do nothing to organize help. If evangelicals can get together for “dialogue,” how much more to pressure the President, Congress, and the UN to end such atrocities? The Jewish community has proven that solidarity and continued pressure work miracles for the oppressed. How much more is required of us when it’s in our power to do good? The Church is the “salt of the earth.” Let’s not wring our hands and just pray. People will know our faith by our works.

NEIL ALTMAN

Lakewood, N.J.

Good Listening

Thank you for Charles Colson’s “Religion Up, Morality Down” (July 21). Colson is obviously no armchair theologian, but one who as a young and growing follower of Jesus Christ seeks to make the reality of his Christian commitment felt through his life. We need to listen to him. Thank you for this article which touches the church and society where it hurts the most.

DOUGLAS GREEN

Olivia, Minn.

With appreciation I have read CHRISTIANITY TODAY since its beginning. I do not always agree with some articles, but appreciate the different viewpoints expressed in the framework of evangelical conviction. I felt the article by Charles Colson was timely and to the point. I think it is important to face the facts of our generation. I think he diagnosed some real problems and offered some good suggestions.

CLYDE DUPIN

Reachout Ministries

Kernersville, N.C.

Music Ministry

Many thanks for the excellent articles on music and musicians … especially Dr. Leafblad’s (“What Sound Church Music?”, May 19). It has been my concern for years that musicians should approach their field as a true ministry and not just “Christian musical entertainment.”

TED NICHOLS

Director of Music and Creative Arts

Western Conservative Baptist Seminary

Portland, Ore.

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