Saturday 11 July 2009

The Great Divide: Two Gospels, Contrasting Views

The view from one side of the divide

Presiding Bishop Jefferts-Shori in her opening address at The Episcopal Church's General Convention a few days ago on what she calls "the great Western heresy":
that we can be saved as individuals, that any of us alone can be in right relationship with God. It's caricatured in some quarters by insisting that salvation depends on reciting a specific verbal formula about Jesus. That individualist focus is a form of idolatry, for it puts me and my words in the place that only God can occupy, at the center of existence, as the ground of all being. That heresy is one reason for the theme of this Convention.

From the other side

Former Archbishop of Canterbury, William Carey:
Let's not have any truck with bland theology, that Jesus is just one option among many. Dialogue with other faiths is very important, but I can respect another faith and a believer of that faith by saying I believe that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. Do with that truth what you may, but my job is to say that to you.
Choose life.

No comments:

Post a Comment