Schism and Faithfulness in the Churches of Christ

David Edwin Harrell, Jr.. The Churches of Christ in the Twentieth Century: Homer Hailey's Personal Journey of Faith. Tuscaloosa and London: University of Alabama Press, 2000. xx + 472 pp. $34.95, cloth, ISBN 978-0-8173-1008-0. Reviewed by David R. Bains Published on H-AmRel (June, 2000) In the "religious revival" that followed World another schism within the Restoration movement War II, the churches of Christ were faced with a was accomplished. new dilemma.[1] Growing in members, re‐ The controversy over institutionalism is cen‐ spectability, and aspiration, this conservative tral to both halves of this carefully researched branch of the restoration movement began to con‐ book by David Edwin Harrell, Jr. Chapters two front the issue of "institutionalism." Institutional‐ through four tell the story of The Churches of ism entailed the support by individual churches Christ in the Twentieth Century focusing on the of hospitals, orphanages, colleges, and of missions major controversies, enterprises, and leaders of and broadcast ministries sponsored by other indi‐ the movement. The remaining fve chapters vidual churches. An earlier controversy had made present the parallel story of Homer Hailey (b. the rejection of mission societies a distinguishing 1903) a popular preacher and college professor in mark of the churches of Christ. Now the move‐ the churches of Christ who eventually sided with ment divided between those who felt that these the opponents of institutionalism. Together these new institutions were necessary for the advance‐ two stories present the intriguing history of the ment of the churches of Christ in the modern many controversies and changes within this world and those who believed that they were not group of Christian primitivists. Harrell, well permitted by the New Testament. Beginning in the known for his work on the charismatic move‐ early 1950s, B.C. Goodpasture, the powerful editor ment, is a leader within the noninstitutional of the Gospel Advocate, enforced a "quarantine" churches of Christ.[2] In this volume, he presents of all those who opposed institutionalism, a group a history of the churches of Christ that is both illu‐ derisively known as "antis." Preachers, such as minating to insiders and accessible to outsiders. Homer Hailey, who could not support institution‐ While his own positions in the various controver‐ alism, found familiar pulpits closed to them and sies are clear (in part because he discusses him‐ H-Net Reviews self as a historical subject), he has succeeded in Harrell views the premillennialist schism dif‐ crafting a balanced history. ferently. He argues that since premillennialists Harrell builds upon his own earlier studies of had more contact with the religious world outside the movement and the recent work of other histo‐ of the churches of Christ, they were not necessari‐ rians, particular Richard T. Hughes, Reviving the ly more counter-cultural than their opponents. Ancient Faith, to offer the most complete history Furthermore, "many avid foes of premillennial‐ of these churches in the twentieth century.[3] Har‐ ism, such as Homer Hailey, embraced pacifism rell draws much of his account from Hughes, but and other counter-cultural beliefs" (p. 70). The so‐ differs with Hughes's interpretation of several is‐ journer mentality, he insists, was maintained by sues, particularly the noninstitutional movement. Hailey and others who came to support the nonin‐ According to Hughes, the institutional schism sig‐ stitutional churches. naled the end of the dominance of legalism and Harrell's biography of Hailey helps him to the "hard, fghting style" within the mainstream portray the noninstitutional churches as commu‐ churches. The anti-institutional Christians were nities of people committed to a New Testament distinguished by their commitment to a common- faith and the historic simplicity of the churches of sense, Baconian hermeneutic of the Bible that Christ. After entering Abilene Christian College in stemmed from nineteenth-century Restoration 1926, Hailey spent his whole life as a preacher leader Alexander Campbell.[4] Harrell disputes and teacher. He was known for his impressive this. He claims that the common-sense hermeneu‐ knowledge of the Bible, his vigorous body build‐ tic "was a part of the arsenal of disputants on all ing, and his tireless summers spent on the road sides of every argument." Controversies over leading "gospel meetings" across the United States. hermeneutics would divide the movement later in Raised in Arizona, Hailey was a "Westerner" and the century, but this process did not begin in never quite comfortable with the more refined earnest until the 1970s. What distinguished the branches of the Restoration movement. He decid‐ noninstitutional people was their continued fdeli‐ ed to attend Abilene instead of Texas Christian ty to an "amorphous sense of alienation and University because he found the latter school, "too world rejection, of cultural dissonance" (p. 174). big" (p. 35). Both Hughes and Harrell regard this sense of In the 1940s when he won the job of preacher cultural alienation as an important characteristic at Central Church of Christ in Los Angeles, he of the churches of Christ. They show that it was found the big city too sophisticated and liberal for abandoned amid the increasing denominational him and left after only one year. Teaching at Abi‐ mentality and what one minister called the lene later in the decade, he found that he and his "amazing CRAZE about 'bigness'" of the post- alma mater were headed in different directions. World War II era (p. 170). The mainstream "The emphasis on academic respectability, and churches of Christ, they argue, became captive to the high-pressure fund raising, combined with a conservative, middle-class American culture and relaxation in the disciplining of students," all abandoned their "sojourner" mentality (p. 163). were at odds with Hailey's simple, strict, Bible- Hughes refers to this as an "apocalyptic" world‐ centered ways (p. 271). From 1951 to 1973 he view. He sees its departure from the churches of found an amenable environment at Florida Chris‐ Christ as linked to the controversy over premil‐ tian College (since 1963, Florida College) and lennialism in the 1930s. In recent decades, Hughes helped to make it the center of the noninstitution‐ and other "progressives" have sought to revive al movement. this perspective. 2 H-Net Reviews With his great commitment to evangelism will "like" Hailey and that the members of the and orphanages, Hailey hesitated to oppose insti‐ churches of Christ will "profit" from knowing tutionalism. When he was forced to study the is‐ about his robust and faithful life (p. xi, xvii). Thus, sue, however, he recognized that even orphan‐ it is especially disappointing that the book pro‐ ages were part of a whole complex of institutions vides little insight into the content and style of not established in the New Testament. "Human or‐ Hailey's preaching. Perhaps members of the ganizations through which men seek to do the churches of Christ can imagine his preaching bet‐ Lord's work are condemned," he concluded (p. ter than this outside reviewer, but the book is 123). Pained to be on the opposite side of the issue frustratingly silent on what this preacher said. from many friends, Hailey did not seek to close The title promises an account of Hailey's "journey the doors to those who disagreed with him. He did of faith." The story that unfolds proves that Hailey not exclude others, but soon found himself ex‐ remained faithful to his convictions, but it needs cluded, by church leaders who felt that he and more information on the content of his faith. The other "antis" stood in the way of the progress of reader sees this man of action dart tirelessly from the gospel and of the churches of Christ. Harrell pulpit to pulpit, but rarely hears his voice. suggests that this experience was typical of most One exception to this comes in the story of noninstitutional leaders in the 1950s and 1960s. Hailey's speedy courtship of his second wife. After The author clearly objects to the heavy-handed less than fve days together they were engaged "quarantine" or the "antis" and reminds readers and soon thereafter married. Hailey's frst note to that Hailey belonged to a generation that always her is the most extensive quotation from him in saw all members of the churches of Christ as "one the book. It speaks volumes about the directness people" (p. xiii). and graciousness that made him such a winsome In the late 1980s and 1990s, Hailey again suf‐ preacher. Hailey explained that since she had not fered from exclusion because of his convictions. attended the weekday meetings that preceded the This time from within the noninstitutional fellow‐ Sunday when they meant he initally assumed she ship itself. Hailey taught that Jesus's injunction must be "one of those Sunday morning Chris‐ against divorce and remarriage applied only to tians." He continued in a preacher's cadence, "Christians" and therefore those who had di‐ "Further, the thought fashed through my mind vorced and remarried prior to being baptized as that you were the wife of an oil man .... Imagine members of the church of Christ did not have to my surprise tonight to learn that you had been separate from their spouses. His teaching made it out of town with an injured son, and that you are much easier to join the church, but it differed a widow. May I say that I have been charmed by from what most others in the movement believed your grace, and may I be so bold as to say, your to be the plain meaning of scripture. This generat‐ beauty as well .... I trust, although there are only ed an extensive dispute between those who felt three more nights of the meeting, that we may be‐ that that the movement could not tolerate this come better acquainted during those days" (p.

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