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A Critical Examination of Contemporary Canadian Evangeticalism in Light of Luther's Theology of the Cross

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A Critical Examination of Contemporary Canadian Evangeticalism in Light of Luther's Theology of the Cross A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF CONTEMPORARY CANADIAN EVANGELICALISM IN LIGHT OF LUTHER'S THEOLOGY OF THE CROSS TIMOTHY JOHN ERNST MCGILL UNlVERSITY MONTREAL AUGUST, 1997 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduste Suesand Research in partial Mlment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts. National Libraiy Bibiiithèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. ru3 Wellinghm Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ortawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence dowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/fiim, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts hmit Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or othenvise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ABSTRACT A Critical Examination of Contemporary Canadian Evangeticalism In Light of Luther's Theology of the Cross In this work the nature of contempofary Canadian evangelicaüsm will be evaluated in light of Luther's theology of the cross. To commence, a 1 shall rewunt a bnef history of "evangelicals," tracing the movement fiom its origins in early sucteenth century Europe at the time of the Protestant Reformation to the present A four point theological characterization of the contemporary evangelicai movement wil1 be outlined. Drawing upon a spectnim of evangelical commentators, leaders and events, 1 consider the impulses that most typicaily comprise the evangelical ethos in Canada Martin Luther's theology of the cross wiil then be presented and show to be an appropriate lem through which to consider evangelicalism, given a common heritage in the Refonnatioo. Finally, the teadencies of contempomy evangelicalism will be evaluated theologically in light of Luther's rheologi~cmcis. un examen critique de la tradition évangélique contemporaine canadienne a la lumière de la ïhéoiogie de la Croix de Luther. Dans ce travail, la nature de la tradition évangélique contemporaine canadienne sera étudiée à la lumière de la théologie de la Croix de Luther. Tout d'abord, une étude des a évangéliques canadiens visera à retracer les ancêtres de leur mouvement qui a vu le jour au début du seiziéme siècle en Europe, au temps de la Réforme protestante. Ensuite, après ce bref historique, I'orientation théologique malléable du mouvement évangélique contemporain sera expliquée. En puisant dans le vaste éventail de commentaires et d'événements évangéliques ainsi qu'en consultant bon nombre de dirigeants de cette tradition, je m'attarderai aux aspects qui animent et caractérisent le mieux l'ethos évangélique au Canada La théologie de la Croix de Martin Luther sera, par la suite, présentée et s'avérera une ientille appropriée - vu l'héritage commun qu'elles ont reçu du temps de la Réforme - a travers de laquelle la tradition évangélique pourra être considérée. Finaiement, les tendances de la tradition évangélique contemporaine seront théologiquement évaluées à la lumière de la iheologia cnrcis de Luther. I wish to express my deep appreciation to Professor William I. Klempa, Principai of Presbyterian College in Montreal. He has ben of exemplary senrice to me, helpuig define the approach and offering astute guidance towards that course. i am grateful to Dr. Douglas John Hall, Emenhis Professor of Christian Theology at McGill University. He has stimulated and nurtured my love for history and theology. l shalI ever be grateful to Professor Hall for introducing me to Luther's theology of the cross - a motif that has stimdated my theological reflection immeasurably. Dr. Glenn Smith, mentor, coiieague and fkiend, has been of mceasing encouragement. My former coiieagues at Direction Chrérienne were daily reminders of the Christ- like faith that evangeiïcalism espouses. Finally, 1 wish to recognize the unconditional support of my wife, Dr. Angela Emst, without whose assistance this thesis would simply not have been written CONTENTS Chapter INTRODUCTION ....................................... 1 1. A HISTORY AND DEFINITION OF CONTEMPORARY CANADIAN EVANGELICALISM ............................... 2 2. THE DISPOSITION OF CANADIAN EVANGELICALS ................................ 23 3. LUTHER'S THEOLOGYOFTHECROSS.. .......... 51 4. A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF CONTEMPORARY CANADIAN EVANGELICALISM IN LIGHT OF LUTHER'S THEOLOGY OF THE CROSS ............ 66 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................. 100 INTRODUCTION In this thesis I consider the nature of contemporary Canadian evangelicalism in light of Luther's theology of the cross. To accomplish this task I chart the following course. First 1 define the subject The terni "evangelical" has been claimed by a variety of religious rnovements since the sixteenth century. Chapter one is devoted to ploning a brief history of Canadian evangelicals. I then portray their theological orientation. In chapter two 1 examine the impulses that most typically characteriz evangelicals in Canada today. In chapter three 1 present Luther's theology of the cross. Ln chapter four 1 examine the tendencies of contemporary evangelicalism in light of Luther's rheologia cnrcis. Finally, 1 present some reflections and conclusions arising fiom this researcb CHiWlER ONE A HISTORY AND DEFINITION OF CONTEMPORARY CANADIAN EVANGELICALISM The term "evangelicai" can be identified with Philip Schaffs definition of "the Protestant principle." This formula involved as its formai component the nrpemacy of biblical authority, and as its material element the doctrine of justification by faith, ' The Reformea brought to a full expression the evangelical impulse that animated earlier persons and movements in the early and medieval chur~h.~It is fiom this wider tbeological circle that the Reformers themselves drew upon in order to buttress their own arguments. The foundational evangelical attitudes towards personal appropriation of salvation and the importance of the reading of Scripture likely emerged fiom Italian Benedictine monasteries during the late meenth ~eohuy.~The Italian church in pticular was deeply and positively flected by the emergence of c6evangelicalismy~in the 1530s. Several cardinais of the period were profoundly iduenced by evangelical attitudes which they did not see as inconsistent with their hi& positions within the church By the 1540s, an increasingly apprehensive church wary of the growing threat posed by northem European followers of Luther, deemed these evangelical ideas and attitudes as unacceptable. Thus, Luther's foiiowers were densively called "evangelicals" as they stood in the tradition of the Reformer's expression of the gospel. European evangelicals adopted the epithet. In Germany and Switzerland the word, "evangelical" (evangelisch)came into use as a Lutheran desigrution in contrast with the Calvinist, Reformed church communities? In the eighteenth centuryythe word was appropriateci by a Party in the Church of England, "The Evangelicals." They sou@ to reinvigorate the church by emphasizing personal conversion, salvation by faith in Christ, the authority of the Bible, the value of preaching and an expecîation of the imminent retum of Christ to ehS Dming the first half of the eighteenth cenniry English-speaking Protestantism entered a new era of renewal. Across England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and al1 three regions of the North Amencan colonies including in what is now Canada, religious "awakenings" stirred thousands. From this the fofward, ccevangelicai"came to designate specific groups of Christians, irrespective of theu denominations, who had a particular approach to the gospel and the Christian life. These religious revivals were the confluence of intense, personal religious experiences of comtiess individuals who sustained and furtbered the life of the evangelical renaissance. Henry Ailine of Nova Scotia recorded his conversion expenence in 1775: Being aimost in agony, 1 turned very suddenly round in my chair' and seeing part of an old Bible laying in one the chairs, 1caught hold of it in great haste; and openhg it without any premeditation, cast my eyes on the 38' Psaim, which was the fim time 1 ever saw the word of GdIt took hold of me with such power, that it seemed to go through my whole seul, and read therein eveq thought of my kart, and raised my whole sod with groans and earnest cries to God, so that it seemed as if God was praying in, with, and for mes6 David W. Bebbington argues that there are four generd characteristics that have marked evangelical Chnstians in Great Britain and its colonies since the eighteenth century. The four corners of this "creedal quacirilateral" include: "conversionism," "biblicism," "activism," and cbcnicicentrism."7 The excerpt fiom Alline's diary reflects the convenionist distinctive. Conversioaism refen to a transforming expenence, involving multiple sensory experiences and grasping ho1d of God's saivation. Put another way, it is a subjective experience of initially appropn'atingjustification by faith in Jesus Christ, "'as if God was praying in, with,
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