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The Charismatic Movement and the Reformed Tradition

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The Charismatic Movement and the Reformed Tradition The Charismatic Movement and the Reformed Tradition I. JOHN HESSELINK I. At first it mi ght appear that the Reformed tradition and the approach and theology of the cha ri smati c movement were basically different, if not antithetical, entities. For of a ll the Protestant tradition, the Reformed has been noted fo r its emphasis on doctrine and theology as such. T he charisma ti c movement , on the other hand , pl aces great emphasis on experience. The Reformed churc hes are noted for their theologians, not their "saints" or evangeli sts. We glory in our confessions and catechi sms, solid theology and pure doctrine. C harismati c and Pentecostal groups, on the other hand , boast of healings and ecstatic experiences. Reformed C hristians tend to be cerebral, I cool, and analytical. C hari smatics promote enthusiasm, " letting go," and warm I feelings. I Many of the differences come to focus in diverge nt views of the church, ministry, and worship. The church, by Reformed definition, exists where the Word is preached in its purity, where the sacraments are properly administered , and where di scipline is exercised . All of this is rather foreign to the chari smatic who thinks of the church more in terms of an informal fellowship whose boundari es are fluid and where doctrinal requirements are minimized. Distinctions between lay and clergy are played down, with the leaders often being self-appointed and answerable to no hi gher judicatory. Believers' baptism plays a very important role but, except fo r Catho li c chari smatics, the Lord's Supper a ppears to receive little attention. In the Reformed tradition preach­ ing is exalted, and the ideal is to do everything " decentl y and in order." (A phrase which some people mi stakenly think comes from a Reformed or Presbyterian book of church order! Ironically , it comes from the climax of the Apostle Paul's di scussion of spiritual gifts in I Corinthians 14.) Among c harismati cs informal Bible study and unstructured exhortation takes the place of more formal preaching, and a premium is pl aced on informal ity and spontaneity . F ina ll y, is there not an irreconc il able barrier in the traditional belief of many Reformed and Presbyte ri a n C hristians (particularly mini sters) that miracles ceased with the passing of the Apostl es? By miracles is meant any so-called supernatural manifestati ons such as speaking in tongues, dramatic healings, prophecy, etc. Calvin, in reaction to Roman Catholic claims, maintained that "The gift of healing, like the rest of the miracles, which the Lord willed to be brought forth for a time, has vanished away in order to make the new preaching of the gospel marvelous forever" (Institutes IV, 19, 18). Centuries later a staunch A meri can Presbyterian theologian, B. B. Warfield, was still maintaining that miracles ceased with the end of the aposto li c age. (See hi s Counte1feit Miracles, 1918 . Reprinted as Miracles: Yesterday and To­ day, Real and Counte1feit, G rand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub!. Co., 1953, 1965.) 147 In vi e w of a ll thi s- and oth er fac tors could be cited- it wo ul d appear that there is in deed a basic, deep-rooted in compati bilit y between the Reformed tradi tio n and th e cha ri sma ti c movement , e ven in it s recent , more sophi sti cated ma nifestations. But thi s is onl y one side of th e pi cture. A case could be made fo r a fruitful , even fa irl y natural, relati onship between these two, a lthough at certain po ints th ere will in evitably be some tension. II. It mu st be conceded at th e outset that in ma ny ways the Wesleyan and Baptist traditions are by nature more congeni al to a Pentecostal a pproach or chari smatic expe ri ences than the Reformed-Presbyte ri a n. However, the growth and spread of the new Pentecostal-cha ri smati c movement seems to be no respecter o f hi stori cal tradi ­ tions or theological emphases. For th ere a ppear to be more charis ma ti cs among Catho li cs, E pi scopa li a ns, and Lutherans than among Methodi sts or Bapti sts; and o ne of the largest chari sma ti c fell owships can be fo und a mong U nited Presbyteri a ns. In fac t, it could be argued that the c hari smati c moveme nt fl ouri shes most in deno mina­ tions or groups whi ch least emphasize personal expe ri em:e, small groups and sharing, personal wi tnessing, prayer, and Bible study. Whether this is true or not, I think a good case can be made fo r a certain com­ patibility of these two traditions, at least where both are in terpreted according to the ir best in sights and contributions. For the cha ri smati c movement , like the traditiona l Pentecostal move ment , is abo ve a ll a mo vement whi c h stresses and magnifi es the personalit y a nd power of th e H oly S pirit. Lik ewise, the Reformed tradi tion-at least certain strains of it-has pl aced great e ~ph as i s on the person and work of the Holy S pirit. N ot onl y that; I am convinced that in Reformed theology the re is a greate r appreciati on, deeper understanding, and more comprehe nsive and ba lanced presenta­ ti on of the full -orbed power and work of the Ho ly S pirit than in any other tradition , including the Pentecostal tradition! A-In th e first pl ace, recall that the mainstream Lutheran-Reformed reformati o n was in many ways a recovery of the freedom, presence, and power of the Holy S pirit. In Medieval Roma n Catho li cism the S pirit, li ke the whole concept of grace, had be­ come " locked up," in a sense, within an understanding of grace whic h was di s­ pensed at the behest o f the hi erarc hy. T he Reformati o n was not only a redi scovery o f the Word and the gospel; it also resul ted in an assura nce of forgiveness and a peaceful conscie nce. In other words, through the new outpouring of the S pirit , C hrist was more accessibl e and more real to countless individuals than he had been in centuries. Many of the gifts of the S pirit were experi enced in a marvelous new way; not tongues and healing so much as wi sdom, kno wl edge, prophecy, di scernment , and , a bo ve a ll , faith . T he German reformer, Martin Luther, deserves much of the credit for thi s di s­ covery of the grace of God mani fest in Jesus C hrist and hi s S pi rit. Regin Prenter, the Dani sh Lu theran scholar, even maintain s that "The concept of the H oly S pi rit completely dominated Luther's theology. In every decisive matter," continues Pren­ ter, " whether it be the study of Luther's doctrine of justifica ti on, of hi s doctrine o f the sacraments, of hi s ethics, or of any o ther fundame ntal teaching, we are fo rced to 148 take into considerati on this concept of the Holy S pirit" (Spirit11s Creator, Philadel­ phia : Muhlenbe rg, 1953 , p. IX). Yet, without detracting from Luther's accompli shme nt , the title, "theologia n of the Holy S pirit" is more properl y given to Calvin . (So B. B. Warfield , John Mackay , Bernard Ramm, and Werner Krusche. See especia ll y the latter's Das Wirke11 des H eilige11G eistes 11a ch Calvin . Gottingen: Vandenh oeck a nd Ruprecht , 1957, p. 12; and Warfield 's Calvin and A 11 g 11 stine: Philadelphia: Presbyteri a n a nd Reformed Publishing Co. , 1956, pp. 2 1-24, I 07). T hi s may come as a surprise to ma ny Reformed C hristians who a re accustomed to hearing of the sovereignty of God or predestin ation as being the hallmarks of Calvi ni sm. G ranted , this is an aspect of Calvin 's theology whi ch has often been a borted in traditional Calvinism where a rationali stic orthodoxy has squelc hed the dyna mi s m of the Reformer's fa ith and theology. T hi s is not the place to substantiate in detail the thesis that Calvin's th eology is a bove a ll a theology of the S pirit, but a few points can be mentioned briefly . 1- 1n hi s accent on the sovereignt y a nd fre.edom of God , Calvin wishes to make clear that a ll that we are and are able to do as C hristi a ns is ultimate ly due to God's grace a nd is the work of hi s Spirit. T he C hris tian life origin ates in a nd is continua ll y re newed by the grace a nd powe r of the Spirit (lnstit11t es 111. I. 3-4) . 2-T he S pirit of God is also at work in the world : preserving, restoring, guiding, in spiring. Apart from thi s more general work of th e Spirit , the world would soon be in chaos a nd mankind would degenerate into bestiality. All that is good, true, a nd bea utiful-even among pagans and atheists-is due to the Spirit of God (I 11stit11tes 11.
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