The Faith Once for All Abandoned by the Saints?

by   R. Albert Mohler, Jr.                                                                                                                               Vol. XI, No. 7, August 1998

The virtual evaporation of Christian conviction is one of the most striking features of postmodern America — and this is certainly most ominous for the Church. The larger culture is now a 'theology free zone' in which Christian conviction may be tolerated, but only in so far as Christians do not intend for the truth they proclaim to make any difference in the culture.

The situation is not much better in many churches, where a doctrinal and theological anorexia has so weakened congregations that many resemble little more than special interest organizations with pretty buildings and religious entertainment. The secularization of the public square has been traced for decades and has been the focus of intense debates among historians, theologians, and sociologists. The loss of conviction at the congregational level is just now attracting the interest it demands,

Weary of looking at religion in merely functional categories, several sociologists have turned to an analysis they call 'lived religion' in an effort to understand what is happening in the pews. As Robert Orsi. explains, this new approach seeks to understand how Christianity in America is being reshaped “'by real men and women in situations and relationships they have made and that have made them."

What does this look like? Nancy T. Ammerman, one of the most insightful of these analysts, suggests that we are seeing the rise of a new form of Christianity in America — 'Golden Rule Christianity.'

She began her study by looking at 'lay liberals,' but found that conservative evangelical congregations also included a large (and growing) number of Golden Rule Christians. These persons define Christianity, not in terms of beliefs and doctrine, but simply in terms of a basic moral outlook on life, such as that articulated in the Golden Rule. This new development, Ammerman notes, is not really ideological or theological, for it is occurring in both liberal and evangelical churches. These 'Golden Rule Christians' define their faith in terms of practices, not doctrine.

Ammerman found this new faith-style to be what "may in fact be the dominant form of religiosity among middle-class suburban Americans." That is, the largest number of persons in American church pews may fall into this category.

The Golden Rule Christians want to retain at least some connections to classical Christianity. They want their faith to be "grounded in the Bible, but certainly not in a literal reading of it." Ammerman continues: "Just because they do not accept traditional definitions of inspiration or inerrancy does not mean that they have no use for Scripture. Like the rest of their religious life, their use of Scripture is defined more by choices and practice than by doctrine.... Their knowledge of scripture may not be very deep, but they have at least some sense that the Bible is a book worth taking seriously, especially as a tool for making one's own life and the life of the world better."

These church members are not interested in "developing a coherent theological system." Even a matter as basic as salvation "is a bit fuzzy in their minds." Rather, Golden Rule Christians are concerned with the development of their personal lives and spirituality, with helping others to make the world a better place, and doing good deeds.

Ammerman and her colleagues are clearly on to something here. Their description of 'lived religion’ fits squarely into any honest evaluation of Christianity in America. Baby Boomers are especially attracted to this low-demand form of religiosity. For many post-secular Americans, the strange world of the Bible is a place to find compelling stories, not special and revealed knowledge about the true and living God.

Golden Rule Christianity is inoffensive to the secular culture, and makes few demands on its adherents, other than the general principle that they should treat others as they would wish to be treated. Biblical categories such as sin and redemption are out. God is our fellow struggler — not the Holy One of Israel, the Creator of the universe, eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, and merciful. Jesus Christ is the great religious teacher who preached and lived the Golden Rule. It is not necessary to believe that He is the preexistent Son of God, the Messiah promised to Israel., our substitutionary Savior.

This surely explains their 'fuzzy' understandings of salvation, for, in their minimalist theological framework, there is no need for atonement. Like God, presumably, we should go along and get along, and help a few fellow strugglers along the way

Ammerman asks the obvious question. Since the Golden Rule Christians have given up on traditional Christian doctrine, “Could they not be members of a lodge or community club just as easily as of a church?" She offers two reasons why they do not. First, because they want to remain in contact with their friends in the church, many of whom share the same approach to the faith. Second, and more important argues Ammerman, "Golden Rule Christians have not given up on transcendence."

Here again, their understanding is a bit ambiguous. "They were sometimes rather fuzzy on just what it is they experience, and they sometimes had to stop and think when we asked, but they almost always came up with answers to questions about their experience of God." Unfortunately, those answers often had very little, if anything, to do with the God revealed in the Bible.

Having lost its doctrinal nerve, American Christianity is not well prepared to confront Golden Rule Christians with the vacuity of their “lived religion.” They miss the whole for the part, and have created a pseudo-Christianity in their own image. Wanting to maintain some claim to transcendence, they are not willing to know and serve the transcendent God who revealed Himself in the Bible — a book they want to take seriously but not literally.

Without doubt, there are many churches quite willing to offer themselves as safe meeting grounds for Golden Rule Christians. What we desperately need are more congregations willing to love Golden Rule Christians enough to confront them with the truth — and show them the way to genuine Christian faith. Golden Rule Christianity is vestigial Christianity — what is left after you remove the Gospel.

Golden Rule Christianity is popular precisely because it makes few demands and draws few distinctions. Authentic Christianity is high-demand and is based upon critical distinctions. Lacking these, we will see the abandonment of the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

[Fidelitas Commentary on Theology and Culture is written by R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY. Emphasis added.]