Over the past several weeks, I have been demonstrating how the theology and practice of worship has historically divided Christians into various denominations, provided the means for appropriate unity across denomination lines, and more recently blurred important doctrinal distinctions. What I have shown is that worship theology and practice has always been central to denominational… Continue Reading
Over the past several weeks I have been showing that, while differences over worship theology and practice have been one of the most significant doctrinal dividers, traditional psalmody, hymnody, and liturgy provided a means by which distinct denominations were able to enjoy an appropriate unity while at the same time maintaining necessary theological and practical boundaries.… Continue Reading
God wants his people to be unified, but some doctrinal and practical matters are important enough that secondary division is necessary. Such is the case with issues such as baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the regulative principle. However, even when God’s people must separate over important matters, it is always a good thing when they… Continue Reading
The watering down of doctrine in evangelicalism, evidenced perhaps most acutely in the minimizing of important denominational distinctives and the growth of the “Nones,” is problematic to be sure. The question is, what has caused this? Over the next several weeks I plan to show the role worship philosophy and practice has had in both… Continue Reading
Last week I began a series in which I will show the relationship between worship theology/practice and doctrinal distinctives. I plan to show how some aspects of worship necessarily divide, while other aspects preserve appropriate unity. I mentioned last week how in many respects, differences over worship theology lead to the division of denominations during… Continue Reading
Last week I showed how views concerning the Lord’s Supper constitute an important doctrinal distinctive that lead to the creation of various denominations during and after the Reformation. Views concerning baptism are no different. Unlike with the Lord’s Supper, Luther and Zwingli agreed on the matter of baptism at Marburg, but this ordinance has created… Continue Reading
Over the past few weeks I have been showing how various aspects of worship theology and practice have necessarily divided orthodox Christians into separate denominations. I have shown, in particular, how views concerning the Lord’s Supper and baptism are significant doctrinal distinctives that prevent full ecclesiastic cooperation. In addition to differences over theology and practice… Continue Reading
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been showing how particular issues related to worship theology and practice–namely, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the regulative principle–have historically and necessarily divided Christians into various denominations. It was not core doctrines such as the sufficiency of Scripture or justification by faith alone that divided Christians; for… Continue Reading