There’s an interesting post by Brent over at Colossians Three Sixteen called You Can’t Not Have Doctrine (HT: Rhett Smith).He takes Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell, and Searching for God Knows What, by Donald Miller, and looked at the similarities between the two.
Now, I will be the first to admit that I’m partial to both Bell and Miller, but especially Miller (I’m actually rereading Searching for God Knows What right now). Both of these books have influenced my faith in a lot of ways. They have challenged me to stretch my faith and go beyond blind belief in the man who happens to stand in the pulpit of my church (not that my church has an actual pulpit). They have pushed me to look at how Christ lived and base my life on that and not on the stereotypes of Christianity that have emerged in society.
Brent argues that each of these men “seem to think that they have outgrown doctrine, that talking about springs and relationships somehow means that we no longer need to worry about theological precision.” He says:
But what is so interesting is that both of these books are full of doctrine. You can not not have doctrine, it’s simply impossible because once you do away with doctrine, you’re no longer a Christian. Tell me about this Jesus who saved you…..you cannot do so without doctrine. Bell and Miller simply give recycled voice to the old cliched “Don’t give me doctrine just give me Jesus” routine.
We need to be fair here and admit that Bell and Miller have some valid concerns. Doctrine is often far too rigid and exclusionary, it often formalizes and brings an academic air to truths that were meant to ignite our souls. But at some point we must exclude; some things simply are not Christian and for all the talk of springy relationships, I want to say that at some point, orthodoxy is important.
And I think he has a point. If you’ve read my post called What Do I Do?, then you’ll know that this is something I’m struggling with right now. I grew up fundamentalist; now I attend a seeker-sensitive church that sometimes seems to be afraid to mention the word “sin.” Each are on opposite ends of the spectrum. There has to be middle ground!
Doctrine is important. Without it, any man could make up his own version of Christianity and that would be okay (unfortunately, some people seem to think this is so). But dogmatic doctrine leads to legalism, which is not okay.
That’s what I think both Miller and Bell are fighting in their books. They seem to have found something that the rest of us have forgotten: Christianity is completely relational. Anything else would make it works-based…and many churches will tell you it’s not works-based, but their actions are in direct opposition to that.
So where do we find this middle ground? Is it even possible to find? It seems to me that you have to sacrifice one for the other. Either you get the relational aspect down pat, but there’s no doctrine, or there’s so much doctrine that there’s no room for the relationship.
If I have to choose between the two, I will choose the relationship every time. And I think that’s the direction Bell and Miller are going. They want the middle ground. But the relational aspect of our faith is the most important part; it’s what makes Christianity different from all the other world religions. To diminish that, even for the sake of doctrine, is to diminish who God is.
Tags: Rob Bell, Donald Miller, Christianity
I have been struggling over this very issue lately. I taught part one of a Basic Bible Doctrine class at the church I have been attending. While some of the material I agreed with other parts I did not. I kept asking myself what is most important.
We know doctrine is important because it is the foundation of what we believe, but at the same time it can be very destructive. Too often Christians have used doctrine to divide the Church.
I believe, and I think runs along with what Bell and Miller have written, that God is bigger than the doctrines we have constructed for Him. What we need to do is to take this journey of faith together. As we discuss God and the Bible we encourage one another, learn from one another, hold each other accountable, and grow together. It is by doing this in a community that we have the best chance at staying true to God’s Word.
Those are some of my rambling thoughts on the subject.
Too often Christians have used doctrine to divide the Church.
Exactly! You’ve certainly hit the nail on the head. Denomination division and church splits are usually the result of doctrine. Differences in doctrine, I mean.
And it’s hard to know who’s right and who’s not. Everyone is biased when they read the Bible–everyone. So who is closer to God’s truth?
Great point about division in the church. I truly believe that Christians aren’t expected to know all doctrine correctly as soon as they’re converted. They only need the basics; such as the identity of Jesus, our need for Him, and what He did for us. However, as we grow, we need to strive to understand and follow more doctrine. I believe that comes from a relationship with Christ. He will lead you in that growth if you search to know Him better.
Did that make any sense? I feel like it was all jumbled up.
Mandi,
Thanks for your thoughts on doctrine and relationship. You write, “If I have to choose between the two, I will choose the relationship every time.”
But relationship with who? I assume you mean God, more specifically, Jesus Christ. Why is Jesus Christ worth having a relationship with? Is he just a wise and insightful teacher? Or is He God incarnate–God made flesh?
If He is God incarnate, then you have doctrine. Without doctrine (ie: sound, Biblical doctrine) you have no reason to be relating to Jesus Christ. And also, to say that you have a relationship with Jesus Christ implies that Christ Himself is alive today, which speaks of His resurrection from the dead.
Who is Christ? What do His death and resurrection mean? Without solid, Biblical answers to these questions, is Christ even worth relating to?
Doctrine, when done right, is good. It is divisive, yes. It divides those who want to cast Christ in their own image, from those who are ready to receive Him as He presents Himself in Scripture.
Sound doctrine does not lead to legalism. Dogmatism, on the other hand, divides and separates the body of Christ, and leads to legalism. Doctrine is good, dogmatism is not.
If you’d like to explore this train of thought further, check out my article on doctrine:
Mandi,
I received and posted your comment on my Doctrine article blog and I really appreciate your thoughts. I am sorry if I took your article the wrong way. I guess I got hung up on that one sentence that I quoted in my previous post.
It sounds to me like we are much closer on this subject than I thought we were. Thanks for straightening me out.
Mark