|
Are we Really a Holiness
Movement
by
Major Alan Harley
A negative response to
the question would not be the correct one. At the same time it
is difficulty to give an unqualified affirmative response.
The framework is certainly in place. The doctrines are
unchanged. And around the world there are many who seek, teach
and live holy lives. But alongside these facts, some
observations must be made.
Holiness denominations
are, in a real sense, confessional churches.[i]
They understand their doctrines and how those doctrines make
them distinctive. Further, they see themselves as existing for
the purpose of spreading the doctrine of Christian Holiness -
this is their reason for being. Wesley claimed that God had
raised up his movement ‘to spread scriptural holiness
throughout these lands’. In such churches the members
understand that they are ‘holiness’ people. Their pastors are
expected to preach the doctrine.
It would be interesting
to poll Salvationists world-wide to determine their
understanding of their theology. My observation is that,
compared to Christians in those other ‘holiness’ movements,
Salvationists often do not seem to be aware that the doctrine
of Entire Sanctification is central to the beliefs of their
movement, or, indeed, that it is part of those beliefs.
Many of us who are
baby-boomers and older were introduced to soldiership with
little or no teaching of this doctrine. Indeed, examples
abound of soldiership embarked upon solely in order to qualify
to play in the band! This was at a time when Salvationist
music was at its pinnacle. It was also a time when training
colleges in many places seemed no longer to give a significant
place to the teaching of Christian holiness. The old songs
were sung, but the singing of those songs often contributed to
a corporate piety out of proportion to personal devotion and
discipleship.
Where Are We Now?
My purpose is not to
deplore decline. In significant ways Salvationism has in
recent years experienced renewal and is more spiritually
healthy today than a half century ago, particularly within the
ranks of its young people. We may not have as many brilliant
bands and songster brigades, but there is a genuine awakening
amongst Salvationists, and in many places a desire to see the
doctrine of holiness taught.
At the same time, the
spiritual life of the movement is being led in different
directions. There are in some quarters worship expressions and
teachings on ‘spirituality’ which trace to Catholicism. This
is not in itself a bad thing. Wesleyan theology traces its
roots not to the Reformation of Calvin but back though the
Methodist, Pietist, Anglican, Catholic and early eastern
theological traditions, a fact which has assumed special
significance in Wesley studies ever since Albert Outler and
others traced Wesley’s doctrine of holiness, or Perfect Love,
to the influence of the 4th century homilies of
Macarius. We have much to learn from the great spiritual
teachers of the historic church of both the West and the East.
Just as Wesley’s doctrine of the Christian life was shaped to
a significant degree by those rich traditions, so reference to
them can be found in early Salvationist writings.[ii]
However, Salvationism is not Roman
Catholic in its theology and the latter’s mystical and
ascetical theology cannot be a substitute for a
Scripture-based understanding of spirituality which reflects
the Wesleyan-Salvationist tradition, i.e. holiness of life in
the power of the Spirit. At the other extreme there is, in
many places, an embracing of things Pentecostal. Even as God’s
people must be willing to learn from the great saints of the
past, so they must be open to all that his Spirit seeks to do
in their lives and in their worship and witness. But at the
same time it is largely due to a lack of solid teaching that
causes many a young Christian to see no difference between the
early Army’s understanding of ‘the baptism of the Spirit’ and
that of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. In simple
terms, the former has to do primarily with cleansing and
purity of life, the latter with spiritual gifts and power.
Along with this doctrinal shift there is the new expression of
worship which has, by and large, replaced the hymnody of
holiness with lyrics which, on the whole, have a different
emphasis.[iii]
Reasons for Doctrinal
Uncertainty
One reason why the
lament is so often heard “We don’t hear holiness preached
nowadays” is not merely because new terminology is employed to
convey the old message. The problem goes deeper.
a. There are those who
do not preach it because they are not convinced it is truly
biblical. Indeed, it is possible to question some of the older
exegesis. Some earlier ‘holiness’ writings amassed a
substantial amount of proof texts, but these were not
infrequently employed in a manner not intended by the original
writers. Verses having to do with regeneration were at times
used to teach a second blessing. Some ‘holiness’ teachers,
seeking to bring a level of exegetical sophistication to their
message, made much of such things as the Greek aorist tense,
suggesting that it invariably referred to a crisis experience
(which it didn’t).
b. Some who preach and
teach were not taught the doctrine in an adequate manner.
Training colleges are sometimes blamed for not providing
solid teaching on the subject and at times the criticism can
be sustained.
c. Salvationism’s rich
tradition, arguably the most attractive and colorful
expression of Protestantism, has at times provided a safe
haven from the challenge of holy living. Commitment to
musical sections and corps busy-ness – and even the demands of
officership - have at times become for some a substitute for
that deeper level of commitment which is essential to holy
living.
The list could be
extended. But what must be recognized is that the doctrine of
Holiness is an unusual one. It is one of the few doctrines
which require more than mental assent. It cannot be divorced
from experience. It reflects the distinctive nature of
Wesleyanism, viz. it is a theology of Christian
experience and it does not work unless it is tied to a warm
hearted knowledge of a God who justifies, witnesses by his
Spirit to our salvation, and sanctifies our lives. In this it
is virtually unique amongst the various theological systems.
Thus, to assure that the doctrine has a future, close
attention must be paid to assuring that the people of the
movement enjoy the experience – something that must begin
within the schools for officer training.
As an aside, the
recognition that this doctrine is the reflection of a
distinctive theological tradition requires that in the
training of cadets our colleges’ textbooks reflect that
tradition. The majority of evangelical textbooks in theology
are of Reformed origin, which frequently creates cognitive
dissonance in the classroom and beyond. The soteriology of
Calvinism is not the same as that of non-Calvinism. Similarly,
if the movement sees itself as standing within that tradition,
it will be reflected in the materials provided in the Trade
Departments (by whatever name they are known). Popular
evangelical writings will take second place to those written
within the tradition of which we are part. We are witnessing a
renaissance of Wesleyan writing and scholarship.[iv]
This should, I feel, be seen on the bookshelves of our stores
and college libraries and will require clear ‘headquarters’
leadership for such to take place. In other words, The
Salvation Army won’t simply drift back into the full tide of
the holiness stream; such a move will be intentional and will
be viewed as imperative. Brengle wrote:
…it is this Holiness – the
doctrine, the experience, the action – that we Salvationists
must maintain, otherwise we shall betray our trust; we shall
lose our birthright; we shall cease to be a spiritual power in
the earth; we shall have a name to live, and yet be dead; our
glory will depart; and we, like Sampson shorn of his locks,
shall become as other men; the souls with whom we are
entrusted will grope in darkness or go elsewhere for
soul-nourishment and guidance; and while we may still have
titles and ranks, which will have become vainglorious, to
bestow upon our children, we shall have no heritage to
bequeath them or martyr-like sacrifice, or spiritual power, or
dare-devil-faith, of pure, deep joy, of burning love, of holy
triumph.[v]
[i]
A good example is that of the Church of the Nazarene. Its
denominational paper is The Herald Of Holiness and the
‘holiness’ emphasis is strongly asserted in its many
publications.
[ii]
Cf. John M. Todd, John Wesley and the Catholic Church,
Hodder and Stoughton 1958; S.T.Kimbrough, Orthodox and
Wesleyan Scriptural Understanding and Practice, St
Vladimir’s Press. Christian Faragher, an officer in Melbourne,
Australia, recently produced a thesis for the Melbourne
College of Divinity, The Hidden Stream: The Contemplative
Tradition in the Spirituality of The Salvation Army, in
which she traces these influences in the writings of early
Salvationists.
[iii]
There are those who point to the type of unusual phenomena
described in Bramwell Booth’s Echoes and Memories as
proof that being ‘slain in the Spirit’ and the like should be
evidenced in contemporary Salvationism. This position fails to
recognize that whereas for contemporary Charismatics such
happenings are evidence of God’s blessing and are thus to be
encouraged and sought, for early Salvationists the position
was ‘seek not, forbid not’.
[iv]
For example, the writings of Randy Maddox, Kenneth Collins,
Paul Wesley Chilcote, et al
[v]
Love Slaves, Supplies and Purchasing Departments, USA,
1960, p.72
|
