Note from CM: One of the writers I met on our Writers’ Open Forum a couple weeks ago is Ryan McLaughlin. He blogs at The Back of the World. He describes his own spiritual journey like this: “It’s taken me a decade to finally come to this. I walked away from a Charismatic/Evangelical upbringing, ran full steam ahead into Calvinism, broke down and stumbled into Anglicanism, and at long last I’m home in Rome. My family and I were received into the Catholic Church at Easter.”
One theme Michael Spencer and I talked about and about which he wrote was the lack of community traditions and resources for spiritual formation in evangelicalism. In this post, Ryan McLaughlin describes how he found help and assurance in a Catholic practice.
* * *
How the Sacred Heart Healed Me from Sovereign Grace Ministries
by Ryan McLaughlin
June is the month that the Catholic Church devotes to honoring the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Devotion to the Sacred Heart has healed me from many wounds, and continues to renew my confidence in my friendship with God, so I am excited to write about it. Some scars never really fade, and old memories still hurt after many years. But if the truth about the past stings, the Love of Jesus and His Sacred Heart are made all the sweeter.
I remember countless nights spent lying on my back, staring at the ceiling in the darkness of my room. “Maybe God just doesn’t really love me. Maybe He simply hasn’t chosen me.” I had sinned again, and each new sin brought with it doubt about whether I was really loved by God, and every doubt brought with it a reminder of the theology I had bought into: if I wasn’t really saved, then their was truly nothing I could do about it.
As I’ve written about before, my college years were spent heavily involved in a group of churches known as Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM). SGM teaches a brand of what’s been called the “New Calvinism“, central to which is a belief in predestination: before time began, God chose some people to be saved from eternal damnation and passed over others, for no reason other than it was His will to do so. Human free will plays absolutely no part in God’s choice, so if you aren’t part of the “elect” who were chosen to be saved, there’s simply no way around it: you’re on your way to Hell. Many SGM pastors, in keeping with the Puritans, believe that there is no way to know with absolute certainty in this life that a person is part of the elect, but one may gain some confidence and hope through sanctification. That is to say, if one sees a gradual increase in personal holiness, and an increase in ability to resist temptation, one can be grateful for the “evidence” that he or she is really saved.
When I was a little boy, I believed with great confidence that God loved me. My parents and pastors taught me that Jesus loved me so much, and came to Earth to make it so that I could spend eternity with Him. And as I became more involved in SGM and read more about Calvinist theology, I still believed that God loved me… at least, He probably did. But I slowly experienced a change in the way I thought of God and how I related to Him. He became, in my eyes, less loving and kind and more austere, distant, and -dare I say it?- arbitrary and just a little bit capricious. I realize now that I was afraid of God, and certainly not in the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” sense.
These doctrines and the feelings they engendered were not without consequences, both in my life and the lives of my close friends in SGM. Despite the fact that we ostensibly believed in “grace”, we had an obsessive and unhealthy fear over our sins: we used to sit in circles in “accountability groups” and confess to each other, in graphic detail, every sin we could recall. We also confronted each other with sins we perceived in that person’s life, and a guy unwilling to see how he was sinning (according to his brothers in the Lord) was quickly labelled as “prideful”. The fact is, though, that despite the unhealthy vigilance, nothing seemed to work: we kept right on sinning just as badly as before.
And so I lay awake at night, wondering if I was really “elect”. I was frightened half to death, and ironically too scared to admit it, even to myself. I had never felt more distant from Jesus. I also slowly watched many of my friends walk away from the faith entirely, too bruised and beaten by the church and its teachings to believe that there was a God behind it all. And as I eventually rejected SGM and left the church I was attending, I had a new-found loneliness: the vast majority of my friends from SGM, including guys who had been groomsmen in my wedding and who I thought would be there for me forever, simply stopped talking to me.
How could I believe in God’s love?
Nothing is new under the sun, we’re told. It turns out that there’s nothing original in the errors that SGM teaches: in the early 17th century, a heresy known as Jansenism raged across Western Europe, especially in France. Jansenism bears some striking similarities to the brand of Calvinism that SGM teaches, particularly with regards to predestination and total depravity. It was very quickly condemned as heresy by the Church, but retained a strong foothold until the the early 18th century. It’s legacy was wounded Christians who viewed God as a capricious, harsh task master whose love is arbitrary and whose ministers don’t know the meaning of the word “compassion.”
Into the midst of all of this, Jesus reminded the Church of His Sacred Heart and the love that overflows from it.
The Sacred Heart devotion had been around for several centuries, but it was not terribly wide-spread. Towards the end of the 17th century, a woman named St. Margaret Mary received a vision of Jesus, in which He showed her His Sacred Heart, and instructed her to make it more widely known. The Sacred Heart is usually shown as Christ’s human heart, bleeding and wrapped in the crown of thorns, with fire pouring out of the top.
In this picture, the most wonderful truths we know are brought home to bear: Jesus loved us so much that He became a man, so the heart is therefore a human one. But His love did not stop there: thus we see the wounds he bore on the Cross for us, His beloved. Not everyone knows about this love yet, however, and so His heart is aflame with passion for the evangelism of the world: the message of His infinite love must go forward, even unto the ends of the Earth!
Thus the Sacred Heart is proof positive that, as the Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes makes clear, “Each one of us can say with the Apostle [in Gal. 2:20]: The Son of God loved me, and gave Himself for me.”
* * *
My friend Mary Alice gave me a book as a confirmation gift called “I Believe in Love,” by Father Jean C. J. d’Elbee. I found this absolutely remarkable passage in it about the Sacred Heart in the context of early modern France:
“Thus, sixteen centuries after the Last Supper and Calvary, the most satanic of all heresies, Jansenism, was able to appear and spread — a heresy which turned a God of love, saying with open arms, ‘Come to me, all of you, come because you are unworthy, come because you are sinful, come because you need to be saved,’ into a God whose arms are raised to strike, a demanding God, a vengeful God. Under the pretext of recognizing our unworthiness, Jansenism diabolically led souls away from Jesus.
Thus, no longer willing to endure this heresy, Jesus appeared to St. Margaret Mary at Paray-le-Monial and through her gave His Heart to the world. ‘Here is the Heart which loved men so much that it spared nothing, to the point of being emptied and consumed, to give them proof of that love.’ Before Paray-le-Monial, Jesus could think, ‘I have given them everything. I have given them my sweat and fatigue on the roads of Palestine; I have given them all my Blood on Calvary; I have given them the gift of my beloved Mother; I have given myself in the Eucharist. What more can I do that they may believe in my love? I know: I shall give them my Heart; I shall give them the source of all these follies of my love…”
This is beautiful and true: Jesus, the Lover of our souls, relentlessly pursues us. He will do anything to prove just how much He loves us, including giving us His very Heart. His Heart is shown to us as being literally on fire with His love for mankind.
How can we then say that there is anything arbitrary or capricious about His love? How can we doubt the famous words of John, that “God so love the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”?
* * *
I don’t remember when I first started to be attracted to the Sacred Heart, or even when I first read about it. By no later than the Summer of 2010 (still a ways away from becoming a Catholic myself), I would occasionally light a candle in front of a depiction of the Sacred Heart in Catholic Churches. But slowly and ever so surely, I fell in love with the Sacred Heart. I began to stop and admire every picture I saw of it. I would smile to myself every time I heard a school or parish mentioned that was named “Sacred Heart”. I began to treasure prayers written to the Sacred Heart and incorporate them into my devotional life. I even went so far as to get a rather large tattoo of the Sacred Heart (and yes, my wife approved of it beforehand…). Before I fully realized the depths of what it meant, the Sacred Heart had lovingly barged its way into the very center of my relationship with God. I began to realize, through being drawn to the Sacred Heart, that I wanted to believe, once again, what I had known with such confidence as a little boy: that I can know without a doubt that Jesus loves me.
Slowly but surely, Jesus’ Heart changed my heart.
I can’t say that I always believe in His love for me. I can’t say that the old doubts and fears don’t sometimes creep back in. But I can say this: His love for me is more real to me now than it has ever been. His presence is sweet to me now, where before it had grown bitter. Each time I come forward to receive the Eucharist now, I come forward to meet my truest Friend. Confident that my God loves me enough to give me His very heart, I once again believe that I can trust Him with mine.
* * *
To all of my friends who still carry unmended holes in their hearts:
“To whom can I turn if not to You, Whose Heart is the source of all graces and merits? Where should I seek if not in the treasure which contains all the riches of Your kindness and mercy? Where should I knock if not at the door through which God gives Himself to us and through which we go to God? I have recourse to You, Heart of Jesus. In You I find consolation when afflicted, protection when persecuted, strength when burdened with trials, and light in doubt and darkness.”
– From a Novena to the Sacred Heart
The Internet Monk Archives 
I believe what you published was very logical.
However, what about this? what if you added a little content?
I ain’t suggesting your information is not solid., however what if you added a title to maybe get a person’s attention?
I mean Ryan McLaughlin: How the Sacred Heart Healed Me from Sovereign Grace Ministries | internetmonk.com is a little plain. You could peek at Yahoo’s front page and watch how they write news titles to get people to click. You might try adding a video or a pic or two to grab people excited about everything’ve written.
In my opinion, it could make your blog a little livelier.
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Hey ATC,
Thanks so much for the comment. As I mentioned above, I really do appreciate your brotherly affection and concern. I sent you an email; hope to hear from you soon!
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we used to sit in circles in ‘accountability groups’ and confess to each other, in graphic detail, every sin we could recall. We also confronted each other with sins we perceived in that person’s life, and a guy unwilling to see how he was sinning (according to his brothers in the Lord) was quickly labelled as ‘prideful’.”
Lot. Its Job’s friends persecuting Job all over again. “You’re a dirty sinner, Job; just admit it!” “No I’m not; I don’t know why this is happening to me; but that isn’t it.” “Oh, you’re just prideful!” Lol.
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Hi Ryan,
In genuine Christian love – may you find the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ WHEREVER you are.
But, I am a little sad. I was raised in a Roman Catholic family and was never told the gospel. I was never told I needed to be born again and ask Jesus Christ to come into my heart and that I could have a real relationship with him. (I know terms like ‘ask Jesus into your heart’ are just labels, but you’ll know what I mean.)
My family are not saved. But they go to Mass and confess their sins to a priest and make sure they take Communion.
I was saved aged 19 whilst backpacking in Australia, went back to the RC Church (Our Lady Of Perpetual Succour) but had the Holy Spirit in me. Why weren’t all these Catholics reading their Bibles? Why didn’t they talk to me at Mass but drive in, say the liturgy, and drive off home? Why didn’t my family tell me about how to actually KNOW and experience the power and grace and love of Jesus?
Because they weren’t real Christians.
What’s the point of my post? Well, my friend, as I said at the start – ‘May you find the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ WHEREVER you are.’ But I hope you realise that many Roman Catholics believe their good works and Roman Catholicism makes them Christians. I don’t believe this is true.
I hope I don’t sound belligerent. May God bless you.
Years ago, amongst my reading, I read ‘Salvation: The Bible And Roman Catholicism’ by William Webster. I’d be interested to hear your views if you ever read it and I’ll leave my personal email below.
I’m not saying you’re not a real Christian, brother!! I appreciate your honesty and hope you don’t think I’m trolling you in an insensitive way. I came to your story through SGM Refuge. Like yourself, I have been lorded over, stomped upon, lied about and shunned by ‘leaders’ and ‘friends’ in the evangelical Church. It took several years to get over but we got there. May Jesus continue to show you His extraordinary love for you.
In Christ,
ATC, Bristol, UK.
Email: allanclare@gmail.com
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Correction: I have “The Cross Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel The Main Thing” by CJ Mahaney.
Keeping the Gospel the main thing…
Sovereign Grace…
Gospel-Driven Church…
It all looks the same – just different shades of lipstick on the pig?
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Predestination to sin and hell is where I see Calvinism going wrong especially:
I believe God extends the rope of His grace to all who are in danger of the abyss . . . and that, if they do not take the rope, then it is because they have not chosen life.
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I just don’t get it. I have a copy of Mahaney’s “Living the Cross-Centered Life” right there on my bookshelf. It’s a great book. Was it just a fluke? Perhaps a diversion/red herring? Or can one start on the right path but by fractions of a degree gradually drift off-course into error?
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Lol, Calvinism only fails the logic test if you start with the presupposition that God is not the author of evil. If you’re willing to lay that aside, you’ll find that they’re remarkably consistent. I left that viewpoint not for a lack of internal consistency, but because they emphasized the sovereignty of God to the exclusion of his other, more important attributes. I still believe a God who is not sovereign is not God. But as a Lutheran, the doctrine of election is understood purely as good news and assurance for the elect. The reformed teach the doctrine of election as a condemning law.
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I can understand the allure. I had a brief fascination with them when I was going through my reformed cage-phase. But I was ignorant of all the issues. A friend of mine googled them and found some dirt, and I remember thinking, nah, he’s got the wrong group. Of course, I had no idea who CJ was, I just liked their music. Bob Kaufflin does some good work, though I hear he hasn’t really kept his hands too clean in the political situation. He’s a company guy, I guess. In hindsight, some of the advice I followed from his book (WorshipMatters) genuinely screwed me over. I cooked my own goose by listening to his model of pastor-musician relationships: He’s always right, you’re always wrong. You think I wouldn’t have fallen for the Moses model again.
But anyways, when somebody teaches you a lot and helps you a ton in your faith journey, you become rightfully slow to accept strange sounding accusations against them. That is a good thing: pastor’s should not be thrown under the bus for every rumor that comes along. However, in the case of SGM, there is no rumor, the facts have been established for all to read about. At this point, it becomes living in denial. The only reason I can imagine for this is that a person is selfishly more interested in what they are getting from their celebrities than they are in the good of their victims. The unrepentant sin in their leaders is pure hypocrisy, and anybody who does not confront that for what it is has no interest in truth.
I mean, nobody can choose to align themselves with a perfect organization that has no problems. However, leadership integrity is crucial. There are plenty of leaders with integrity out there worthy of being supported, and when you opt to follow a charlatan instead, you are robbing the good guys of the support they deserve.
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Hi Ryan,
So glad to read how God saved you. He did something very similar for me, back in the 90s when I was a member of the lead PDI/SGM church. The Holy Spirit led me into an encounter with what, at that time, was called The Father’s Heart – an experience of powerful, fatherly love that I never knew was possible. Within a couple of years, the Spirit led me to a much deeper encounter with Jesus than I’d ever had before.
None of my PDI pastors wanted to talk with me about my experiences – they didn’t even show any interest. I learned later they behaved that way, because CJ Mahaney was in the process of shutting-down the Spirit-led renewal taking place in PDI churches.
During that time, my friends were some fellow-travelers online, and writers like Teresa of Avila, Thomas Dubay, and others (Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant) who had encountered the Lord deep within their hearts. They helped me understand that my Good Shepherd was healing me of the orphaned, neglected condition I’d experienced for years in my PDI church – filling me with the love Jesus died to give me, and turning me away from idolatrous worship of men.
I left that congregation within a few years, led by my Shepherd’s voice. While I didn’t follow your path, I’ve found others who have experienced the equivalent of what you and I have. Jesus truly has many sheep-folds. May he continue to bless your walk with him and make you a minister of peace and reconciliation as you encounter other bruised, wounded sheep.
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Penn State covered it up with Football-talk.
SGM covers it up with God-talk.
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You get a lot more Tithe$ that way.
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the whole ‘total depravity’ thing falls apart for me with just one ‘Hail Mary, full of grace . . . ‘
honestly, the way TULIP works is that in order to shore up one part of it, they had to invent another part of it, and the smugness of the ‘in-crowd’ is from a well-spring of pride, not grace, I’m afraid.
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if there’s a ‘last rites request logo’ tatoo, someone else has already seen the practicality of this 🙂
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“Or so I’d wager.”
Made me grin.
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First sermon in Five Years that wasn’t a beatdown. And it was at another church.
Everybody think about that.
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And so the Reformation Wars continue, 364 years after the Treaty of Westphalia.
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You know who’s opinion I would appreciate…I’d be fascinated to know what Michael Spencer would have said. If you go into the archieves he has good things to say about SGM. But this was before all the information, blogs, write up in the Washington Post about it being a cult like organization became public. I wonder what Michael would say today.
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Notmetoday,
I’m so glad the post moved you. My heart breaks for you, because I’ve been exactly where you are now. All I can say is that, when religious language fails, the only place to turn is His loving embrace. My prayers are with you.
I know that for me, personally, in addition to meditating on the Sacred Heart, I feel His loving presence very powerfully when I go to Eucharistic Adoration. If there’s an Adoration chapel near you, or a parish that has times for Adoration, it’s a wonderful time to just bask in Jesus’ presence… no denominational commitment required 🙂
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Miguel…I can’t figure it out. I don’t understand why people even respect SGM. With blogs like SGM Survivors, Refuge, etc.. floating around I would think that would be an omen about this organization.
I’ve actually talked with a lot of guys about faith and theology. One guy actually attends a SGM Church. If I had known what he was involved with I would not have sought out the faith converations. Oh well…it’s water over a dam. Anyhow, he defends it, calls it “the local church.” And I see nothing local about a cult like organization. Early on he pressed me to go, I refused. When I read all the bad information, and horror stories online why can’t we just say that CJ Mahaeny is the Freddie Kougar of reformed theology?
But what I tried to impress on my friend which I could not get across is this. You say you care about the gospel and faith, and yet you CHOOSE to align yourself with an organziation that screwed up the gospel and wounds people. And still you want me to attend church in such a place? Especially after Mormonism and being burned by fundagelicalism? What you take me for a fool? When I see what my friend has chosen to align himself with I would say that he’s not motivated by the gospel, instead he wants to be in a club. And SGM is a country club for the white, upper middle class, and rich. Look at their church plants. Have they ever done one in an inner city? Nope…for the most part they stick to white, affluent neighborhoods.
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True..is there a difference? After all that has taken place with both CJ Mahaney and the details of how he blackmailed and extorted Larry Tomczak using his son’s information I think he would make a great cell mate with Jerry Sandusky! 😛
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Yes, I understand that Jansenism had a similar interpretation of Augustinianism to the Reformers. What I’m saying is, I don’t understand why, given the pastoral behavior and spiritual practices of the Jansenists (not to mention their other theological beliefs), present-day Calvinists or Lutherans would be so eager to point out that similarity. Same thing with the uncritical take on the Puritans that many Calvinists have today.
To relate this to a comment Miguel made above re: SGM, I think there can be a tendency on the part of some Reformed folk to overlook poor behavior when there’s substantive doctrinal agreement. As a Catholic, I’m obviously glad when people agree with me on doctrinal issues, but that doesn’t keep me from acknowledging that there are bishops who need a good kick in the pants, or that there have been popes that sucked, etc.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, we know that wheat and tares grow up beside each other, and I think it does no one any good to assume the “wheatiness” of someone based on doctrinal agreement alone.
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Wait are we talking about Penn State or SGM? I get them two mixed up.
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SGM has pretty much added themselves to the “Boo! Hiss!” list of the world due to internal corruption. Even Josh Harris admitted his denomination was receiving a well deserved spanking in the public square. They only get a free pass from other Neo-Calvinists because they’re part of the empire.
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For those of you reading this blog…..it is very true as to what Ryan’s endless nights were. I have been around Ryan for a long time and attest to the ‘bottom’ falling out from beneath you when you had to take a stand, for what you believe God is communicating to you. We watched it together. Some people wondered why I stayed in SGM way too long… my friend Ryan is a perfect example. If I could get one more soul to just listen, see, and ask questions, maybe, just maybe they will continue on in their lives post SGM, become a great man of God, and right a awesome blog piece. I also may want to point out how truly amazingly delightful (is that too many adjectives?) this post is…..I WANT everyone to notice how Ryan just briefly detailed what happen in the past, but richly gave us the description of how Sacred Heart save him. It is a true litmus test to the changed work in Ryan’s heart to be more focused on what God is doing in his life today, than what happen in the past. God be glorified.
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Miguel,
I’m well aware of the difference between the Infra’s and Supra’s… To me it’s like asking a person if they’d rather get food poisoning by eating bad shrimp or an undercooked hamburger. Both of them fail at some pretty basic logical tests. Personally, I must admit I just have a hard time respecting them as theological and philosophical positions. I know there are fine Christians who identify as such, but, man, as systematic theologies, I have little time for them.
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Notme…
When trust is burned it takes time to rebuild – if ever. Each person is different and each has their own story.
I got fried by reformed theology, which is basically Fundamentalism 2.0. If I could give advice based on my journey it’s this.
1. Take your time.
2. Heal at your own pace.
3. Remember that you are not alone in this dark process.
4. Be careful who you talk to and who you open up to. Most will not understand what it’s like to go through a faith crisis.
5. Be skeptical…test it. Chew on it, and allow that to be your guide. This is important because it will allow you to know who you can read and what you can trust. Most Christians won’t have the patience for individuals like us. But those that do..are the gems to hold on to.
6. Realize you may be angry, confused, etc… This is natural after dealing with highly suspect theological systems, or cult like organizations.
In my life I dealt with Mormonism, and I’ve dealt with fundagelicalism. It takes time to get it out of your system. And it’s painful. I’ve lost friends, relationships, and since I largely staked a career on “God’s will” I’m trying to figure out how to get back on track into something I want to do. But I’ve been making progress which for me is encouraging.
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I think of all the posts I’ve ever read here at IM, this is the one that’s hit closest at my heart. It makes me feel wobbly just to contemplate. Which is why I’m writng a day later.
I am one of those (some say hypothetical) people that Calvinism (or rather the picture of probably the hyper-Calvinist God, thought I’m not much keen on the picture in any Calvinism) has taken to the brink of self-harm; it certainly was the major factor in the breakdown I had during & after my Mother’s death from cancer in 2010. I felt scalded, haunted & terrified by their pictures of God’s heart. I felt/feel that most of humanity is left needing a saviour from this God, an horrific place to be. Where do you run to to hide from God? I often wonder if I am predestined for less then salvation, & that’s why I don’t get the warm feelings from God.
I would love to believe that the heart of Christ is as you describe it. But one of the things I lost on the way was my trust in religious language…some say God is this way, some say that…& I just end up feeling that language is too frail to bear the weight of infinity & eternity. I’m reading Christian Smith’s The BIble Made Impossible because the Pervasive Interpretational Pluralism is exactly what goes on, not only in the church, but in my head.
But where to from here?…I would love to be where you’ve ended up (not necessarily Catholic although I am a cradle baptised & confirmed Catholic, these last 25 years in the Prtoestant Evangelical Church), but sure that God is love, & that he loves all. What a place to be. I really envy you.
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What…you think a “ministry” that is grown by blackmail and extortion is heathy? Or one that covers up child abuse is healthy? Come on!
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So Sovereign Grace Ministries is now added to the iMonastery ‘Boo! Hiss!’ list. Have I got that right?
(No, before you ask, I am not SGM or even affiliated)
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Ryan M.
Considering all the persecutions the Jansenists had to endure from the Roman See, I think someone else should be criticized in this story. Besides, I have never read a satisfying answer to Pascal’s challenges to the Jesuits…
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Nice! It’s not that pricey, if you’re in the right state. I live in Taxachusetts, where we pay *way * too much for everything, so I usually get my work done when I go home to visit family in FL. From personal experience, you can get a really nice Sacred Heart tattoo/”Last Rites Request Logo” for about $150 plus tip.
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Ok, let me try to clear up some of this Calvinism confusion. There are two types of Calvinists: Infralapsarian, and Supralapsarian. The Supras, aka hyper-Calvinists, say that in the order of decrees, God first, before all eternity, decides to create some vessels for glorification, and others for eternal damnation. Then he creates the universe and decides to allow the fall as His instrument of damnation coming to the reprobate, and the Cross is his instrumentation of salvation for the elect. The infralapsarians, however, reverse the order. They say that first God creates the universe, then he decrees to allow the fall to happen. At this point, all humanity stands condemned to hell eternally, so lastly he decrees to send Jesus to die in order to save the elect. The vast majority of Calvinists are infralapsarian, aka “classic Calvinism.” This is generally the position of those who whole to the Westminster standards or the Three Forms of Unity.
You are right on about your painting metaphor. The dominate theological lens for Calvinists is the Sovereignty of God, and the go through God the Father in order to get to Christ. Lutherans, on the other hand, hold that the suffering of Christ is the dominant theological lens, and we go through Christ to get to God the Father.
The Calvinist’s favorite Bible verse? John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He sent His Son to die for the elect.” Check it; trust me, it’s in there! 😛
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Eagle,
“Reformed industrial complex”… nice, I may have to borrow that phrase from you 🙂
I had someone on my blog earlier today ask me if I could summarize what SGM is/what its issues are. I thought I might re-post my response here, in case it’s helpful to anyone coming into this discussion:
” Hmm, there’s no real easy or quick way to describe what SGM is or what it’s problems are… but I’ll take a shot 🙂 Basically, they began during the Jesus movement as a group of charismatic churches called “PDI.” Another “non-denominational” denomination, if you will. At some point in the late 80s or early 90s (my memory is failing me on the exact timeline of it all), a few of the movement’s leaders became heavily influenced by Reformed theology. By the late 90s, they had developed into what was, at the time, a rather unique animal: a Reformed charismatic denomination. They were (and still are) under the leadership of C.J. Mahaney, who has slowly but surely built fairly strong alliances with a lot of the “major players” in the Reformed world, such as Al Mohler, Mark Dever, John Piper, etc.
From the beginning, there were problems with authoritarian leadership. Many pastors were very into the now-infamous and discredited “Shepherding movement” (that’s a Wikipedia rabbit hole you don’t want to go down unless you have a few hours to kill…). That problem significantly increased when the movement aligned itself completely in the Reformed world: there were several leaders who, because they were hesitant about Calvinism, were run out of PDI in rather ugly ways (Wikipedia rabbit hole #2: Larry Tomczack). Added to authoritarianism was legalism: Joshua Harris, author of the infamous “I Kissed Dating Goodbye”, moved across the country to live with Mahaney and be mentored by him. From that point on, people who didn’t “court” rather than date in PDI churches were ostracized, or even subject to confrontation for “sin.” From those two problems, a just-beneath-the-surface culture of control, manipulation, sycophantic relationships with pastors, and spiritual abuse developed.
I came into the movement in 2002, my senior of high school, and right before they changed their name to Sovereign Grace Ministries. I obviously didn’t know a lot of this: I had grown up charismatic, but had been reading some Reformed theology courtesy of a Presbyterian friend, so when I heard (through a school friend) that there was a church only 20 minutes from my house that was BOTH, well, I jumped into the deep end.
Slowly but surely, some serious, serious spiritual abuse in the movement came to light (rabbit holes #3 & #4: sgmsurvivors.com and sgmrefuge.com). This was no ordinary denominational politics or pastors on power-trips: people’s lives were ruined.
At the moment, *some* of this has caught the attention of the larger Christian world, due to a former SGM “apostle” named Brent Detwiler. Detwiler carefully documented several years of lies, deceit, and corruption on the part of Mahaney, and emailed it to every SGM pastor. One of them subsequently released it to the internet in a “wikileaks” style drop.
Mahaney took a leave of absence, but was restored to control of the movement after a widely-criticized “external review” of the organization. At the moment, they are headed for a denominational split, as several churches–including the largest church, founded and pastored by Mahaney himself for 25 years, now run by Josh Harris– have wizened up and are demanding change that isn’t coming…”
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I had no idea tattoos could be so practical.
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That should have been a ‘doesn’t equal’ sign, not a question mark. Doesn’t seem to have computed.
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infallibility ? impeccability
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fisher humphreys and paul robertson wrote a book for baptists
on calvinism to address this issue.
http://fisherhumphreys.com/books.html
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Jansenism is an ally to Luther and Calvin because it elevates grace over free will as a cause in salvation.
It shouldn’t be hard to see how giving a central role for free will leads to despair (as many Baptists demonstrate by their numerous re-baptisms and repeated answers to altar calls and the Jesus prayer).
Thomism and Augustinianism also give grace the more central role, so in one sense, Jansen, Calvin, Luther, Thomas, and Augustine all line up as giving Christ’s grace at least the first causal role in a person’s salvation. A free will moved by Christ is still called “free” according to Aquinas. Luther looks at that and says that can’t be called free at all; a will that can only come to Christ if moved by the Spirit is entirely bound. This has the pastoral bonus of forcing people to look to Christ, instead of within themselves and their own desire (which is never good). In the end, I don’t see how these views are different, except in terminology and pastoral effect. Eitther way, the will can’t move itself to Christ.
But, this isn’t so with Molinism, which makes it by far the greater innovation, as it is essentially Pelagian, as Banez explained.
Of course, this can’t be adequately addressed in a blog comment, but its perfectly understandable why protestants would sympathize with the Jansenist doctrine. The movement encompassed far more, and there are aspects to it that were problmeatic, as with every movement, including Lutheranism.
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Most of us math majors are more familiar with Pascal’s probability prowess than with any of his Jansenist tendencies.
Or so I’d wager.
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Ryan, I’ve just started the first volume, and I’m amazed. I’m about 40 pages into it so far, and with the exception of one barely noticeable sentence about baptism, I could give this book to one of the fundamentalist Baptists (like I grew up) and he wouldn’t bat an eye. This book, so far, is great!
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Eagle,
Thanks so much for the kind words. I’ve read your comments, both here and over at TWW, and find what you have to say equally interesting.
You know what’s sad about people at the “bottom of totem pole”? In my experience, most of them have no idea that they’re down there. They’ve become so used to spiritual abuse, so used to being controlled and beaten down, that they literally don’t realize what’s happening to them. We see them from the outside and mourn for them, but they can’t even fathom that their “leaders” are actually treating them that way.
One Sunday, when I was on the verge of leaving SGM, I visited my parents church. I honestly can’t even remember what the sermon topic was–I think it may have been out of the Sermon on the Mount– but the thought came to me at the end, “you know, that’s the first time in about five years that I’ve heard a sermon that wasn’t about what a wretched sinner I am.” And that had never, in all of my years in SGM, occurred to me before, because that’s just “business as usual” when you’re in that environment! I sat in the pew and wept for about 10 solid minutes afterwards…
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It was actually a Bible study expereince in a Catholic church that led me to open my eyes about Mormonism. This was in 1996.
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I really do not know if churches like SGM really have an interest in worshipping God. My hunch tells me they are more interested in controling people. That and they sold their soul to the “reformed industrial complex”
I vaguly heard of SGM in Wisconsin but I didn’t connect the dots until I came out here to DC. And what I heard was praise for Josh Harris on courtship in Campus Crusade. Though it may backfire the thought of one trying to be “pure” in dating made it okay. Again this is when I drank the kool-aide and ingested it through a cathetor. One of the guys who I speak to out here in the Washington, D.C. attends a SGM church. I didn’t know much about it and then he started pressuring me to attend. So I started to research it and I was horrified at what I found.
1. All the SGM survivor blogs.
2. Cover up of sexual abuse
3. Shunning and strict accountability groups. (I am not going back to that….)
4. Becoming “stepford wives” with women becoming baby factories…
5. CJ Mahaney’s blackmail of Larry Tomczak
6. The hypocrisy of SGM leadership.
So I agreed to attend one service here in the DC area. It will definetly be my last as I regard SGM as being a cult like organziation. It definelty validates and makes atheism healthy in my book. Some of what I saw in the service I attended and what I read about on line reminded me of what I encounterd in Mormonism. And I sitll talk to my friend however, I feel like the SGM has strained the relationship. And other times I feel like I am talking to a Mormon when I speak to him.
I mean even the pastor where my friend attends is discussed online in the survivor blogs. Unbelievable. I told my freind recentyl that he would make a fine Mormon. Unquestioning, blind faith, accept authority, and look the other way in the process. I don’t know why some would buy into such a system.
But if you want to read of my one service I attended… here’s the link.
http://thewartburgwatch.com/2012/04/07/echurchwartburg-4-8-12/
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The Irish church was only Jansenist in that it was stricly moralistic, and Jansenism became a derogatory word for Catholics that were overly moralistic. I don’t think there were many, if any, Jansenists in Ireland.
Also, I have to tweak Catholics who criticize others for being “too confident in their own impeccability,” when it was Rome’s thousand years of persecuting those who disagreed with Rome (Waldensians, Hussites, Lutherans, Zwinglians, Calvinists, Huegonots, Jansenists, etc.), and it was only Luther’s stubborn avoidance of being burned like Hus that led to the Reformation, and longstanding distrust of claims of papal infalibility. Nice to see Catholics in this country coming around to appreciate the protection of conscience against government interference. *tweak tweak*
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Ryan-
I’ve read a couple of your posts on Wartburg. And find what you have to say interesting. I actually read on the one of the Sovereign Grace Survivor blogs how others that come out of “The Iron Curtin” go toward Lutheranism, Catholicism, or Methodism.
I find that interesting.
I also find it interesting how some people have their “a-ha” and how they leave a cult like movement. What gets me livid is how SGM will hold people at the bottom of the totem pole to standards that the leadership itself will not follow.
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I’m older than you, and when I heard about that tatoo, I thought ‘what a good idea’. Reason: I’m the sort of well-meaning slightly distracted person who could walk into the street without properly looking and get hit by a bus. It could happen. If the paramedics saw a Sacred Heart tatoo, they would know to call a priest.
I wonder how much it would cost to get one?
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Thanks, Pastor Brendan, but I’m not offended by Steve’s comments. I much prefer the kinda person who, if he thinks I’m drowning, will try to throw me a life jacket, than one who will just tell me it’ll all be alright.
Besides, even if they were intended to be passive-aggressive, it’d take a lot more than that to get my goat… you see, when you leave Evangelicalism for the Catholic Church, you get accused of apostasy and listening to the lies of Satan fairly frequently, so anything less than that just kinda rolls off my back 😉
Steve, can I make a book recommendation? If you have the chance, Pope Benedict’s two-volume “Jesus of Nazareth” is astoundingly good. And if that doesn’t convince of the christocentricity of Catholic theology, then nothing will 🙂
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Andy, I think you’d find the following websites helpful:
http://socrates58.blogspot.com/
http://www.calledtocommunion.com/
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I find it interesting that many have placed Baptists in the Calvinist camp. Calvinism is not one of the Baptist traditions, unless you look to Reformed Baptist (only about 16,000 in the US). The Southern Baptist Convention is very much split on the issue, despite what John Piper may say. Long ago when I had to take Baptist history and traditions at a Conservative Baptist College the professor was free grace. My older brother graduated from an Independent Baptist Bible College and was taught Calvinism. My take is that Baptists are still split on the issue with Calvinism in the minority and losing ground.
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and from their reading they land on tradition having equal weight with scripture? the veneration of mary and the saints? a celibate clergy? plenary indulgences? limbo? the bodily assumption of mary?
It’s fine if you hold that your reading of the church is informed and directed by church tradition, but the roots of the reformation came from people reading the bible for themselves and observing church tradition at odds with the text.
The council of Trent even anathamatised reading and interpreting the text contrary to the received interpretation from the mother church.
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Fate. Now there’s a word I rarely hear Christians utter.
We go from a fate without God where we are certain to fail on our own efforts, to a fate with God where we are uncertain that we are chosen. I think there is more comfort in the certainty of failure than in the uncertainty of rumors of grace.
I don’t think Christianity tries to remove fate, or any force of non-being. I believe Christianity teaches that only One was able to confront our fate on our behalf and overcome it, and that was Jesus. Because Jesus conquered death, no fate can harm us permanently. I think this is the essence of Romans chapter 8 – not that God only allows good things to happen to his chosen few. I also think this why Luther embraced the cross when confronted with predestination. Nothing can separate us from the love of God – not even predestination.
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PB are you being serious? Sorry, couldn’t tell. Steve seemed pretty straightforward and right on the money.
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You know, it’s funny, I just got home from Bible study at my parish… you should come visit us sometime and “challenge” the little old Catholic ladies there to read the Bible for themselves. They’d give you some odd looks, then reassure you that they’ve been reading it for themselves, every day, for many, many decades now. Then they’d add that they hear at least three Scripture passages read aloud at Mass every single day of the week.
If you’re lucky, you’ll get a little pat on the shoulder and the promise of a “Hail Mary” said on your behalf…
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It sounds like a wonderful chapter in your life is about to unfold. Enjoy…and God bless!
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I’m reminding him (as well as myself), and anyone with ears to hear, that Jesus Christ has done all that is needful for them. No lists to accomplish. No amount of earnestness to muster up.
Those that have ears to hear used to call that Good News.
But I do realize that there are a great many for whom that is still not enough.
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Because a TULIP hammer is all they have?
Again, “When all you have is a hammer…” plus the one-upmanship desperation game of Proving I’m one of The Elect.
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I’d say christadelphians were heretics on multiple fronts.
Denial of the trinity, denial of the eternal existence of Jesus.
http://www.christadelphian.org.uk/wcb/notrinit.html
http://carm.org/what-do-christadelphians-teach
My parents came out of catholicism, a religion they loved and followed wholeheartedly. It was when they were challenged to read the bible for themselves that they found church dogma was at odds with the bible on many fronts, and decided they would rather trust the scriptures than church tradition.
That some groups go to extremes does not disprove the biblical theology of the doctrines of grace. you can arrive at it with only a bible and without ever hearing of calvin or any of the reformers.
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My writing partner has related to me his run-ins with Hyper-Calvinists. (Usually Young, Restless, and TRULY Reformed; he has commented that most of the hard-core Hyper-Calvinists are in their twenties.) He has run into Truly Reformed who claim that even God is subject to Predestination, and can only do what He hath been Predestined to do. That God is but another puppet, and Utter Predestination is pulling the strings. Beyond In’shal’lah.
He calls this “Socratic Atheism”. For if God is but a puppet of Utter Predestination, then God is not God, Predestination is. And instead of God, we should then worship blind Fate. Eh, Kismet…
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Your confirmation of being “pro-ryan” is still written in a passive-aggressive tone. It’s like a Jesus-juke but more of a theology-juke.
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I see your point.
If I had to choose one or the other I would choose Rome, as well.
I’d rather eat the body and drink the blood of Christ with the Pope, than to just raise a toast with the Baptist/Calvinist/Arminian/non-denom..
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Thanks, Ryan! That has been on my reading wish list for quite a while.
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Right.
Pro-gospel. Which means pro-sinner. Which means pro-Ryan (and the rest of us).
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Steve, I agree with you 100%, but some inconsistencies are more likely to be felicitous than others. I’d take Catholic mysticism (when it focuses on Christ’s work) over doctrinaire Calvinism, which starts (and ends) with pondering the impenetrable, hidden will of God.
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boaz,
The point is that either Christ did everything for us on that cross, and it really “is finished”…or He didn’t.
If that death and the accompanying forgiveness was not enough, then ascending the spiritual ladder would be warranted.
But He did accomplish everything for us. He is a real God who doesn’t need our help.
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yup. thee Cal Poly, SLO. i earned my BS in OrnHort there 30 years ago (’79-’82). will be going back to pursue my MS in AgBus with a wine marketing emphasis.
attended a newly formed Vineyard there during my 1st stint @ Cal Poly. actually, i will be enjoying a reunion of those original church pastors/attendees the last weekend of October.
there is no shortage of churches in the SLO/Morro Bay/Cayucos/Paso Robles area. churches of every faith expression & stripe.
this most recent life adventure a dream of mine for the past 12 years. it took the convergence of negative life events to bring about this unique opportunity. as with all the perplexing things we deal with as Christians, i do believe God has bestowed His blessings in the midst of some very painful changes…
blessings…
~Joseph
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Oxymoron alert!
Seriously, though, I’ve heard all the excuses, and none of them make any sense. If God is damning someone because He foreknows their actions, then that’s essentially saying that God is being caused to do something.
For me the argument isn’t about fairness, really. It’s about refusing to let people paint a picture of God that is anything else than the crucified and risen Christ.
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If you follow Wartburg Watch, SGM has burned a lot of people.
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Which is also a great antidote to the “You Must Do GREAT Things for God! Or Else!” attitude that was covered on this blog a while back.
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“Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend”?
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Phil,
Most sane Calvinists don’t say that God “decrees a large percentage of His creation to hell from the get-go,” i.e for no reason at all. Rather, those who go to hell go there because of their sinfulness. In God’s sovereign grace he elects to save som from that fate.
Of course, that does not seem fair to us; Calvinists would respond that it is really not our place to judge God’s fairness — if He were subject to our judgment, He would be on our level or even below us, but in fact he is inestimably far above us and not subject to our judgments.
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“What’s a poor boy to do?”
I highly, highly recommend the “Little Way” of St. Therese of Lisieux for that one!
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Thanks, Miguel. I’ll say this: I’m baffled that any protestant would want to claim the Jansenists as allies. That goes doubly for someone like Paul Zahl, who seems to me to be very focused on grace and the Lutheran idea of a strong law/gospel distinction. But then, I’m always surprised when Calvinist folk tout the Puritans, many of whom had practices remarkable similar in some respects to the Jansenists (e.g., cross reference a Puritan minister deciding which of his members has lived a holy enough life to take communion and a Jansenist priest denying absolution to a penitent for weeks on end to test whether the confession was genuine), but Calvinists do it all the time.
That’s an interesting thought re: Calvinist soteriology being untempered by Presbyterian ecclesiology in Baptist/non-denom. circles. I probably don’t know a wide enough cross-sample of Presbyterians to comment, but I will say that the half-dozen or so Presbys I’ve had as friends over the years were very gracious, loving people.
On the whole, I’m much more sympathetic to the Lutheran reformation than to the Calvinist one. My take on Luther, as a Catholic, is that it seems to me that God was raising him up to be another St. Francis or St. Dominic–that is, someone who was to bring about reform and revival *within* the Catholic Church (as Luther himself originally set out to do). Unfortunately, sin on both sides got in the way of that, and, well, here we are.
I’m encouraged, though, because I think there’s a lot of excellent dialogue going on between Lutherans and Catholics… For instance, have you seen the Lutheran/Catholic “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification” from a few years back? A relevant quote: “The present Joint Declaration has this intention: namely, to show that on the basis of their dialogue the subscribing Lutheran churches and the Roman Catholic Church are now able to articulate a common understanding of our justification by God’s grace through faith in Christ. It does not cover all that either church teaches about justification; it does encompass a consensus on basic truths of the doctrine of justification and shows that the remaining differences in its explication are no longer the occasion for doctrinal condemnations.” (Source: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_31101999_cath-luth-joint-declaration_en.html)
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Presbyterians seem generally more content to leave the whole concept of election in the realm of mystery. It generally has not been foundational in their theology in the same way as it has been in other Reformed churches.
But worry about whether or not you were one of the elect is nothing new. It was practically the national pastime in the American colonies. There are sorts of accounts of such thoughts leading people to suicide, Jonathan Edwards’ uncle being one of them.
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Wretched urgency is equally promoted from non-Calvinistic, Pelagian-leaning groups. Both extremes seem to the same end-result: despair. Hyper-Calvinists, because election has to be proven by good works; Pelagians, because salvation needs to be earned by their good works. What is a poor boy to do?
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But there’s a lot more Jesus in catholic spirituality than sterile reformed churches, which emphasize the heresies that Rome has minimized over the years, at least in practice.
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Cal Poly San Luis Obispo?
Love the Central Coast of CA. If you go to the Hearst Castle tell them I’ll be there in the Fall and to have my room ready.
Thanks.
Best of luck on your Masters. I hope you find another grace filled church in those neck o’ the woods.
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i actually found a spiritual oasis in my wilderness sojourn in the Presbyterian church adjacent to the CSU campus in the town i am soon to be leaving…
it was their emphasis on grace, God’s immense love & the manner which the gospel was presented that soothed my soul…
i volunteered in the church office during my bout of unemployment. enjoyed the office antics & seeing the staff actually living out their faith in very practical ways.
i am off to the Central Coast of California to pursue my Master’s Degree. i have contacted 2 churches there which i will visit. it’s all part of my spiritual journey & life adventure…
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Beautiful story, Ryan. I am a bit surprised, thought, to hear the Jansenists painted in such dark terms as the emissaries of Satan. I don’t know much about them, but the last I heard was a lecture by Paul Zahl, an episcopal minister, describing how it was a verification of the reformation by a group who tried to do it from within the Roman church. He had nothing but praise for them. I’m not saying which is right or wrong, I just happen to be a bit surprised to find such wide discrepancy between the Roman Catholic and Anglican view of that movement.
I keep hearing a ton about the despair that Calvinism leads people into. I think I’m fairly certain that this is a mostly Baptist distinctive. Traditions with no sacraments and virtually no ecclesiology tend to turn the TULIP into a club with which they pummel themselves to death. But REAL Calvinists, the Presbyterians, are a different breed altogether. Most Presbyterians I know hold the same reformed soteriology, yet are the most gracious protestants I know. Theirs is a peaceful tradition where I see much more authentic community. I don’t know if it’s because their ecclesiology makes it easier to see the church that you are a part of, or if it’s the practice of sacraments at all that, despite their theology, directs their focus back to finding their assurance in the objective Christ work on their behalf. But it just seems that every time I meet a Calvinism survivor, I see them running out the door of a trendy, generic evangelical church who had adopted TULIP soteriology without Reformation tradition. The two should not be separated. The hyper-pietism of “wretched urgency” nearly always found in these neo-reformed environments doesn’t help much either.
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This post touches one thing I have never heard anything near a satisfactory answer regarding the sorts of Calvinism we’re talking about here. Even if one somehow knows he is Elect (and you really can’t), how can you really consider a God who decrees a large percentage of His creation to hell from the get-go to be anything like loving. That sort of god is a monster. I understand some of the intellectual appeal of neo-Calvinism (although,I think it appeals to a sort of pseudo-intellectualism more than anything), but I think most people will have some sort of experience that makes them realize the untenable nature of this theology.
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Exactly. No assurance in either Evangelicalism, or Catholicism.
‘A lot of God and a little bit of me’. No assurance in that.
That’s why Luther called them “two wolves tied at the tail (the Catholics and the enthusiasts, or Anabaptists).
It’s the same basic theology. One has candles and vestments and the other does not.
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Definitely pro. He’s highlighting the commonalities between RC practice and Lutheran teaching. We really believe that Jesus gave all of himself for us and we can’t add anything to it. It’s that beautiful, simple, and good.
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Hi Tom, I’m aware of Pascal’s Jansenist beliefs. A very dear friend of mine is currently writing his dissertation on Pascal’s ethics in the context of early modernism (as a math major, I’m a lot more familiar with his contributions to probability…). I have a great deal of respect for Pascal, but with regards to Jansenism, I criticize it both for its failings as a theology (take, for instance, what I consider to be its misinterpretations of St. Augustine), and its harmful pastoral effects (see e.g. Martha’s comment above re: the Church in Ireland).
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And why would it be important or necessary for you to know or determine that?
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thanks, patty!
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I cannot tell if Steve’s comment is pro-Ryan or passive-aggressive anti-Ryan.
I literally cannot tell.
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I was also thinking how the author’s journey seemed to mirror Martin Luther’s own journey
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The ballance between Calvinism on the one hand and Charles Grandison Finney on the other hand is the same as it has been since the days of Paul (Saul of Tarsus). I Acts we are told that the Berean’s were more noble than the Thesalonians. The basis of that nobility came from their habit of listening attentively and then checking the teaching against the word of G-d. If more christians did that there would be a lot less heretical teaching making the rounds.
The problem is of course the one noted by G. K. Chesterton. “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.”
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I think the balance has a lot to do with practices in addition to good written theology: expressed theology in action counts for a lot. But if you want it in words, I can’t do better than and excerpt from St John Chrysostom’s paschal homily, especially as it is read aloud just after a long lent:
“If anyone has wearied himself in fasting, let him now receive his recompense.
If anyone has labored from the first hour, let him today receive his just reward. If anyone has come at the third hour, with thanksgiving let him keep the feast. If anyone has arrived at the sixth hour, let him have no misgivings; for he shall suffer no loss. If anyone has delayed until the ninth hour, let him draw near without hesitation. If anyone has arrived even at the eleventh hour, let him not fear on account of his delay. For the Master is gracious and receives the last, even as the first; he gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour, just as to him who has labored from the first. He has mercy upon the last and cares for the first; to the one he gives, and to the other he is gracious. He both honors the work and praises the intention.
Enter all of you, therefore, into the joy of our Lord, and, whether first or last, receive your reward. O rich and poor, one with another, dance for joy! O you ascetics and you negligent, celebrate the day! You that have fasted and you that have disregarded the fast, rejoice today! The table is rich-laden; feast royally, all of you! The calf is fatted; let no one go forth hungry!”
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this post so touched my heart. as someone who was catholic, then wandered in protestant evangelicalism for decades, being totally crushed by my experiences there and who has now come home to the catholic church—–ryan’s post totally resonated w/me. thank you, ryan, for such a beautiful, moving and truthful post. i hope you will write more….your writing impacts me and draws me closer to our Lord.
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Jansenists are given a bad name here. Just for the record, Pascal, unanimously considered as one of the greatest Christian minds was one of them. And, living in Catholic France, I can tell you that what’s left of Jansenism is much more attractive intellectually than the cheesy statues of Mary or the sandals-wearing liberal priests…
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***addendum***
after thinking about Ryan McLaughlin’s spiritual journey more, i think it probably represents a very common one many can relate to.
his implied spiritual deficiencies with SGM causing him to question key doctrines, the distance he felt from the God he loved as a little boy, the growing up raised in the traditions of his parents, etc. where all the same issues i had as a craddle Catholic. i think there is a limiting factor for any child raised in a spiritual tradition without the encouragement of those that should not feel threatened by the differences of the major Christian faith expressions.
i was my own faith expression investigator. i had the intellectual curiosity & interest in systematic theology to begin questioning the doctrines vs. how i related to the God i too loved & was very interactive with as a young boy. as i looked back on the lack of joy in my life as i went thru the motions of the religious tradition i was raised in, i discovered i had been given a burden that was never mine to shoulder (Luke 11:46).
i think the Ryan’s of the Christian faith recognize a key thing about how they are spiritually wired. he had a searching faith that was not content to accept the doctrinal strictures considered sacrosanct. he found out there was more to the divine connection he desired than the theological jit-and-tottle that had became an unintended substitute.
i too exited the tradition of my elders. and i also exited the ones i continued the searching in for that elusive connection i recognized & enjoyed as a child. i did rediscover it finally. outside the camps of all the faith expressions i had traversed thru. now i can actually enjoy that spiritual rest i longed for here in the wilderness…
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Thanks, Pattie! As far as being an “odd bunch” goes…good, then I fit right in 🙂
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Well said, Martha. “Pure as angels, proud as devils” indeed… among the more interesting reading I’ve found on this topic has been the history of St. Alphonsus and his response to the practices of the Jansenists in Confession. These Jansenist practices–denying absolution to penitents for weeks or months on end just to not make forgiveness too easy, discouraging frequent Communion (contra the Tridentine fathers, of course), etc.–were cruel and quite contrary to the Spirit of Jesus, IMHO. Alphonsus (now recognized as a doctor of the Church and patron saint of moral theologians) spent the vast majority of his intellectual life combating these cruelties and restoring grace to the Confession booth. Perhaps not coincidentally, St. Alphonsus and his Redemptorists were quite devoted to the Sacred Heart…
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“It’s legacy was wounded Christians who viewed God as a capricious, harsh task master whose love is arbitrary and whose ministers don’t know the meaning of the word “compassion.”
I think this is a good article to follow the recent discussions. If we start with a wrong view of God, everything that follows will be no better. If we view God’s “love” as a compulsive force thrust against our passive will – or that our will is inconsequential – it is no wonder that our concepts of human love look like domineering,unilateral acts of violence.
I actually am short on suggestions for balance. There once was a man who was greatly offended by Augustine’s passive views of faith in a sovereign God; his name was Pelagius. Where is the balance between hyper-Calvinism on one side and Charles Finney on the other?
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thanks for sharing this
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Like. +1…..
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Seeing as how the Jansenists were opposed to the Jesuits, I don’t know how much luck you’ll have with finding a Protestant group to declare them heretics. 🙂
Though for some, the mere fact that they were a variety within Roman Catholicism should be enough, no? Would you accept that the Donatists were heretics, or that they were merely reacting against the laxity of the official church? Would any Protestant group – to your satisfaction – call any other group heretics, say, would anyone call the Christadelphian heretics in their denial of the eternal existence of the Son?
The famous description of the Port-Royal nuns (their convent was the main centre of Jansenism) as being “pure as angels, proud as devils”? The Jansenist crucifixes, where the position of the arms of the corpus was designed to be in opposition to ordinary crucifixes, thus the arms were modelled as reaching straight up (rather than outstretched), signifying that Christ died only for the faithful (in very limited sense of “faithful”) and not for all (this is one of the five propositions condemned in this bull)? The rigour which paralysed the practice of the faith?
As a reform movement, they would have had their points, but they were too confident in their own impeccability. And the Irish Church was considered to be heavily Jansenist, and I can tell you, this did not make us a nation of sinless and elect Christians (in fact, the modern secular backlash in my country against everything coming out of the church is a response to that). I believe the church in Quebec had the same experience, too.
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Welcome to the crazy stirring pot of people all over the globe that IS the Catholic Church. As you know now, my friend, we are an odd bunch, but are all here because we believe with all of our hearts that this Church is most accurate enbodiment of Jesus Christ and the Trinity. Others find Him in other places, and I have no say at all in
how the Lord calls a brother or sister.
I am a cradle Catholic, so my journey looks different, but I had to smile at the Sacred Heart tattoo. NO, this fifty-something grandmother does NOT have one, but the only tattoo or piercing on my sons is the Sacred Heart on Jesus on the bicep of my youngest son It was his personal sign of recommittment to his Catholic faith after wandering around for a few years after college, and then coming HOME.
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that should be “was found to be a heresy by a protestant group”.
That being said, I am truly sorry you got burned within the SGM.
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So the pope didn’t like calvinism, and declared a form of it within catholicism to be a heresy. Any surprise? It would carry a bit more weight if Jansenism (or its protestant equivalent) was found to be a heresy.
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“The fact is, though, that despite the unhealthy vigilance, nothing seemed to work: we kept right on sinning just as badly as before.
And so I lay awake at night, wondering if I was really “elect”. I was frightened half to death, and ironically too scared to admit it, even to myself. I had never felt more distant from Jesus. I also slowly watched many of my friends walk away from the faith entirely, too bruised and beaten by the church and its teachings to believe that there was a God behind it all”
Bad theology is really a matter of life and death, and certain strains of theology like the Holiness movement, and various branches of Calvinism are deadly. We do fellow believers and the church no favors if we do not deal directly, bluntly, and even rudely with this kind of bad doctrine/teaching.
Also note that any teaching that does not tell the truth about our dual nature as BOTH a sinner and a saint ultimately leads to despair.
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And for the Calvinists, there is no better refutation for the doctrine of despair they have turned election into, than this, from the Lutheran confessions:
Accordingly, if any one presents the doctrine concerning the gracious election of God in such a manner that troubled Christians cannot derive comfort from it, but are thereby incited to despair, or that the impenitent are confirmed in their wantonness, it is undoubtedly sure and true that such a doctrine is taught, not according to the Word and will of God, but according to [the blind judgment of human] reason and the instigation of the devil.
92] For, as the apostle testifies, Rom. 15:4: Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. But when this consolation and hope are weakened or entirely removed by Scripture, it is certain that it is understood and explained contrary to the will and meaning of the Holy Ghost.
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It’s sad how protestants repeat the same old errors over and over again. While confession freely done is a good thing, Lutheranism directly addressed the harm and despair that comes from mandating confession 500 years ago:
an enumeration of sins is not necessary, and that consciences be not burdened with anxiety to enumerate all sins, for it is impossible to recount all sins, as the Psalm 19:13 testifies: Who can understand his errors? Also Jeremiah 17:9 : 8] The heart is deceitful; who can know it? But if no sins were forgiven, except those that are recounted, 9] consciences could never find peace; for very many sins they neither see 10] nor can remember. The ancient writers also testify that an enumeration is not necessary. For in the Decrees, Chrysostom is quoted, 11] who says thus: I say not to you that you should disclose yourself in public, nor that you accuse yourself before others, but I would have you obey the prophet who says: “Disclose thy way before God.” Therefore confess your sins before God, the true Judge, with prayer. Tell your errors, not with the tongue, but with the memory of your conscience, etc.
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interesting observations that i can say almost mirror my exact spiritual journey out of the Roman Catholic Church 38 years ago to eventually become a much more content pilgrim wandering the Evangelical Wilderness…
amazing how different the path direction, but the reasons something most can identify with.
and yet it is that very experience of where the Good Shepherd has guided us that is what all those following Him can identify with…
and that is part of my more generous orthodoxy than any one of the faith expressions i participated in can appreciate. i am just an amalgam of faith expressions/traditions that has found himself more comfortable outside the walls of tradition/denomination although i appreciate much from all my past experiences.
all i know is i am not going back to any of the past expressions as a disgruntled saint fed up with the wilderness. there is a certain beauty in its solitude & stark landscape that i do find peaceful…
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He has given Himself to you, Ryan. All of Him…for all of you.
I hope that is enough for you. Far too many Christians feel the need to add on something to that gift, as if we could add to it. But there’s a lot of religion floating around that believes so.
Rest in that gift, my friend, and know that is was, and is, and will always be…for you. And that it is enough. It is enough.
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