Always Reforming

In Part 3 of this series I talked about the diversity or catholicity found within Anglicanism.  This catholicity is in part based upon their traditionalism, which is what I'd like to discuss today.  Anglicans understand that being truly catholic--truly ecumenical--means being connected not only to the Church throughout the world , but also the Church throughout time . The history of the Anglican Church is quite unique.  It is undeniably a product of the Protestant Reformation, but England's Reformation was very complicated way.  As Henry VIII's three children ascended to the throne in turn, their favored theological persuasions rose and fell with them.  Edward was staunchly Reformed, while his older sister, Blood Mary, earned her nickname by persecuting those who opposed the Roman Catholic Church.  Elizabeth, the young Virgin Queen, set the precedent for moderation that still defines Anglicanism today. Long before the Tudors arrived on the scene, howev...

My Facebook feed was recently lit up with the news of the conversion to Eastern Orthodoxy of Hank Hanegraaf, known best as the "Bible Answer Man."  Such a defection evoked one blogger to say that Hanegraaf had " left the faith ."  Is that the case?  Did Hank Hanegraaf really leave the Christian faith? Or have Evangelicals, particularly American Evangelicals, defined the gates of the Kingdom even more narrowly than God Himself has? I have lately struggled with defining the boundaries of Christianity.  The Bible makes it clear that practice and doctrine are both important when it comes to recognizing who is truly within the realms of orthodoxy, but how much must one believe to be considered a Christian brother?  Are we going to condemn millions of sincere Christians who have been under the tutelage of poor teachers?  I have difficulty with such a broad condemnation, and yet, ignorance is certainly an obstacle to true faith. I was raised with a pretty sim...