The famous Gerald R. McDermott, known for his recent dialogue with LDS, writes in The Baker Pocket Guide to World Religions:  What Every Christian Needs to Know  (Baker Books, 2008 ):

Eastern Orthodoxy and Pentecostalism

Until recently Christianity has been said to be divided into three main groups–Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Eastern Orthodoxy.  But in the last two decades, with the explosive rise of Pentecostal Christianity in China and the Global South, Pentecostalism is becoming a fourth main branch of the worldwide church.

The Eastern Orthodox comprise 220 million believers in Russia, Serbia, Greece, Poland, Georgia, and other areas of Eastern Europe, under “patriarchs” of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem.  They reject the authority of the Pope at Rome, look to the seven “ecumenical” councils (from AD 375 to 787) and Greek church fathers for teaching, reject the Roman filioque in the Nicene Creed (the Spirit proceeded “also from the Son,” as well as from the Father), have married priests but only celibate bishops, and revere icons.  Icons are paintings of Christ, his apostles, and the saints that are painted by artisans trained both spiritually and artistically, and are regarded by Orthodox as “windows into the divine.”

Pentecostalism represents the fastest growing religious group in the world at six hundred million believers.  It is the largest variety of Christianity in China and may comprise the world’s largest national church (eighty to one hundred million).  It is so named because of its use of the “Pentecostal gifts” described in I Corinthians 12-14 and the book of Acts:  tongues, prophecy, discerning of spirits, healing, and others (95).

Tell me what you think about this brief summary, Greg.

And let me tell you what I think about this:

Evangelicals versus Fundamentalists

. . . While both groups preach salvation by grace,  fundamentalists tend to focus so much on rules and restrictions (dos and don’ts) that their hearers can get the impression that Christianity means following behavioral rules.  Evangelicals, on the other hand, focus on the person and work of Christ and personal relationship with him, as the heart of Christian faith (102).

I think that closing summary statement is sloppy broad brushing.  Let me put forward a sincere, earnest question to Gerald:  “Which American evangelicals and which fundamentalists are you listening to in 2009 to make this generalization?”

(*Two sidenotes: (1) No mention of Mormonism within this small book (2) Interesting definition of Neoplatonism on page 142 in the glossary)

Did you guys catch this Sunday’s The New York Times?

You have to pay five bucks.  But within Sunday’s paper (March 22,2009) is the magazine. 

On page 19, Virginia Heffernan’s article begins, “Together Forever: ‘Big Love,’ HBO’s drama about polygamy, explores the American unease with mandatory unity.”

She writes,

Yet in spite of its seeming celebration of diverse family arrangements, the show bristles with so much submerged pain that nearly every character seems marked for spiritual death, the way characters on “The Sopranos” used to be marked for actual death.  The wives’ endurance is wearing thin.  They have lost their capacity to contort themselves for Bill’s orthodoxy.  They can no longer be one, when they are so decisively three.  and you don’t have to object to polygamy on principle, anymore, to see that it’s strangling the women of “Big Love” — even as, maddeningly, it seems to meet their needs. (20)

This sounds like the description of polygamous wives in the Bible.  But God shows how screwed up families can be . . . all the way back to the first family of Israel.

Right on!  You take awesome pics, Chris L.

The natural revelation of God Almighty right in our big Idahoan backyard — God’s creative power is stunning.

That is my thought on this Friday afternoon.  I am not yet in heaven, but I feel like I am.  It is the here and now – gracious, miraculous, heavenly union with God.  The Lord’s words in the second half of John 14 are my sweet meditation.

Last Sunday morning, I spent the whole sermon on Jesus’ words in John 14:15, seriously considering the ramifications of this simple declaration. 

This Sunday morning, we move forward, delving into the Person and work of another Paraclete.  The Trinity of verse 16 is directly related with obeying, because of agape, the Lord’s commandments .

First question:  What is the “official” LDS teaching on the Holy Spirit?  Does it matter what LDS believe about the Spirit?

Second question:  Who or what do you think is the Holy Spirit?

Third question:  Where do you stand on the rift between the West and the East wings of Holy Mother Church on the Holy Spirit?

(I can’t wait till Sunday!)

The Worldview Academy has an interesting “resolve”:

“My faith is my own,

My beliefs are sound, and

My life is on fire.

I am equipped for leadership,

Inspired to serve, and

Encouraged to engage.

I meet ridicule with grace,

Insults with a gentle spirit, and

Falsehood with resolve.

I won’t back down

Shut up, or

Go away.

My worldview is unbreakable

And my salvation is undeniable.

I think hard, think well, and

Take every thought captive.

When it really comes down to it

Jesus gives me courage to speak, and

Compassion for the lost.

He puts the spark in my voice, the

Kindness in my eyes, and the

Insight in my words.

I am not alone.

I am thinking of heart issues.

Hmmm . . .

How about this?  I am just an outsider, but may I predict ten topics that the LDS Prophet, LDS Apostles, and LDS Authorities might talk about?  And ten topics that they won’t talk about?

Blake and Geoff at the post, Big Pornography, have me thinking about sex.  Since God gives to mankind [let me expand this to] the gifts of food, wine, and sex, I am wondering how many LDS truly think God partakes of these creaturely gifts He created.  If Christians are “partakers of the divine nature”, in reverse, does that mean that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit will partake of food, wine, and sex for eternity?

Oh and for Geoff, I had to pull up for him this article, “Food, Wine, and Sex” from my archives back in 2005. 🙂 (more…)

Fundamentalists don’t even care.

Do you think they even give  a hoot for HBO?

(laughing)

Did you hear these songs today on the radio?!!

• I Need Thee Every Hour
• El-Shaddai
• All Creatures of Our God and King
• Holy, Holy, Holy
• How Great Thou Art
• Guide Me, Thou Great Jehovah
• Come Thou Fount

Incredible!

I need a better detailed program with links for each song.  I am telling you:  you have got to hear the theology packed in these hymns and songs.  And El-Shaddai?  Do LDS still believe in the traditional meaning behind this descriptive name of God?

I think I was the only non-LDS person in the Ammon West Stake Center, today, receiving training for Scouting Leadership.

I observed many friendly people during the three hours.  Hey, I would be friendly to all in our church building.

But our lingo is very different, even when we are only discussing Scouts.

Consider this:

The Cub Scout Program is inspired.

And listen to this one:

My Scout Goddesses – they know it all at the Scouting Office.

Of course, the lingo is always most peculiar to an outsider.  And leave it only to an outsider to even notice such things.

As the Chartered Organization Representative, I look forward to the conversations with other CORs in the Grand Teton Council.  Are not many of them Bishops’ Counselors?