The Pilgrim Church, E. Hamer Broadbent

[MaxPC]

JM, did you ever get hold of the book that Ernie recommended in the beginning of this thread? I've always been a bit leery of Broadbent's book because of the immense job it would be to find all of that source material. It seems odd that he can be that certain of so many things no one else seems to know about.

I'd like to have a second opinion on some of that and I thought maybe Kennedy's book would provide that?

The next book I'm planning to write for TGS is a story that starts in 284 (the year Diocletian was crowned emperor) and tells the story of the deception of the church during the 4th century. It is a very interesting period of history, and takes the church from being the persecuted church to being the persecuting church.

[If you watch my blog, you might see further details seeping through the cracks this fall...]

Kennedy's "The torch of the testimony"

Finally finished. He is nowhere near as meticulous in footnoting his sources as Verduin, but it is to be expected, Verdun is an academic, Kennedy is not. Kennedy spends an inordinate amount of time describing various groups, but never showing any linkage, except perhaps for common ideas, and there he is rather thin. He spends an inordinate amount of time on the Plymouth Brethren movement in general, and Darby in particular.

Kennedy is militantly opposed to any intra-local church authority. He takes Darby and others to task for this, it seems to be his "thing." His final "vision" looks very much like the "theory" behind the non-instutional CoC. He opposes any connection between churches that looks like a denomination. Needles to say, I would take exception on this point on Biblical grounds, as I would with the rest of the Stone-Campbell movement.

As to the whole question of "Zurich Origin" verses "Ancient Origin" for Anabaptism, I find this non-contributory. He really does not make a case either way, but that is not his objective.

J.M.

This is an intriguing topic: intra-local church authority vs alternatives. If you don't mind and to avoid derailing this thread, I'll start a new thread so the various models can be explored and discussed. I've put it in General Theology here.

[Josh]

If I’m not mistaken, does Broadbent subscribe a bit to a “true church lineage” view?

[Judas Maccabeus]

If I’m not mistaken, does Broadbent subscribe a bit to a “true church lineage” view?

still wading through Broadbent. Will let you know when I finish.


J.M.