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Ecclesial Evolution

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 6:19 pm
by MaxPC
Some time ago, the forum discussion brought forth the subject of how churches and fellowships evolve their theological practices over time, e.g. Menno Simons might not recognize or imagine some of the practices of modern Mennonites. I know that in Catholic World the modern Magisterium would be barely recognizable to the Catholic hierarchy of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance eras. In short, I define this process as an ecclesial evolutionary development that takes place.

In modern Catholic World we've seen a more collegial type of authority as well as de-emphasis on Papal authority, with the creation of due process procedures for keeping the Bible and Christ's teaching front and center.

What kinds of changes have any of you seen in your own denomination/congregation/fellowship?

Re: Ecclesial Evolution

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 7:13 pm
by silentreader
MaxPC wrote:Some time ago, the forum discussion brought forth the subject of how churches and fellowships evolve their theological practices over time, e.g. Menno Simons might not recognize or imagine some of the practices of modern Mennonites. I know that in Catholic World the modern Magisterium would be barely recognizable to the Catholic hierarchy of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance eras. In short, I define this process as an ecclesial evolutionary development that takes place.

In modern Catholic World we've seen a more collegial type of authority as well as de-emphasis on Papal authority, with the creation of due process procedures for keeping the Bible and Christ's teaching front and center.

What kinds of changes have any of you seen in your own denomination/congregation/fellowship?
Rather than ecclesial evolution, could we call it spiritual natural selection?

Re: Ecclesial Evolution now Spiritual Natural Selection

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 7:15 pm
by MaxPC
silentreader wrote:
Rather than ecclesial evolution, could we call it spiritual natural selection?
Sure can. :up:
It's too late to change the title unfortunately. I have no problem calling it "spiritual natural selection" from here on.

Re: Ecclesial Evolution

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 7:54 pm
by lesterb
One of the most easily noted shifts in Anabaptist history was the slide from ultra-evangelistic to the "shtille in dem land". By the time Anabaptists landed in North America, the push for evangelism had died and been replaced by the search for somewhere to raise their families in peace.

Re: Ecclesial Evolution

Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 8:17 pm
by Bootstrap

Re: Ecclesial Evolution

Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 9:42 am
by MaxPC
lesterb wrote:One of the most easily noted shifts in Anabaptist history was the slide from ultra-evangelistic to the "shtille in dem land". By the time Anabaptists landed in North America, the push for evangelism had died and been replaced by the search for somewhere to raise their families in peace.
Do you think it was because of more religious liberty and less persecution in North America?

Re: Ecclesial Evolution

Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 10:08 am
by Bootstrap
MaxPC wrote:In modern Catholic World we've seen a more collegial type of authority as well as de-emphasis on Papal authority, with the creation of due process procedures for keeping the Bible and Christ's teaching front and center.
Due process procedures? Can you say more about that?

Re: Ecclesial Evolution

Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 10:46 pm
by Josh
Sometimes I wonder if there are two different Catholic worlds. (My roommate and one of my best friends became Catholic, and I used to work at an RC university, so I'm rather familiar with the inside baseball of that world.)

Re: Ecclesial Evolution

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:10 am
by Bootstrap
Josh wrote:Sometimes I wonder if there are two different Catholic worlds. (My roommate and one of my best friends became Catholic, and I used to work at an RC university, so I'm rather familiar with the inside baseball of that world.)
Clearly, neither Catholics nor Mennonites are living in the Middle Ages. They don't kill us anymore. There's a lot more common ground. But there are still very significant differences, and we have a significantly different understanding of the authority of the Pope, what a church is, the role of sacraments in salvation, and how to go about living life as Christians. With my Catholic friends, I can have open and honest discussions about these things. We know that we are both Christians, but with significantly different understandings of some aspects of Christianity.

If Plain Catholics exist, let's have direct, open discussion about them, where we can find them, how they live out their lives, why they would choose, of all things, Mennonite-inspired clothing and what that means to them. Let's not pretend that there is a group of Catholics that are just like Plain Mennonites only Catholic, let's talk about what it means to be a Plain Catholic and how that relates to Anabaptism. And let's not avoid that discussion.

If Plain Catholics don't exist, let's stop pretending. The cost of avoiding this discussion or pretending, whichever it is, is really high for MN. We can always feel the tension of avoiding this discussion, and it never goes away. It keeps coming out in sarcasm or people who choose to pointedly shun other participants or a variety of other ways.

Re: Ecclesial Evolution

Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:59 am
by MaxPC
Lester, I would love to hear more about your thinking on the changes. Also, Paul has started an interesting thread on Grace in which I think you could offer some excellent thoughts.
Grace