PREDICTIONS ABOUT CHRISTIANITY'S FUTURE:
PART 4
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Opinions of:
Wolfhart Pannenberg is Professor of Systematic Theology at the University
of Munich and founding director of the Institute of Ecumenical Theology. Some
of the points that he raises about the future of Christianity in his 1994
Erasmus Lecture were:
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The influences of Christianity and of classical antiquity have
largely faded. |
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The "renewal of Christian unity is absolutely mandatory..." |
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He sees a Christendom in which a "plurality of traditions in
liturgy, ministry, ecclesial organization and doctrinal expression"
continues into the future. |
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Ecumenical reconciliation among Christian denominations is a
necessary but not a sufficient condition for the future renaissance of
Christianity. |
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This reconciliation will help Christian dialog with
other religions. |
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Future Christian-Jewish dialog will center on "the
authentically Jewish character of the mission of Jesus." |
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"...a sustainable social morality requires a religious
basis." |
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The principle of the dignity and rights of women is an important
Christian asset as Christianity competes with others worldwide. |
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There may well be a "resurgence of a culture inspired by
Christian values" at the beginning of the third
millennium. |
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Mainline Protestant denominations are in "acute danger of
disappearing." 1 |
To the questions "Has Christianity as a world religion run its race?
Is it about to die?" de Purucker wrote:
"I believe...that there is the possibility for a renascence of
primitive Christianity in the West...some [will] trace back the origins of their
grand teaching, their theology, to Pagan antiquity, finding brotherhood in the
fellow-thoughts of the ancient races, of Egypt especially, of Greece, yes, even
of Rome. Then Christianity will be properly understood, and will be seen to be
grand..." 2
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Thomas C Reeves is a Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin -
Parkside, and a Senior Fellow at the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute.
His 1996 book, "The Empty Church," explores why the mainline
churches have become the "sidelined churches."
John Shelby Spong:
John Shelby Spong is the Episcopal Bishop of Newark, N.J. He has
written many books addressed to the general public, including "Rescuing
the Bible from Fundamentalism" and "Why Christianity must change or die." Robert
W. Funk of the Jesus Seminar commented on the latter book: "He
aspires to bring a dying church back to life by fearlessly confronting the
anomalies that have driven all too many Christians into exile."
Spong considers himself and many other Christians to be in exile
because the God "that stood at the heart of our sacred
tradition" can no longer be believed in." In chapters
11 and 12 of this book, he mentions:
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Church attendance is in decline worldwide. |
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Books used in worship, prayers, and liturgy are starting to
reject the concept that God is "an external power capable of
being manipulated by the prayers of the faithful." |
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The loss of priestly authority and priestly respect will continue. |
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Lay people will "preside at the Eucharist during the next
century, even in Catholic circles." |
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Worship "will not be oriented toward an external God but
toward the world of our human community." |
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The church will direct its energy towards the seeking of truth,
rather than defending its previously determined, narrow, definition of
truth. |
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The church will reject many traditional beliefs, such as the
Christmas star, the angels visiting the shepherds, the wise men, the
physical resuscitation of Jesus, the angels rolling away the stone
from the tomb, bodies that appear and disappear, etc. |
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Rituals which recognize the transitions of life will have to be
recreated. Baptism has been "so filled with the theistic
language of a supernatural deity as to be repugnant to an increasing
number of believers today." It will become a "ritual
that calls each candidate to be all that that person was created to
be." |
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The ritual of the mass in which bread and wine are converted into
the body and blood of Jesus will be replaced by the original Christian
ritual, the shared meal -- open to all who are hungry. 4 |
References:
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Wolfhart Pannenberg, "Christianity and the west: Ambiguous past,
uncertain future," at: http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft9412/pannen.html
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G. de Purucker, "Studies in Occult Philosophy," at: http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/soph/sopqa10.htm#future
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Thomas C. Reeves, "The empty church: Does organized religion
matter anymore," Touchstone, (1996) Review/order this
book.
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J.S. Spong, "Why Christianity must change or die: A bishop speaks
to believers in exile," HarperSanFrancisco™, (1998). Review/order this
book.
Copyright © 2000 to 2004 by Ontario Consultants on Religious
Tolerance
Originally written: 2000-JAN-15
Latest update: 2004-OCT-23
Author: B.A. Robinson 
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