Wednesday, February 27, 2008

More Development in Federal Vision land

There is something of interest happening in Monroe Louisiana and a segment of Presbyterians/Reformed that might be of interest to some Catholics. I wrote on this way back but it worth revisiting . This involves something called Federal Vision Land.

Now The Canterbury Tales has written a number of posts on this subject that gives some background to all this.
They are :
The Catholic Prespective on the Federal Vision This is a good overview

These posts that sort of give the back ground to the real controversy
Another PCA convert to Catholicism Discusses the Federal Vision Debate
Federal Vision Loses, Zwinglians Win: PCA-GA 2007-
Covenant or Federal Theology according to Cocceius, Amyraut, and the Catholic Church.

He might have written more on this subject , but alas LSU football started cranking up and my attention was diverted at times so I might have missed them.

Now Federal Vision and the controversy over it is rarely followed by Catholic Blogs on any size able scale. However as can be seen from the above Canterbury Tales it should at least be followed a bit I would think.

Now one does not seem to encounter this in the main branch of the American Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian USA) but one sees it a good bit in the Presbyterian Church of American(PCA).

There are a few Catholic Converts bloggers that are from this tradition that I have discovered. They are You are Cephas and The God Fearin' Forum . On my blogroll I have a current member of the PCA Cajun Hugenot . Also I think a nice commenter to my blog on occasion from Grand Couteau is from the PCA . However that is my the closest I get to knowing anyone from the PCA. I have never met one in the flesh. All the Presbyterians I know(including my parents that didn't "Poped like me" but Calivined after we are left the Baptist Faith) are sort of mainline Presbyterians

Now one of the leaders of this Federal Vision movement is right down in the road from me in Monroe Louisiana. He is Pastor Steve Wilkins. I came across this fascinating man because I was researching a political organization that sort of troubled me and still does to a certain degree. He was on the Governing Board of it in the past. I also ran across his name because the very important Anglican Bishop NT Wright spoke at his Church. An occasion I so wished I could have been in attendance.

Anyway as you can tell from the Canterbury Post he was smack dab in the middle of this Federal Vision debate.

Well tonight I ran across this blog God’s Hammer. This blog is like many you will encounter if you google "Federal Vision". They are largely not fans see it as heresy and think that are all closet Romanist.

Well the last few weeks have been busy for Pastor Wilkins and his Auburn Ave Church. They have left the PCA and joined something called the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches

You can read about this (From the anti Federalist Vision) God’s Hammer viewpoint at his posts Cowards and Hypocrites, One More Bronx Cheer For The PCA, and his latest "They are secret Papist post" Bishop Wilkins - Romeward Bound Well of course I very much doubt that Pastor Wilkins or his congregation view themselves as Romeward bound.

But his post in truth indicates that this group of Reformed have a view of the relationship between Faith and Works and Sacraments and other such things that is indeed at least "Catholic leaning" something that should be noted as we enter dialogue with other Christian communities. Especially Churches like those of Pastor Wilkins. So much divides us that finding any common ground is helpful as we try to build up the overall Body of Christ.

Anyway through the before mentioned blog I found Pastor Wilkins blog The Avenue (note those wonderful pictures in the header sadly look nothing like Monroe Louisiana in case you were confused).

Anyway it is a interesting blog and his entries on Flannery O Conner are worth going back for a look by themselves. Anyway something to keep note of and to follow and a blog you might want to add to your links.

4 comments:

Cajun Huguenot said...

Hey James,

Good post!!

There are many in the PCA who are on a "Federal Vision" witch hunt. The Canterbury Tales post titled "Federal Vision Loses, Zwinglians win" hits the nail on the head. Zwingli was a Swiss Reformer who had a very low Baptist like) view of the sacraments.

Early Reformed Christians (Calvin et al) had a high view of the Sacraments. The anti-FV folk in the PCA tend to think less like Calvin and on the Sacraments and more like Baptists who (as Presbyterians) baptise babies. They don't believe Baptism does anything but get the baby a little wet.

FV is out of step with modern conservative Presbyterianism, because Modern Presbyterians think more like Baptists and less like Calvin, Bucer are most other early leaders of the early Reformed faith.

Later,
Kenith

James H said...

Thanks. I am going to follow pastor Wilkens and the effect he will be having. One day I hope to pop in on one of his services in Monroe.

Again till recently and encountering people like you and FV folks I did not realize that the people that follow the true reformed tradition perhaps had Sacramental views that were that deep. OF course as you very well know in the part of the country we live in the views of the reformers are never talked about at all.

Robert said...

James,
Come by AAPC anytime you can. We're used to "Opinionated" people, and even get along with some of them!
Look forward to meeting you.
Robert

James H said...

Thanks Robert I will prob take you up on that