Eutychus and His Kin: April 15, 1977

And Now We Present The Religious News

Oscar Turner today arrived in Idaho Falls with his church pew, almost a week late. Last year, on the Fourth of July, Turner started out from the church he pastors in Amarillo, Texas, carrying his pew. His aim: to arrive in Idaho Falls for the annual Snake River Easter sunrise service. On Labor Day, in Colorado Springs, he attached wheels to the pew, which speeded up the rest of the trip. Asked for impressions of his nine-month ordeal, the pew-toting parson replied: “Tiring, but worth it, worth every step of the way. I’ll be on Johnny Carson’s show after my operation.”

Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, high-level talks between Protestant and Catholic church leaders at St. Mary’s Church ended today when one of the massive old doors was slammed shut by the wind.

A spokesman for the Greater Michigan Sunday School Association announced at a press conference in Detroit this morning that King Kong will be on the platform at next fall’s convention in Cobo Hall. He assured Christians that the association does not mean to endorse movies, or this particular movie, by its action. “It’s merely to increase attendance,” he said.

Onion Theological Seminary has just announced a seminar to be held next summer on old and new ways of looking at women, to be chaired by Dr. Harley Larla, the distinguished theologian who defined the new Harley Larla theology. Participants in the seminar, open to the public, include Elizabeth Taylor and Farrah Fawcett-Majors.

The Homiletics Society of America this week announced the result of its poll to find America’s top preacher. The winner: Dr. Courtney Buhl of Chicago’s Church Behind the Filling Station. What is the secret of your successful preaching, Dr. Buhl? “First, lots of hard work. Second, an appreciative congregation. Third, a mother who could yell loud enough that I could hear her a mile off. And in conclusion, I might add that the factors producing great preaching in our generation, or any generation, for that matter—” Thank you, Dr. Buhl.

The Harris Poll summarized results of its recent survey of the religious commitments of Americans this week. Here are some interesting facts uncovered by the poll. The Bible belt has increased from thirty inches in the nineteen forties to forty-eight inches in the seventies. According to the Harris pollsters, the belt is still reversible, white on one side and black on the other. One change has taken place, however: the buckle on the belt is now located in Carol Stream, Illinois.

EUTYCHUS VIII

Not the Final Answer

Thank you very much for publishing the article “The Children of God: Disciples of Deception” (Feb. 18). Readers of the article should realize that it is an interview with Wasson and Jacks and does not pretend to give the final answer on all points. This is particularly important in view of Wasson’s statement regarding the lack of mind control and lack of need for deprogramming. Many other eminent observers, both legal and medical, would take some exception to his statement.

L. RICHARD SCHUMACHER

Doylestown, Pa.

Thank you for your excellent article on the Children of God. As a former member myself, it helped me to more completely realize the errors of the leader and to stand firmly in my convictions for leaving the group.

TIM HANSEN

Roseville, Minn.

At the risk of being labeled square, fundamentalist, or even worse, unsophisticated, I must nevertheless express my disapproval over the February 18 cover.… Such a caricature, bordering on a burlesque portrayal of a fallen brother, is in my opinion of very poor taste.

DON GUEST

Director

Douglas-Tubman Christian Center

Chicago, Ill.

I wish to express my disappointment and disgust in regard to the February 18 cover.… In my opinion, this is pornography.

ELDON VAN DERHOOF

Genesee, Pa.

Your February 18 issue was outstanding—great cover!

PHILLIPS B. SMITH

First United Methodist Church

Mishawaka, Ind.

Relating to Relational Theology

My position certainly makes me sympathetic to Robert Johnston’s stress on proper biblical interpretation in his article “Of Tidy Doctrine and Truncated Experience” (Feb. 18), but … I cannot accept his examples. I feel that he sets up and then knocks down straw men.

Michael Harper … is not claiming on page 20 of A New Way of Living that the “word” which he receives is in any way exegetical. It is in fact what would be termed prophecy, and thus, although it uses the words of Scripture (as does much charismatic and neo-Pentecostal prophecy), it is neither exegesis nor does it claim to get its authority from Scripture. It must be evaluated not by the categories for scriptural interpretation but by those used for “judging the prophets.” …

Johnston’s example from Lyman Coleman is much better. Here, however, we do have a hermeneutical question.… I would heartily defend the intention of the author as the controlling meaning of a scriptural passage, but are we to allow any other meanings? Is there a structure in language or in the human psyche which allows Scripture to communicate on several levels? Are we evangelicals being too rationalistic when we insist on only the grammatical-historical meaning as valid?

PETER H. DAVIDS

Asst. Prof. of Biblical Studies

Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry

Coraopolis, Pa.

As a relational theologian trained in biblical theology, church history, and the human sciences, I appreciated Johnston’s emphasis upon the necessity of relating Word and Spirit as a criterion for judging the adequacy of evangelical experiential theology. Such an emphasis has profound implications for those of us working in Doctor of Ministry programs across the country.…

There is a need for the development of a cognitive relational theology rooted in biblical exegesis, relational philosophy (via Buber and Macmurray), human sciences (especially relational categories), and human experience.

MYRON R. CHARTIER

Assoc. Prof. of Ministry

Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Philadelphia, Pa.

I quite certainly appreciated Robert K. Johnston’s lucid analysis of relational charismatic theology of experience. However, it seems his pronouncement that the footwashing incident recorded in John 13 is a “statement of the meaning and value of Jesus’ death” is exactly the same pitfall against which he so eloquently warns. Who says this is what “the author intended”?

BOB HOLLIS

Friendship United Methodist Church

Walker, La.

Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here.