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books, christian, christianity, church, church history, faith, history, Jaroslav Pelikan, religion, tradition
I wish I had enough money to buy all the books I want to read, and enough time to read all the books I might buy. I’m afraid I have even less of the latter than I do of the former.
I enjoy reading Church history, among other things. For a while now I’ve wanted to buy and read some of the works of historian Jaroslav Pelikan
Tradition is the living faith of the dead, traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.
In one succint statement Pelikan captures both the immense value and the imminent danger of tradition. That one sentence describes much of what’s right and much of what’s wrong with the church.
Tradition may serve as a useful means to an end, but it is a terrible end in itself. It can be a good servant or a harsh master. It can undergird and strengthen churches, or undermine and kill them. That’s probably true of societies as well, but I’m thinking particularly in this post of the role tradition plays in our churches.
Tradition is good, but when it hardens into traditionalism, it turns deadly.
How have you been affected by tradition? How has it affected your church or your denomination? Has it been a good servant or a harsh master?
I’d like to hear your thoughts. Be as expansive as you’d like.
I’ve often said something similar… I have always felt like there is a difference between the traditions of the faith and traditionalism in our faith.
One keeps us in line with the orthodox faith, the purpose of the church, the deity of Christ, it reminds us to gather to remember our Lord around the table, etc.
The other focuses on the way things have been done, it creates rules and traditions outside of our New Covenant found in Christ, somewhat like the Pharisees and “the tradition of the elders.”
Very well put. I think this is such a helpful distinction.
Pelikan is an interesting guy; his own faith journey took him from his Lutheran upbringing into the Eastern orthodox church.
This was a very thought provoking post, thanks! I think of tradition as honoring God and His commands to us; traditionalism as man elevating himself. I think it goes along well with another ism, that of legalism. The two must be cousins, if not siblings.
I’m curious, Andy–have you read any of Pelikan’s works in seminary? If so, how would you characterize his work?
That quote is beautifully put, and so true.
Tradition can be so rich. I was raised Lutheran, but was not born again until the age of 40. It’s awesome now to revisit those traditions I thought so dead at the time and feel the life that must have created them. The hymns, the creeds, the beautiful liturgies all born of the deep love for Christ of some who lived long ago. They can easily reflect the worship of one alive in Christ today. I think the problem is not that the traditions are dead, but that those who practice them often are. For a long time, I was.
It is the dead hearts of people that turn tradition into traditionalism, which appears to me to be rooted in the core sin of mankind – pride. Traditionalism tends toward an Us vs. Them mentality. “We do it the way it should be done” & “We don’t do things that way around here” – that sort of thing. It fosters much dissent among the brethren (real and so-called), and serves to drive people away rather than draw them in.
I’ve seen this sort of thing all over – in every denomination I’ve been a part of – even the ones who don’t think of themselves as traditional because they’re not “liturgical”. I used to be a part of the Calvary Chapel movement, which is supremely casual, but found that they came by their reputation for not “playing well with others” honestly. I only single them out because they pride themselves on being free from tradition and “religion”. The pentecostal churches I’ve attended have similar us/them ideas about non-pentecostals, implying they are “dead” Christians devoid of the Spirit, or even not Christians at all. As I mentioned, the Lutheran church of my youth appeared quite dead to me (but then I was dead at the time, too). I went to Lutheran schools until I graduated high school, and to my knowledge never encountered a real live born again Christian. We were all nominal Christians at that time.
(You really should never give me permission to be as expansive as I like!)
Laurie,
I enjoyed and completely agreed with your post.
Before I was awakened to Christ, I did not enjoy many of the old hymns. In fact, I am ashamed to say that I didn’t like one or two, because I felt we did them all time. Once I was made alive in Christ, the words became alive to me. Now, those same songs pierce my heart. Many times I want so badly to sing them, but I am so emotional all I can do is mouth the words. I should only wear waterproof mascara on Sunday mornings. 🙂
Shari,
You’re Mrs. “Who Am I?” right?
It’s nice to hear your corner heard from. It’s amazing how we can sit under the light of the gospel of Christ year after year and not be changed – and then one day it’s a whole new world. It really is like the parable of the soils. Our heart has to be made like the good soil before the word can take root.
Laurie,
Yes that is me, guilty as charged of being Mrs. “Who Am I?”
So true about one day everything changes. I guess it is the difference of being dead in our sins and being alive in Christ.