Thursday 27 August 2009

Reformed charismatics?

In this interview with John Woodhouse he picks away at the tension—really the contradiction—between claiming to be both reformed and charismatic.

Interview with John Woodhouse - Reformed Charismatics from Audio Advice on Vimeo.



Don't worry too much about that spooky voice-over asking the questions. It's not the Holy Spirit, it's only Phillip Jensen.

10 comments:

Mikey Lynch said...

"It's not the Holy Spirit, it's only Phillip Jensen. "

lol. I'm sure some critics would find an irony, or a Freudian slip in that statement ;-)

Gordon Cheng said...

Irony abounds :-)

David McKay said...

Hi Gordon
I would like to point out that "Reformed charismatics" introduced me to Reformed theology, via Loraine Boettner's books, especially The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination.

I have had to ditch the Pentecostal stuff, in line with the dictum, Anyone who doesn't flirt with Pentecostalism when he is young has no heart: anyone who still flirts with it when he is older has no head.

John Smuts said...

I'm not sure John Woodhouse really moves us forward here.

We're still left with the fact that those in Reformed camp have read their Bibles and have seen that there is no support for cessationism.

I agree with him, but what is needed is a positive statement about what we are, rather than a negative description of what we are not.

Gordon Cheng said...

I reckon we need both, John. Confusing the underlying principles of the Reformation and charismaticism (or cessationism and continuationism for that matter) doesn't help anyone.

David: nice!

Jeri Tanner said...

Hi Gordon,

I'm a reformed continuationist but I do not believe that the miracles of the gospels and Acts *must* happen today (which is how John Woodhouse characterized the continuationist position). Like him, I only believe that they can. I don't personally know many people with a well-thought-out continuationist position, but it's surprising to me to hear that a reformed continuationist would believe miracles (or gifts of the Spirit such as prophecy) "must" happen today (as opposed to "can" happen today). Anyway, that's not my position because because it's not the Bible's position, as I understand it.

David McKay said...

G'day Jeri
Have you seen the March, 2010 issue of The Briefing? It has an excellent article by John Woodhouse on this very issue.
Well worth reading, I think.

Jeri Tanner said...

Thanks, I haven't read it but will check it out.

Jeri Tanner said...

Hi Gordon and David,

Thanks David, for pointing me to the article in The Briefing. I totally concur with the thinking of Dr. Woodhouse on this. I enjoyed and appreciated his careful reasoning. My only quibble would be, again, the characterization of continuationists as those who, by definition, "expect" miraculous gifts and such to be present, and who are disappointed if they are not present. Perhaps that is the thinking of more continuationists than I realize. Many questions are raised by his view, but questions are always raised (and some left unanswered) by the more difficult doctrines.

Thanks Gordon, for letting me chat a little about this on your comments thread!

Gordon Cheng said...

Hey Jeri and David, thanks for contributing!

Nice to have you here.