Frustrated with the Archbishop

Uniting Church minister, David Millikan is frustrated with Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen’s Boyer Lectures. Enough to write a piece in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Here’s my letter to the editor in response:

David Millikan has been frustrated by Archbishop Peter Jensen’s Boyer Lectures (SMH 23-25/12/05). He rejects Jensen’s assumption that “there is only one way to know anything of significance about God and that is through the Bible’s account of Jesus.”

In contrast, he argues for general revelation through nature, the great moments of human creativity and the mundane experiences of life. Ironically, he bases his case on the Bible’s account of Jesus.

Millikan overstates Jensen’s position. Jensen does not reject God’s general revelation. The Scriptures themselves teach, “the heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1). What Jensen rejects is raising human experience above Scripture’s revelation of God in Christ.

Millikan describes Sydney Anglicans as “eccentric” and “aloof”. He does not mention that an increasing number of ordinary Australians are discovering faith in Christ in such churches. While at the same time, churches that have drifted from a high view of Scripture’s witness to Christ are in serious decline. No wonder he’s frustrated with the Archbishop.

By: Steve | 12/26/05 | Movements - General | Trackback | Comments [RSS 2.0]

2 Responses to “Frustrated with the Archbishop” »»

darren

Comment by darren | 12/29/05 at 11:01 am

would you have a direct link to Millikan’s piece? i must say that i have a great deal of respect for Millikan and his work, (especially with his work of uncovering cults) so i’d probably lean towards agreeing with his summation of Jensen’s lectures, but I can’t find it to read on the website.
Steve

Comment by Steve | 12/29/05 at 3:15 pm

Darren, I picked up the article in hard copy while on holidays in NSW. Tried to track it down on the website but was unsuccessful. It was part of a regular column called The Diary.

I’ve also respected David’s work on cults. Regardless, its a question of your view of authority. Whether human experience — mystical, artistic or rational — has equal weight with Scripture. David is clear on his position that it does. Peter Jensen is clear on his position that Scripture has the final say. It’s ultimately a question of truth. The fruit of which is played out historically in the inevitable decline of movements that reject a high view Scripture.

Here’s a link to my post on the Suicide of Liberal Christianity

http://www.steveaddison.net/2005/04/11/the-suicide-of-liberal-christianity.html

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Frustrated with the Archbishop

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