Mother Church

By Carl Braaten

Read this book if you have any interest in ecumenism that doesn't seek the lowest common denominator, especially if you are Lutheran.

Peter Brunner, a Lutheran theologian, once wrote that if a Lutheran does not regularly ask himself why he is not a Roman Catholic, he doesn't understand why he is a Lutheran. Mother Church kept reminding me of that sentence, since the premise of the book is that it is incumbent upon Christians (and especially Lutherans) to honestly ask themselves why they are not united, and then to work toward that healing. Braaten, a theologian with a very long history of ecumenical work, asks readers to consider why they are where they are, and if it is necessary. Referring to the Reformation as a tragic necessity (Jaroslav Pelikan's line), he outlines the causes and consequences of such a dramatic break with the continuity of the past, showing that what has emerged is something of a theological free-for-all, even if well-intentioned. Quoting Harnack, of whom Braaten is not a follower!, he says that the meager tradition which Protestantism has left is only the partial remains of Catholicism, like the aroma left in an empty bottle.

Braaten seeks to cure that disease of accepted denominationalism, and I think this book is both a strong diagnostic and beginning remedy. Seeking a new and authoritative dogma of the Church, claiming that none exist from the early Church of the creeds, he tends toward the episcopal structure that in many ways is a connection to the likes of Ignatius of Antioch and Irenaeus, a structure that can defend and articulate the "faith once delivered to the saints" according to the 'canon of truth". He goes into detail for how to work Protestantism back to the episcopal unity, which would have union with Rome in there somewhere, focused on the eschatological hope of Christ's return in Glory.

But wait! There's more! In the process of all of this he finds time to masterfully critique the left wing exegesis of the Jesus Seminar, completely bash (lovingly) liberal theology, make the reader second guess all his/her assumptions of what "Church" and "Communion" really mean, refute the claims of some Protestants that Catholics believe that they are not saved by grace alone, and much much more.

Personally, I found this to be his best book. I know this review is lacking, since I read the book a few years ago, but what I recall as most significant is his call for those in the Lutheran tradition to return to their roots and quit trying to be Protestant like the rest of them. Lutheranism is distinctive among the churches of the reformation in that it holds to the sacraments, liturgy and episcopacy-or at least it used to... This may not be welcome to the ears of those who have sold their heritage for a drum kit and a pastor in a polo, but it's true nonetheless. Sadly true. Yet he remains optimistic and hopeful. He writes, "What propels us is not so much pride in what we possess, but hope for what we might receive from the bounty of God's grace. We may quote the words of George Tyrell of the Roman Catholic Church, `God will not ask, What sort of church have you lived in?, but What sort of church have you longed for?' For our part, we long for a church that will be both evangelical and catholic, continuous with the faith of the apostles, and coterminous with all that is valid in the experience of Christ's body on earth." Well put.

Read this book if you have any interest in ecumenism that doesn't seek the lowest common denominator. Reclaiming the Great Tradition: Evangelicals, Catholics & Orthodox in Dialogue, edited by Cutsinger, is also a fantastic resource in this regard, and yo can order the tapes from the conference, at which Braaten spoke, online at http://www.orthodoxtapes.org/, which is a treasure trove of theological lectures at cheap prices.