Does the ETS Doctrinal Statement Say Enough?’
In deciding on what to include in a doctrinal statement I think the ETS statement (only containing 2 points) is to minimalistic to define the boundaries of “Evangelical Christianity,” or for that matter “Christianity.” Even Though defining Evangelicalism today is difficult since the word has become so elastic to include about anyone, we must thing through our definitions of these words.
Dr. Ron Van Neste says:
The events of Sept 11 have raised awareness of the importance of boundaries or limitations, boundaries determining who may be admitted into our country and who may not, or determining what may be carried onto airplanes and what may not. Boundaries exist to include and exclude; and, as we have seen, the failure to properly exclude has disastrous results.
Something similar can be said of doctrinal statements which serve as theological boundaries. To function well- indeed, to be of any use at all- they must clearly demarcate a line of exclusion and inclusion. If doctrinal statements fail to exclude properly, they provide neither definition nor boundaries to any group. A group without bounds then easily becomes a group with out cohesion, and, like a word without definition, loses any relevance it may have had.
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Does the ETS Doctrinal Statement Say Enough?
Dr. Ron van Neste