Maybe I Should Try That

While doing research and writing for my Medieval Church and Reformation Church History Class, I was reading about the Reformer Martin Bucer and some of his "confrontations" with the Anabaptists of his day. Apparently in the region of Hesse in 1538 the Anabapists had "defied all previous measures of control" and Bucer was summoned by the ruler Philip to curb the Anabaptist expansion. Here is what happened:

Hundreds of dissenters rejoined the church of Hesse as a result of a series of debates conducted in a pleasingly calm atmosphere in which Bucer evinced a readiness to learn as well as teach.

Wow! A calm debate where the sides are willing to listen and learn, as well as teach? Who would have thunk that approach might actually work?

I know that as I enter into polemical debate I tend to be a little too reactionary and quick to the draw, as I am sure many of us are. I take this stuff personally and when I feel the gospel of Christ is being compromised I tend to spew forth everything I can think of to combat the wrongs that I see. However, even though Christ confronted the Pharisees and other religious leaders of his day pretty pointedly, I have to remember that my debates are usually not to "religious leaders" but laypeople who might not have thought about the issues or have a cogent argument for something their leaders have done. I need to be better at preserving a "calm atmosphere" as well be willing to listen as well as teach. I know I have not been good at that in the past so please forgive me.

So to those of us who have theological training or who are getting that training, let us remember who we are "fighting against" and to think about how best to bring our arguments across calmly and be willing not only to teach and explain but also to learn.

Soli Deo Gloria

The quote and information above came from: D.F. Wright, trans. ed., Common Places of Martin Bucer (The Courtenay Library of Reformation Classics; Appleford, England: The Sutton Courtenay Press, 1972), 31.