Kenneth Stewart: In Search of Ancient Roots

Chapter 5 gives a history of the impact of the Renaissance years between 1460 and the early Reformation era (1517-1568) in bringing to the forefront the writings of Clement, Ignatius of Antioch, Tertullian, Justin Martyr, Cyprian, Athanasius, and Augustine. Stewart identified the 17^th century as witnessing the most voluminous printing of volumes of the earliest writings of the church. Nonetheless, the influence of Matthias Flacius Illyricus’s (1520-1575) project of 13 volumes, The Magdeburg Centuries (1559-1574), and John Foxe’s (1516 -1587) Chronicles of the early Christian Martyrs caught the Roman Catholic Church of the 16^th century completely off-guard.

The discussions of each succeeding chapter is thorough and informative in its search for the ancient roots of Evangelical Christianity. There is one little fact left unsaid. It is worth noting that the first use of the term “evangelical” was used by the Lutherans. It is also worth noting that the terms “Protestant” and “Pro-test” do not imply or suggest “being against” but “being for.” It was first used to designate “The Protest of Spey[i]er”, a formal statement made by several German princes and electors in 1529 for the toleration of the Lutheran believers in Roman Catholic territories and the toleration of Roman Catholics in Lutheran enclaves. It was later extended to include the Reformed and Anabaptist reformers who identified more with John Calvin, Zwingli, and Menno Simons, who, while agreeing with Luther, went further with what was needed for the renewal of the church.

Aside from the foregoing discursus, Stewart’s book is worth serious consideration on two aspects. Each chapter in each of the book’s four parts closes with questions for discussion and consideration with respect to the total mission of the Church with particular attention to the worship of the church.

Evangelical Christianity, by its very nature, is “Word” centered with respect to its preaching and the use of the Bible thus leaving a void on the side of the church’s worship and “body” life.

Stewart is very much aware of this void and he addresses the issue in the closing chapters of the book when he discusses the role of worship and the role of the evangel or “preached Word.” For the most part, Stewart’s book is addressed to the churches of Lutheran/Evangelical and Reformed heritage (Calvin/Arminian) of the 16^th century Reformation. The Anabaptists (Mennonites/ Amish/ Hutterites) are discussed briefly on two pages of the book and both the German and Dutch Pietists (p.2) and the Moravians (p. 80) are each given one page.

What we have in Stewart’s In Search of Ancient Roots is a call for Lutherans, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists, and Methodists, and their “off-springs” to recover their ancient roots. Part three of In Search of Ancient Roots discusses some contemporary trends that “should give us pause” and part four focuses on three challenges which remain for the evangelical tradition of the church.

Tags: ancient, kenneth, roots, search, stewart

Category: Church History, Spring 2018