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NORMAN L. PARKS is professor of political science and head of the department of social science at Middle Tennessee State University. He was educated at David Lipscomb College, Abilene Christian College (B.A.), Peabody College (M.A.), and Vanderbilt University (Ph.D.).

Prior to his present position, Mr. Parks taught for eleven years at Vanderbilt and Peabody, and served for a time as senior editorial writer on the Nashville Tennessean. He was dean of David Lipscomb College for eight years, and also taught at Freed-Hardernan College and Oklahoma Christian College.

Although he has preached and taught often in Churches of Christ, Mr. Parks considers himself anything but a professional pulpiteer. Of his experiences in this field, he writes:

"I have spoken in many churches and on occasion still do, but because of a lack of the pulpit stance and orthodox sermon technique it has not been hard to preserve my non-professional purity. At MTSU I conducted for a number of years a 'laboratory' in fellowship by sponsoring a student magazine called The Campus Christian. The editor came from a premillennial church, the assistant editor from a Disciples church, and the staff from other segments of the Church of Christ. It was remarkable how well they worked and worshipped together. Such experiences may sometimes tempt us to say, 'If there were only some way to protect the young from the old."'

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THY ECCLESIA COME!

By Norman L. Parks

In a world of national states the problem of citizenship may be truly insoluble for a person like the late Mrs. Schwimmer of Supreme Court fame who had "only a cosmic sense of belonging to mankind." In a religious world of sects and denominations there is perhaps something of an inevitable alienation for those who have only a cosmic sense of belonging to Christ.

This appears to be particularly true within the confines of the Campbell-Stone Reformation movement, where fragmentation has reached a crisis stage. One may deeply desire to be a "disciple at large," but the degree of his acceptance by this or that fragment will depend on his acquiescence in its prescribed parochial loyalties.[FN1] The theory of congregational independence will in no way protect a congregation from proscription if it extends full fraternity to any prominent disciple branded as unorthodox by that faction's ruling hierarchy.

Though never claiming less than discipleship-at-large, this author has spent his active religious life within the parochial confines of that now badly fragmented wing of the American Reformation denominated "Church of Christ." Within this time he has seen its leadership abandon the main goals of the Campbell-Stone movement -- unity of all Christians and the reforming of religion by purging it of hierarchy, clergy, institutional machinery, collegia de

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[FN1] Preachers are keenly aware of the tests which they must pass, for example, before they can appear on the Church Council ("lectureship") programs sponsored by Church of Christ colleges. Trafficking in reputations is an important business of the lectureship managers. The vigilance of these guardians of orthodoxy ranges far and wide, at the author was recently reminded. A young instructor at David Lipscomb College told him in 1965, "I became deeply prejudiced against you as a freshman because Dr. _____ held you up in class as an example of dangerous liberalism." It had been 23 years since this writer had taught at that college!

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propaganda de fide, non-Biblical terminology, and all post-Biblical dogma, ritual, and trappings which are made measures of orthodoxy. Indeed, he has seen this group develop the very accretions and perspectives which Campbell and Stone attacked and so widen the gap between itself and "that ancient sect first called Christians at Antioch."

Viewed sociologically, the Church of Christ is far advanced on the sect-denomination continuum, though there is a spread among its major segments. The Church of Christ (one-cup, one-book, one-assembly) is closest to the sect pole. In its emphasis on lay leadership, lay teaching, informal services, and its sense of hostility to the "world," this group is closest to the pioneer spirit of the preceding century. It would probably have a strong appeal to the underprivileged urban masses if its evangelism were directed at the urban slums. The Church of Christ (premillennial) is also closer to the sect pole, though developing colleges and a clergy. However, it is distinguished by its marked pietism, its sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit, and its consciousness of a broader fellowship. Both the Church of Christ (institutional) and the Church of Christ (anti-institutional) are near the denominational pole and may be considered together.

The Church of Christ colleges freely describe themselves as "church related" in educational circles, and they follow clearly identified denominational goals.[FN2] The faculty of the oldest college must formally commit themselves to follow the canons of faith prescribed by the board of directors. These colleges talk in terms of campaign goals of $10,000,000 and $25,000,000. They maintain seminary departments and some invent degrees which match, alphabetically at least, those of

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[FN2] The reader is invited to examine the brilliant analysis of the miscarriage of Christian education by Robert Meyers. "Church of Christ Colleges: Is Anything Wrong?" Restoration Review, Fall,1960, and the reflections of Alexander Campbell on colleges to propagate religion In The Christian Baptist.

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Protestant seminaries. One college bulletin with a prescience unmatched in prophecy actually pinpointed the number of God's redeemed at slightly in excess of two millions! The church press boasts that the Church of Christ is now the ninth largest in America and "the fastest growing." As a middle class denomination, sociologically speaking, its clergy is well paid, gross income of $8,000 to $15,000 not being uncommon. Far f from being a sacrificial vocation, its ministry offers some of limited education and ability more than they could command in secular work. Some of the larger churches round out their professional staffs with associate or assistant "ministers" and "directors of educa1tion." [FN3] The church long ago dropped its frontier-inspired hostility to imposing church edifices ("decorated like a theatre to gratify the pride of life," as Campbell described them), and makes efforts to put buildings in the "best" part of town.

Like the larger denominations the Church of Christ has given preeminence to the professional "pulpit." Its occupant is the one man known to all within and without the congregation. Advertising features his face, his name, his sermon subjects. The service is built around him, what precedes his front-center sermon being preliminary and what follows being anticlimactic. In the author's home city laymen are less likely to fill the Church of Christ pulpit than those of other Protestant churches. When the "regular" minister is absent, nothing is more certain than that another pastor will take his place.

To at least as great an extent as most of the leading denominations, the Church of Christ (institutional) has rejected the "Christ against culture" concept of 1

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[FN3] The development of a professional pastoral office has been carried out under the term "minister." An English transliteration from the Latin Vulgate translation of the Greek original, the term actually meant "slave" and was used to describe the relationship between man and God of those who were "bought with a price." In no Instance did It Indicate office or the relationship of a preacher to a church. The absurdity of "assistant slave" needs no comment.

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John in the economic sphere and has come to terms with the world. Capitalism is viewed as a part of God's law and the business order as the fruition of the divine scheme. The successful businessman, provided he is not niggardly with his money, is emerging as the layman hero of the church and the logical candidate for deacon or elder. The board of elders itself is patterned after the corporate board of directors. Nowhere has "the Protestant ethic" enjoyed a higher endorsement. The social radicalism of the nineteenth century pioneer and redneck has been replaced by a deep-dyed economic and social conservatism which is hostile to social reform, welfare programs, state intervention in the economy, labor unions, racial integration, disturbers of the status quo, and "those who have turned the world upside down" (Acts 17: 6). [FN4]

The eagerness of the church colleges in seeking federal grants [FN5] and loans reflects the shallowness of the commitment to the principle of separation of church and state. The stream of right-wing political propaganda from the executive offices of certain of these colleges drapes the robe of religion with a contemporary form of Social Darwinism and is an eloquent testimony to the fact that the Church of Christ has made its peace with the world.

With respect to government, its members seek high office, its congressional representatives being conspicuously in the neanderthal wing of politics. Abandoning its pacifism, the church gives status to its ranking

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[FN4] See unpublished manuscript by Rex Turner. president of Alabama Christian College, entitled. "The Attitude of a Christian In the Midst of a Race Crisis." The Christian, says Mr. Turner. must never cause "excitement" or support change In a society. "The present trend on the part of a segment of gospel preachers and leaders to crusade for the cause of desegregation is contrary to the true spirit of Christianity." However. there Is little doubt that the Chistian colleges will open their doors to Negroes In order to receive federal grants and loans. Such is the power of mammon when Christianity itself is unable to effect the result.

[FN5} One such college, which mimeographed its own biology textbook in order to eliminate the word evolution from the science vocabulary. has received a federal grant In excess of $400,000 to erect a science building. Another college, known widely for Its private enterprise emphasis and Its constant criticism of "Socialistic" spending, has received a federal grant for over $340,000.

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military. Socially, it has made adjustments in keeping with its economic ethic. Dancing may still be occasionally identified as "reveling" in sermons, but the minister, to prevent the young people from attending the high school junior-senior "prom," may preside over a late-late skating party featuring hand-holding partners performing to music.

The Church of Christ appears then as a lower middle class phenomenon "on the make" at its socio-economic level. In the author's own area it includes the congressman, the university president, the county judge, the city mayor, the sheriff, bank executives, bar leaders, medicos and dentists, and sundry business executives. Approximately 20 per cent of the local university's 5,000 students come from Church of Christ homes. In general, the church does not compete at the upper middle class level, its economic ceiling being second level "organization men," smaller business tycoons, and junior oil millionaires. Nor is it active at the "unwashed throng" level, leaving the lower urban classes and slum warrens to the Pentecostals and Jehovah's Witnesses. In summary, the Church of Christ's behavior as a sociological group reflects the expected pattern of religion interacting with social factors (breakup of older communities, urbanization, industrialization, impersonalization of society) as the group moves along the continuum toward mature denominationalism. This interaction centers around the drives and frustrations of men within the social stratum in which the church largely functions and the means of dealing with them. In a society in social and economic flux, religion itself is in a constant process of change, and in this fact lies part of the crisis which has engulfed the Church of Christ.

Though the church meets most of the sociological criteria of a mature denomination, it still remains at the sect stage doctrinally, as reflected in the priority given to doctrinal affairs at the expense of ethical

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principle. There is a powerful instrument of solidarity and cohesion in the boast, "We have the truth," when aimed against other religious groups. Doctrinally it is on a continuous military footing. Its militant state of mind allows little room for love or accommodation and none for unity in diversity. Since it is no longer at war with the secular economic world and infrequently effects confrontation with its denominational rivals, it tends to turn its sectarian hostilities inward and is presently devouring its energies in internecine conflict. [FN6]

In a second respect, the church remains at the sect of "literal" adherence to Biblical command, example, and "necessary inference." In this area it has tended toward bibliolatry. This adherence follows the sect pattern of careful selectivity of Scriptures to support the party's position. It is interesting to see which examples are binding as examples, and which are not. Examples which are not considered examples make up a long list: foot washing, observing the Lord's Supper on Saturday night (assuming Acts 20 refers to the Lord's Supper), speaking with tongues in public or private, observing the love-feast, solos and group singing in assembly, anointing and prayers for the sick by the elders, the teaching function carried on in the main by the elders , deaconesses as well as deacons, religious head-coverings (not fancy hats) and uncut hair for females, wearing of jewelry, and congregational participation in decision-making on the Antioch and Jerusalem model. Anyone insisting upon the Biblical pattern in these matters would quickly be termed a troublemaker and would sooner or later be excommunicated.

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[FN6] A phenomenon of more than passing significance Is the attraction which its pulpit has for the charismatic leader with authoritarian and aggressive characteristics. Aggression which would not be tolerated in other situations may find complete sanction In the pulpit. These psychological types vent their hostilities and find verbal outlet for deep-seated aggressions In "skin-'em-alive" attacks on persons and groups. They are often adept at exploiting the neurotic guilt and fears of their hearers who have accepted a system of meritorious salvation, bringing them temporary relief and attaching them to their personal following.

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But other criteria less clear or certain than some of the above are made the standards for establishing the claim of the Church of Christ to uniqueness: the Lord's Supper every Sunday (and Sunday only), mass singing only and without an instrument, the "right name," the "laying by in store" every Sunday, the "right'' baptism where validity is best ascertained by the "soundness" of the baptizer, and the right "organization" of the church under a plurality of elders and deacons.

In its emphasis on the external observance of certain doctrinal formalities and in taking for granted or ignoring the really fundamental questions of religion, the Church of Christ is "majoring in minors." The emergence of "the lonely crowd"; the impersonalization and institutionalization of business, education, religion, and government; the involvement of man in far-off places and crises beyond his personal reach, and the decline of "community" have turned men to religion for answers. But one may search literature and sermons of the Church of Christ in vain for concern with such questions as: what is the meaning of life? how does the individual cope with the sense of meaninglessness, with frustration, with suffering? how can one really know God? how does one learn to love, and how does one learn to teach others to love? how do the just live by faith? how can a deeper understanding of the grace of God be won? can the Christian live a life free from fear? how is the Christian free from law, from sin, from death? how does freedom accord with necessity? how can we better meet man's need for fellowship?

While an ever increasing number of its younger generation find themselves increasingly concerned with ssues like those above, the Church of Christ poses as the most fundamental question of all the "right church" Issue -- a matter that is inherently institutional and denominational. The criteria which it advances to

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identify the "one true church" among the many claimants are those which distinguish an organization rather than a people or a way of life. Those who are involved with the deeper issues of life are seeing these criteria as peripheral." [FN7]

Let us consider the criterion of "name"--that the true church is the one with the right name. The very term "church" is unBiblical, substituted for the Greek ecclesia (assembly) by ancients who were involved in creating a power structure within the Christian religion. The ecclesia of Christ has no name. It is as absurd to emphasize the name of the assembly of Christ as to emphasize the name of the sun. Paul's warning to Corinth shows that the "of Christ" cry can be as denominational as the "of Luther." With respect to the hard legalism read into the criterion of baptism for the remission of sins, reflection will suggest that baptism is an individual expression of faith in Christ, while remission of sins is God's role, not man's motive.

And the legalist's case for the Lord's Supper every Sunday and Sunday only is shadowy. It was first observed on a weekday evening, and Christ's omission of a prescribed time or frequency for its observance suggests his concern for the spirit of it. It is by no means certain that Acts 20: 7 refers to the Lord's Supper, but if it does, the occasion was Saturday night. No day is more of a "holy day" than any other day in the Christian life, and the making of the first day of the week into a holy day has no more Biblical basis than Christmas or Easter.

Completely without authoritative substance is the "lay by in store" command based on 1 Cor. 16:1 and making weekly church contribution a required act of worship. The incident referred to was a means of dealing with a particular problem in the early life of the

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[FN7] One young college student remarked to the author recently that "you go to church and you hear the same old things, just doctrinal rocks being rolled around, and what is said is not really relevant to your needs and concerns, and then finally you stop going and you don't feel very guilty about it."

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church. A congregation composed of artisans and wage earners operating on a week by week economic schedule were instructed, "Every first day of the week each of you is to put aside (at home) and keep by him a sum in proportion to his gains so that there may be no collecting when I come." This had nothing to do with a church treasury and it was not an "item of worship." As a law applied to Christians with monthly or seasonal income, it is absurd. Instances of giving in the New Testament always related the giver and the gift to a specific propose--a fundamental characteristic of alms-and never to an impersonal treasury for undefined ends or to a group worship act on a holy day.

The legalistic case for congregational singing without a musical instrument is at best negative--silence of the New Testament on the subject. Here again the emphasis is qualitative, as in other aspects of worship. It is remarkable that the legalists stop short of their own logic in refusing to accept solos ("if a man hath a song") or group singing ("speaking one to another").

The criterion of "the divinely patterned" organization stated in absolutes leaves too much unanswered. It assumes that the church, instead of having organization as a means, is an organization completely subject to the authoritative rule of elders and deacons (junior executives) responsible only to God. If every church is scripturally required to have a select few to "rule" it, why is the Bible not clear in explaining how these men became authorities? Why is the suggestion that they be elected by the congregation for a term of one or two years greeted with horror? What is the scriptural basis for a self-perpetuating board of elders and deacons? If the modern church must have deacons, but not deaconesses, why does the New Testament fail to mention a single function they discharge (the explanation that they are "servants" is not valid, since all Christians are also servants) ? If elders are pastors, why do they not do the job instead of hiring a professional

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shepherd? Why is not the popular election of "the seven" by the Jerusalem church regarded as a working example for the church to effect organization? Why does the Church of Christ utilize a prejudiced translation, designed to support the episcopal system, to establish the right of elders to "rule"? How much of a "divine pattern" exists in a plurality of elders but a single "minister"?

Alexander Campbell described the church in its activities as "radically and essentially" democratic; a fraternity of equals, such as Paul pictures in 2 Cor. 8: 14, can be nothing else. Removal of authority and responsibility from the members and their concentration in the hands of an elite is as dangerous to the welfare of a church as it is to a state. People alienated from decision-making lose initiative, creativity' and obligation. The pews become passive, the services ritualistic, religion professionalized, and influence weak. When elders spend $10,000 of church money on a single enterprise without advice or consent of the members, hire a preacher without so much as a "by your leave," and assert the power of ultimate decision as to what members may believe, what they may read, whom they may hear, and who may lead the prayers or voice a sentiment, the result is a dictatorship in defiance of the whole nature of the Christian society. However "good" individual elders may be personally, the whole system is wrong.

This analysis has proceeded far enough to indicate that the Church of Christ has chosen to rest its identity on some doubtful, peripheral, or erroneous criteria while neglecting weightier matters. It has nothing fundamental to lose in holding that though the frequency and time of the Lord's Supper is moot, its observance each Sunday is an appropriate response of those who wish to remember Christ. There is no loss in conceding that while there is no "law" on the church treasury, weekly collections represent a practical way

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for members to consolidate their giving for specific purposes, provided this practice does not substitute for private alms giving. There would be no loss in granting that there is no merit per se in singing with or without an instrument, but there is no limit to the power, richness, depth, and spirituality of a capella singing when developed by hard practice, mastery of music, and individual specialization. There would be no loss in agreeing that while there is always a place for leadership (in contrast to "ruling"), the power of any group is magnified by full participation in decision-making. There would be no loss---except the loss of the cocoon of legalism which has been spun around the entire church.

The redefinition of its identity in non-legalistic concepts will be necessary before the Church of Christ can communicate in the larger assembly of God. The steady attrition that accompanies the increasing education of its members cannot be stopped until the disgracefully mediocre scholarship and shallow legalism of its present pulpit, press, and seminary leadership is modified by a deeper spirituality, a greater magnanimity, and sounder learning. Actually such a process is under way. Beneath the surface there is a vast unrest, indeed, in the very citadels of orthodoxy-the colleges -as well as elsewhere, demanding a religion of grace and a gospel of good news to replace the hardshell legalism of the core church. In. 1965 a college located in the heartland of "orthodoxy" lost a half dozen of its abler young men for this reason, and it will lose others, either by resignation or purge.

It is ironic that though the American Reformation was a revolt against Calvinism, the Church of Christ is today one of the most Calvinistic bodies in the Protestant arc. In spirit it has gone all the way back to Geneva to produce a modern version of The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Its code is constantly revised to include new laws on the millennium, biology,

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institutionalization, fellowship, capitalism, Biblical scholarship, or whatever is the issue of the moment. Legalism and authoritarianism reduce Christianity to a system of law and a salvation by merit, authoritatively proclaimed and enforced. Such a religion presents the God-man relationship in dichotomies of creator-creature, wrath-fear, command-submission and authority-conformity instead of I-thou, friend-friend, redeemer-redeemed, father-son. Its authoritarian God is jealous of his rights and angered when denied propitiation by money, time, service, and ritualistic observance. His will is stated in laws, and to break one of them is to suffer guilt for all. He forgives, but only when directly asked, and watchfully totals all of man's debits and credits.

Such a view of religion produces two extremes. One is the self-righteous, judgmental, and aggressive person who lives up to the "law." The other is the insecure, neurotic, fear-ridden, and guilt-laden individual who, try as he may, is overwhelmed by the possibility that he has not been right enough or done enough to win salvation. For both types the lesson of Romans remains unrevealed. Between the extremes are others, who, for sanity of mind and to escape the plight into which legalism thrusts its victims, find an answer in reducing the laws to formalities within their reach. Others manage in spite of the law approach to find meaning in a religion of grace and faith. These are the people who see the Christian assembly as a community of seekers, who desire to promote fraternity, dialogue, and love, and who would welcome the exploration of the "freedom that is in Christ Jesus." Needless to say, they are preservers of its candlestick.

Efforts to enforce conformity reflect the degree of authoritarianism in the Church of Christ. The free man questions, tries, tests. He acknowledges no authority to which he does not freely consent as internalized truth. He is subject to no control above his own

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conscience. He does not obey because it is commanded, but because it is the way of truth and wisdom. The free life is also the faith life -- faith in the determinable elements of life as well as in its spontaneity, freshness, and potential. The free man defines authority as the right to acceptance which is inherent in truth, fact, reality. He is not free to believe or practice anything else, because it would be injurious or self-defeating. To him the only conformity that is healthful is the conforming of thought, feeling, and action to truth -- to the true reality outside of self. Authoritarianism, in contrast, emphasizes externalized power, superordination and subordination, superiority and inferiority, rule and submission. It finds lodgment in father-dominated families, class-structured societies, anti-democratic governments, and legalistic religions. It has psychological roots in individual personality: overly-felt need for security, which may be temporarily satisfied by either submission or domination; fear of self-direction and preference for obedience to outside authority; tendency to conform compulsively to the orthodox; preference for "order" and discipline over freedom and spontaneity in human relations; satisfaction derived from identifying with a superior "authority"; emotional rigidity and limited imagination; excessive concern with group acceptance; abnormal loyalty to the in-group; insecurity in the presence of out-groups; attraction to the cult of personality -- the WHO rather than the WHAT or the WHY; the tendency to look on "those in authority" with reverence and loyalty; acceptance of an inferior status for women.

The authoritarian view of the social order is revealed in an essay by a Christian college president on the segregation issue: