Moravians sponcer John Killinger to speak at Home Moravian Church

10/25/04

Home Moravian Church - Clark Thompson Lecture Series Begins with controversial speaker John Killinger

Home Moravian inaugurates new Clark Thompson lecture series - talk by Christian writer and thinker renews controversy

Also see update article

Home Moravian chapel was filled to capacity Monday morning as noted author John Killinger completed his 3rd lecture titled the " The Religion of Jesus In An Age of Global Perspective".

Killinger's latest book, Ten things I learned Wrong From a Conservative Church, reveals his concern and abandonment of the "Scriptural Truths" that have served to guide Christians from the inception of Christianity.

He admits willingness to be controversial. Killinger lampoons conservative Christians, labeling those committed to biblical authority as fundamentalists. His heroes are on the theological left--like retired Episcopal bishop John Shelby Spong, to whom he acknowledges "a strong kinship." Spong, we might note, has abandoned virtually every Christian doctrine.

Like Truman Dunn, basic to Killinger's theological transition is his rejection of the Bible as the literal, inerrant Word of God. Having been taught as a young Southern Baptist that the Bible is, word for word, the very Word of God, Killinger moved on to see the Bible as a mere record of theological reflections, limited and corrupted as they are, of ancient people. Those who believe that the Bible is actually God's Word are, by implication, just simplistic fools yet unenlightened by modern scholarship.

Killinger does not believe that "the Jesus of history or the Christ of faith would endorse a view limiting salvation to those who have publicly confessed him as their personal savior" and follow Christ in baptism. Of course, the Jesus of the Bible made precisely this claim. The only way around that is to claim some knowledge of Jesus apart from the Bible.

Killinger believes that all major religions were born out of a need for people to:

Know who we are
Know why we are here
Know where we are going

Since these are the same questions asked by the Hindu, Buddhist as well as Christians and since the one thing that Christianity and other religions is all about is love, we should not hold so tightly to doctrine and scriptural truths that cannot be agreed on by other religions. Their enlightenment is equally valid since the molecules of the "breath of Christ" flows through all of us.

A review of this lecture is in progress for posting here. Please check back soon.

Tapes of 2 of the 3 messages will be available from Home Church by Friday Oct 29 Call ahead to verify (722-5523)

comments above by webmaster moravians.org

The Following announcement appeared in the Winston Salem Journal Saturday October 23, 2004 on page 8 under calendar of special events.

Removed by request!

UPDATE 10/26/04: OOPS ! We were asked to remove the text of the announcement by a representative of the Moravian Church.We were notified shortly after this posting was placed on the web site that the announcement that appeared in the Winston Salem Journal was not submitted by the church but by a former Moravian with a grudge. We were informed the church is actually contemplating legal action against the Journal. The notice also stated "The rest of what you have to say is no problem, but that ad is and I'd rather not have to have you deal with phone calls from lawyers."

In light of this request we will not use the exact text that appeared but we will simply explain what was in the Ad.

Home Church is hosting John Killinger Sunday and Monday. Killinger's book, Ten Things I Learned Wrong form A Conservative Church, is critical of the Christian belief that "Jesus is the only way to God," as the Moravian Church teaches.

His talks are open to the public.

I am not sure what the issue was here because it is a very accurate portrayal of Killinger's belief and was clearly a major point of the lecture. In any case this exercise should make it clear that the announcement has met with disapproval by Church officials who, we understand, have been very busy with phone calls and fielding questions about this lecture. So officially the Church denies responsibility for this announcement.

UPDATE 10/28/04: Gerald Harris, Senior Pastor at Home Moravian Church writes to offer an explanation of their concern over this issue. I believe Pastor Harris's concern is not that the characterizations of Killinger's beliefs were incorrect, but that it was submitted and listed inappropriately. Thanks for the clarification!

Lee Sprinkle,

I hope you have the integrity to post the clarification printed in today's Winston-Salem Journal, Section B, page 2.

"The Journal's Religion Calendar is a place where readers can find out about community events. They are frequently supplied by readers, almost always on behalf of their houses of worship. This Saturday, the Journal ran an item about an event at Home Moravian Church that was submitted without the knowledge or approval of the church. It was sent as a request for coverage, but was mistaken for a calendar item. It went beyond the scope of a calendar item and inappropriately tried to characterize the ideas of John Killinger, the event's speaker and the author of Ten Things I learned Wrong from a Conservative Church."

I will check to see if you have posted this clafication on your website by noon today.

Gerald Harris, Senior Pastor