Christ the Reconciler: A Theology for Opposites, Differences, and Enemies

Schmiechen, a United Church of Christ minister, analyzes the internal divisions and the capitulation to modern culture that he believes characterizes the ecumenical Protestant church today and issues a call for a theological reform of the doctrine of the church. Recent attempts to renew the church have been unsuccessful, he claims, because they have not adequately addressed the peculiar dilemma Protestantism is caught in: it stands for individual freedom yet opposes individualistic piety, and it speaks of a social gospel yet fears institutions. In other words, the church is incapable of affirming the faith and order essential for community. For Protestantism to survive, Schmiechen argues, it must reclaim its vision of the gospel as the liberating and unifying power of God. To this end, the author develops a theology of reconciliation based on a theory of atonement he derives from 1 Corinthians and offers a vision of the church in which differences can co-exist and the church can grow in the unity of Christ. (Aug.)