Christianity’s Next Reformation — a Response to Gerald R. Baron
I thought that I should make a brief response to his latest article. Having completed a series on what he finds good about Christianity, he has now begun to explain what he finds bad.
Here I wish merely to comment on his first paragraph in order to make some clarifications. He firstly says that I have challenged him to share his thoughts about the next Reformation of Christianity. This makes it sound as though we are opponents in this debate, which I don’t believe is the case, although we have some disagreements. I don’t remember having ever used the word ‘challenged’. In my original article on this theme, I noted that he is someone who thinks “that the Christianity that has been handed down to us is perfectly fine, but has been corrupted by later developments”. I would say rather that I have asked or invited him to share his thoughts, in order to further the debate.
He goes on to say that my ideas are “drawn to some degree from Medium writer Keith Michael and Bishop Spong”. This somewhat misrepresents my position. Although I was originally inspired to begin my series after reading an article by Keith Michael, I have so far made no comment about his beliefs, thus the Reformation he seeks. Perhaps Baron suspects that I may have some agreements, but his comment is somewhat premature. The Reformation I’m seeking will I believe be along different lines from that of Keith Michael.
I am indeed currently outlining and discussing the ideas of John Shelby Spong and, although I agree with some of what he says, I still have many disagreements and criticisms.
I think therefore that Baron is somewhat misrepresenting my position, I’m sure unintentionally, so thought that I would make this clarification.
