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church as an agent of self-preservation

Apr 25th, 2009
by Drew Tatusko.

“The evil of denominationalism lies in the conditions which make the rise of sects desirable and necessary: in the failure of churches to transcend the social conditions which fashion them into caste-organizations, to sublimate their loyalties to standards and institutions only remotely relevant if not contrary to the Christian ideal, to resist the temptation of making their own self-preservation and extension the primary object of their endeavor” (Niebuhr, The Social Sources of Denominationalism, p. 21).

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Posted in: Religion, Society, Theology.

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  • Good quote. I feel like Ted might've missed the point. And I don't get the phrase "Catholic, not just Christian" because it seems like it's contradictory to the point that the quote makes.

    Anyway, it reminded me of this:

    "Our church, which has been fighting in these years only for its self-preservation, as though that were and end in itself, is incapable of taking the word of reconciliation and redemption to mankind and the world. Our earlier words are therefore bound to lose their force and cease, and our being Christians Today will be limited to two things: prayer and righteous action among men. All Christian thinking, speaking, and organizing must be born anew out of this prayer and action." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer Letters and Papers from Prison
  • like that quote as well kyle! i have not read bonhoeffer for a while and he seems to be very apropos these days for some reason.
  • The Church isn't just an agent of self-preservation, it's also an agent of species preservation. Of course, I'm talking Catholic, not just Christian here. But think about it- when the Roman Empire fell, who took up the slack to preserve knowledge and civilization? The monks and the Catholic Orders did.
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