Trevin Wax finds one of the passages in Mere Christianity I read about once a week. You either read that one and say, “Brilliant,” or you read it and say “postmodern heretic.” I’m going with “brilliant.”

It is amazing that Lewis is held in such high esteem by people like Piper, who disagree completely with much of what he wrote about the Christian life. The entire view of the Christian life in MC is quite Catholic, though without the church being as prominent as in RC doctrine.

Jim’s response to the questions reminds me that folks like Cross do believe the church saves and that “Jesus = the visible church = salvation.” Questions like Cross’s should be forced to line up with the RC view of near universalism, though. Cross seems obsessed with proving that his decision to go RCC equals a divine announcement that only those who are in the RC ark are going to be saved. More on that later.

I had a great conversation with a friend last night about the positive experience we have in RC worship, and the negative experience we have with key RC doctrines. I guess that’s the essence of post-evangelicalism :-) But we were both agreed that evangelical worship is painfully self-focused and self-appealing, but actually leaves you with almost nothing in the way of real assurance. Meanwhile, RC worship is quite focused on things outside of you and provides many reminders of assurance….which, of course, they don’t actually believe is there.

Irony of ironies: The RC practices speak deeply to me, but key parts of its doctrine I would judge mistaken or false. (That’s my claim to be Protrestant Pope right there.) On the other hand, evangelical practices (other than in the higher and liturgical churches) seem completely wrong, empty and even evil, while evangelical doctrine is much closer to the Biblical, New Covenant Gospel that I find in scripture.