Thursday, July 9, 2009

Episcopal Bishop calls individual salvation 'heresy,' 'idolatry'

From the Associated Press - July 9, 2009

ANAHEIM, CA - Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori says it's "heresy" to believe that an individual can be saved through a sinner's prayer of repentance.

In her opening address to the church's General Conference in California, Jefferts Schori called that "the great Western heresy: that we can be saved as individuals, that any of us alone can be in right relationship with God."

The presiding bishop said that view is "caricatured in some quarters by insisting that salvation depends on reciting a specific verbal formula about Jesus."

According to Schori, it is heresy to believe that an individual's prayer can achieve a saving relationship with God. "That individualist focus is a form of idolatry, for it puts me and my words in the place that only God can occupy."

The entire article is here.

4 comments:

David Katzakian said...

Is she serious, or is this some sort of religious satire? Where does she get her ideas? Must be from CDSP. Now, aren't you glad you are in ACNA?

DPK

Anonymous said...

Brilliant. At least that other sinking ship, the Titanic, had good food and live music.

Tom Brisson
St. Paul's, Visalia

gurneyhalleck1 said...

An individual is incapable of being saved by Our Lord? What about the good thief on the cross beside Christ? "Today you will be with me in paradise!" hmmm...what community was the good thief a part of? Sounds a tad individualistic to me! The other thief mocked and chided the Lord and seemed denied paradise? What's with the "It takes a Village" theology? LOL

GK Chesterton said...

I don't know, Schori's comments are incorrect for other reasons, but not this one. We are saved corporately even where that is recognized in an individual. All the elect are of the Body.

The sinner on the cross "joined" with Christ when he was saved. We can not imagine that if he had continued in life he would have opposed the counsel in Hebrews 10.

Her fault is that she doesn't follow through with the thought she is developing. If she is correct than there is a Body of both Saints and Belief that witness against her actions. She is removing herself from that group and setting a new direction.