I think it's self-proclaimed "Calvinists" who get rabid about faith being more central to Christianity than "works." What I've read of John Calvin's Institutes, he seems much truer to scripture than those who call their teachings with his name.
But it raises the question why some self-identify pre-eminently as followers of a particular man's interpretation of Christ's teachings. Doing so seems to effectually make "their" man's interpretation of greater importance than Christ's teaching. I have to think that's exactly the sort of thing Jesus had in mind when he rebuked His listeners for following the "traditions of men" (for example in Mark 7:8, where He calls them "hypocrites" for doing so). What is more a "tradition of men" than interpretations identified by mens' names ?
It's certainly not just "Calvinists" who fall into that trap. Wesleyans are another example; who, if I remember right, are either strongly pro-Arminian or strongly anti-Arminian...and so position themselves as a second-generation human-interpreter doctrine. There are others: and the map of such doctrines seems too tangled to make any sense of whatever.
Needless to say, controversies about those doctrines give satan tremendous opportunities to divide Christians, and set them at their brother' throats. Satan doesn't miss the opportunity
But for anyone who becomes apoplectic at the title of this blog (probably chip-on-the-shoulder "Calvinists"), I'll just point out those words are taken from James' discussion of faith and works. Dogmatic controversialists can (and do) work their heuristic sophistry on James 3:14-26 to "prove" that James meant the opposite of what his words say. But I'm quoting his words because they seem to me to mean exactly what they say.
I quote James because I've been reading Jimmy Carter's most recent book, Faith, and one of his early chapters is "Demonstrating Our Faith." His discussion of "faith" and "works" seems scriptural, and not at all about the supposed controversy.
Indeed, everything Carter has to say seems informed by his life of commonsense Christianity. His life is what makes his words worth listening to; and no doubt some who read his book because they admire his life will gain insight into the faith he lives.
For most convinced Christians, what he says about faith is probably preaching to the choir. But some of the quotations he uses to open each chapter contain striking insights. Those he used for the chapter "Demonstrating Our Faith" particularly struck me.
Emil Brunner sums up James 3:14-26 better than anything I've ever read or heard: “There is no such thing as Christian faith apart from
Christian conduct.” Faith is real-world stuff: it's what we do, not a theological construct for controversialists in-fighting.
Karl Barth too put James' truth in terms of everyday reality: “You should read the Bible in one hand and your newspaper in
the other.” Faith is what we do in terms of daily reality.
I've said it before, many different ways. I say it here in terms of living faith manifest in Christian conduct. In 2018 America, there is a very prominent anti-"Church," a faithless body. A body of people who claim to love Jesus, "The Truth," but instinctively follow and revere the lies of their politics and nationalism.
May God open their eyes. And may they choose to see, when He does.
