

Reply to Fr. Seraphim Rose's The Charismatic Revival

In 1997, The Christian Activist, a publication edited by Frankie Schaeffer, published The Charismatic Revival, an article by Fr. Seraphim Rose, who was an ardent critic of the charismatic renewal. This response was offered--and printed in the next issue of The Christian Activist. December 4, 1997 Dear Editor: Not too many years ago, I had the pleasure of publishing Theosis, a little newsletter serving the charismatic renewal in the Orthodox Church. So, it was with some nostalgia that I read again the article by Fr. Seraphim Rose, The Charismatic Revival (reprinted in the last issue of The Christian Activist). When he wrote this article, Fr. Seraphim inserted the Fundamentalist Protestant notion of dispensationalism (nicely wrapped up in Orthodox clothing, but dispensationalist to the core) into the Orthodox debate about the charismatic gifts - a nifty trick for one who declares that non-Orthodox have nothing to teach the Orthodox. I would like to offer a different view on a few of Fr. Seraphim’s major themes. When it comes to the issue of the charismatic gifts, we should expect some diversity of opinion. The fathers themselves differ as they explain what the gifts are, how and by whom they are exercised, and whether or not they are to be widely experienced. So today, Orthodox Christians must endure a bit of diversity when the subject of spiritual gifts is discussed. Fr. Seraphim begins with a cry heard more often today than back when the Charismatic Revival was first published: that since the Orthodox Church is the true Church of Jesus Christ, neither salvation nor spiritual gifts can be found outside of her. I find this an incriminating position for Orthodox Christians to hold. If we truly believe that salvation is exclusive to Orthodox Christians, the blood of the condemned masses stains our hands, for we exhibit little zeal to share the message of salvation with those bound for Hell. We sit passively in our pews while those outside the Ark slip beneath the waves. Worse yet, we erect barriers to keep those of different language, different culture, or different color from coming aboard and contaminating our fraternity. I came into the Orthodox Church 21 years ago because I believed it to be the One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. But, who can say that the grace of God extends only to those baptized and Chrismated within her. To quote Bishop Kallistos Ware: “It is false to conclude that those who are not Orthodox cannot possibly belong to the Church. Many people may be members of the Church who are not visibly so....The Spirit of God blows where it chooses.” Fr. Seraphim says “speaking in a tongue as a true gift of the Holy Spirit cannot appear among those outside the Church of Christ.” I ask simply, who made us the judge of who is or is not a member of the Church of Christ? Fr. Seraphim chronicles the divisions among Charismatic and Pentecostal Christians - as opposed to the unity demonstrated among us Orthodox - and concludes that the “spirit” behind the charismatic renewal is demonic in origin. This is an awkward contrast for us Orthodox Christians. The Body of Christ cannot be broken, but can we point to ourselves as a witness of that unity? Is Christian unity best expressed by the division between the Old Calendars and the New, the Patriarchal Church and the Church in Exile, the near schism of Constantinople and Moscow (Note: a short time before this letter the two Patriarchs had a spat over Estonia and were not in communion for a while.), the competing ethnic jurisdictions in the Americas, or the conflicting claims of canonicity in The Ukraine (to cite a few examples)? Do we make the leap that such disunity in Orthodoxy reveals a demonic spirit inspiring us? Of course not. We are quick to explain that our squabbles flow from the fact that God is at work among fallen and sinful humans - that is to say you and me. Can we not extend the same generosity to others that we extend to ourselves? “My sins pour out behind me, and I do not see them, yet I come today to judge the sins of my brother” (Abbot Moses). Fr. Seraphim says “there are numerous cases in which people have lost interest in prayer, reading the Scriptures, and Christianity in general” upon becoming involved with the charismatic renewal. He uses this report to further question the source of the spirit behind charismatic renewal. I find this a baffling observation about the charismatic movement. In my 24 years of involvement in the charismatic renewal, I have known thousands of people who have experienced the power and the gifts of the Holy Spirit renewed in their lives. Without exception, they have reported an increased desire to pray, read Scripture, and live zealously for Jesus Christ. They sometimes fail (which of us do not) but their desire is for a greater life in Christ, not for less. Charismatic Christians are notorious for their religious zeal, not the lack of it. The reason I find Fr. Seraphim’s observation baffling is that in the very same issue of The Christian Activist Frank Schaeffer laments the “loss of faith among Orthodox.” Let’s admit it, brothers and sisters, we Orthodox Christians are not generally known for our deep knowledge of Scripture and our unfailing devotion to prayer. Again, we place the blame on our all-too-human weakness, not on the “spirit” that inspires us. Fr. Seraphim says that “the gifts of the Holy Spirit exist only in Orthodox Christians who have attained Christian perfection.” Others experiencing the gifts, he says, are succumbing to a demonic spirit of fancy. This assertion, I believe, is both erroneous and dangerous. In the Old Testament we see many examples of the Holy Spirit coming upon people with little evidence of ascetic perfection: Samson, David, and Balaam’s ass come to mind. In the New Testament, the pattern continues: in Acts 11, the spirit falls upon un-baptized Gentiles, while the book of I Corinthians is addressed to people who exercise the gifts of the Holy Spirit apart from the fruit of that same Spirit. After the New Testament period, we read in the Didache instructions for dealing with people exercising charismatic gifts while at the same time indulging the flesh. In none of these situations is it automatically assumed that the “spirit” behind the gift is from the devil. Just as one can receive Holy Communion unworthily, so one who is unworthy can exercise the gifts of the Spirit - but there is danger in doing so. Yes, the Evil One masquerades as an angel of light, seeking to deceive God’s elect. Therefore, we must exercise discernment (another one of those pesky spiritual gifts). But, God also uses fallen, sinful human beings (people like you and me) to do His work. Surely this is something of which every priest at the altar is painfully aware. It is comfortable to say that God uses only those who lived long ago, far away, and in a state of perpetual holiness - it lets us off the hook. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (II Corinthians 4:7). The charismatic renewal has prompted millions of Christians to devote their lives more fervently to Jesus Christ and to worship and proclaim Him as God and Lord. The Apostle Paul says, “no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit” (I Corinthians. 12:3). The resounding proclamation of the charismatic renewal is “Jesus Christ is Lord!” To say that the “spirit” behind such a proclamation is demonic in origin astounds me. Say we charismatics are mistaken, say we are unbalanced, say we are fanatics, but do not make the indiscreet judgment that this Christ-centered renewal, reflecting the experience of the early Church, is the work of evil spirits. The Apostle Matthew warns us that “the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men” (Matthew 12:31). Fear alone gives counsel that we should be cautious. Sincerely, Jerry Munk