Why Evangelicals Have Naked Churches (part 2)

I’ll never forget the time I was criticized for having candles in the church during a communion service. I can still hear the angry protest: “That’s Roman Catholic!” I remember saying to a friend in sarcasm, “I’m almost positive we purchased those candles at Pier One and they didn’t say, ‘Imported from Rome.’” I still believe some people think the church was founded in Valparaiso in the 1930s!

The second reason evangelicals have naked churches (see the first entry below) is related to our Protestant and Puritanical heritage. We react to anything that reminds us of Rome! During the Reformation period a number of English Protestants migrated to mainland Europe to find safe haven from the reign of “Bloody” Mary (reigned 1553-1558). After Mary’s death, Elizabeth came to the throne, and in an effort to unite Catholics and Protestants, she established in the English church what has become known as the via media – or middle way. (Also known as the Elizabethan Settlement.) It was a kinder, gentler brand of Protestantism. Many of the English Protestants who returned to their homeland were less than pleased with this new arrangement. However, instead of breaking with the church (they wanted to avoid schism), they remained within the church in an effort to “purify” the church from “popery” or “Romish” ways. They became know as Puritans.

Puritans who came to the eastern seaboard in search of greater religious freedom in the 1600s would become very influential in the life of American evangelicalism. One of the distinguishing characteristics of American Puritanism was the effort to “purify” the church from all things “Rome.” Among other things, worship structures became intentionally simple and utilitarian (they also served as “meeting houses” for civic functions). Things like stained-glass windows, paintings, sculptures – or even the use of candles were considered taboo because of their association with Rome. This “plain style” is evident to the present day even if evangelicals don’t know the history that has influenced them. (How often do you see Catholic Churches meeting in pole buildings or “theater-like” meeting places?)

In the past twenty years young evangelicals have been in recovery mode. Not only are they recovering from the fundamentalist reaction to Billy Graham’s new evangelicalism (c. post 1950 evangelicalism), they are also recovering from evangelicalism’s 500 year reaction to Catholicism. In other words, many young evangelicals are waking up to the fact that while the Reformation was necessary, the church was not established in 1517 – and there is much we can learn from those who worshipped before us. Getting rid of “beauty” was Protestant overkill. (The Anabaptists also did this.)

So where does this leave us? Well, I am among those who think the Protestant Reformation was necessary. (For those of you who don’t get this, here’s a small hint: I’m not a Catholic Priest or an Orthodox Clergyman. I am a Protestant Minister.) However, I don’t believe Luther and company wanted to rid the church of beauty. (Look at Lutheran churches today.) Most Protestants wanted to restore the beauty. Efforts by evangelicals to beautify the church in the twenty-first century should be applauded as an attempt to recapture the original spirit of the Protestant Reformation. “Recovery” and “Reform” are our goals – not destruction.