There has been more than enough said about schism in the Anglican Communion recently. What has gone mostly unreported is a very similar schism in the Evangelical Alliance. It is not over sexuality but over doctrine (natch). However, the nub of the argument is very similar to the one going on within Anglicansim.
Here is the short version: Steve Chalke, a known evangelical, has written a book questioning the doctrine of penal substitution as a way of understanding the atonement. (You have to have a certain background or upbringing to appreciate what this really means).
Actually, I think that the argument is almost exactly the same as that which is raging within the Anglican Communion. So uncanny is this, that it makes me wonder whether God is trying to tell us something significant.
Anyway, I’ve been following the story with interest. Now, the Evangelical Alliance has issued a statement criticising Mr Chalke in no uncertain terms.
“While affirming the many gifts which Steve has to offer, we urge him, as a much-loved brother in Christ, to reconsider both the substance and style of his recently expressed views on this matter.”
Ouch – love hurts.
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