On the renewal of interest in the doctrine of sanctification: A methodological reminder

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Sep 2002 by Porter, Steven L

By now it goes without saying that along with the resurgence of interest in "spirituality" within our general Western culture there is also a renewal of interest in "Christian spirituality" amongst Christian believers. Surely within evangelicalism there is a movement afoot, if not already in full swing. My present concern is that evangelical theologians may fail to do their part in providing theoretical (i.e. theological) guidance to those who are examining again, or for the first time, what amounts to the Christian doctrine of sanctification. For whatever the motives of those who are thirsty for a deeper spiritual life, what they are seeking is a legitimate domain of Christian theology. Hence, in the midst of the flurry of popular writing and teaching on spiritual formation, evangelical theologians have a duty to offer a biblical presentation of the doctrine of sanctification in a clear, coherent, and comprehensive manner that is at the same time relevant to the lives of contemporary Christian believers. As Robert Rakestraw points out, there is a "crying need for a robust, Biblical theology of the Christian life that will refute and replace the plethora of false spiritualities plaguing Church and society."1

But the doctrine of sanctification is tricky. First, it is a complex doctrine in that it is the culmination of conclusions reached in just about every other theological category (e.g. theological anthropology, harmartiology, soteriology, Christology, pneumatology, ecclesiology, etc.). Furthermore, it is a doctrine about which thinkers in other disciplines besides theology have something significant to say (e.g. psychologists). And lastly, the legitimacy of the doctrine can be tested in the actual lives of believers. It is truly where the theological rubber meets the road.2

In all of this, the worry is that in our eagerness to respond to those who buy books, go to conferences, organize retreats, and take classes on the spiritual life, we are in danger of muddying the waters when there is such an opportunity to lead with clarity of speech, depth of thought, and true insight regarding the nature of the way of Christ. The outcome of this muddying may be that "spiritual formation" becomes just another passing evangelical fad.

With this concern in mind, I intend to bring to light a bit of the contemporary confusion regarding Christian spirituality and surface some methodological approaches to this domain of knowledge that serve to perpetuate this confusion. I will then offer a methodological approach to the doctrine of sanctification that has the potential to dispel the fog that has descended on discussions of the nature of Christian spirituality. In particular, I maintain that there is a proper theo-methodological approach that addresses in a principled way doctrinal issues which are logically prior, systematically pervasive, and theologically fundamental to an evangelical theology of Christian spirituality.

I. THE CONTEMPORARY CONFUSION

1. Terminology and the goal of sanctification. I will begin with a note about terminology, for semantic issues are partly responsible for the confusion that arises in current discussions of sanctification. 3 There is a collection of terms that represent a new vocabulary for evangelicalism when it comes to discussing what up until recently would have been referred to as spiritual growth, Christian living, sanctification, or discipleship. But new movements inevitably bring new vocabularies, and so we now speak of Christian spirituality, spiritual transformation, character formation, and spiritual theology. Whatever subtle nuances might be given to each term, what seems clear is that they all (both old and new) refer to the nature of spiritual maturation from the time of regeneration to the time of glorification. In this broad sense, I will take all the above terms as synonymous for the purposes of this paper. Most often I will refer to this domain of inquiry as the doctrine or theology of sanctification, for this is the category of systematic theology that maps the stated area of thought.

The pivotal element in one's doctrine of sanctification will be the goal or telos of sanctification, for without an explicit destination it is impossible to develop a mental map of the nature of this maturation process.4 Furthermore, our conception of this destination determines the value of spiritual formation. There is no easier path to works righteousness and legalism than to have a mistaken or confused notion of the goal of spiritual growth.5

And if the telos is unclear, then a treatment of the object, agents, means, and dynamics of sanctification will inevitably be unclear as well. The goal of sanctification is what orders and organizes the other essential elements of one's understanding of Christian growth. Lastly, the goal of sanctification should be what propels us forward in our spiritual growth. Persons eager to get on with their spiritual journeys will be quickly disillusioned if the identifiable guides cannot simply state the ultimate end. Thus, clarity on the telos of sanctification appears crucial. And yet, it is on this precise issue that there seems to be extensive conceptual confusion.