What I find to be interesting is that all the old protestant denominations with the low view of Christ as well as catholic parishes/seminaries that preach the low view of christ—all have accepted or been accommodative to homosexuality—especially in their priesthood.
The reason that this is interesting and germane to the conversation is that the low view of Christ makes Jesus into a human sacrifice. Not really morally different than the aztecs cutting the heart out or the moches bashing in skulls.
‘low view’ is a new term to me.
I belong to a group of Anglican/Episcopal churches that broke away from the authority of the North American bishops, and put themselves under the authority of African or Latin American bishops.
The decisive issue in the break was that our churches were unwilling to go along on the gay marriage / gay priests issue.
The protestant view is that the penal substitution atonement theory of Christ’s crucifixion is central to any protestant theology that still submits itself to the authority of the Bible.
( I believe that ckilmer is describing the penal substitution atonement as the “low view of Christ” ). Pls correct if i am wrong.
http://www.the-highway.com/cross_Packer.html
J. I Packer is an influential theologian in our churches, and in the link he explains the evangelical anglican view of the atonement.
If people don’t like the penal atonement view, and want to understand the Crucifixion in terms of extra-biblical explanations, or want to modify the meaning of the Crucifixion according to human preferences - that’s fine.
But in our group of anglican churches, we follow the bible and accept that we might not like it.