Post-Denominationalism?
Wayne Turner

            No matter which candidate wins the 2008 election for President of the United States, a new page of history will have been written.  Barring any unfortunate event beforehand, the country will have either its first black president or its first female vice-president.  It will be interesting to see which perceived barrier is overcome first: race or gender. 

            An election with such significance naturally leads to a careful scrutiny of the candidates by the media.  Their experience and educational backgrounds as well as their views on political, economic, social and international issues will be examined and critiqued.  And, their family and personal lives, whether relevant or not, will be publicly exposed.  Very different from Canadian politics, the candidates’ religious involvement will be deemed important matters for consideration.  (For example, because of public comments made by his minister, Barack Obama has already distanced himself from him.) 

            On the surface, the four candidates represent a fairly typical religious cross-section of America.  The Democratic candidate for president, Obama, has been a member of the United Church of Christ (a theologically liberal denomination that came out of Congregationalism) for over two decades.  Joe Biden, his running-mate, is Roman Catholic.  John McCain, the Republican candidate, comes from an Episcopal background.  (Most recently, he has been attending a Southern Baptist church.)  His running-mate, Sarah Palin, is usually listed as Assembly of God, the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world.  However, her present religious affiliation, while fitting under the general label of Evangelical, is a subject of discussion.

            John Allen Jr., in the National Catholic Reporter, writes that Palin does not consider herself a Pentecostal.  In Juneau, Alaska, she attends Church on the Rock, an independent church.  Allen notes, “The initial confusion surrounding Palin’s denominational identity, therefore, has a simple explanation: She doesn’t have one.”  He goes on to note that she appears to be part of that rapidly expanding galaxy of “post-denominational” Christianity.” 

            Post-denominational?  We are familiar with terms like denominational, interdenominational, nondenominational and undenominational.  Post-denominational is new.  It refers to a growing number of people who are not interested in wearing or promoting denominational labels.   Allen describes it as, “where old denominational loyalties are essentially dead.”  He cites a 2007 survey by LifeWay that showed “fully one-third American Protestants were contemplating attending a different church in the future and only one in four said it would be important that their future church belong to the same denomination.”  Allen adds that the World Christian Encyclopedia “estimates that roughly 20 percent of the world’s 2.2 billion Christians are part of what it calls independent Christianity.” Typically, these folks eschew any label other than “Christian” for their religious identity.  Palin’s reference to herself as a “generic Christian” typifies this.

            Many people are disillusioned by the division of denominationalism, with its emphasis on dogma, ritual, tradition, institutions and very evident flaws (apathy, moral sins in the clergy, money scandals, etc.).  Yet, attempts at unity through interdenominational ecumenism have resulted in doctrinal compromise and lack substance.  Post-denominationalists want to be Christ-centered and Biblical.  It is a movement to get back to first things.

            Saying that some things should have greater priority is not saying that other things are not important.  In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says the gospel is of first importance.  Earlier, he speaks of the centrality and power of the cross.  It is the cross that created and purchased the church.  Without the cross, Christianity cannot exist.  Post-denominationalists object that denominations preach themselves, not Christ.  Paul said, “What we preach is not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord.”