That We May Be One: Unity in a Divided Church

Here I begin discussion of Gary B. Agee’s book That We May Be One: Practicing Unity in a Divided Church (Eerdmans, 2022). Unlike previous book discussions here, I invite all to participate (following the rules stated at the end). However, if you have not read the chapter(s) under review, be sure to say that so we know how to “take” what you say.

I’m interested in this subject—Christian unity, unity of the church—because: 1) Jesus himself wished and prayed for it (John 17), and 2) I think some divisions among Christians are scandalous and grieve the heart of God AND undermine the reputation of Christianity.

Agee say in his Preface “It appears that if there were ever a season to give up on unity, it might be this one. But despite the polarizing times in which we live, a central aspiration of the Christian faith is in fact the promotion of oneness.”

In his Introduction Agree offers three “Acts”—stories about his own experiences with unjustified separation and of coming to terms with what he sees as God’s desire for unity among Christians. These are winsome stories. I can identify with all three.

In Chapter One Agee bemoans racial segregation among Christians and calls for unity. He talks about it as an “arduous journey.” I was almost fully on board up to this point. I worry about privileged people dominating under-privileged people in efforts at union. I also worry about unity coming about at the cost of losing all distinctives. But more about that later. I’m sure Agree has much more to say even about these qualms.

At the end of Chapter One I wondered what limits Agee might acknowledge to unity in a divided church? Again, surely he will tell us. I have read some beyond Chapter One and have communicated with him by email. I have gained some insight about that question.

Speaking for myself, I think “Christian unity” primarily means open communion. I abhor “closed communion” which means “fencing the table” of the Lord’s Supper so that only members of a certain denomination can participate. That violates Jesus’s prayer that we may be one. However, I think Christian churches that are of different denominations already have unity with other Christians insofar as they practice open communion and are willing to cooperate with them in Christian endeavors.

Here are a couple questions I worry about when I am confronted with a call to Christian unity.

First, does it have to mean a “an visibly and institutionally united church?” I participated in a series of ecumenical conferences where that was the clearly stated goal. I dropped out when the two Lutheran theologians who organized the events let it be known that they envisioned Protestants rejoining the Catholic Church—with the provision that the Catholic Church acknowledge that the pope is not infallible and becomes “first among many” bishops. I participated in ecumenical seminars between Catholic students of theology and Protestant ones, and their two professors, at the University of Munich in Germany. The vision, the goal there was also, eventually and in the long run, an institutionally unified church.

Second, does it have to mean Christian fellowship and communion among all who call themselves “Christians” or are there limits to that? I helped organize “Union Thanksgiving Services” at a Baptist church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We who organized it, to be held in our sanctuary, had to make decisions about what pastors to invite. There were in the our neighborhood churches of many kinds including a Unification Church, followers of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. Should we invite their minister to participate? We invited the priest of the nearby Catholic church and the priest of the nearby Eastern Orthodox church. And we invited ministers of other Protestant churches. But what about the Unification church? Many Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox ministers, priests, and theologians consider the Unification Church a cult. (A note here to any UC members: Don’t bother arguing that the UC is not a cult. Of course you don’t think it is and I’m not saying it is. It is simply a fact that many Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox ministers, priests and theologians consider it one.)

I am ambivalent about religious and Christian unity. Especially I want to know what it means “on the ground,” so to speak, in practical terms. Perhaps Agee will give us some guidance about that.

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