Harvard Experience
W. Carl Ketcherside
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On the afternoon of April 7 it was my privilege to address a distinguished group of men and women assembled in Braun Room, in The Divinity School, Harvard University. The meeting was opened by Don Clark, who presented Barry Willbanks as moderator. Three reactors to my thesis were then introduced: Dr. Krister Stendahl, Dean of the Divinity School and John Lord O'Brian Professor of Divinity; Dr. William Robert Hutchison, Charles Warren Professor of History of Religion in America; and James Valentine Fisher, Ph.D. candidate. The last named was of special interest since he is the son of my good friend and brother, G. C. Fisher, Retired Chaplain of the Air Force, through whose kind invitation I conducted a Week of Spiritual Emphasis upon the largest air force base in the United States.
My theme was "Toward A Conservative Ecumenism," and I had resolved to present a positive alternative rather than a negative approach to the ecumenical drive in our generation. Accordingly, I broke the prayer of Jesus down into four components, and analyzed these on the basis that any form of unity which did not answer this prayer could not be called Christian unity.
My first point dealt with the extent of the unity for which we seek. Since the prayer for oneness was to include all who believed in Jesus through the apostolic proclamation (kerygma), it was my contention that any approach to an answer must be based upon two considerations--the centrality of Christ and the instrumentality of the apostles. My thought was that both occupied a unique place in the kingdom constituency and to overlook or negate this uniqueness would be abortive of the will of God.
As to the nature of the unity, I suggested that it was personal, rather than organizational or institutional, and that it stemmed from possession of the divine nature, thus was a work of the Holy Spirit, transforming the individual from within. Such unity cannot result from plans, programs or projections, nor be produced by concordats, creeds or conventions. Men are powerless to either create or destroy it.
As to the place of the unity, my contention was that it was in the fellowship with the Father and the Son. It is useless to unite all men if, in the process, you separate them all from God. In dealing
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In summation I stated that renewal is not the creation of something new, but the recapture of the ideal of the new creation. Renewal can only result from recovery of the apostolic proclamation, purpose and power.
The first reactor was Dr. Stendahl, a recognized leader in the World Council of Churches who presented a position paper at the Uppsala Convention. He concurred in the emphasis upon recovery of proclamation, and referred at length to the apostolic directive on division and fragmentation as found in First Corinthians. He dissented from that part of my thesis which dealt with structural or institutional unity, and felt that I might be muddying the ecumenical waters so that my own would appear clearer. He posed the question to me of whether the on-going Spirit might not create new structures more valid for our age, and produce unity within such structures.
Dr. Hutchison, a former Presbyterian turned Quaker, proved why he is ranked as one of the top-notch scholars in American religious history. Having been born in the vicinity of Washington, Pennsylvania, he knew as much about the Campbell movement as those of us within that heritage. But his question got to the "gut issue" as it relates to us. He wanted to know, in view of The Declaration and Address what we proposed to do about making an impact on ecumenical circles today. It was apparent that this perceptive theologian felt that we must either find a definitive role in the twentieth century or "fold our tents like the Arabs, and as silently steal away."
Jim Fisher concerned himself primarily with who has the Holy Spirit and how we may know who possesses the Pneuma. He questioned the restoration principle upon the basis of our limited application and suggested that if we were going to use it as a basis we should not go back and stop at a fixed historical point like the apostolic era, but back to Adam, and restore the principle of the brotherhood of man, for all men on earth.
Following a brief break for refreshments and a get-acquainted period, I replied to the questions of the reactors and then accepted questions from the audience for the remaining time. The entire colloquy lasted for two hours and fifteen minutes. The attendants included faculty members, divinity students, preachers from Christian Churches and Churches of Christ, the secretary for the Catholic Archdiocesan Council of Boston, and a reporter for the Boston Globe. This personable young feature writer did a rather lengthy article, but unfortunately made it appear that I was engaged in a debate with Dr. Stendahl, an impression which I diligently sought to avoid.
What we did may have been "a first," for no one could recall ever having heard of exactly this kind of encounter at Harvard during our generation. I am indebted to those who made it possible and to those who participated. I remained in the Boston area for a week, attending cell meetings of the saints in homes for four nights, and concluding with a rally conducted in the Junior High School Auditorium at Bedford, Massachusetts. It was an unforgettable experience.
One feature of our final meeting will interest "the fellowship of the concerned ones." Brethren came from four states and from various segments of the restoration heritage. Although the gathering was arranged by and was under the auspices of a local Christian Church, a brother from the non-instrument congregation nearest to them directed the singing, the preacher of the congregation led in prayer, and a choral group sang a medley of spiritual numbers. The attitude shown by all who attended, both black and white, was commendable and bespeaks a lessening of tensions and gives hope for a brighter day. We have found the same spirit of brotherly love exhibited in almost every community where it has been our privilege to work recently and we thank God and take courage!