Introduction
The Anglican Communion, as well as the Christian Church worldwide, is living through a momentous time in history.
After writing a series of essays, I sensed God calling me to write a more extensive analysis of the crisis that has come upon us.
This work is in depth, and incorporates elements from the academic disciplines of Church History, Ecclesiology, Communication Theory,
and Sacramental Theology. The book is entitled, Anglican Manifesto – A Christian Response to Oneworld Religion, and is now available
for your review.
The cataclysmic events now taking place in the Anglican Communion represent a microcosm in the state of Christianityas a whole.
The same dynamics which fuel the fires of the current Anglican angst smolder beneath the surface of worldwide Christianity.
As we move into the twenty-first century, the church universal is facing a polarization between the traditional Christian faith and a revised, progressive “Christianity” that is in fact nothing short of a new religious movement. Christians of every denomination must choose between
the two. The foundational principles and theology of each are radically different. They cannot be reconciled: Traditional vs. Progressive; Liberal vs. Orthodox; Old vs. New; however one makes the distinction we have come to a point of decision.
We have entered a new historical time period. A paradigm shift has occurred, and we have left the post-modern time behind.
We are now living in the Oneworld Era, informed by Oneworld technologies, guided by Oneworld values, and pressed upon from every quarter to give in toward the movement for a Oneworld humanity. This also includes a Oneworld Religion, or perhaps in more familiar terms the validation of all religions as equal paths to God.
Within this new culture of Oneworld, anomalies must be smoothed out for the sake of peace and tolerance. This means that those who hold to faith in Jesus Christ as the exclusive means of salvation need to be persuaded through conversation and dialogue until they see the light. Yet, how is this possible for a committed follower of Jesus? Someone who holds to the objective authority of Holy Scripture for everyone,
in every place, and in every generation? It is not possible, for to do so is to compromise ones’ soul. Therefore, I see the emergence of two competing theological expressions: A Oneworld Religion based upon the precepts of the Spirit of the Age; and a Oneworld Church which consists of all believers in the traditional faith based in the Spirit of the Holy Scriptures.
The time has come for all who would call themselves Christians, to decide which set of beliefs and practices will be adhered to and
taught in the church, and which vision will be offered to the world as the Christian faith. Are we sinners brought back into relationship
with God through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, or, are all made in the image of God and therefore inherently good?
Is Jesus Christ the only means of salvation, or, is salvation available through a plurality of religions that lead us to the knowledge
of the divine presence within each person?
The sorting and sifting out of church communities as we align with the competing visions has produced considerable friction.
Nowhere has this been more evident than in my own denomination with the separation of Anglicans and Episcopalians. Yet regardless of affiliation, your church is facing the same challenges, or soon will be by virtue of the dynamics in which we live. It is time to lay aside
the walls that divide us, and join together in unity that comes from adherence to truth – agreeing in the essentials of the faith, and allowing
for differences in the non-essentials.
Writing from the midst of the struggles of the Anglican Communion, I seek to ignite not only a reformation of Anglicanism, but a global reunification and revival of the Christian church. In the crisis of Anglicanism, I see a historic opportunity for Christianity as a whole. As the tapestry that was once the Anglican Church unravels, I see the possibilities of the bonding together of a new, unified, Fellowship of the Christian Church worldwide.
Anglican Manifesto examines the vibrant elements of our faith that have come down through the historical streams of Christianity.
While specifically addressing the issues that are distinctly Anglican, Manifesto moves further to incorporate theological perspectives of interest to the Christian Church as a whole. Readers will be challenged to think beyond existing paradigms.
Fr. Jack Estes
You may order your copy here at: anglicanmanifesto.com
or contact me at anglicanmanifesto@gmail.com for more information.
The Reverend Jack Estes graduated summa cum laude
from Westmont College with a BA in Religious Studies.
He completed his Master of Divinty at Trinity School for Ministry.
Since 2002, Fr. Jack has served as the rector of St. Luke’s Anglican Church
in Bakersfield, CA, Diocese of San Joaquin, ACNA.