How Old Are We?

"The common theme [of 'primitivism'], however, was that the forms and practices that had developed over the ages within the church were not normative, nor even valuable. Instead they represented a process of corruption and degeneration in which the purity of primitive Christianity had been lost. Things like creeds and ceremonies were merely human inventions that had crusted over the gospel like barnacles on a ship, which must be scraped away so that authentic New Testament worship could be restored." - Nancy Pearcy, Total Truth

This sort of Evangelical mindset practically gives birth to a new kind of Church. It is a Church that has recently been born again, freed from its slavish traditions and dogmas in order that it might get at the Scriptures as those who were the original readers. "Nevermind the scholarship, creeds and councils," they say, "such things should not get in the way of believers and God's word!" or my personal favorite, "My Christianity is authentic because it comes straight from the Bible and only from the Bible." Pick up a copy of Pearcy's book if you want to know where your Evangelical Christianity really comes from, the last half of this book is fascinating and ecclesiologically depressing (in a good "learn from your mistakes" kind of way).