This post is part of a series based on chapters from the new Church of God book by Jerry Hickson, Are You Sure You're Right? (For more information see my review).
The last chapter in Dr. Hickson's book is, in my opinion, one of the best, and is a fitting conclusion to his entire discussion. Here, in "Can We All Get Along?", he addresses the roots and implications of our teachings on unity.
Certainly the emphasis of unity is not unique to the Church of God, and there have been many others that have practiced it better than us. Hickson encourages us to recover this core doctrine in a manner that differs from what is typical elsewhere in Christianity, especially among Fundamentalists and Evangelicals. A major difference is that because of our holiness orientation we view unity as much more than uniform assent to certain beliefs. He states, "Whereas some Christian traditions define Christian identity in terms of commonly held doctrines, the Church of God has always defined Christian identity in more experiential terms". (p. 98)
Hickson points out that at one time we were open to dialoguing with groups that differed from us in many ways, such as liberals. Yet, as Evangelicalism gained in prominence we identified more with their values and perspectives, resulting in an increased "polarization of theological convictions" (p. 106). And, of course, we find it difficult to practice unity even within our own movement, as is evident in the alienating divisions among us in race, geography, and ministry style.
As I see it, Christian unity is one of the true tests of our doctrinal integrity, not just in belief or rhetoric but in practice. We still have a way to go.
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