United Church of Christ

[duvduv]

How is it or was it possible for Lutherans and Calvinists to unite into one denomination when they have so many theological differences between them historically? How can there be Lutheranism and Calvinism within the same denomination?

 

[exchemist]

How is it or was it possible for Lutherans and Calvinists to unite into one denomination when they have so many theological differences between them historically? How can there be Lutheranism and Calvinism within the same denomination?

I had to look this up, as this group does not exist in the UK, so far as I know.

It seems that they have decided to accept a plurality of doctrine, subject only to certain common (Protestant) principles. They seem to have no hierarchy specifying doctrine, and to grant a large degree of autonomy to individual congregations.

I must say I find myself warming to them rather, as they seem to be one of those denominations that looks for what people have in common in order to include them, rather than seeking out points of difference so they can exclude them.

But maybe someone will show up who belongs to this church and and can give us the full story.

 

[sun rise]

Doctrinal differences between various protestant denominations has been fading away for some time. This group is to me evidence of that trend.

 

[metis]

How is it or was it possible for Lutherans and Calvinists to unite into one denomination when they have so many theological differences between them historically? How can there be Lutheranism and Calvinism within the same denomination?

There's been mergers within the Lutheran church. For example, I was brought up in the American Lutheran Church [ALC synod] but since its merger with a couple of others it's now the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America [ELCA synod]. So, anything is possible.

 

[metis]

BTW, the UCoC is a combination of at least a couple of mergers, with the first being between what we call the "Pilgrims" and "Puritans" that formed the Congregationalist Church, which then merged again later.

 

[Orbit]

The United Church of Christ was founded in 1957 as a merger of the Congregational-Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church. It continues the American Congregational tradition, according to the ARDA.

 

[duvduv]

My point is to try to clarify how and why these denominations could possibly merge into the United Church of Christ when they had totally opposing doctrines. So far I haven't seen anyone involved in the Church explain anything here.