Despite commitment to Scripture as authoritative, and in some cases inerrant,35 British
evangelicals present an interesting combination of attitudes towards supernatural events. A spectrum of opinion exists: at one end are those who accept miracles in Scripture but are functional rationalists, with little expectation of contemporary events. Some extend this to cessationism, rejecting the possibility of a contemporary miracula exterior (including charismatic gifts).36 At the other end, Pentecostals and charismatic evangelicals37 often read
29 R.A. Larmer, The Meaning of Miracles, in Twelftree, Miracles, 36 30 D. Basinger, What is a Miracle?, in Twelftree, Miracles, 20-24 31 Basinger, ‘Miracle’, 31
32 Larmer, Miracles, 50
33 W. Moberly, Miracles in the Hebrew Bible, in Twelftree (ed.) Miracles, 58-60 34 Del Colle, Miracles, 240
35 Wright, The Radical Evangelical, 4
36 Warner, Reinventing English Evangelicalism, 229. Bebbington cites the development of the Anglican ‘Reform’
movement as a reaction to the influence of the Charismatic renewal in this and other theological areas. ‘Evangelical Trends’, 104
37 Pentecostals and charismatics are not identical on this subject. Charismatics typically do not follow the classic
Pentecostal requirement of tongues as evidence of spirit baptism. ‘The Globalization of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity’, Annual review of Anthropology, Vol.33 (2004), 120
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biblical accounts of divine activity as a model for ministry,38 anticipating contemporary
interventions and embracing a theology of ‘spiritual warfare’.39
In his seminal work on congregations, Hopewell noted attitudes towards the supernatural as a key distinguishing factor. Using literary terms to describe four Christian worldviews, he argued that each emphasised different aspects of Christian tradition - including engagement with the supernatural. Most applicable to the churches under observation are his Canonic/Tragic and Charismatic/Romantic categories. The Canonic category anticipates gradual decline as the norm of human existence, with resolution or salvation only available through suffering and
perseverance. It demonstrates a high reliance on and exclusive submission to the Bible. The Charismatic/Romantic category describes a more optimistic worldview, the solution to life’s dilemmas being through spiritual adventure in which one can be a hero. This emphasises triumph through adversity and encountering the transcendent spirit to empower and equip one for this adventure.40
The churches participating in this study hold differing official positions along the spectrum of attitudes towards the supernatural and within Hopewell’s model. New Life is charismatic, encouraging the use of tongues and prophecy, engaged in prayer for healing with at least one member who reports regular experiences of the angelic. Sarah anticipated that discussion of the supernatural events in the texts would be straightforward, assuming that the groups would be open, comfortable and expectant of supernatural experiences today. It might be expected that their groups would demonstrate a ‘romantic’ reading of the texts. Central Chapel has historic Brethren links but uses a contemporary worship band and some charismatic songs. However, it is not charismatic in its theology or praxis. Songs were not used as a sacrament – focussing on the divine and using repetition as a form of meditation41 (which is typical of charismatics). 42
Instead, they were used as hymns, declarations of faith or exhortations to the community, typical of traditional evangelical worship.43 Ken did not expect significant discussion of the
supernatural.
I have very low expectations, if I’m honest, of supernatural manifestations taking place today. I do believe that healings happen, but with nothing like the frequency of intensity that they did in the first century. I’m not
38 Keener, Miracles, 99
39 Rooted in 1990s missiology this emphasises the reality of battles between demonic and angelic powers in which
Christians are called to participate. Two influential writers were C.P. Wagner, Confronting the Powers (Venture: Regal Books, 1996); D. Prince, They Shall Expel Demons (Grand Rapids: Chosen Books, 1998). Scotland cites this as a core charismatic value, Charismatic Movement, 282
40 J. Hopewell, Congregations: Stories and Structure (London: SCM, 1988), 58-69 41 J. Steven, Worship in the Spirit (Carlisle: Paternoster, 2002), 127-9
42 M. Bonnington, ‘Patterns in Charismatic Spirituality’, Anglicans for Renewal Magazine Vol. 38 (2001), 31 43 D. Montgomery, Sing A New Song, (Edinburgh: Rutherford House, 2000), 36
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cessationist, I do believe that there are signs, wonders and miracles around today… we just don’t teach that you should expect them very often. Rather,
The greatest miracle, and the greatest healing is that of the conversion [so] let’s be working really hard for that. We have low expectation of the miraculous in our congregation and if they are strongly shaped by the way we teach; I suspect that will come across.
This emphasis on miracula interior over miracula exterior has a long tradition.44 Ken’s low
expectation of 'spiritual manifestations' reflects a form of cessationism that stretches back to Chrysostom and Augustine.45 It anticipates little by way of signs and wonders but is reluctant to
rule them out entirely. Rather, it emphasises the interior work of the Spirit in a believer’s life. Cessationism has always been a minority Protestant view; however, significant numbers appear to have adopted this form of ‘mild’ cessationism.46 Keener states, “Many modern cessationists
do not exclude God’s supernatural activity in the present but simply argue that it does not occur to the same degree or in the same form as in the New Testament.”47 Cessationism may not be
the best description for this; indeed, Ken actively resisted this label, presumably wishing to distance the church from hard-line cessationism and remain open to the (in his view unlikely) possibility of contemporary miracles. In Hopewell’s terms, this suggests a ‘canonic’ worldview with little expectation of believers experiencing the dramatic power of the transcendent spirit in the form of miracula exterior.
Will, at Trinity Church, gave a more mixed response. Since they are a Reformed community, I had anticipated a cessationist position; however, he explained that they considered themselves them to be charismatic or 'continuist' in their theology. 48 Describing cessationism as “A doctrine
that is a peculiarity of some branches of protestant Christianity”, he criticised it as a poor interpretation of Scripture and church history, explaining that by ‘charismatic’ he meant, “We don’t object to gifts although they’re not regularly demonstrated in our meetings.” He explained that the church leadership wanted to encourage prophetic contributions but that the congregation were reluctant. In response to questions about their use of charismatic worship songs without the typical emotive worship practices he explained,
I don’t think that what you described as the charismatic spirituality of the contemporary Pentecostal and charismatic movements is the only or definitive way of expressing charismatic convictions in your doctrine.
44 Del Colle, Miracles, 239 45 Ibid., 237
46 Keener, Miracles, 260 47 Ibid., 260
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In other words, one can be charismatic without demonstrating the charismata or their frequently associated worship practices. Will was concerned about what he perceived as excesses of the charismatic movement but happy to embrace some aspects of the tradition, using the label in an aspirational and theoretical manner. With regard to supernatural activity, he anticipated that the groups would not have problems with the texts as historical records but would have no real expectation of such experiences today.
I think there will be some people who feel disappointed by that, so I’m sure there will be some people who wish that there was more obviously divine, supernatural intervention. I think within the church we would have a number of people who would be much more sort of ‘If we believed in this more it would happen more’ – a lack of faith sort of thing.
He considered that a majority,
Will be ‘It could happen but it probably won’t’, and that may stem from either a healthy and realistic understanding of the nature of the miraculous, which is by definition miraculous, or from a somewhat sceptical modernist world view. And it’s often hard to distinguish.
This identifies the tension many modern British evangelicals experience: a rationalist education has taught them to prioritise scientific understanding, and their experience of miracula exterior is limited. However, their understanding of Scripture as historically accurate, combined with the influence of the charismatic/Pentecostal movement, has perhaps raised expectations of the type of dramatic action God might perform. Although this is comparable to Central Chapel (their worship service used a similar format), Will presented Trinity Church as more intentional about its desire to engage with charismata such as prophecy, which marks it as unusual for an FIEC affiliated church. Returning to Hopewell’s model, Trinity appears to be ‘canonical/tragic’ in its worldview while its leaders aspire towards the ‘charismatic/romantic’. All three leaders anticipated that their groups would understand accounts in the text to be describing a literal historical event. No one anticipated the rationalisation or understanding of biblical events as metaphorical or figurative. The three churches are officially situated at various points along the evangelical spectrum and might be described as follows:
New Life: ‘Actively charismatic’ evangelicals: fully open to the supernatural and miraculous in both Scripture and contemporary experience, seeing one as a continuation of the other and demonstrating Hopewell’s ‘romantic’ worldview.
Trinity Church: ‘Open but cautious’ Reformed evangelicals: fully accepting of the supernatural and miraculous in Scripture and theoretically open to contemporary
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miracles and use of charismata but limited in experience and expectation.49 In
Hopewell’s terms ‘canonical’ with ‘romantic’ aspirations.
Central Chapel: ‘Non-expectant’ evangelicals or ‘mild’ cessationists: accepting of the miraculous in Scripture but non-expectant of contemporary experience beyond
conversion and interior transformation of the believer. Fitting Hopewell’s model of the ‘canonical’ worldview.