In our contemporary world, especially in North America, many people still say that they are Christians, and many of those do seem to be people with genuine faith in Christ. Unfortunately, for many contemporary Christians, there seems to be much more sentiment than thought in their convictions. Many who say with enthusiasm that they believe in Christ and the Bible do not seem to know much about either. Even some people who can cite certain biblical passages do not seem to know much about Scripture in general or appreciate the value of Christian history. They seem to naively assume that an emotional response without doctrinal roots is sufficient.
Study of the Scriptures and Church history shows the weakness of much popular Christianity in every epoch. Neither blind traditionalism nor emotional enthusiasm are sufficient for mature expressions of Christianity. We need to be firmly rooted in Scriptural teaching. For me, reading, studying, and reflecting over the years have re-emphasized the importance of the Reformation. The expressions of the faith in the ancient Creeds and in the Protestant catechisms and confessions are at the core of a thoughtful and biblical Christianity.
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