Often I tell people that I am "semi-reformed semi-orthodox" the result is usually a look of confusion. when they ask "what does that mean?" the result is usually yet more confusion. Its sometimes a matter of the hearer not having that understanding of theology. more often than that however its just that I can't explain it very well.and so while in other posts I will be dealing with specific issues in this post I'd just like to explain the Gist of what I believe and why I believe it.
some short answers
The serious answer:
I believe the church today should be how it was during the early church. the orthodox have an incredibally close understanding but see it through the eastern perspective. The reformers had a very close understanding but see it through the western perspective.
the figurative answer:
I want to see the early church! the orthodox see it but only through their right eye, the reformed christians see it but only with their left eye. I want to see its details and its depth I can't do that without both eyes
the clever wordy answer:
I'm not a part of the Protestant church for it is not one
I'm not a part of the Catholic church for it is not holy
I'm not a part of the Orthodox church for it is not catholic
I'm not a part of the Reformed church for it is not apostolic
The Jargonfest answer:
To put it simply I believe in the hermeneutical method of prima scriptura and my ecclesiological views are naturally heavily linked to prima scriputra and are in line in nearly all cases with the orthodox church. My soteriological views would be generally considered reformed but I would argue that the orthodox view is infact the exact same but with an under-defined (or is the reformed over-defined?) ordo salutis. the differences between them are mostly adiaphorisitc ... etc (I could continue but using jargon in such a way bores and irritates me and makes things longer rather than shorter)
The cryptic but heartfelt answer:
Hagia Sophia
