Book Review: Finding the Right Hills to Die On
Division of and in the church poses one of, if not, the greatest threats to the vitality and mission of the church today. In the midst of steady and even rapid numerical decline in the American church, many denominations, churches, and Christians preoccupy themselves with internal controversies characterized by suspicion, anger, and misunderstanding. While some have turned their focus on How To Reach the West Again, it often seems we expend the majority of our energy on raising various alarms about supposed theological compromise.
The decline of the church and the threat of increased division and fragmentation makes Dr. Gavin Ortlund's book Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage a timely gift to the church. And because every Christian must consider what kinds of partnerships to create with their church, Christian ministries, and other groups of Christians, this book provides helpful guidance in weighing and discerning the relative importance of various doctrines. Many of us have uncritically adopted an attitude toward doctrinal (and moral) debate that needs examination. As Ortlund points out in his introduction, some Christians will fight over any disagreement, treating the difference as a matter of orthodoxy, while others won't fight about anything, as if doctrine has little to no importance (p17).
On a personal level, as a church member and now as a pastor, I've found doctrinal prioritization to be vitally important though rarely employed. I was once a member of a church that prevented Christians from becoming members if they did not share a particular eschatological view or consumed alcohol. I've also pastored church members that felt they had to leave because we didn't speak more forcefully about secondary doctrines or because we didn't share their views on tertiary matters like evolution or politics. In each of these cases, pastors and church members caused division in the body (whether preventing people from joining or by leaving a church) because of disagreements that did not require such separations.
Dr. Ortlund is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Ojai in Ojai, California, is ordained in the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, and received his Ph.D. from Fuller Theological Seminary in historical theology. He's an emerging voice and leader publishing on a range of topics while pastoring and engaging in various forms of evangelism.
Overview
The framework Ortlund provides for discerning theological importance rests on the medical metaphor of triage: the practice of strategic prioritization of medical needs usually carried out in an emergency room when deciding which patients to attend to first or when deciding what issue to address with a patient presenting multiple problems. He argues that doctrines need to be sorted in a similar way, and he offers four basic categories for ranking them (p19):
First-rank doctrines are essential to the gospel itself.
Second-rank doctrines are urgent for the health and practice of the church, which usually requires separation at the local church level.
Third-rank doctrines are important to Christian theology but do not require separation or division among Christians.
Fourth-rank doctrines are unimportant to our gospel witness and ministry collaborations.
Before exploring the categories, he spends two very important chapters warning against the dangers of sectarianism and minimalism and one chapter sharing his own journey which illustrates why theological prioritization is so important. The last three chapters of the book explore the first three of these categories, offering justification for the category and offering a few doctrinal examples that fall into each.
In chapter 4, he explains why doctrines like the virgin birth and justification (p82-93) belong in the first category noting that some doctrines mark a fault line between Christianity and other religions while others constitute a material point of the gospel (p75-76). In short, first rank doctrines serve as the foundation and core of the faith such that, if lost, distorted, or removed, "the gospel itself would be ruptured," and Christianity would turn into something else entirely (p87). That said, he helpfully explains that not every Christian must understand, articulate, or explicitly affirm these doctrines in order to be saved, rather, these are doctrines that must not be denied as the person grows and is clearly instructed (p80-82). In matters of first importance, Ortlund calls Christians to stand with courage and conviction (p76).
With second-rank doctrines, we're encouraged in chapter 5 to have wisdom and balance (p95). These doctrines, like baptism, Scripture, and women's ordination, bring differences in how we understand and articulate the gospel and in the shape of our practice of the faith. Ortlund points out that doctrines in this category "exert significant influence over our witness to and/or understanding of the gospel," and "lead to practical differences in how we do church and/or ministry," (p96). He explains second-rank doctrines tend to be the most challenging for the church because, while these matters are not essential to the faith, they necessarily lead to visible and institutional separation. Additionally, Ortlund admits that within this category, there is a spectrum such that some doctrines are on the border with other first or third-rank doctrines (p97). He also notes that the interconnectivity of doctrines, the urgency of a particular moment and context, and the attitudes produced by particular doctrines all impact how these matters are held (p98). Most of the chapter focuses on his discussion of baptism, spiritual gifts, and women's ordination. His discussion of each demonstrates the complexity and offers many helpful considerations for navigation.
With third rank-doctrines, Ortlund calls for circumspection and restrain such that we do not allow differences on these matters to divide local churches. He points out that, sadly, American evangelicals have tended to divide over "peripheral aspects of creation and eschatology while ignoring more central aspects of these doctrines," (p126). For example, on doctrine of the Millenium, he notes that there's only one passage explicitly mentioning it, that it is a highly debated passage, and that it has not been viewed as highly significant or important throughout church history until the last century or two (p128-131). The overview of church history on the question of creation days will be really helpful to those who grow suspicious of Christians that don't share their view (p137-143). He does make clear that, while these doctrines need not divide a local congregation, they are not unimportant, for everything taught in Scripture is important since God has spoken it (p136).
The conclusion of the book is a much needed call for humility in theological disagreement. He encourages us not only to admit in principle that we all have blind spots, but that we eagerly pursue humility so that this admission takes concrete shape in the way we engage with others by truly listening, giving people the benefit of the doubt, seeking common ground, and being slow to arrive at conclusions (p147). In many ways, this chapter is the most important of the entire book since without humility, we will never do the hard work of being open to being wrong or to gently engaging with those with whom we disagree so that we avoid dividing the church. As he puts it, "humility is the way to unity" (p148).
Strengths
Ortlund has written a timeless book at an important time. In an age of fragmentation and polarization, the church's unity and our ability to speak with a unified voice continues to decline. Churches in the U.S. too often leave little space for differences among their members, driving pepople away or hindering them from joining in the first place. With increased frequency, church members abandon their membership vows after developing a suspicion of their pastors' fidelity to Scripture and sound doctrine because of the polarizing and overblown rhetoric of prominant voices online. This book's call for humility and the framework provided, if adopted and implemented widely, would substantially reduce division and promote trust and growth in the church. Because "the church's unity is foundational to her identity and mission," we need this book today.
Aside from the overall message, throughout the book there are numerous tidbits of wisdom, interesting observations, and helpful distinctions made on numerous issues. His illustration about how a boxer's footwork gives him poise to properly balance and respond to an oppenent nicely communicates the importance of our need for multiple virtues as we face different kinds of theological challenges (p27-28). He helpfully provides nuanced resources for clearer thinking by distinguishing between various kinds of expressions of church unity (p34) and between affirming a doctrine and not denying it (p80). He includes an observation by scholar Craig Blomberg about the four kinds of errors that are strongly opposed in the New Testament (p90). Many more examples like these could be cited.
A final strength to note is the pastoral tone of the book. Ortlund is both a scholar and a pastor. Despite his academic prowess, the writing is clear and accessible such that most Christians will easily follow the arguments he's making even if they are unfamiliar with the particular doctrinal debates he's addressing. He also gently challenges the reader to examine our hearts, asking things like: "Do we have a 'warm corner in our hearts' for every single true Christian, even if we strongly disagree with him or her on various issues?" (pg37). Perhaps most importantly, he writes with charity and humility, which won't surprise anyone who follows his ministry. He embodies the humility to which he calls us.
Is there a better metaphor than theological triage?
One question I walked away with is whether or not triage is the best metaphor for the concept of theological prioritization. First of all, I don't think Ortlund actually employed the metaphor that much throughout the book. He could have made connections in a way that illuminated the theological categories. For example, first-rank doctrines are like the medical issues that cause the patient to live or die. Second-rank doctrines are like issues that prevent or lead to health issues or normal functioning in the future. Third-rank doctrines are like issues that are largely about comfort and ability. Fourth-rank doctrines are issues that are cosmetic or about preference. I think he could have utilized the metaphor to strengthen his case.
Ortlund acknowledges early on that he is borrowing the metaphor and did not come up with it himself, but he does commend it for two reasons (p17-18). First, it assumes doctrines have different kinds of importance. Second, it assumes that the needs are urgent because, as he puts it, souls are perishing and culture is escalating into "a whirlwind of confusion and outrage," (p18).
While I agree with these assumptions, I'm concerned the assumption of urgency might be overplayed because of the emergency, life or death of the patient, nature of the metaphor. There seems to be a potential weaknesses here because the metaphor discourages a long-term outlook on theological dialogue, development, and resolution. I worry this implicitly leads to the theological minimalism Ortlund warned against because it puts such a priority on the central doctrines over and against doctrines that are not "critical" so that the long term health of the church will be neglected.
So while I think the triage metaphor wasn't used to its fullest potential, even if it was, I'd be concerned with some of the ways it could have a negative impact. Honestly, I'd be interested to hear the conversation of theological prioritization adopt a different metaphor. I personally think it would be more clarifying and helpful to employ an architectural metaphor. The church's doctrine is like a home in which we live and show hospitality. It has a foundation (first-rank) upon which the whole house stands, a frame and roof (second-rank) that gives shape to its life and positions the home to the outside world, a particular system of plumbing and electric wiring (third-rank) that impacts the livability but could certainly be done in different ways, and finally a decor (fourth-rank) that impacts the mood of our life together.
What about theological ethics?
Another question that this book raised for me has to do with whether or not these categories of prioritization can be employed in theological ethics on matters of justice and morality. I don't recall the book every touching on questions that are being hotly debated today surrounding homosexuality, social and/or racial justice, abortion, and political engagement. When I was in seminary 15 years ago, women's ordination was largely considered a second level disagreement that we openly discussed and debated in class and at church. Now this issue is treated as a matter of orthodoxy or as a matter of justice, such that both sides deeply distrusts the other and perhaps equates the other's error as a reason to deny a common Christian bond. I know Christians that will not even consider attending a church that does or does not ordain women. By touching on these topics, Ortlund could have made the book that much stronger and more helpful.
Doctrines that Span Categories
One area that I think needed more nuance relates to second-rank doctrines. Ortlund acknowledged that this category in particular holds a spectrum of importance (p97). But, that I can find, he did not talk about how particular doctrines themselves contain a spectrum of importance, and his discussion of baptism in particular needed this clarification. Ortlund notes a few of the issues surrounding the question of baptism, ranging from the connection between baptism and regeneration to the debate about the proper subjects of baptism. But on my reading, he did not discuss or point out how the various dimensions of the baptism discussion may belong in different categories. For instance, while disagreement about the proper subjects of baptism may require Christians to establish different churches (credo v paedo), must disagreements about the mode (sprinkling, pouring, or immersing) of baptism do so as well?
One related question that I know Ortlund has considered elsewhere has to do with the essence of baptism and how one's position on that relates to the doctrine of catholicity or church unity. Credobaptists believe baptism should be administered after a profession of faith, but must this conviction be held in such a way that all baptisms of infants must be considered invalid? If so, what are the implications for the unity of the church across time and space given that infant baptism has been and is the dominant practice? How can credobaptists who believe infant baptism is invalid rather than irregular consider themselves part of the catholic church? When considering church unity and what constitutes a valid baptism, what should carry more weight?
This issue illustrates the interconnectivity of doctrines and the spectrum of issues involved with a particular doctrine. I think the book did not do enough to provide examples or categories for handling these sorts of debates and disagreements.
What's a fourth-ranked doctrine?
Finally, I wonder why Ortlund did not have a chapter on his final category of "unimportant" doctrines. Many of the failures of theological prioritization I've encountered in the church relate to matters of conscience or "things indifferent" (p19), ranging from the consumption of alcohol, to rules about how men and women may interact, to what words Christians may or may not say. While he lists a few in the introduction (musical instruments in worship and the number of angels that exist), it would have been helpful to see him discuss the sorts of convictions that belong here.
Recommendation of the book
Overall, this is an excellent and needed book. While there's more work to be done in this area, Ortlund has made a compelling case for theological prioritization and given helpful guidelines for how to do so. I highly recommend it to anyone who studies theology, who has become concerned about theological differences within their church or denomination, or who has become tired of theological dispute. All of us need the warnings, encouragement, and nuance this book provides. May the Lord use it to cultivate humility and unity in our churches.