Paleo-Orthodoxy

[C4MERON]

Can anyone outline to me what ‘Paleo-Orthodoxy’ is? I have a very rudimentary understanding that is has to do with some kind of return to Patristic-era theology?
I know a friend and earnest brother in Christ who is Arminian in his theology, considers Calvinism to be a heresy (at least the 5points to be) and thinks the Church ought to return to a more basic - less ‘binding’ creed such as the Nicene Constantinopolitan and that the Reformed faith has departed from that of the Church fathers. He mentioned his position is generally ‘Paleo-Orthodox’…I havent really heard of this term before. Any thoughts/wisdom and explanation would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Knight]

Can anyone outline to me what ‘Paleo-Orthodoxy’ is? I have a very rudimentary understanding that is has to do with some kind of return to Patristic-era theology?
I know a friend and earnest brother in Christ who is Arminian in his theology, considers Calvinism to be a heresy (at least the 5points to be) and thinks the Church ought to return to a more basic - less ‘binding’ creed such as the Nicene Constantinopolitan and that the Reformed faith has departed from that of the Church fathers. He mentioned his position is generally ‘Paleo-Orthodox’…I havent really heard of this term before. Any thoughts/wisdom and explanation would be greatly appreciated.

Your intuition is probably right:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleo-orthodoxy

If he self-identifies as Arminian, that would be quite ironic.

The position recalls to my mind the admonishment of the author of Hebrews:

"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits."

The idea that the church ought not to deepen her understanding or confession of God's word is indicative of an immature mindset.

 

[RamistThomist]

It's similar to Tom Oden's project of recovering the church fathers. By itself it is a legitimate study, but when people say that is their theological position, they are mostly following a fad.

To be fair, I 100% support Oden's project, but he never really intended it as the new thing besides Calvinism and Arminianism.

 

[C4MERON]

Thanks guys appreciate the interaction. I have heard of Tom Oden more recently, but was unsure of what he generally espouses.

 

[RamistThomist]

Thanks guys appreciate the interaction. I have heard of Tom Oden more recently, but was unsure of what he generally espouses.

Fantastic guy. He was a liberal hippie theologian back in the 70s, but a Jewish conservative coworker told him he was a fraud because he didn't know the Christian tradition. Oden started then reading through the church fathers and was a big force in getting evangelicals to interact more with the church fathers.

"I Loved Heresy...But the Holy Spirit Found Me"—Thomas C. Oden (1931-2016) and the Recovery of Christian Orthodoxy - AlbertMohler.com

Thomas C. Oden, one of the most gracious and respected theologians of our times, died yesterday at age 85. Professor Oden made the pilgrimage from theological liberalism, and what he acknowledged as an infatuation with heresy, all the way to the orthodox affirmation of biblical Christianity. His...

albertmohler.com