Pulpit and Politics: Clergy in American Politics at the Advent of the Millennium

13. Church of the Nazarene

The Church of the Nazarene is a denomination in the Wesleyan/ Holiness tradition, which has always held a strong commitment to social justice as well as to personal evangelism. One of the original founders, Phineas Bresee, wrote, “The evidence of the presence of Jesus in our midst is that we bear the gospel, primarily, to the poor. . . . Let the poor be fed and clothed; let us pour out our substances for this purpose; but let us keep heaven open, that they may receive the unspeakable gift of His love, in the transforming power of the Holy Ghost” (Smith 1983, 167–68). The tension between this emphasis on an individual’s personal and salvific relationship with Christ, and the social-justice implications inherent in this faith, has always been felt by Nazarenes. “Heart holiness ” is personal and internal but only truly evidenced by practicing a holy life, such as showing generosity and love for others. This heritage pushes Nazarenes to be conservative theologically, but opens the possibility for them to express more liberal views on social issues such as poverty, homelessness, and discrimination. Today’s Nazarene clergy reflect that history, while also reacting to the influence of more theologically fundamentalist and parachurch organizations , such as Focus on the Family (founded by the son of a Nazarene 167 Chapter 13 Church of the Nazarene Linda Beail and Greg Crow 168 Church of the Nazarene pastor, James Dobson), Promise Keepers, and the Bill Gothard seminars. As a result, “holiness” in contemporary American life may be increasingly understood in terms of condemning individualized choices and sins, to the exclusion of systemic and social ills. As a result, it is unclear whether Nazarene clergy, when taking their theological worldview into the political realm, will resemble the more fundamentalist clergy of the “Christian Right” or make some uniquely Wesleyan contribution to democratic polity. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND The Church of the Nazarene was established in 1908 in Pilot Point, Texas, when three independent Holiness groups from the Northeast, South, and California merged to form a single denomination. The denomination’s theological roots lie in the doctrines of holiness and sanctification taught by John Wesley in the eighteenth-century English revival (Mead 1995). In fact, the church grew out of the Methodist and revivalist traditions: “four of the five [original] general superintendents of the Church of the Nazarene were former Methodist ministers, and the Nazarene Manual has been called a ‘rewritten and modified Methodist Discipline’” (Mead 1995, 118). Like other Wesleyan denominations, the Church of the Nazarene stresses the importance of a definite second work of grace, termed “entire sanctification,” beyond the act of salvation (Mead 1995, 118). Entire sanctification is understood as “an act of God, cleansing the heart from original sin and filling the individual with love for God and humankind. This experience is marked by entire consecration of the believer to do God’s will and is followed by a life of seeking to serve God through service to others” (Church of the Nazarene). Entire sanctification is also referred to as “heart holiness” or “being filled with the Spirit.” Unlike Pentecostals, Nazarenes do not seek the gift of speaking in tongues; they do, however, emphasize the importance of the work of the Holy Spirit more than many other evangelical Protestants. Other doctrines of the Church of the Nazarene, typical of most evangelical denominations, include: belief in the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures as containing all truths necessary to Christian faith and living; the atonement of Christ for the whole human race; the justification, regeneration, and adoption of all penitent believers in Christ; the second coming of Christ; the resurrection of the dead; and the final judgment. (Mead 1995, 118) Nazarenes are morally conservative, with guidelines that admonish members to abstain from activities such as dancing, using tobacco, drinking alcohol, and gambling. However, the denomination is distinguished from its fundamentalist counterparts by its Wesleyan theology. Instead of relying on a literal reading of the Bible as the sole revelation of God’s truth, Wesleyans embrace reason, tradition, and experience as well as Scripture as means by which God can communicate His will to believers. Nazarenes have traditionally held to Wesley’s maxim of “in essentials, unity; in all else, charity,” thus avoiding theological dogmatism or schism. The Church of the Nazarene is also characterized by a strong interest in evangelism and education. The church supports 590 missionaries in 109 world areas, and sends thousands of...