Unity in the Church (Why Can't Christians Agree, and How Can We Know Who's Right?)
Introduction In this article I will look at several topics about which Christian theologians disagree, which are not essentials of the Christian faith but important, nonetheless. The Bible - Which books should be included? Baptism - Infant baptism; Sprinkling vs. Immersion, Symbolic or Salvific? Communion/Eucharist - Symbolic or the real presence of Christ? Prayer and Fasting - Is fasting still expected of Christians? Creation - Old Earth or New Earth? Eschatology - When was Revelation written? Which parts are literal and which are symbolic? This is not an exhaustive list of such topics, but it includes a number that perplexed me over the years and which I have researched extensively as well as topics that come up frequently in apologetic discussions. "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity” is a famous quote that sums up the spirit in which I address the questions addressed in this article. What are the essentials? I would suggest that we