Disembodied Piety: The Crisis That Replaced Dead Orthodoxy
In my early formative years in pastoral ministry, I was warned about the pitfalls of Dead Orthodoxy. In my former denomination, I was told stories about antiquated Lutherans who were, for lack of a better word, all body and no soul. I was taught that these Lutherans were technically not heretics, for they held correct doctrine and practiced precise liturgy. Instead, the problem was that they were dead on the inside. They had doctrine without inward devotion. They had liturgy without heart. They had vocations without holiness. And so, in reaction to these Dead Orthodox Lutherans, faithful Christians should seek to reinstate and uphold devotion, heart, and holiness. Fast-forward past my formative years to my season of deepening. I believe I had been faithful as a pastor in promoting devotion, heart, and holiness. But truth be told, I noticed a very troubling pattern: for lack of a better word, the parishioners I had served ...
