Promises and Perils

Movements and denominations are similar in that both large collections of individual churches, which in turn are gatherings of individual believers. They are different in that they face unique promises and perils. Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking one kind of grouping or the other is somehow invalid because of the sorts of promises they make (or fail to make), and because of the sorts of perils they expose their members to—while forgetting the perils their own group face.

A peril is defined by Merriam-Webster as (1) exposure to the risk of being injured, destroyed, or lost: Danger and (2) something that imperils or endangers: risk. The related term danger means “exposure or liability to injury, pain, harm, or loss.” Movements and denominations, by gathering people together in pursuit of spiritual goals, expose their members and their institutions to very real risks and dangers—intellectual, emotional, and physical. (This is not just a feature of denominations or spiritual groupings; all groupings of humanity do so.)

People gather because the risks are outweighed by the rewards. This is where the promise of a denomination or movement comes in. A promise is (1) a declaration that someone will do (or refrain from doing) something specified; (2) a legally binding declaration giving the person to whom it is made a right to expect or claim the performance or forbearance of certain acts; (3) a reason to expect something.

Poetically, we hear something like “he endured the peril for the sake of the promised hope.”

Movements, denominations, churches, and spiritual leaders all offer promises. Some of these are the passing on of promises that God offers—the promised hope of eternal life, for example. Some of these are inferred promises of the gathering—our church holds Wednesday night potlucks, a businessman’s Bible study where you can meet others from the community, and a neighborhood baseball team. Some promises are greater, but it doesn’t follow that the more ‘here-and-now’ promises are somehow spiritually worse.

But the promises, and the gatherings, do hold perils. It is worth considering what specific promises and perils any given denomination or movement contains, and how the perils are being guarded against while the promises are being offered. (And some things look like promises, but are actually perils—and vice-versa.)