Machen and the Era of Tragedy

In 1992, Charles G. Dennison published three articles in the Mid-America Journal of Theology. These were based upon a series he delivered at Mid-America Reformed Seminary. Dennison identifies three eras between 1936 and 1962—tragedy, hope, and ambivalence. The era of tragedy is focused on the figure of J. Gresham Machen. Cornelius Van Til and Ned B. Stonehouse represent the eras of hope and ambivalence, respectively. In this episode, Danny Olinger and Camden Bucey discuss this first article in the series while considering broader questions about the identity of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and its relation to other Reformed and Presbyterian churches and evangelicalism. Rev. Olinger serves as General Secretary of the Committee on Christian Education for the OPC. Chapters 0:00 Introduction5:40 Ned Stonehouse11:37 Machen and the Church’s Identity30:16 The OPC and the CRC37:51 Divisions among Fundamentalists45:01 Ecumenical Relations with the CRC56:25 The Church as a Pilgrim People1:00:40 Machen, Culture, and the Church1:15:52 Conclusion Participants: Camden Bucey, Danny Olinger