What is Temple Theology? Michael Jones says Quakers should take note

‘We tend to see religious truth as a hidden mystery.’

I have become increasingly interested in something called ‘Temple Theology’ over the last few years.

According to Temple Theology, the roots of Christianity lie in what we would call the ‘first temple’ – the one built by Solomon. The Old Testament tells us how this temple was destroyed when the Israelites were taken into exile. When they later returned to their own land, a new temple was built in its place. This new temple is the one that was there at the time of Jesus.

According to Margaret Barker, the British theologian who is the chief exponent of Temple Theology, the religious life of the Jewish people underwent a thorough reform during the time of exile. Her Temple Theology: An introduction is well worth perusing. She says that the ethos at the time of the second temple was very different from that of the first. But there were significant numbers who rejected these new ways, and saw themselves as old believers who remained true to the first temple tradition.

Most of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) reflects the ‘second temple’ understanding, and some of the earlier material has been altered or edited. But it is possible to find traces of ‘first temple’ ways, especially in the Psalms and some of the prophets. The king, during the period of the first temple, was the anointed one (or Messiah), and was a royal high priest. Through his ministry, the people became a royal priesthood. All of this was changed radically by the second temple reformers, but the earlier understanding was restored by the first Christians.

The second temple reform was actually rather like the Reformation, in that a mystical and experiential faith was replaced by complete reliance on a written text. Let me here reference a piece in Quaker faith & practice, 19.31, from a general epistle of 1667 written by George Fox: ‘They that offered in the Jews’ temple were to wear the holy garments. So are you to do that are the true Christians, and are called a royal priesthood. What! are all true Christians priests? Yes. What! are women priests? Yes, women priests. And can men and women offer sacrifices without they wear the holy garments? No. What are the holy garments men and women must wear? The fine linen and they must go in white. What! is this the priest’s surplice? Nay… it is the righteousness of Christ, which is the righteousness of the saints, this is the royal garment of the royal priesthood, which everyone must put on, men and women’.

From a historically-Christian viewpoint, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) might outwardly look like an ultra-Protestant grouping. Yet the more people begin to understand our approach to faith, the more they see how deeply mystical it is. Other churches sometimes express suspicion about us not having any creed or statement of faith, but the reason for this is the conviction that faith cannot be adequately expressed in words. In fact, we often talk of the Quaker testimonies to things like peace, simplicity, equality, truth and sustainability, but these testimonies do not exist in any specific written form.

Since we stress the continuing revelation from the Holy Spirit, we tend to see religious truth as a hidden mystery. This is passed on from one generation to the next. Temple Theology likewise understands faith in mystical terms and says that the deepest truths are unwritten.

In stressing that Friends did not need to follow any liturgical form of worship, Fox said: ‘We need no mass for to teach us, and we need not your common prayer, for the Spirit that gave forth the scriptures teacheth us how to pray, sing, fast, and to give thanks… The true faith changeth not, which is the gift of God, and a mystery held in a pure conscience’ (Quaker faith & practice 19.22).

It is important to note that he does not say that the scriptures teach us, but the Spirit that gave forth the scriptures teaches us. Friends have never believed in the Reformation doctrine of sola scriptura (scripture alone), which has been so ruinous for western Christian faith.

In 1649, Fox was at Nottingham listening to a minister who told the people: ‘the scriptures were the touchstone and judge by which they were to try all doctrines, religions, and opinions, and to end controversy’. Fox responded thus: ‘Now the Lord’s power was so mighty upon me, and so strong in me, that I could not hold, but was made to cry out and say, “Oh, no, it is not the scriptures”, and was commanded to tell them God did not dwell in temples made with hands. But I told them what it was, namely, the Holy Spirit, by which the holy men of God gave forth the scriptures, whereby opinions, religions and judgements were to be tried; for it led into all Truth, and so gave the knowledge of all Truth’ (Quaker faith & practice 19.24).

Quakerism is in complete agreement with Temple Theology in seeing the return of Christ as being fulfilled in the present, rather than as something for which we are still waiting. When George Fox announced that ‘Christ has come to teach his people himself’ this was understood as the fulfilment of the second coming. The reason given by Fox for Friends not having an outward communion service, or eucharist, is that the church was told to observe this ‘until he comes’ (1 Cor. 11:26).

Now that he has come, we instead experience an inward communion. Fox often quoted Revelations 3:20 in support of this: ‘If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me’.

To sum up, I think that there is a great deal of agreement between Quakerism and temple theology. It is certainly something which continues to enrich and inform my own faith. As the Church Times noted, ‘Margaret Barker challenges us to re-examine all we have taken for granted; and that can only be a good thing.’

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