I continue to watch this debate with interest. From Salter's most recent VOL article:
"Three Streams" is a compromising and confusing attempt at synthesizing three divergent theologies that maintained in their integrity cannot be combined. In English nomenclature variant churchmanships cannot be united. Respected yes, but not rolled together in one. Merely to cite similarities in thought and experience is not sufficient to establish confessional agreement and honesty (integrity). Each must be true to its core convictions and these are incompatible. By all means insights will be gained from each other. Men of the Word see it confirmed and dramatized in the Sacraments (Luther says there is greater power in the word than in the sign: The Babylonian Captivity of the Church). Men of the Word know and rely upon the Spirit who spoke by the prophets.
Men of the Word attribute great influence and wonders to the ministry of the Spirit. These things are shared across the board. But they need not share the theological conclusions of Anglo-Catholicism or Charismaticism. Word, Sacrament, and Spirit are utterly depended upon, but not necessarily the deductions arrived at by all fellow Christians who nonetheless may be held in affection and admiration. Christian unity does not have to be achieved in watertight visible form but in love for Christ and our fellows. Caution and carefulness in theology is not to be identified with prejudice (contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints - Jude v3). Testing the claims and phenomena of Charismaticism does not consign anyone to the "frozen chosen" (try the spirits, whether they are of God - 1 John 4:1). . . .
Three Streams is hardly the"big deal" it pretends to be and it is an unnecessary superficiality as any grasp of Historical Theology would discern. Again, what "orthodox" version of Christian faith omits to recognize Word, Sacrament, and Spirit? But what responsible theology would attempt to blur the real distinctions between full-blooded Evangelicalism, outright Anglo-Catholcism, and enthusiastic Charismaticism? Views on soteriology, sacraments, and the Spirit's manifestations are too important to gloss over with a cheap formulaic construction (Three Streams) that covers vital differences (how Christ is grasped? what is the nature and effect of the sacraments? what are the marks of the Holy Spirit, or the expression of the human spirit - good or bogus - in religious experience? Three Streams is an ecclesiastical commercial slogan for a Christian coalition that sacrifices integrity. To add a personal note, I have benefited enormously from Anglo-Catholic and Charismatic associates and authors. I have thrilled to a variety of liturgies in a number of ministerial situations. I am not an antiquarian for the sake of being one. I am impressed by the heritage bequeathed to us from twenty centuries of Christian witness but I also detect the drift from our moorings and the rectification requires the historical perspective wedded to responsible theology in our time and I'll ransack any generation of Christian endeavour to that end. Heritage guides the here and now and to blithely say lets just stick to the Bible overlooks that we come to Scripture with our own presuppositions and ducks the issue as to whether our hermeneutic is viable. We are part of the church's testimony and not our individualistic interpretations.