Halloween 2011 and LPR's Issues Etc.

As a follow up to my Halloween article found here:

 http://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2010/10/all-sacralists-eve.html

This audio link might be of interest....

http://issuesetc.org/2011/10/28/issues-etc-encore-christians-and-halloween-with-gretchen-passantino-10282011/

Hardly in agreement with my position, this Conservative Lutheran programme exhibits some of the classic modes of Sacralist thinking when it comes to issues like this. They're not necessarily pushing the Christian version of Halloween, but they're not exactly refuting it either.

Either way the agenda is to find a way to redeem it, make it Holy... and because society is doing it, we are compelled to somehow participate. Anything else would be Retreatism.

Dominionism: Part 4

Establishment, Dissent, Social Gospel and The Golden Age

Is the Kingdom of God manifested in temporal, geographical, and cultural terms? Through our labours can we make this a reality?

Some argue…yes, but that will be in the future when Christ returns and establishes a temporal, geo-political Kingdom based in Jerusalem which will last for 1000 years. At least the adherents of this Premillennial vision of a physical Kingdom don’t believe it comes about through human endeavours.

Dominionists, Transformationalists, Constantinians, Postmillennialists…all nuances of the same Kingdom-vision, believe more or less this can be done now.

Dominionism, Sacral Transformation, Elitism, and the Unassailable Philosophical Wall: Part 3

The Medieval Manichee, the Modern Liberal, Monism and Pluralism

According to Kuyper, Christ declares, 'Every square inch is mine'......our job is to make this a reality.

The reality of life in a fallen world...accepting that some things won't ever be perfect and that some questions don't have good solutions.....is not acceptable. Every cultural question must have an answer and everything is now cast in strict moral categories. Pragmatism is not allowed. Everything is ideological and since so many of these areas of culture are shaped by law and power...everything ultimately becomes political.

Interestingly Marxists have understood this principle as well...they just have a different solution, but they frame it in very similar ways.

Dominionism, Sacral Transformation, Elitism, and the Unassailable Philosophical Wall: Part 2

Christo-Americanism the foundation of Dominionist Cooperation

In the United States the final straw was the decade of the 1960's. Sweeping legislative and social changes left conservative Protestants (loosely labeled Evangelicals) in a state of shock. Men like Francis Schaeffer stepped into the gap and began to re-teach many things that had been forgotten and even frowned upon from the glory days of old Christendom. Even as late as the 1980's, the Middle Ages were frowned upon as...a spiritual Dark Age. But to Dominionists like Schaeffer, the Middle Ages were an almost-glory, a period of Ecclesiastical triumph, clouded not by the cultural hegemony and holocaust of Roman Catholicism, but simply by Rome's lack of understanding regarding Justification by Faith Alone. If Rome had retained the Protestant formulation, then more or less, all would have been well. If this vision wasn't re-captured and all of modern life evaluated in light of it...the Church would fall to its great enemy, Secular Humanism.

A note regarding the new series and the approaching holy-day

As I'm getting back to writing I'm publishing a series on you guessed it...Dominionism.

There's nothing terribly new with this. I'm largely revisiting many of the same issues. Why am I doing this? It's a multifaceted issue and it's helpful to continue to review it, examining it from different angles. Certain approaches resonate with some folks more than others. For some it takes multiple angles to slowly put it together. Some readers already see this complex of theological ideas for what it is. Others are still struggling with the error, and yet others haven't quite put it together yet. They see some of it, but it hasn't hit them yet. So...I'll keep writing.

I've got pages of notes, in fact pages of article topics that I want to dive into. God willing we shall do so. Things are starting to slow down a bit and now I can turn back to writing. I miss it.

Since we're nearing the time of All Saint's Eve, I thought I would post the link to my Halloween post from last year. For those who weren't reading this weblog last October I touch on the fact that there are some who flee Halloween because of their view of the Kingdom in relation to culture and some who feel it must be conquered for Christ and have thus tried in earnest to label it Christian. Both approaches are wrong.

And for the many churches who celebrate Halloween masquerading as Reformation Day...they're only deceiving themselves.

http://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2010/10/all-sacralists-eve.html

Dominionism, Sacral Transformation, Elitism, and the Unassailable Philosophical Wall: Part 1

Rule, Reign, and Transformation

Many have heard of Francis Schaeffer and perhaps have seen his movie How Should We Then Live? In it he traces the decline of Western Civilization and attempts to motivate his audience to think about these larger cultural issues. Schaeffer was a key architect of the early Anti-abortion and Christian Right movements.  Maybe architect isn't the right word. He provided inspiration and helped formulate some of the basic concepts. Others like Falwell and some of the wealthy and less known backers helped get the political wing moving.

2 October 2011 Update

My apologies to all....

I hope to return soon. I have some stuff just sitting there that I haven't re-read in order to publish. This Summer has been an adventure.

I've worked more hours and made more money than ever before....but we feel like we're broke...struggling to pay the bills.

It's largely inflation...it's crushing us. Thankfully I can raise my rates, something others do not have the power to do.

Sadly, it has meant some LONG hours. I get home later and then spend time on the phone and in my office working on plans and bids. I've got notes for many articles, some which probably won't get written.

Also, Summer is a time to try and get outside. It's a time of lawn mowing, garden tending, bicycle rides, hiking, and sadly this year only one backpacking trip....an excellent inexpensive hobby.

But today Autumn is here in full force. It's about 4C/40F here and pouring rain. The time for longer hours inside is returning and DV (Deo Volente) more time for writing.