Coronavirus Ecclesiology

updated 27 Mar 2020

As I continue to watch the developments and fallout from the Coronavirus episode I am coming to believe this is a watershed moment for the American Church.

Evangelicals and Their Children: The Crisis of Kids at Home

I have heard through family and friends that many are lamenting the fact that their kids are now at home due to school closures. There is apparently some stress or crisis resulting from the family being brought together and forced to spend long hours in each other's company. It's a sad commentary on the degenerate state of the family in this society and apparently within the Church that echoes it.

Facebook Church

On the one hand it could be argued that the presently available technology is a blessing as due to the medical emergency it would seem (for a time) that churches are unable to congregate. If viewed strictly as a temporary measure, I could see some benefit from it as a 'better than nothing' but less than ideal (or adequate) alternative.

A Confused but Instructive Narrative Regarding Dominionism and its Effects (Part 2)

As the Western system moves through the various phases of capitalism we've reached a point in which the old middle class is disappearing. There are those moving up into a middle class that a previous generation would have called 'rich' and then there are those getting knocked down into the working class or the working poor.

A Confused but Instructive Narrative Regarding Dominionism and its Effects (Part 1)

https://longreads.com/2020/01/10/the-price-of-dominionist-theology/

Despite many problems with the essay, from factual mistakes to the worldly wisdom on full unabashed display, it remains a compelling read.

The Dynamics and Ethics of Lawbreaking (Part 2)

Someday, will I operate my business 'under the table' because the laws have become impossible to comply with? I hope not but if it comes down to eating, then I might. If it's a matter of having enough money for my $100,000 house, my retirement account, or the ability to drive my SUV, then I won't. And no fear, since I don't have any of these things, such questions are moot and there's no temptation either.

The Dynamics and Ethics of Lawbreaking (Part 1)

In recent articles I have discussed questions of persecution and punishment, of those who suffer as a result of the gospel versus those who are answering for their lawbreaking which is all too often rooted in political activism.

Trueman, Biblicism and Oberman's Contrived Tradition Schema (Part 2)

Biblicism and the rejection of Classical Metaphysics go together and this collapse ought to be celebrated. While we do not endorse Kantian epistemology, his exposure of Western Metaphysics as a paper castle was in the end helpful. It should have allowed the Bible-believing churches to break free from the Sacralist-Scholastic tradition and its centuries of syncretistic philosophical theologizing. The error (I think) is that many self-proclaimed Biblicists have like dogs returning to vomit re-embraced Sacralist frameworks of thought and many retain Baconian ideas concerning epistemology as well as Classical and Evidentialist forms of apologetics. And thus once again Aristotle and company are placed in a state of rivalry with the Scripture and its claims.  

Trueman, Biblicism and Oberman's Contrived Tradition Schema (Part 1)

https://journal.rts.edu/article/reforming-god/

Trueman has been talking about Socinianism as of late so this article wasn't a surprise and as expected he raises some interesting points. And yet, as usual I also take some exception to his argument.

Of course the Trinity is central to Christian thought and while Trueman acknowledges the importance of one's view of Scripture, I think he loses his way on this overall point. Scripture is indeed the central authority and our doctrine of the Trinity must necessarily flow from it.