The Venetian Refuge

My kids and I were going through a lesson about the rise of Venice and the unique role it played in the Middle Ages...not to mention the outrageous Fourth Crusade. (As if the Crusades weren't already outrageous enough!)

And I was reminded of the brief section in Fox's Book of Martyrs dealing with Venice and the Inquisition of 1542. There are a couple of moving tales. Antonio Ricetti and Francesco Spinola died defending the doctrines of Christ. If you have a copy, give it a read. If you know Christ you will meet them someday.

Perchik's Hermeneutic and the Politicization of Everything (3 of 3)

As Christians we are to die to ourselves. We are in the process of putting to death the old sinful nature and living as those who are already seated in Heaven with Christ.

We view everything through regenerate eyes but we never seek political power. We had better be aware of it, quick to expose it and critique it. The world's devices are both clever and seductive. But the world's goals concerning power and the lust can only create a Pseudo-Zion a Pseudo-Eden... that's the last thing in the world we want.

And for all the Church's efforts to manifest the Kingdom through civilizational and political power, that's all they will end up with. A cheap imitation, a counterfeit, and there's nothing more dangerous than that.

Perchik's Hermeneutic and the Politicization of Everything (2 of 3)

The state has nothing to do with us. We don't go to their courts. We don't seek its approval. We obey the laws, pay the taxes. We interact with it at times and to some degree are glad that it's there. But the relationship is always a bit uneasy. We belong to different worlds and have different goals. The state will use power and the threat of violence for its own ends. But in God's Providence it inadvertently helps us by creating an environment that (hopefully) allows us to live our quiet, peaceful God centered lives.

Perchik's Hermeneutic and the Politicization of Everything (1 of 3)

I was attempting to explain the anti-abortion movement to my kids and trying to help them understand why on the one hand I am completely against abortion but on the other hand I'm not overly keen on what the anti-abortion movement is trying to accomplish.

While that may seem nonsensical and contradictory, the reason I say this is because I believe the anti-abortion movement isn't just about stopping abortion. It's a political movement.

What's the difference? Perhaps I can explain.

Spinning the Reformation: The Propaganda Mill and Christian Media (2/2)

As regular readers will know I am not an Anabaptist, but when it comes to issues regarding the Kingdom, Christian ethics and the Church's relation to culture the Anabaptists are correct and essentially perpetuate the view of the Medieval Dissidents with which I would identify. While there are many similarities between the Waldenses, Chelcicky and the Anabaptists, I stand with the pre-Anabaptists and embrace the inclusion of the children of believers within the context of the visible covenant, the manifestation of the Kingdom of God on earth.

Trueman in this interview chose to largely ignore the role of the Magistrates. He mentions them commissioning catechisms and creeds but fails to mention that politics did in fact play a great role in the Reformation and the reason Luther and the Reformation succeeded (at least on a human level) was due to political power... and the potential violence that backed it.

Spinning the Reformation: The Propaganda Mill and Christian Media (1/2)

http://www.janetmefferdpremium.com/2014/01/01/janet-mefferd-radio-show-20140101-hr-3/

One of the few figures in Reformed circles that I genuinely respect is Carl Trueman. Generally I appreciate his historical insight and balance. He comes across as non-partisan which is a rare thing in politicized world of denominational and factional scholarship and commentary.

Answering Questions #22- American Church Histories

Can I recommend any books on American Church History?

That's actually kind of a difficult question. There aren't really any histories that I would recommend without qualification. Every history has its good and bad aspects.

The Role of Conservative Think Tanks (3/3)

Heritage also used organizations like Citizens for America to move money around. This is one of the many shell games played by these organizations. Create multiple entities...it's all the same people...but use them in different ways to obfuscate what you're doing, We also see a similar tactic used by many well known 'ministries' in creating a 'for-profit/taxable' activist wing and using the non-profit to support it.

The Role of Conservative Think Tanks (2/3)

The Reagan Doctrine and Rollback

 

Heritage's policy was to reject the Cold War doctrine of Containment and certainly reject Nixon and Kissinger's Detente. They called their doctrine Rollback and singled out numerous countries for this doctrine to be implemented. At this point a quick rundown of the list would be helpful. These are the specific countries Heritage targeted for Rollback and a few comments amount the goals and results.

The Role of Conservative Think Tanks (1/3)

Think tank policy and influence is pretty public. It's just slightly out of the mainstream. The influence easy to find but you'll have to turn to articles and books. You're not going to find the mainstream media explaining the system. They never do that. But for example just listening to a more serious news outlet like NPR you will constantly hear references to groups like Heritage and of course the liberal Brookings Institution (which Colson famously wanted to bomb). Many scholars from Heritage, Hudson, Hoover, AEI, CATO and other groups are regularly interviewed and consulted. The think tanks are in many ways the voice for policy and ideology. They tend to be more candid than politically minded officeholders.

Propaganda Mills- Think Tanks and the Ivory Towers of the Christian Right (2/2)

Mohler's guest Mary Eberstadt has researched the demise of the family, the Church and the rise of Secularism. By the end of the interview it's pretty clear what Eberstadt wishes to do and that's attack the Welfare State. This is not a surprise considering she's affiliated with the Hoover Institution another Right Wing Think Tank which has produced the likes of Thomas Sowell and other very popular pseudo-intellectual propagandists. Their purpose is not intelligent discussion but the advancement of an agenda... funded by some of the largest military, financial and industrial entities in the United States. The list of current and past corporate sponsors includes ARCO, ADM, Boeing, Exxon, JP Morgan, Rockwell and Transamerica. Hoover represents serious financial and political interests and that has to be taken into account.

Propaganda Mills- Think Tanks and the Ivory Towers of the Christian Right (1/2)

Or,

The Danger of Believing Your Own Propaganda

http://www.albertmohler.com/2013/09/09/how-does-secularization-really-happen-a-conversation-with-mary-eberstadt/

I listened to this podcast awhile back and wanted to share a few thoughts. This is Albert Mohler's interview programme where he sits down with a fellow intellectual and conducts about a 45 minute interview with some of his commentary along the way. Sometimes it's interesting, but often I find it to be not only intellectually dull but often misguided. But that assessment would go for most things Mohler does. As a leader of the Christian Right I believe he is completely misguided with regard to history, theology, politics and most of all, the Bible. That may sound like a harsh and needless insult but since I believe he (and many like him) are a great danger to the Christian Church... I feel the denunciation to be more than warranted.

Allies and Enemies: The Power of the United States.

America can even thwart and in some cases betray its own allies and has a long record of doing so.

This story dates back to July when an American CIA official, wanted by the Italians for participating in the Rendition programme and accused of snatching a man off the streets of Milan was arrested in Panama. There was an international warrant for his arrest issued by the Italians.

The agent Robert Lady was picked up at the Panamanian border and presumably would have been extradited to Italy. But then suddenly, he's released and put back on a plane for the United States.

Proto-Protestantism: Narratives and Nomenclature (Part IV/Final)

Today, with the Culture Wars the emphasis is on continuity with the Middle Ages and the whole of Christendom. But even a generation ago this was not the case. Some claimed the proto-Protestant groups because of their anti-Catholicism. Some exploited them for nationalistic purposes and created narratives concerning the true faith being present in this or that land...a sort of 'God has always been with us' badge. Those that use them in this way show a lack of understanding, a failure to grasp what these groups were actually about. The Hussites of course would be something of an exception. There are always exceptions. This is the nature of history and exposes the problems of those who wish to use it for their own ends. Both the Taborites and Utraquists were nationalistic. And yet other Hussites weren't and the groups which formed after the dissolution of the Taborites were not. As always it's complicated.

Proto-Protestantism: Narratives and Nomenclature (Part III)

When did groups like the Waldensians emerge? Conventional histories point to Peter Waldo in the late 12^th century but older historians and the Waldensians themselves always argued this was not the case. Waldo was not greatly appreciated by the Lombard group and they certainly did not view him as their founder. There's confusion over whether or not there were more than one 'Peter' and some have argued he was not Peter Waldo but 'Peter the Waldensian'. In France they were known as the Vaudois, and Waldo is a corruption of this term in a local Italian or German patois.

Proto-Protestantism: Narratives and Nomenclature (Part II)

It must be remembered that strictly speaking before the Enlightenment Protestantism on a social level was quite Liberal and Progressive. It was rejecting the conservative norms. It wasn't looking back, it was looking ahead. Only after the Enlightenment shift was underway and decimating the church and society did Protestants start to look back with longing.

Proto-Protestantism: Narratives and Nomenclature

The Bible itself provides us with an example of a meta-narrative. There's an overarching storyline from Genesis to Revelation regarding the Person of God Himself and the story of a fallen creation. It's a story of alienation and redemption and from beginning to end it's the story of Jesus Christ.

While Higher Critics and other Biblical sceptics chafe at the suggestion that sixty-six books composed over a period of 1500 years could somehow supernaturally be bound together in a common theme, Christians recognize this as reality. It is indeed miraculous and the fact that God has spoken to us and we have His Words is a profound and essential truth theologically liberal 'Christians' and other unbelievers fail to grasp. And thus, they entirely miss the narrative of Scripture and cannot comprehend its message or themes.

The Words of Jesus Cannot Be Manipulated

For some trend watchers, this observation has already been recognized but I’m not sure how many Christians are aware of the argument or see this coming.

For many years, there has been an argument common in theologically liberal circles…that Paul came along and corrupted the original message of Jesus.

Local/Decentralised Power and the Regional/Corporate Override

Checks and Balances is a concept we all learned about in our high school civics class. This Separation of Powers was a key concept in the mind of the Founders and framers of the new republic. By breaking up power into many pieces and distributing it among different bodies, no one person or group could garner too much power. Everyone would be accountable and if someone did manage to grab power there was both a process and a timetable that could take it away from them.

Bureaucratic Dictatorship

My father always said that America was a Bureaucratic Dictatorship. At the time I didn’t understand what he meant. In retrospect the observation contains some merit on an empirical level, though I think the problem is actually more profound.

The Already and the Not Yet (2/2)

David Jeremiah tried to vindicate these prophetic chronology-breaks by appealing to Jesus' use of Isaiah 61.  In Luke 4 Jesus reads the passage and applies it to Himself.

David Jeremiah tries to argue that he specifically stops at the beginning of verse 2 because the rest of the Isaiah passage applies to the 2^nd coming.

Look at the passage:

The Already and the Not Yet (1/2)

A Discussion on the Kingdom of God, Eschatology, Millennialism, Hermeneutics and a brief Historiographical note.

The Already-Not Yet framework allows us to rightly understand the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. By understanding the relationship between This Age and the Age to Come we are able to grasp the nature of the Kingdom of God.

High Place Worship and the Doctrine of Vocation

It's interesting that in some Protestant circles, particularly the Reformed who are rightly concerned to argue for the Scriptural regulation of worship then at the same time identify their secular work as worship. Their secular work is an offering (as it were), it magnifies God and advances the Kingdom.

Mandela, the West, Cold War Africa and Geopolitics

Undoubtedly Nelson Mandela will soon be departing this life and there will be considerable commentary reflecting on his life. In fact teams of reporters have been more or less camped out in South Africa for the past several years, expecting his death at anytime. This will be a massive story and internationally may even surpass the coverage of Margaret Thatcher's recent death.

Covenant Contrast: The Weakness of the Mosaic System Apart From Christ

Redemptive-Historical Structures, Deuteronomy, Distinguishing the Old and New Testaments

Recently I was particularly blessed while reading Deuteronomy with my children. We've been spending a lot of time trying to work out how the Old and New Testament relate to one another. How can God command the Israelites to massacre the people of Og and Sihon and yet those actions are not immoral nor would we call it genocide as it would be called today? They've certainly learned about the Nazis and yet how is this different?

The Veneration of Militarism and the Ethics of Patriotism

Recently we were at my niece's high school graduation. The valedictorian was absent because she had already joined the United States Air Force. She is training to be a Linguist and as I recall the entry windows to that field are very limited. If you miss the window, you may have to wait a year or more to enter the programme again.

Considering D-Day and the American Narrative Regarding the Victory in Europe

In no way do I mean to diminish the difficulties experienced by the Allied forces who stormed the beaches of Normandy, but every year I am struck by the mythologizing of history.

When the Western front opened in June of 1944 it led to some pretty huge battles, massive casualties and incredible stories.

And yet in the United States a narrative is perpetuated that is simply not true. The Anglo-American forces did not defeat Nazi Germany. They helped, but in June of 1944 they were already more or less defeated.

Establishment Priorities and the Public Interest

In the wake of the September 2001 attacks the Patriot Act was passed and in a hurry. Bush was riding on the wave of the attacks, capitalizing on the fears of the public. A subservient congress largely acquiesced and though I believe the US Constitution has long been essentially dead... the passage of this act was the proverbial nail in the coffin.

Facebook and a new website

Every day I encounter articles, podcasts and other materials I want to share but I've also wanted to avoid any extra clutter on this website. It's already a bit overwhelming to newcomers. I want this website to be devoted to the now hundreds of longer articles and essays and I've decided to set up a companion website where I can post links with short commentary.

Politicizing the Gospel part 2/2

To continue with the issue of politicizing the Gospel....

Politicizing the Gospel, Apostasy and Embracing the Kingdom of the Lie

A discussion about wisdom and worldliness, apostasy and witchcraft, the Temple of God, the various ways to speak of the Church, why we are Christians, and how we define victory.

 

Politicizing the Gospel. What is meant by this? It's a term I frequently use but I don't know that it's clear to everyone what this means.

Syria and some lessons from the past

 

Listening to the latest reports about Russia sending in missiles to Syria and the response from the American public prompted me to write this short essay.

There's this country out there and it's brutally trying to suppress a rebel movement within its borders. Everyone knows it's just a puppet for a greater power. This power behind it is supplying it with weapons and other aid while thousands of civilians are being killed. The world is outraged and wants intervention. This must stop.

Truth, Myth, and the Baptizing of Lies in the American Church

Part 3 (Final)

Even supposed America-hating liberals praise the military. Just tonight Admiral Stockdale came up in a conversation. For those who don't remember he was Ross Perot's running mate in 1992. He was also a Vietnam POW who with John McCain participated in Operating Rolling Thunder. By the time Johnson ended the campaign in November 1968 somewhere between 100,000 and 200,000 Vietnamese were dead. Long before its conclusion both McCain and Stockdale were rotting in the Hanoi Hilton.

Patriotism is Harlotry

Part 2

Written by one who used to be fervent and violent patriot. But Christ delivered me...

Social consensus cannot grant moral legitimacy to military members or their actions. As Christians if we accept this argument then we are guilty of embracing another law-source. Our ethic at that point is derived from another authority, one that sets up a moral code contrary to the Kingdom of God.

The Celebration of War in American Liturgy

This is part one of three. Here's a link to a related post.

Memorial Day 2011

Beginning with Memorial Day and ending with the 4^th of July extends a period of time associated with American tradition and patriotism. It's a time of flags, parades, outdoor barbecues, air shows, graduations and vacations. These civil holidays have always been part of American Church life but over the past twenty years or so, particularly since 2001 these days seem to have taken on a whole new meaning.