Sabbath and Dominion: New Calvinism and the Question of the Mundane

I've mentioned this in passing before but I think it's a point worth revisiting. When I hear Confessionalists discussing New Calvinism they are often uneasy with regard to several points and rightly so.

I'm not a Confessionalist either (though I certainly used to be) and I don't share all their views or concerns but there is a marked difference between Reformed Confessionalism and the New Calvinism.

Inbox: Kingdom Clarity and Soteriological Fog

As usual I have reworked the questions a bit but essentially I was asked the following. If God has made the distinctions between the Kingdom and the World with such lucidity and clarity, why then do I argue that issues like Justification are so nuanced? Why would God present something as critical as what it takes to be made right with Him, what it takes to possess eternal salvation... in terms that seem so unclear? Isn't Sola Fide, the question of justification the primary focus of Scripture from beginning to end?

It's a very interesting way of framing the question to be sure and one I've not encountered before.

Inbox: Daniel and the Beastly Magistrate

I was asked a question regarding Daniel serving in government. Clearly Daniel was willing to serve (as a slave) in the governments of Babylon and Persia and yet stood his ground regarding overt idolatry. If he refused to worship idols, why didn't he refuse to work for the Beast power? If (as I argue) working for the state was and is truly the wrong thing for a believer to do, why didn't Daniel refuse service altogether just as he and his friends refused to bow down to the king?

And obviously by implication the question suggests that my Christians should not participate in government argument may be flawed.

The Poway Shooter, Replacement Theology and the Charge of Anti-Semitism

There's another related issue to the Poway Shooting. I have detected a resurgence of Replacement Theology talk. This reminds me of Hal Lindsey's 1990 'The Road to Holocaust' which contains the subtitle: Unchecked the Dominion Theology movement among Christians could lead us – and Israel – to disaster....

It's a lie with a hint of truth.

The Social Justice Controversy: An Addendum (Poway, R2K and the Inherent Violence of Sacralist Theology)

I was stunned to learn that some have dared to argue that Two Kingdom theology led to the Poway Shooting.

In reality the exact opposite is true.

Inbox: The Social Justice Controversy (Part 2)

Racism can go both ways but maybe it takes a pilgrim to understand that post-Renaissance/Reformation Western Civilisation is a story of empires clamouring for resources, trade routes, markets and raw power. It is a story and paradigm deeply rooted in racist assumptions, the assumption that the West and its culture and race were superior and had the right (even the prerogative) to use and take the resources and lands of others. It was moral we're often told, the right thing to do and in many cases it is cast as being for their own good.

Inbox: The Social Justice Controversy (Part 1)

The controversy was generated in 2018 when a group of men led by John MacArthur issued a document (sometimes referred to as the Dallas Statement) condemning the recent spate of 'social justice' movements at work within US political culture and in particular Evangelicalism.

Inbox: Problems with Sola Scriptura (Part 2)

With regard to questions of text and canon, Christ provides the final ratification of the Old and establishes the basis for the New. In terms of the Old Testament canon it is established. I do largely accept the Protestant argument concerning His references to the valid blocs of canon that we call the Old Testament. That said, given the provisional and typological nature of the Old Testament, and that revelation itself was (prior to Christ) incomplete, there were always possibilities in terms of both extra-canonical revelation and typological reference and interpretation. The matrix of Old Covenant revelatory epistemology was vast, rich and deep but always incomplete and in shadow. I say this because at once I would argue that the nature of Old Testament canonicity contained a degree of fluidity as exemplified in the New Testament's use of the LXX and deuterocanonical sources.  

Inbox: Problems with Sola Scriptura (Part 1)

How can Sola Scriptura be defended in light of historical theology and the record regarding the development of Scripture? How can a strict Sola position reckon with concepts such as canonicity and authority?

How can a concept like perspicuity exist in light of translations and all the more given that the individual reader still belongs to a context?

Confessionalism's Embrace of Progressive Theology and Historiography (Part 2)

And when (it must be asked) did the Roman Catholic Church become the Roman Catholic Church?

That is a difficult question indeed and one I've addressed from time to time. There is an answer but it's not straightforward. Recently I've even heard some rather absurd arguments from Confessionally Reformed circles, one history professor (of all things) has tried to argue that the Catholic Church only became 'Roman' at the Council of Trent! Roman Catholicism apparently didn't exist until the mid-16^th century!

Confessionalism's Embrace of Progressive Theology and Historiography (Part 1)

The right side of history. It's a phrase we hear all the time in the news, in lectures and interviews.  The phrase contains the idea that history is moving forward, that it has a destination. In this way it is reminiscent of old Whig histories which one can still find on dusty shelves in used bookstores. Tales of progress, early progress and similar phrasing dominate their titles.

This view of history was also quite common in some of the Church histories of the 19^th century.

The 2007 PCA General Assembly Debate on Federal Vision Theology

Some time ago I discovered the audio for the debate and listened with considerable interest.

I found it interesting that it wasn't only the advocates of Federal Vision theology that were concerned with the actions of the General Assembly.  They simply requested that judgment would be delayed, that Scriptural proofs and exegetical work would be provided and that the committee would be revised to include at least a couple of voices who could advocate for the Federal Vision.

LaHaye's Victory and the Next Phase: The Psychotropic Imperative

Evangelicalism has a long track record of compromise when it comes to psychology and psychotropic drugs. In these days of confusion even 'ministries' once oriented toward Biblical counseling have been compromised.

Recently I was listening to an Evangelical radio station and was struck by the interviewee's statement that not only can Christians take psychotropic medications, in some cases it would be sinful not to.

Clark and Mefferd on Socialism: A Dog and Pony Show

https://heidelblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/7-25-18-Janet-Mefferd-Today.mp3

I rolled my eyes, but like the impulse to turn one's head to look at a car wreck, I had to listen. What are they going to say? Janet Mefferd and Scott Clark are going to break down Socialism for us. It ought to be a hoot.

And I wasn't disappointed, that is if I was looking for a fiasco. If someone is looking for good information, acumen and Scriptural wisdom on Socialism and how a Christian should think about it... they'll need to look somewhere else, because as expected, these two are a case of blind leading the blind.

Parousia Interim

The period in which the Parousia is in temporal suspension, paused and delayed from being fully completed, the period in which Divine Wrath and Judgment are deferred, that the Gentiles might be brought in.

The Old Testament presents the First and Second Comings as one event and eschatologically they are indeed unified. This has led to a great deal of confusion for some as they seek to interpret prophecy in isolated terms apart from the Parousia which is centered on Christ.

This age of the Already-Not Yet, this time of fulfillment in earnest and expectation is one in which prophecy is in pause and in suspension. The age could be described as characterised by a temporal schism in which we as believers live in This Age and yet are participant citizens in The Age to Come.

When Christ returns the full meaning and import of the Parousia will be brought to bear as our Lord will finish not a task separate from His First Coming but will finish the tasks associated with His Coming. The events are separated by chronological time but eschatologically are essentially one. This doctrine of course defies normal categories of predication and experience. It is a source of wonder.

The Fool Wang Yi and the Dark Side of Calvinism

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/world/asia/pastor-wang-yi-detention.html

I read this article the other day and it disheartened me to say the least.

It's one thing for a state to allow illegal activity if that activity stays low-key and off the main street so to speak. But when those engaged in illegality (as defined by the state) move to conspire and collaborate with the enemies of the state, their actions are no longer back-alley subcultural exploits but instead become overtly political.

The Lausanne Harvest (1974-2019)

http://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/4136/julia_doxat_purser_brussels_Christians_are_now_better_at_thinking_biblically_about_politics_than_25_years_ago

Ah yes, the Lausanne Movement. This is the face of Evangelicalism in Europe and it has its parallels in Latin America and elsewhere. Lausanne refers to the 1974 congress organised by John Stott and Billy Graham on the shores of Lake Geneva.

The Northern Kingdom Analogy

A way to view Rome as a covenantally relevant but apostate form of Christianity.

Those who say Rome has no status and never did err both theologically and historically. It's not a tenable position.

And yet those who argue Rome still has status also err.

The Confessional metanarrative which insists Rome was the Church until the Council of Trent upon which the mantle was taken up by Magisterial Protestantism also err, a point I will briefly touch on in the conclusion.

Evangelical Manipulation of the Population Debate (Part 2)

The real problem is waste and consumption. The Western world bears most of the guilt but it must be admitted that they are not solely to blame. The developing world is wasteful in other ways and certainly nations like China are now playing their part as well, a part played by the West a century ago. They have adopted the Western lifestyle and are now part of the consumption carousel.

Evangelical Manipulation of the Population Debate (Part 1)

https://www.christianpost.com/voice/population-bust-not-population-bomb.html

Stonestreet once again misleads his audience as to the real questions concerning world population. For years the consensus has sounded the alarm about population and the far Right has responded with scepticism regarding their claims dismissing them as alarmist and agenda driven.

I don't doubt there are ideologues on both sides of the issue who have made their share of exaggerated claims. The world has proven resilient with regard to hunger although the costs are enormous and when considered long term the solutions of today may prove disastrous for tomorrow.

The False Exposé (Part 3/Final)

In some cases, these books could almost be described as court histories, official narratives that reveal some juicy tidbits and offer some internal criticisms but largely they are revealed to be sanctions and apologias for the subjects and institutions they address. The approach they take is more a case of constructive criticism as opposed to a genuine adversarial exposé. They are not exposing the deeper truth, revealing true guilt, unleashing a story that's been suppressed and hidden.  

This is why they need to be identified as false exposé.

The False Exposé (Part 2)

Jeremy Scahill's book on Blackwater came to mind while reading the Dinges work on Condor. It represents a common type of criticism but still lands safely within the Establishment circle or consensus.

The False Exposé (Part 1)

The False Exposé. It's a concept I've talked about from time to time but it deserves a closer examination. What exactly is it?

An exposé by definition is that which make visible, in this case it's a reference to a work which reveals guilt or wrongdoing, it shines light on corruption. So how then can it be false?

Aeons Contrasted: Kingdom Visions in Conflict (Part 5)

(Final)

Protestantism continues to pursue the transformation of the world and yet continues to be transformed by it. The overwhelming support for someone like Donald Trump simply testifies to this. The fact that many will respond by saying that such sentiments indicate a political liberal or Clinton supporter only further the point demonstrating just how trapped many Christians are by the world and its paradigms.

Aeons Contrasted: Kingdom Visions in Conflict (Part 4)

Rome's model was developed under the auspices of Late Antiquity and their version of Christendom was forged in what we now call the Middle Ages. They needed kings, knights, bailiffs and all the rest. And yet many thinkers within the Roman Catholic fold recognised problems with one being engaged in these occupations while at the same time holding a Christian profession. This tension is something Magisterial Protestantism failed to recognise and in fact rejected. The Reformers and their descendants saw no difficulty with these professions at all and in fact blessed those who endeavoured to fill them. Over time Roman Catholic theologians developed spiritual frameworks for Christian knighthood etc... and while Rome long resisted usury, even while utilising loopholes, by the time of the Renaissance and Reformation, Rome would cave on this issue too.

Aeons Contrasted: Kingdom Visions in Conflict (Part 3)

And though Magisterial Protestantism and modern Evangelicalism find a great deal of commonality with the historical Constantinianism of Rome, there are slight differences. Rome is actually more nuanced. It essentially equates reign and realm but under the auspices of its broad and extensive tradition it is also able to embrace parallelisms in its understanding of how the Gospel and Kingdom are manifested in This Age.

Aeons Contrasted: Kingdom Visions in Conflict (Part 2)

Christ took on the semblance of sinful flesh in order to redeem not this fallen temporal world but to save His people who are (and will be) transformed and reign over an eternal New Heavens and New Earth. This is essential to understand. The New Testament vision of a Kingdom that is not of this world, one that is something we are translated into (and thus in contrast with this world), one that we place our thoughts, affections and treasures in, is a Kingdom negated by the Dominionist paradigm.

Aeons Contrasted: Kingdom Visions in Conflict (Part 1)

When it Comes to the Question of Vocation, Rome is Closer to the Truth than the Dominionist ideology of the Gospel Coalition

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-sacred-secular-divide-is-pure-fiction/

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When we speak of Vocation, when we speak of the Kingdom and Culture, when we speak of the sacred-secular divide, what we're really talking about is a larger category of thought sometimes referred to as the question of Nature-Grace dualism.

Twisting Scripture and History to Justify Christmas

http://evangelicalfocus.com/magazine/4072/Eight_AntiChristmas_Arguments

This was a rather lackluster attempt by the author but it's useful in that these trite, silly and erroneous pro-Christmas arguments are commonly used and thus must be answered. I thought it worth taking a moment to examine and interact with them.

Victorian Sacralism and the Roots of 20th Century Evangelicalism

I have frequently mentioned and praised Iain Murray's Evangelicalism Divided, his often astute chronicle and analysis of 20^th century Evangelicalism and the roots of its decay.

Nevertheless I know from Murray's other works that he remains an advocate of the 'Christian' West and in particular Christian Britain. While his vision and means of accomplishing and maintaining this reality differs on certain levels from the Evangelical project, they are in effect related and perhaps more closely than Murray would be willing to grant.

The Feminist Surge: an Addendum

Here's the link to the original article:

http://proto-protestantism.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-feminist-surge-result-of.html

There are two issues which require further comment:

The Evangelical Worldview and the Legend of GHW Bush

At work I will often turn on the ostensibly Christian radio station at noon to hear the news reported from a Christian worldview. Of course in keeping with the tone and tenor of American Evangelicalism it's often anything but and often engaged in not only a twisting and spinning of current events but of the Scriptures themselves.

But this week was over the top. With the death of Bush, it seemed the whole of American media was obsessed in memorialising the ex-president. The Mainstream wished and even overtly laboured to juxtapose his 'dignified' manner with that of the barbarism displayed by the current White House occupant.

Petr Chelčický: A Medieval Biblicist and Rustic Philosopher (Part 2)

Chelčický finds himself occupying an almost unique place in pre-Reformation Church History, representing views that would all but disappear by the 17^th century swallowed up by the profound political and cultural changes which reshaped the European map. And while we know that many works of reformers and critics of the Catholic social order were doomed to perish and be lost to time, Chelčický's works survived though many were not translated from Czech until modern times.

Petr Chelčický: A Medieval Biblicist and Rustic Philosopher (Part 1)

Petr Chelčický was born sometime around 1380 in Southern Bohemia, today's Czech Republic.* Associated with the village of Chelčice, he was probably from Vodňany or some other nearby village. There are debates as to his identity, some identifying him with one Peter of Zahorči, but this is not conclusive. Regardless of his background (of which there are many theories) it seems a yeoman farmer is the most likely which would have placed him above the serfs and peasants but a member of neither the gentry nor the emergent bourgeoisie. Apparently a self-educated man he wrote in Czech and though he had some Latin, he wasn't fluent.

The Feminist Surge: A Result of Ecclesiastical Confusion, Middle Class Assumptions and Para-church Inroads (Part 2)

Where will this end? And more importantly what's happening in so-called Complimentarian circles that suddenly career women have become normative?

Do I doubt the ability of women? By no means but that's not the point.