Cultural Christianity or Antithesis: The Means of Sanctification and the Tools of Kingdom Growth (Part 2)

The Sermon on the Mount is a profound section of Scripture and yet it is one that sacralists actually take great exception to. Not openly of course but it is striking that it is the very words of Christ that they really struggle with the most.

Cultural Christianity or Antithesis: The Means of Sanctification and the Tools of Kingdom Growth (Part 1)

In a recent piece I cited a quote from Dominionist teacher and Charles Colson protégé John Stonestreet wherein he suggested that cultural Christianity has real benefits. It's better for people to go to church even if it's for the wrong reasons. And by implication it's better for people to go to a bad, theologically compromised church than none at all or to have those churches disappear from the street corner.

The Hospitality Argument Regarding the Angels and Sodom

The ancient Greek myth regarding Philemon and Baucis tells the story of an impoverished couple visited by Zeus and Hermes in the guise of men. The gods had already traveled through the area and had received no hospitality. The poorest and most destitute household, that of Philemon and Baucis welcomed the gods and were even willing to slaughter their precious goose in order to put on a proper spread.

Wal-Mart and the Library of Sodom

Once again I recently found myself in a Wal-Mart and as usual I perused the book section. It's instructive because of the fact that Wal-Mart is only interested in carrying a relatively small number of books that are guaranteed to sell. In other words Wal-Mart carries the best-selling books within certain categories and of course it also targets its demographics, the types of people that shop in its store.

Stonestreet's Hat Trick (Part 2)

On 9 January 2020, Stonestreet addressed the situation in China. Citing the imprisonment of Wang Yi, Stonestreet seems ignorant to the fact that Beijing would consider Wang a threat due to his open collaboration with the American Empire. Once again while I think Beijing's policies are deplorable and bestial, Wang is not suffering for the gospel but for his political activism.

Stonestreet's Hat Trick (Part 1)

John Stonestreet has taken up the mantle of Charles Colson and promotes his Dominionist Theology through the BreakPoint outlet which runs its daily commentaries on Christian radio stations all across the United States. I often listen but very rarely do I agree with what is said. Even when Stonestreet is right, it's usually for the wrong reasons. Their religion is not the Christianity of Scripture but is instead Capitalist Western Civilisation, a kind of Christo-Americanism. Though ostensibly Protestant their version of Christian Sacralism is particularly broad and easily embraces everything from Roman Catholicism to significant elements within the theologically liberal mainline. What really matters for Stonestreet is that everyone is engaged in trying to build Christian culture, whatever that means.

Jeremiah 3: Covenant Lands and Kerygma Colonies

The marriage language of Jeremiah 3 contains the common Covenant language with regard to blessings and curses. This is why some have posited the existence of a Covenant of Works (or typological Edenic reiteration) overlay to the already extant covenant arrangements. On an individual level salvation was by grace through faith but corporately speaking, as a people the Israelites were in a works-based arrangement. Obedience meant staying in the land and disobedience meant to be cast out from it, to be under curse.

Inbox: Chan, Communion and Transubstantiation

I'm not terribly familiar with Francis Chan and I must confess that I've never been particularly motivated to look into him or his teachings. However I've noticed his name being recently tossed about regarding some comments he made on the topic of Communion and an apparent favourable disposition toward the Roman Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation.

Wang Yi Isn't Being Persecuted, He's Being Punished (Part 2)

Wang Yi could have refused the state and continued to function as a leader in the church. Resulting punishment would be persecution. But instead he chose to actively disobey the law and his activities ranged far beyond the mandate of the Church. He chose to ignore building and business laws in order to construct a sizable facility and to run a business outside the strictures of the law. He committed a crime and while tangentially related to Church activity it was in fact outside its purview. His malformed and imported ecclesiology and confusion regarding the Kingdom and Classical (Enlightenment) Liberalism led him to believe that what he was doing was somehow part of his Christian duty. He was fool but unfortunately not a fool for Christ and he's paying a price for it, something the Scriptures warned about.

Wang Yi Isn't Being Persecuted, He's Being Punished (Part 1)

Early Rain Covenant Church leader Wang Yi has been sentenced to nine years in prison, a harsh sentence by any measure, but these are hard times in China. The Church is suffering a state clampdown and the state itself is under great stress. Great power politics, domestic politics, the threat of external war and internal dissent have created a volatile situation, and Wang Yi has walked right into the middle of it.

Inbox: Why the Focus on Foreign Affairs and Geopolitics? (Part 2)

Such exposés reveal the world is broken, wicked, corrupt and that in reality there are no 'good guys' to be found. There are lesser and greater evils. We are pilgrims, suffering exiles and cross-bearers. The world is at ease, building its kingdoms. It hates the forces that oppose it whether their aims are political or not. As fallen man is a political creature he is not capable of understanding our mindset and posture and thus he will be suspicious of us and ultimately because we will not bow and submit to his idolatry... he will hate us. Sadly the same is true of those who profess Christ but still give themselves to the same fleshly political impulse.

Inbox: Why the Focus on Foreign Affairs and Geopolitics? (Part 1)

I've received more than a few questions along these lines. To some it almost seems like an obsession or to others a waste of time.

Bad Analogies of Masculinity: The Warrior Ethos vs. New Testament Manliness (Part 2)

I live in an area that is renowned for hunting. People come from cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland, from Eastern Ohio and from Southwestern Pennsylvania to come and hunt deer, bear, turkey, coyote, bobcat and other small game. I watch the men arrive on the big hunting weekends. They're often away from their wives and you can see that many of them are acting foolish as a result. 

Bad Analogies of Masculinity: The Warrior Ethos vs. New Testament Manliness (Part 1)

It is undoubtedly true that today's young men need encouragement and in many cases a bit of a 'push' toward adulthood. Lingering adolescence has led many to say (and not without reason) that 30 is the new 18. In other words, many young men are not ready to start adult life until an age that in past generations was already seasoned adulthood, usually including a family, house and probably something akin to journeyman status in a career.

Mythical Animals, Secular Analysis of Religion and the Anti-Sacral Uniqueness of New Testament Christianity

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/darmstrong/the-bible-and-mythical-animals

The King James translation erred in some of its translation choices, particularly with regard to animals and beasts that the translators were unfamiliar with. The cockatrice and unicorn are but a couple of well known examples, and their usage has generated some confusion among readers. In some cases the use of fantastical creature nomenclature has engendered mocking and ridicule from both within and without the Church.

Calvinist Narratives, 19th Century Princeton and Christmas (Part 2)

What would Paul say of those who would borrow from Hellenistic practice and try to bring it into the Church? Actually I think that very thing was happening in Colossae and in the letters to the Seven Churches and let's just say that neither Paul nor Christ (via John) have any time for it.

Calvinist Narratives, 19th Century Princeton and Christmas (Part 1)

https://calvinistinternational.com/2019/01/24/charles-hodge-and-a-19th-cent-presbyterian-christmas/

 It's a little disturbing to me but for some the idea seems to be that if Charles Hodge said Christmas was okay, then it's okay. I suppose some might feel they have some ammunition for their pro-Christmas/revisionist argument if they can pull out a 'big gun' like Hodge.

Europe's Ghosts, Essential Questions and the Ever-Problematic Balkans

https://www.euractiv.com/section/enlargement/news/europe-risks-losing-strategic-clout-in-western-balkans/

In some respects I was surprised by the candid language in this editorial. I was not surprised by the message but by its directness.

While democracy is evoked and prosperity mentioned, the key term is security. The EU project needs to consolidate all of Europe in order to meet its goals. To create a bloc, a fortress Europe it cannot have dissenting or even rebel provinces rooted in its underbelly.

At a time when everyone is reflecting on the thirty year anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, the event which effectively shifted gears and set the European project in full motion... the anniversary is marked by angst and frustration. The project of consolidation under the auspices of the EU and NATO has experienced great success but its failures are glaring and represent existential dangers.

An Informal ECT Alliance and the Bolivian Coup

Fernando Camacho and Jeanine Añez both represent Right-wing Christian forces at work in Latin America. Both are Roman Catholic and yet in many ways embody the Evangelical style and appeal to its audience. With the flight of Morales in November 2019, both figures were connected to episodes in which Bibles were held up high accompanied by proclamations of the return of Christianity to Bolivia.

In North America Evangelicals and Roman Catholics began to work in concert back in the 1980's and 1990's and while the relationship in Latin America has proven rocky, there are hints that politics and culture war are bringing them together.

More Disease Ridden Cures: Attacking Lausanne on the Basis of Right-Wing Politics (Part 2)

It was appropriate that in the Old Testament order there was a certain earthly glory and indeed like Abraham we are 'wealthy' pilgrims. But wealth and riches have to be understood in spiritual terms which Proverbs (ironically) defines as spiritual wisdom, something the New Testament elaborates upon. Once again I say ironic because the proponents of Christo-capitalism heavily rely on Proverbs to make their fiscal case but never see the questions in light of the New Testament and actually ignore the foundational concepts regarding wealth that are laid out in the early chapters.

More Disease Ridden Cures: Attacking Lausanne on the Basis of Right-Wing Politics (Part 1)

I was eager to read ES Williams' Ecumenism: Another Gospel (Lausanne's Road to Rome) which was published in 2014. It was in certain respects a 'good read' and at times helpful, even insightful. But in the end I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone.

Alongside a rightly guided Biblical critique of the movement which has become the international platform of post-war Evangelicalism, there was an unfortunate Right-wing aspect or angle which seems to govern Williams' thought.

An Example of Kuyperian Two Kingdom Theology Applied

https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/should-churches-have-christian-schools-a-test-case-regarding-church-and-society

This is another example of what I often refer to as Pseudo-Two Kingdom Theology. While it purports to avoid the direct theocratic models advocated by some, it nevertheless operates on a Dominionist basis. The form is different and while it ostensibly observes the necessary distinction between Church and culture, it nevertheless operates on the false assumption that the Kingdom includes, incorporates and redeems culture. As Doriani states:

...the kingdom is wider than the visible church. The visible, corporate church is the vanguard, the concentration point, the training ground, and the sending agency for kingdom work, but kingdom work is broader than church work. 

O'Rourke and the Tax-Exempt Evangelicals: (Part 2)

When I encounter people that point to the Family Life Network (FLN) as their news source I almost don't know what to say. The same is true when I encounter those who daily rely upon the commentaries of Albert Mohler and others like him.

O'Rourke and the Tax-Exempt Evangelicals: (Part 1)

Recently I was listening to the Family Life Network's 'experts' on all things political. In reality the two experts or regular guests on their Capitol Connection show, Michael Geer of the Pennsylvania Family Institute and Jason McGuire of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms are bought and paid for lobbyists who have no interest in helping the Christian audience discover the truth or foster tools of discernment. They appear in order to promote a line but it's deceptively represented as some kind of informed and honest coverage.

Chinese Evangelicals and the NED

https://www.mintpressnews.com/hong-kong-protest-united-states-destabilize-china/261712/

The National Endowment for Democracy isn't just a US government backed NGO that promotes democratic institutions. In the case of Hong Kong it is actively involved in promoting the protests. That the NED often functions as an arm of US intelligence, interferes with democracy and promotes regime change is actually old news for those who have been watching for many years.

This is why (once again) it is tragic that Chinese and in this case Hong Kong based Evangelicals are getting involved with what amounts to a US intelligence operation. Are the protests wholly the creation of the United States? I doubt anyone would actually suggest that. There are plenty of social forces and tensions at work that are helping to fuel the protests and yet as they ebb and flow, the Americans are there to make sure people stay out on the street. Money can work wonders. It's much the same with striking workers. They can keep going, keep protesting as long as the money is there for them to feed their families and pay their bills.

This is where the NED (and sometimes USAID) and US intelligence (often operating through the embassy or consulate) is able to step in. This was the playbook in Iran in 1953 that led to the overthrow of Mosaddegh. It's been used many times.

These are the games empires play. We shouldn't be shocked or even surprised.

The Amazon Synod

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Amazon-Synod:-Hummes-notes-need-for-married-priests-and-ministry-for-women-48203.html

It was fairly clear from the preliminary literature leading up to this synod that elements within the Roman Catholic hierarchy would be pushing for both married priests and female deacons.

A New Phase in the Syria War: The Kurds Betrayed Again and the Turkish Invasion of Rojava

I've been writing about Syria and the Kurds for many years as I was fascinated by these topics long before they became part of the nightly news cycle.

With that perspective I can honestly say that I've been more or less dismissive with regard to the present commentary on the part of the Establishment media and certainly the statements being made by the Right and the Evangelical audience.

The Kurds have been betrayed by the US on multiple occasions and while there was some protest in the wake of the Gulf War, for the most part few have cared... except now the situation is in reference to Syria and the presidency of Donald Trump.

Investment and Insulated Exploitation

Few Christians I know would shake down or extort their fellow believers. They wouldn't threaten to cut their utilities or drive them from their homes if they didn't fork over money to them. Would they?

Trump +985: Ukraine and Impeachment

A CIA whistleblower in the White House has ignited the fires of impeachment, exposing an episode of blatant corruption and disregard for the law on the part of the president. Would that it were so simple. In truth, the whole thing smells rotten. It smells like the Deep State has decided to make its move. Trump is as dirty as they come and yet once again the case being made against him is self-serving to the interests of those who would have him removed, even while they ignore his myriad high crimes and misdemeanors.

9/11 Revisited

https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/09/article/we-are-all-hostages-of-9-11/

Regardless of what you think of Pepe Escobar this article is interesting and raises many salient points. I found myself hooked at the beginning when he started talking about Ahmad Shah Massoud. I remember very well where I was on 9 September 2001 when the news came over the radio that he had been killed. We had just bought an old fixer-upper schoolhouse turned domicile and I was poking around on that Sunday afternoon thinking about the repairs that needed to be done. The radio was tuned to NPR and the story of Massoud's death broke leaving me startled. I had been following Afghanistan for some time and his death was a pretty big deal. You definitely felt like something was going to happen, something would change.

The RICO Dragnet and its Dangers

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/what-we-need-to-know-about-rico

RICO, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act was developed in the early 1970's and was used to take down large sections of the Mafia and other criminal organisations.

Bakker, Barton and the Americanist Baal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX72-RpShTM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izd-qBxKfLI

It seems highly appropriate that career heretics and charlatans Jim Bakker and David Barton have decided to collaborate and promote their lies about the United States and its history.

Disease Ridden Cures: Anti-Social Justice Warriors and Deceit

https://enemieswithinthechurch.com/2019/08/24/prominent-conservative-pastor-calls-out-tim-keller-for-promoting-socialist-economic-platform/

There's plenty to criticise about Tim Keller, New Calvinism and the modern Social Justice/Woke movement. These are neither mutually exclusive nor are they synonymous. The landscape is complicated but it's further complicated by the spectrum of criticisms and the critics themselves... some of which deserve equal condemnation.

Far Right AfD Makes Electoral Gains in Germany... Eighty Years After the Start of WWII

The Alternative für Deutschland or AfD has made significant gains in German state elections and this comes after gains in the European Parliament made earlier this year. And people are talking about it. It's shocking to them that 80 years after the start of WWII, a Far-Right party (that by many estimations harbours a Neo-Nazi element) is becoming a significant player in German politics.

The Godly Usurers

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/mortgage-company-loving-neighbors/

Is inflated quick selling or so-called 'flipping' real estate an application of Philippians 2.3-4? Is this loving your neighbour? The folks associated with Movement Mortgage certainly seem to think so. While their model is perhaps a little more principled than the get rich quick schemes of real estate hustlers, the philosophy which undergirds their finance model is rooted in the same system and built on the same worldly foundations.