Evangelicalism and A Hidden Life (2019)

The title of the movie is taken from George Elliot. In Middlemarch she writes:

"The growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs."

Though Evans (Elliot) was an infidel, the quote as it stands is true and worthy of reflection. We might modify it a bit and rather than think in terms of the 'growing good of the world', instead we can ponder the testimony that will be revealed in heaven itself. Hebrews 11 tells us that the 'winners' in terms of the Kingdom are those who wandered about destitute, living in caves and other lonely places, suffering torture and even death. In the world's eyes they were losers but as Christians we don't see these things or reckon them as the world does.

Afghanistan and the Fall of Saigon

In recent days while reflecting on Afghanistan and the US withdrawal, I have thought more and more of Vietnam and what happened there in 1975. I was prompted to revisit the 2014 PBS film Last Days in Vietnam which was aired at the end of April 2015 – the fortieth anniversary of the fall of Saigon.

The PBS Documentary on Billy Graham

I was at first a little surprised to see that PBS-American Experience had produced a documentary on Billy Graham. In other respects it wasn't all that surprising as he was a significant figure in twentieth century American life – certainly a household name to anyone over forty or so. I certainly grew up with Billy Graham and thus was eager to see it.

Inbox: Wilberforce

What should we think about William Wilberforce?  

I think Wilberforce was sincere in his intentions and who can doubt that his campaign resulted in some good? And yet it's not that simple, certainly not as simple as his advocates would present it. His larger campaign was with an eye to reform manners in society, and while the entirety of the Victorian social project along with its gross hypocrisies and failures cannot be laid at his feet, in many respects he helped to instigate it.

The Kamala Harris Tweet, Memorial Day Weekend, and Right-wing Political Correctness

I had to laugh over Memorial Day weekend 2021. I happened to be someplace where I had access to television and so I couldn't help it – I took in some FOX news. It's like the ghost that hovers over the American Church, the proverbial elephant in the room. It's eye-opening to observe this channel which continues to wield such sway over the minds of many who are supposedly renewed in their minds.

The story of the hour was the Kamala Harris tweet.

Dangerous Roads in the Realm of Natural Theology

https://evangelicalfocus.com/science/10764/john-polkinghorne-saw-the-doctrine-of-the-trinity-as-consonant-with-the-entangled-world-of-quantum-theory

Superpositioned unity of distinct states, entanglement, dual identity and other concepts associated with the quanta remain more than a little intriguing. And indeed I have often thought of this realm of science as a case of science breaking down, even of a hint of the metaphysical imposing itself on empiricist assumptions. It has a real value in terms of apologetics – not in what it can say, but in what it can destroy. It casts doubt on the certainty and epistemological assumptions of Scientism. It declares not only that there's something more and something beyond but that these questions end in mystery and incoherence. It painfully reveals the limitations of human epistemology.

Biden's Victory: Despair and the Moment

It's hard to miss. In Evangelical and Confessional circles there's a heavy despondency over the Biden presidency and the fact that Trump lost the election. There's an ominous tone of coming persecution and hard times. America is in a state of crisis we're told. If we don't do something to stop this trajectory there won't be any Christian America anymore.

Sham Comfort from a Sham Pilgrim

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/exile-ok/

The Gospel Coalition has run a recent article by Alistair Begg that I notice is getting passed around and seems to be trending as they say. Apparently many people find it to be helpful, an encouragement during our present time. Begg says that we're just going to have to get used to living as strangers and pilgrims. This is (we're told) a new development in American Christian life, something that's only really come to bear in the last few years.

Metaxas, Bonhoeffer, and Trumpism

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/02/eric-metaxas-2020-election-trump/617999/

Metaxas has simply applied the logical outworkings of his position. Christianity and the Kingdom of Christ are equal to Western Civilisation and in order to maintain supremacy over that vast complex and its institutions one must embrace the ethics of mammonism – power, wealth, and even violence in order to maintain it. It is the ethic that is literally antithetical to what Christ laid out in the Sermon on the Mount – the same discourse in which he stated unequivocally you cannot serve God and Mammon. In other words they are different belief systems, different religions with different gospels.

The Trump Acquittal and Post-Trump GOP Hypocrisy

As is already clear in the historical record, reflections and fallout from the Second Trump Impeachment are producing a wide array of opinions and narratives. There is no agreement and the entire episode (along with the January 6 event that precipitated it) will remain shrouded in partisan fog.

Larger Works Within the New Testament: Their Tensions and Roles (Part 2)

Hebrews for its part is Redemptive-Historical theology par excellence as it elaborates the nature of the prophetic word, the Sabbath, priesthood and Mosaic order, and the New Covenant, along with questions of faith and its resulting ethics and imperatives.

Larger Works Within the New Testament: Their Tensions and Roles (Part 1)

It is with fondness that I often reflect upon friendships I formed in the 1990's with some fellow Christians. We always marvel that in terms of day to day life we had (and perhaps still have) little in common but what brought us together was Christ and a love for the Scriptures.

The Role of Scepticism and the Shift to the Right in Mainstream American Politics

Most Conservatives will insist that the American political spectrum has shifted rapidly to the Left over the past fifty years and will make the case by appealing to cultural standards which (admittedly in some respects) have moved away from conservative ideals.

What The Great Reset Is and Isn't

https://evangelicalfocus.com/life-tech/9854/is-the-great-reset-a-plan-of-the-global-elites-to-restrict-freedoms

This was a remarkably sober analysis from Evangelical Focus though its conclusions are (as expected) ultimately false. The Lausanne oriented movement is concerned not with truth speaking to power but power itself and the unbiblical quest to redeem culture. That said, the editors possess enough sense to realise that current trends at work within Evangelicalism risk destroying the movement and thus their cultural mission. A New Testament based analysis will lead to a totally different trajectory but that doesn't mean that the article has no value.

Mammon and the Accommodationist Triad of Feminism, Psychology, and Divorce

We can speak of a Social Accommodationist Triad or SAT. There are many aspects of social life that could be plugged into this equation but in particular it could be argued that three powerful socially transformative forces have been at work in the post-WWII period – and these forces have worked symbiotically to shape and affect the culture.

The Christian Response to Cancel Culture

Evangelicals are outraged at the prospect of being kicked of Twitter, Facebook, or some other form of social media.

Is the Church Under Threat in 2021?

There is a lot of anxiety at present, fears that the blowing winds of social and political change will find the Church in a place of danger. Freedoms known by Christians for generations are in jeopardy and there is a nervousness about the future and what Christians should do.

Some Notes and Comments on: The History of the Protestant Church in Hungary

The History of the Protestant Church in Hungary from the beginning of the Reformation to 1850 is a commendable historical work. It value is both inherent as a historical text and in what can be extrapolated from it – which in some cases may result in observations and applications beyond the intention of the anonymous author. The work first appeared about 1854 and was translated into English by one Dr. Craig.

The Trumpite Schism and the Storming of the US Capitol (Part 2)

Trumpites and Conservatives are desperate to pin the insurrection (in reality a failed coup) on groups like BLM and Antifa but despite their aggressive propaganda campaign, the argument continues to fall flat. What motives would Antifa have to stop the electoral vote? Would they want four more years of Donald Trump?

The Trumpite Schism and the Storming of the US Capitol (Part 1)

I've been struck by the number of Trumpites and Republicans that seem genuinely shocked at the 6 January storming of the Capitol. 'That's not us' they insist. 'Those people don't represent us.' It only shows that these same folks not only do not understand what has happened in American society, they don't understand their own movement, the people they've allied themselves with and what Donald Trump's presidency means.

Postscript: An Aesthetic both Transient and Transcendent

Recovering the First Reformation - Toward a Proto-Protestant Narrative of Church History (XXII/Final)

We ought to understand that technology and art are not easily separated and both are to some extent inseparable from questions of epistemology and morality. Additionally, if we grasp that socially conservative attitudes toward the arts and culture (while inconsistent) cannot be divorced from their larger cultural narratives surrounding epistemology and previous generational progress and values, it behooves us (lest we be swept away by these powerful cultural forces and heavily promoted arguments) to apply the otherworldly and non-conformist ethos of the First Reformation to the present day. Our culture is in crisis and thus to many, the arguments made by conservatives seem very persuasive and grounding but from a New Testament perspective they are flawed at almost every level.

An otherworldly and non-conformist ethos leads us to a cultural posture and interaction that embraces neither the Classic nor the Enlightened. In fact in many ways we are better able to resonate with the postmodern critique and even the cynical. We benefit from critiques that expose the world system's inherent flaws and contradictions, that reveal it to be an idolatrous fraud and resting on transient and degenerating foundations – as Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 7.29-31 and Romans 8.19-23. This should not upset us but rather drives us all the more toward the inescapable choice between dependence upon revelation and the hope it grants or a collapse into nihilism.

Postscript: Magisterial Protestantism's Cultural Legacy and Aesthetic Schizophrenia

Recovering the First Reformation - Toward a Proto-Protestant Narrative of Church History (XXI)

This topic may seem off-base or represent a strange sidetrack and it must be admitted not all will be interested in this discussion or even be able to follow it. Nevertheless these are issues of practical importance, all the more given the way in which such questions (presented within the framework of a holistic system) permeate Evangelical discussions and dominate airwaves, pulpits, and an endless stream of books and cultural commentaries.

Postscript: Last Days Dualities and The Cult of Monism

Recovering the First Reformation - Toward a Proto-Protestant Narrative of Church History (XX)

The dominant monism of today is a result of the Constantinian synthesis that birthed Christendom and the Scholastic impulse. Though a minority movement within the larger fold of Evangelicalism, Calvinism has also exercised considerable influence in terms of monistic thought and tendency.

Postscript: Pending Crises and Doctrinal Corollaries Viewed Through a First Reformational Lens

Recovering the First Reformation - Toward a Proto-Protestant Narrative of Church History (XIX)

There are several additional areas that are relevant to the larger discussion of reform, the application of Scriptural authority and especially the question of Scriptural Sufficiency. These are all issues that have been visited throughout this larger body of writings. Not all require a hard-line stand, not all are what we might call gospel issues but given the scope of today's problem and since the ideas surrounding the question of reform and its implications are on the table, they're worthy of consideration.

The Covid Crisis in the Church at the End of 2020

What a catastrophe. What a shame and disgrace. Covid cases are increasing and even our small town newspaper is reflecting this – the obituary section keeps growing and inordinately so. But identity confusion reigns. Confusion over questions of 'Christian Citizenship' and the like have led to bifurcated ethics – a split between New Testament values and the Enlightenment rooted thought of the American system. Throw in the cultural mythology, decades of brainwashing, and conditioned consumerist individualism and we have a recipe for both heresy and disaster.

Inbox: Utilising the Decalogue

I have paraphrased the question(s) below:

If the Decalogue is technically defunct in the New Covenant era and yet still expresses the Eternal Law of God albeit in its specific Mosaic and Pre-Christ form - can it nevertheless be utilised by Christians to point out and expose sin?

A Final Appeal: The First Reformation Applied to the Contemporary Context (Part 2)

Recovering the First Reformation - Toward a Proto-Protestant Narrative of Church History (XVIII)

While our Biblicist theology is necessarily high and has high regard for revealed mysteries and supernatural efficacious elements and means – our ecclesiology is about as low as it gets – but this in no way implies casualness or irreverence.

A Final Appeal: The First Reformation Applied to the Contemporary Context (Part 1)

Recovering the First Reformation - Toward a Proto-Protestant Narrative of Church History (XVII)

The time is now.

These essays have attempted to survey Church history and re-cast it in a narrative frame at odds with the often tight, packaged, and frankly sometimes disingenuous renderings provided by denominational partisans and the advocates of Christendom – or the fiction that is often referred to as Judeo-Christian civilisation. This revisiting and questioning of common Protestant and Evangelical narratives of Church History is essential if one is to understand and navigate the present context.

An Indictment of Evangelicalism in Light of the First Reformation Imperative

Recovering the First Reformation - Toward a Proto-Protestant Narrative of Church History (XVI)

The time is now.

The revisiting and recasting of Church History along with the aforementioned crises drive us to step back for a final time and to consider and survey the state of Evangelicalism and the magnitude of its compromise and its moral and spiritual collapse.

Asian Tensions and the Clash of Empires: Trump, Xi and the 19th Congress of the CCP

Has Xi extended his power or has he been rebuked and curtailed by elements within the Beijing bureaucracy? It depends on how you read the 19^th Congress and interpret its events.

Clearly on a war trajectory with the United States with the flashpoints being Taiwan and Hong Kong, one could argue that Xi's plans have been limited or restrained. The generals are resistant to his plans which would result in inevitable confrontation. No one doubts that Beijing could wound the American military – perhaps even inflict some stunning losses but ultimately the Chinese military thinks the cost would be too great. And for Xi, that would mean the end of his rule. And thus one interpretation was that this Congress represents a rebuke of Xi's aspirations.

And yet on the other hand Xi's maneuvering suggests a consolidation of power within the bureaucracy. In other words he's bit by bit setting himself up for more autonomy, for more comprehensive control which will become manifest in the near future. As master of the Beijing bureaucracy he won't easily be stopped.

The Moral Law: Ezekiel 20, the Sabbath, and the Decalogue

Moreover I also gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.(Ezekiel 20.12)

The Sabbath was a covenantal sign that was to 'mark out' the people of God as distinct from the Gentile nations. The Sabbath therefore was not universal, it was not a law that was to be applied in all places and at all times. This is actually fairly clear when one reads the Old Testament and it is even explicit in places like Ezekiel 20.12. It was a covenantal sign and as such was only binding upon those in union with Jehovah.

But this presents a real dilemma for some Christian groups today.

The First Reformation and the Present Ecclesiastical Crisis

Recovering the First Reformation - Toward a Proto-Protestant Narrative of Church History (XV)

The time is now. Dominionism and the reactionary re-casting of Sacralism in the wake of 19^th and 20^th century secularism is on the verge of swallowing up the remaining (if paltry) testimony of the First Reformation, its lifeline to the Early Church and New Testament Christianity.

Afghanistan and Iraq at the End of the Trump Era

The panicked reaction to Trump's planned troop withdrawal from both Iraq and Afghanistan has been palpable. The media and the US Establishment in general are hostile to the move and trying to sound the alarm. And yet at the same time they struggle with providing solid reasons for remaining in these seemingly endless conflicts – both of which have gone sideways and evolved into something other than what they originally were purported to be.

Pluralism, Modernity, and the Third Constantinian Shift

Recovering the First Reformation - Toward a Proto-Protestant Narrative of Church History (XIV)

Once again we are reminded of the strange relationship between separatist Christianity and the forces of secularisation and how the pluralism generated by the latter leads to a more congenial environment for the Church than the monistic sacralism of the Constantinian paradigm. Indeed in addition to the folk of the First Reformation, even the early beleaguered Magisterial Protestants understood that an environment of pagan or even secular opposition is preferable than persecution at the hands of a hostile Christendom. Better a Turk than a Habsburg is a lost sentiment but in light of today's Dominionism and its aspirations it's one we would do well to reconsider. While I don't think the Dominionists are going to 'win' today's struggle they are nevertheless scoring 'victories' and if they should win and attain the cultural supremacy they so badly want – the old phrase will once more have relevance even though the context is very different. They won't hesitate to use the power of the state to silence Christians who oppose them and use the Bible to expose their error.

The Blind Facilitators

https://www.aomin.org/aoblog/christian-worldview/where-we-stand-how-church-history-can-help-but-only-so-far/

Though he's a bit late to the discussion I'm glad to see some other Christian leaders come to the realisation that persecution and state oppression are going to look different in the 21^st century. The technological leaps are such that old methods of underground life are going to be quite different in this new age. I think the biggest struggle for White and all those who run in his circles will be the end of middle class life and affluence.