America Is a Theological Wasteland

[Pergamum]

I am more optimistic.


Now, more than ever before, Christianity has become a global religion. And though the light seems to be departing the West, there is still much light going forth from our spot on the globe.

When so much of that "light" seems to be really wacko charismatic... pardon me for not sharing your optimism.

Look at this. Perg, the Baptist, has postmillenial optimism!

Ben, the Presbyterian, is the pessimistic Amil!

I think Ben is on the verge of breaking. I'm going to see him next month and apply Credo-Water-Boarding as the final measure to bring him over to the Dark Side....err Deep Side.

 

[py3ak]

Look, when the 16th and 17th century reformers would not even bother to dawn the doorstep of the churches of the above men, you know we have serious, serious problems and are in dire straits.

Is "dawn the doorstep" similar to mooning? If so, I can well imagine that few among the 16th and 17th century theologians (perhaps only Maccovius) would do such a thing.

 

[Pergamum]

Look, when the 16th and 17th century reformers would not even bother to dawn the doorstep of the churches of the above men, you know we have serious, serious problems and are in dire straits.

Is "dawn the doorstep" similar to mooning? If so, I can well imagine that few among the 16th and 17th century theologians (perhaps only Maccovius) would do such a thing.

PIE-THREE-ACK:

The mental imagery of Calvin mooning Arminius has now got me laughing.

-----Added 8/5/2009 at 06:12:38 EST-----

we need a smiley of THAT one!

 

[Rich Koster]

So, this would be roughly the equivalent of featuring a 486 PC with a 14" CRT monitor...

Try 286.

Maybe more like my old Radio Shack/Tandy Color Computer (the old CoCo).

Or a Timex Sinclair 1000... (yes, I had one of those too).

TRaSh80?

-----Added 8/5/2009 at 08:49:25 EST-----

Oh, as far as the OP video...

People on 'ludes should not produce God movies

 

[Marrow Man]

The mental imagery of Calvin mooning Arminius has now got me laughing.

Since Calvin died when Arminius was around four, I don't like the image of a 50ish man mooning a baby/small child.

 

[kvanlaan]

Yep -- since it's my personal experience, it cannot be questioned.

Oh, you Emergent guru...

I finally took the plunge for the Atari in 1984 after I was out of the Air Force and a student at Houghton College.

Hey, did you know Dr. Pollock? I met him several times and read his book on TCKs. I also spent some quality time with his son in China.

It's just that, today, many call that rebellion "being led by the Spirit". It is actually preferable to me when rank pagans act like pagans rather than those who name Christ call pagan thinking "...the Spirit is telling me...."

One is a natural consequence of sin, the other is a twisting and perversion of something beautiful.

Look, when the 16th and 17th century reformers would not even bother to dawn the doorstep of the churches of the above men, you know we have serious, serious problems and are in dire straits.

Yep, WWJOD? (What Would John Owen Do?) He sure wouldn't grab a latte after the service, for one thing.

Sometimes I have asked people, "do you know what the major doctrinal debate/issue was of the Southern Presbyterian church, causing significant strife and division, in the 1870s and 1880s?" No one knows. When I tell them "the use of musical instruments in the worship service," most are dumbfounded. They can't believe such a "minor, quibble point" could lead to such contention. And besides, haven't churches always used musical instruments in the past 1900 years?

My intent is to use the musical instrument issue as an example, not to hijack the thread. But my point is this: why are doctrinal issues in past ages not issues today? Are we so much more brilliant exegetically than they were?

No, we prefer to focus on "keeping the main thing the main thing" and the rest is just 'divisive'.

 

[Sven]

I don't know about America being a theological wasteland; there are theologies galore here, but I catch your drift. Really, though, it is all, as Luther called it, theology of glory, rather than the theology of the cross. The theology of glory tries to see God in His glory apart from the Word and apart from suffering and the cross, but the theologian of the cross comprehends God through suffering and the cross. Here is a great explanation of the theology of the cross: Luther's Theology of the Cross

As I see it, the problem is in the foundations. According to the Reformed dogmaticians, there are two principia theologia or theological foundations: the foundation of being, i.e., God, and the foundation of knowing, i.e., the Word of God. If we truly want a theology that is God-glorifying and God-centered, we will build on no other foundation. But many in America have built upon the foundation of either reason or feeling and have thus constructed a man-made, man-centered theology. Building upon reason will lead us to rationalism; building upon feeling will lead us to mysticism. If we understand the foundations of being and knowing correctly we will find that the Word of God points us to Christ and that we can only know God through Christ; hence, when we build upon these two foundations our theology will be Christ-centered. This is why there is, as Horton has powerfully shown, a lot of Christ-less Christianity in America; many are not building on the proper foundations. Paul said, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 3:11

 

[Marrow Man]

Spot on, Steven.