"Gospel Culture"

[LilyG]

This term and the whole aim of it sounds weird to me. Am I weird?

Gaining popularity from Ray Ortlund and Sam Alberry's new book study. Maybe I'm not understanding them correctly, but it seems to me a big emphasis on law (how-to's, treat others this way). "Live in light of the gospel" on one page. "Live out the doctrines of grace" on another.

Sounds more like soft-handed moralism.

At best it's confusing, though I'm seeing reformed churches take it into their book study rotation. It's turned into topical sermons.

*edited to include 1 more link

 

[MW]

There is always the concern of reducing the gospel to a set of rules. But there is a place for "gospel conversation," Philippians 1. So it depends on how they frame it.

 

[Pilgrim]

This term and the whole aim of it sounds weird to me. Am I weird?

Gaining popularity from Ray Ortlund and Sam Alberry's new book study. Maybe I'm not understanding them correctly, but it seems to me a big emphasis on law (how-to's, treat others this way). "Live in light of the gospel" on one page. "Live out the doctrines of grace" on another.

Sounds more like soft-handed moralism.

At best it's confusing, though I'm seeing reformed churches take it into their book study rotation. It's turned into topical sermons.

*edited to include 1 more link

No, you are not weird.

As Rev Winzer notes, there is a place for this kind of terminology. An example would be the series of books by the Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs with titles such as "Gospel Conversation" and "Gospel Fear." But as used in contemporary TGC "Reformed" evangelicalism, it does too often take on the form of a soft-handed moralism. And sometimes, in my opinion, it is not even that soft-handed. About 15 years ago, the term "Gospel Issue" became popular. Too often this was applied to debatable political issues by people who have often complained about the church being too political. Usually it is not pressed to its logical conclusion, but what does it say about you if you are on the wrong side of a "Gospel Issue?"

 

[Timmay]

The way we frame it is along the lines of Schaeffer's orthodoxy and orthopraxy. Right belief should lead to right living.