I enjoyed the article “Renewing Dogmatic Theology” by Bruce D. Marshall (First Things, May 2012). Marshall is interacting with Catholic theologian Matthias Joseph Scheeben, and looking for virtues for contemporary dogmatic enterprise. Lots of good things therein, my summary: With “supernatural focus, sympathetic learning, and humility,” the dogmatic theologian disciplines himself to be drawn into the “mysteries of God revealed only in Christ.” Once revealed, he meditates upon these mysteries (Dogmatic theology has its own “domain”–not being Natural). A dogmatic theologian is not a “virtuoso intellectual,” rather, he is a humble man. Humble because of “love for and gratitude to God,” who has exalted mankind beyond our wildest dreams. Therefore, “Dogmatic theology is most creative when it is most genuinely submissive.”
Resource: Holy Bible Crib Sheet
If you look under the header Pages at the top of the right hand column, I have created a Writings and Resources page. On that page I have posted URL for retrieving a Holy Bible Crib Sheet I created; you can use the crib sheet for studying/memorizing books of the Bible and key verses. Download it, print it off and fold it; stick it in your pocket and retrieve for studying during down time. Or, stick it on your smart phone. 🙂
Piper: Regeneration, Again
“The internal call is God’s sovereign, creative, unstoppable voice. It creates what it commands. God speaks not just to the ear and the mind, but he speaks to the heart. His internal heart-call opens the eyes of the blind heart, and opens the ears of the deaf heart, and causes Christ to appear as the supremely valuable person that he really is. So the heart freely and eagerly embraces Christ as the Treasure that he is. That’s what God does when he calls us through the gospel (see 1 Pet. 2:9; 5:10 )” (John Piper, Finally Alive, 84).
Book Review: John Calvin’s American Legacy – Chapter 2 – Calvinism and American Identity
Chapter 1 review here. Introduction review here. Initial thoughts here.
The second chapter carries the title “Calvinism and American Identity.” The author is David Little, he has served as a professor at Harvard Divinity School
Little’s thesis is tucked away five pages into the article, all that to say, it takes a bit of reading to get to his declared aim, which is, “that the deep division over religion and national identity did not originate with the New England Puritans . . . that ambivalence is at the root of the Calvinist tradition of which they were a part, going back to the founder, John Calvin himself” (47). In the remainder of the article, Little illustrates this division by examining the Puritans thought and then Calvin’s own thought.
Little sees in the Puritans ambivalence regarding whether or not a nation could be considered “Christian”—part of his case study is the Massachusetts Colony where renowned historical figures like Governor John Winthrop and Pastor John Cotton worked through the issues that arose as a society of faith organizes formal civic laws, which in that case led to codified civil rights, e.g. Bay Colony’s Body of Liberties which gave “rights pertaining to religious belief and practice” (see pages 50-53 for key background). However, as these events unfolded one contemporary divine, Urian Oakes, noted that “church and commonwealth are twisted together.”
Although twisted together, this did not mean that there was uniformity of thought and ideals. There was great concern about the potential of church and state opposing one another, since men like John Winthrop wanted society to be “nursing fathers to the churches” (52). Therefore, he opposed the interpretation of “free religion” to permit elders of churches to freely consult “without the concurrence of civil authority” (see page 52-53), which some at that time were advocating. Clearly we see even within this “twisted together” view of Church and state that there is division of thought. This division, however, is mild compared to the position put into motion by Puritan Roger Williams, who spearheaded the Rhode Island charter, which most resembles our current secular, neutral view of government (Rhode Island was the first colony that did not require civil office holders to be Christian).
Little then goes on to examine similar tensions evident in John Calvin’s writings, demonstrating Calvin’s original teaching regarding over the division of religion and national identity, which Calvin later softened in the face of the Geneva council’s execution of heretic Michael Servetus.
In all of this, I have barely begun to scratch the surface of the detailed work laid out before us by Little, but I hope I have shown even with these few brief summarizing paragraphs why Little feels confident asserting in the last sentence of the article: “If Calvinism is as divided as I say, then it is no longer possible to speak unequivocally about its contribution to American national identity” (60).
My thoughts: recommended reading for those interested in or who are currently exposed to the “Two Kingdom” debates (again) being reignited in the Reformed world (e.g., I’m thinking of current buzz regarding Westminster Seminary California, Michael Horton, and John Frame’s The Escondido Theology).
The Patristic Shape of the Reformers
“The Reformers learned from Athanasius about Christian psalmody, from Ambrose about catechetical instruction, from John Chrysostom about preaching, and from Augustine about the sacraments” (Hughes Oliphant Old, Worship:Reformed according to Scripture (Revised and Expanded Ed., WJK Press, 2002), 4).
Obama: Sin-Approval-Graphs/Charts
Social Media news outlet Mashable has done us the favor of creating some sin-approval-graphs/charts (not to be confused with flannelgraphs from Sunday School days) analyzing Internet buzz after President Obama’s recent support of gay marriage. From the adjoined article: “The chart below shows just how much of a positive sentiment infusion Obama got from his announcement . . .” Positive sentiment infusion?!? Oh, they meant standeth in the way of sinners.
Nevin: Reformation Thought, Again
“The Heidelberg Catechism was designed, as we have already seen, to serve the cause of union and peace. . . . From beginning to end, it is occupied with what is positive in truth; rather than with its negative aspects and relations. . . . This is truly remarkable, when we consider the particular period in which it appeared, and the tone that had come to characterize too generally at the time the thinking and speaking of the different parties in the Protestant world” (J. W. Nevin, History and Genius of the Heidelberg Catechism(Chambersburg, 1847), 57-58).
Piper: Regeneration, Again
Following the heading, “Never Separate the New Birth and Faith in Jesus,” John Piper goes on to say:
The life given in the new birth is the life of faith. The two are never separate. . . . Therefore, when answering the question What happens in the new birth? never separate these two sayings of Jesus in John 3: “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (v. 3), and, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (v. 36). What happens in the new birth is the creation of life in union with Christ. And part of how God does that is by the creation of faith, which is how we experience our union with Christ” (John Piper, Finally Alive, 33)
Scripture & Christ
Scripture is God speaking to us; Scripture is God abstracting the world in order to teach us about the world. This is why Scripture is more like a poem, a song, or a novel, and less like a textbook. Scripture is more like an italicized word–carrying emphases and nuance–and less like a proper noun or another part of speech. In Scripture we see God isolating, enhancing, and highlighting elements of history. Why? Because Scripture is all about Jesus. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the Father is telling the created world (God is telling us) about his son, the second person of the Trinity, who is the Lord Jesus Christ.Why? Because God loves the world (John 3:16), and this means that Scripture provides for Christians both true and enhanced knowledge of God and the world.
Poem: Strength – Proverbs 31:25
Girl
Thou haveth fierce strength
Comely Woman
What type of strength is this?
From your womb
Comes forth the dragon-slayer
Skeletal crushing man
Mother Mary
The offspring of your holy womb
He is
Terrible as an army with banners
Silencing, mouths of fools
Dashing, the wicked’s child
They shatter against, the Rock
That Rock in the wilderness
Terrible as an army with banners
Girl
What type of strength is this?