Judging from the sorts of comments and criticisms I read it seems clear that a good number of people who are writing or commenting on the “two-kingoms” (or the two spheres) ethic don’t really understand it. I’ve posted resource lists in the . . . Continue reading →
sacred and secular
The Reformation Of Vocation
In the period between the early post-apostolic church (e.g., the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD) and the Reformation (beginning in the early 16th century AD) the church came to develop some unbiblical and therefore unhelpful and unhealthy ways of relating creation and . . . Continue reading →
What The Reformed Can Learn From A 1532 Synod
Introduction In researching the essay on sola scriptura I found myself reading the 44 articles of the Synod of Bern, which was held January 9–14, 1532. In attendance were 230 delegates, including Wolfgang Capito (c. 1478–1541) and William Farel (1489–1565). Two things . . . Continue reading →
New Resources Pages On Common Grace And The Sacred/Secular Distinction
These are contentious issues but the popular discussion of them, including some ecclesiastical publications, is not always well-informed by the history of Christian thought. These two resource pages are composed partly out of the HB archives and partly of bibliography. Both sets . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 179: As It Was In The Days Of Noah (22): How Eschatology Helps Us With Christ And Culture
In this series we have been considering Christian eschatology, i.e., what should we think about the last days, about the relations between heaven and earth, and how that informs how we think about and live the Christian life between the ascension and . . . Continue reading →
What To Do About Halloween On The Sabbath?
There are three major questions here: Halloween, the Sabbath, and how Christians ought to relate their faith in Christ to their life in the broader culture. Continue reading →
Christ The Only Way, Doctrinal Confusion, And A Twofold Kingdom
A few years ago President Trump nominated Russell Vought to a post in his administration. Opponents of the nominee found an article written by Vought in which he criticized a Wheaton College professor for advocating a pluralist approach to salvation. During his confirmation hearing the ACLU bizarrely attacked Vought for denying religious liberty. The ACLU conflated Vought’s religious views with his policy views (perhaps because that is what the ACLU now does). Sen. Sanders of Vermont grilled Vought over his public, Christian conviction that faith in Jesus is the only way of salvation. Either Sanders was being cynical or he is incredibly ill-informed about a basic tenet of orthodox Christianity. Continue reading →
With Back To The Reformation Podcast Taking About Politics And The Church
The question of how Christians should relate Christ (i.e., their allegiance to Christ and the Christian faith) to culture is perhaps the most pressing challenge facing the Christians individually and the institutional, visible church. A subset of this question touches on how . . . Continue reading →
Sean Moore: Serving Christ In The Secular Sphere By Serving His Neighbors
Sean Discovers The Reformed Confession
Sean Michael Moore (BA, University of San Diego) is a native of and Mayor-elect of Hollywood Park, TX. He has been a businessman for 25 years and has served as a member of the city council in Hollywood Park. He is married . . . Continue reading →
Roman And Protestant Integralists Together
Or Why An Established Religion Is A Really Bad Idea
Integralism and Protestant theocracy are twin movements of which our readers should be aware. The first is a Romanist movement. The second is a movement among a small but visible band Protestants who seek a similar outcome. Roman Integralism Romanist “integralists” like . . . Continue reading →
Should The Visible Church, As An Institution, Form And Express An Opinion On Political Violence?
s noted here previously, the mainline (liberal) PCUSA has adopted more than 120 positions on a bewildering variety of issues. The temptation to use the visible church to achieve one’s desired social goals is almost irresistible. Continue reading →
Parachurch or Pastoring (Part 2)
Previously began a discussion about parachurch ministries in relation to the church. The point was to raise a concern about how, frequently, parachurch ministries implicitly, if (perhaps) unintentionally, try to usurp the visible, institutional church’s primary role in God’s plan to save . . . Continue reading →
Nature, Grace, And Film
I love a good film. I took three courses in film criticism as an undergraduate. They were more difficult than one might think. First, taking notes in the dark is challenging and reading them afterward is even more difficult. Second, I had . . . Continue reading →
The Crisis Of The Hour: Christ And Culture
There may be no more pressing issue before Christians (as individuals) and the visible church (as a corporate body) than the question of Christ and culture. Much of what concerns us all just now goes back, in one way or another, to . . . Continue reading →