If You Can’t Say Something Nice . . .
October 15th, 2009 by Darryl G. Hart
Who says Old Lifers can never say anything good about theonomists? Here is evidence that says they can. Granted, the kind words stem from comparisons among theonomy, terrorism, and a certain strain of the Left — sort of like being damned by faint praise. Even so, we can all be thankful that theonomists are not as bad their caricature.
Have a nice day.
Tags: religious right, Rushdoony, theonomy
You likely say nice things about theonomists far more than you intend to, as I’m sure you say lots of nice things about or ante-American Reformed forefathers (especially the Puritans).
I dare you to say something nice about Kenneth Gentry.
I hear he is a Phillies’ fan.
Speaking of “nice,” what has gotten into Dr. Frame? Man, he just scorched Mike Horton’s “Christless Christianity” book.
You better get all of the mean comments out of your system while it’s still legal. For the first time, the US is now supporting so-called “Anti-Blasphemy Laws” in the United Nations.
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So much for free speech.
Machen’s warrior children indeed.
Indeed. Reading his critique was painful.
Aside from the egregious factual errors that litter Blumenthal’s book (e.g. Calvin College in Iowa) and his tenuous connecting of the dots between Rushdoony to Hagee the thesis of the book is still fascinating and worth considering. Namely, that an active segment of Evangelicals and (yes) even Reformed have embraced a narrative of decline as a pre-eminent lens through which to understand their experience of being Christian and American. And particularly, the unreflective coupling of Christian commitment and political conservativism (supply side economics?) that leaves you with a weird stew of conflicting faith commitments and political allegiances . Why this narrative of decline? Why now? What is at stake? I thought you might have jumped all over that, instead.
Are you aware of the double entendre in your reply?
But Pat, this is the way American Protestants of Anglo-descent always react to adversity. It strikes me as the inevitable consequence of thinking the U.S. as a Christian nation.
DG,
That pattern is there historically, to be sure. But I am also curious if what is being exposed isn’t really just a rank syncretism of a particular stripe that has only recently evolved in the last thirty to forty years. I’d like to just blow off the steam-lettings of guys like Blumenthal and Hedges, but I think they are seeing something (though perhaps dimly) that is there. Blumenthal may not be the most perceptive historian/analyst – but even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then.