Category Archives: spirituality of the church

How Extreme is 2K If. . .

extreme

Even Peter Leithart realizes that the Bible doesn’t give the kind of moral specificity that so many practically minded believers desire? The Bible rarely lives up to our ordinary standards of practicality. Page after page is given over to genealogical lists of obscure people whose only role is to be a human bridge between famous… Read More→

Posted in spirituality of the church | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Of Radical Minorities and the (Dutch) Reformed Mainstream

canal-wide

Vocal defenders of 2k are in such short supply – though practitioners are everywhere in North America (it is the default position for Reformed Protestants, after all) – that I wondered about commenting on this. But when I read this, it seemed that some comment was in order. Matt Tuininga is a smart fellow and… Read More→

Posted in spirituality of the church | Tagged , , , , , | 83 Comments

Religious Liberty Does Not Necessarily Include Feeling Affirmed and Empowered

vanderbilt

Religious liberty is much in the news thanks to President Obama’s national health care program and its requirements for funding abortion and contraceptive service. (For what it’s worth, the bigger story here has less to do with religious liberty or freedom of conscience and health insurance than it does with who died and gave Health… Read More→

Also posted in Featured | Tagged , , , , | 38 Comments

Can Frame, the Baylys, Kloosterman, Wilson, and Rabbi Bret Really Object to This?

2k_games

David VanDrunen (whose Dutch heritage should count for more than it does among the nattering nabobs of neo-Calvinist negativism) recently conducted an interview with the folks at Credo Magazine. Two of his answers are particularly useful for explaining 2k (thanks to the Outhouse). The first: I like to describe the two kingdoms doctrine briefly as… Read More→

Posted in spirituality of the church | Tagged , , , , , , | 128 Comments

2K Cherries 2Hot 2Handle

Fram

The allegedly controversial character of 2k theology has prompted Lane Keister over at Greenbaggins to cease his review of John Frame’s recent book. He has also decided not to allow any more discussions of 2k at his blog. I understand Lane’s decision. I also concede that my sarcasm has contributed to his decision. For some… Read More→

Also posted in Adventures in Church History | Tagged , , , , | 164 Comments

Wishing Evangelicals Would Leave Politics Alone

sarah_palin

Before all of the anti-dualists and despisers of otherworldliness get riled up, the point of this post is not for evangelicals or any kind of Christian to abdicate their duties as citizens. Instead, it is that injecting religion into politics has neither helped politics nor aided religion. Two recent confirmations of this come from Mikelmann’s… Read More→

Also posted in Novus Ordo Seclorum | Tagged , , , , | 48 Comments

The 2Ker’s Burden

charles_murray

Charles Murray’s book, Coming Apart, has been receiving a lot of attention. It is a book about the growing divergence between elites and average Americans, and shows that the wealthy and well educated are far more conservative in their way of life than many assume. Ross Douthat at the New York Times has been largely… Read More→

Also posted in Featured | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

The Bible is Not Off Limits But Only Settles So Much

god said it

Two of Old Life’s regular voices, Zrim and Jed, are having an interesting discussion — in response to a post questioning the political machinations of the hallowed Bonhoffer — about whether 2kers may legitimately appeal to the Bible in their civic duties. Zrim argues that the Bible forbids civil disobedience while Jed questions whether a… Read More→

Posted in spirituality of the church | Tagged , , , , , , | 142 Comments

Can We Get a Little Moral Clarity Here?

christian-exodus

In the light of Newt Gingrich’s recent surge in the polls, let’s see how the fortunes of the Religious Right are developing: A weak week ago Mitt Romney was leading in the polls and some even talked about his sowing up the nomination after South Carolina and Florida. Newt Gingrich’s ex-wife did an interview this… Read More→

Posted in spirituality of the church | Tagged , , , , , , , | 35 Comments

Rich But Not Robust

escondido

The word robust is overused and has become a cliche. People use it now to add emphasis without considering alternatives — like vigorous, energetic, profound. A good example of the overuse of robust comes in Andrew Sandlin’s endorsement for John Frame’s new book, Escondido Theology: Frame has lived to see a vocal segment of the… Read More→

Posted in spirituality of the church | Tagged , , | 27 Comments