Anyone who thinks this is perverse may need to look in the mirror. Two-kingdom theology is remarkably simple. As Scott Clark explains, it’s all about priorities:
This inversion, this social precisionism and theological and ecclesiastical latitudinarianism, is precisely why it’s important to distinguish between the two spheres of the administration of God’s sovereignty. The social sphere is a common sphere, a sphere shared by believers and non-believers. It’s what used to be called “secular†before the word “secular†became a pejorative and the antithesis of “religious.†The proper antithesis of religious is pagan or atheist or something on that order. Properly, “secular†denotes “non-ecclesiastical.†It is still used this way in the UK but in the USA the connotation of “secular†as “opposed to God†has overwhelmed the older usage. Allow me to use it in the older sense of “non-ecclesiastical†to make a point. The common or the secular sphere is, in God’s sovereign providence, governed by general principles (laws) revealed by God in nature and in the human conscience. The Apostle Paul teaches us as much in Romans 1-2 and in Romans 13. The Apostle Peter teaches this throughout 1 Peter. Neither Peter nor Paul laid out an agenda for the civil magistrate (Caesar) because there was no need. They knew that Caesar already knew what to do: punish evil doers and protect the innocent.
The sacred sphere represented by the chief visible, institutional manifestation of the kingdom, the church, is not common. It is governed not by general principles revealed in nature. It is governed by God’s extensive revelation of his law and gospel in Holy Scripture. This is why the Apostles wrote at such length to the churches, not about the great civil problems of the first century, but about the great ecclesiastical problems of the 1st century, about getting the gospel right, about not confusing the law with the gospel, about church discipline, about who is eligible for special office in the church and the like. The Apostles were positively precisionist. They were not latitudinarian about these things.
Old Life 
So, Darryl, as I understand it, you have at least two major objections to worldviewism: 1) you don’t like the sense that it is mandatory in some circles, and 2) it is in conflict with the sacred/secular view represented above, therefore damaging to our understanding of the world and the church.
WRT #2, you would say that worldviewism blunts the distinction between sacred and secular, and, as a result, tends to make the church and worship less special and more a servant to social/political causes.
Yes?
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Michael, my kvetch is more from having been called a fundie too many times for invoking an Augustinian distinction — when Augustine is a fundie something malodorous is afoot.
But re: #2 I’d say that worldviewism exalts self-consciousness into hyperattenuation — the way a cat is when you introduce her to a new house or room. I find the search for psychological or motivational consistency to be yet another iteration of the quest for religious affections — a person who is entirely and completely given over to one animating truth or purpose. I don’t think any of us ever act this way and if we did we would never go outside but would prefer to curl up with our cat.
I much prefer to think in terms of habits, dispositions, and instincts, some of which can be cultivated, some which are innate and are pre-pre-theoretical. In which case, the worldview construction of self-consciousness leaves me cold and also seems completely unrealistic. Thank the Lord it is not required by Scripture.
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I have understood the project of Kuyper and Dooyeweerd to be a quest for the development of consistently reformed academia starting at the Free University of Amsterdam, then hopefully to infinity and beyond. The Roman Catholics have their Aristotle (Aquinas) and nature/grace distinction upon which to build their institutions, so let’s (it was thought) develop a reformed counterpart. That being said, it certainly could have permutated into an intellectual version of Edwards’ notion of religious affections, as you suggest.
“I much prefer to think in terms of habits, dispositions, and instincts, some of which can be cultivated.” That’s Aristotelian – are you taking us back to Rome, Darryl? (Just joking, DGH)
I am walking down a hallway at Old Life University. I have a interdisciplinary question that must be answered. At the first door is someone from the History Department – DGH. At the next door is someone from the English Department – SZ. Then there’s a guy who teaches a couple philosophy courses and coaches the debate team – Paul. Yeah, I guess there’s someone on the law faculty here as well. Everyone knows you are going to get a different answer depending on which door you open. No, I am not re-inventing the story of the blind men and the elephant or promoting relativism, but I am trying to sort out substance from style and academic turf wars, always with an eye on how any of it affects the church.
Kudos for “something malodorous is afoot.”
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DGH, I thought RSCs article was excellent. Could you answer some questions for this Scottish thicko? Having spent most of my life in evangelicalism, coming into debates like this can be bewildering given that the battles I’m used to are of a more basic theological level, e.g. between those who affirm and deny penal substitutionary atonement.
First, what is worldviewism? I have an idea, but no doubt my thinking has more holes than a ten year old block of swiss cheese. (Maybe you could put a self-diagnositc worldviewism test on Oldlife?! That would be informative and highly amusing.)
Second, could you give me some examples of worldviewism? Is a church hiring a “community pastor” an example of this?
Third, what would you make of the situation where a Christian Head Teacher of a secular British state school asks a believing member of staff to organise a lunch-break staff prayer meeting? Would this be an example of unwitting worldviewism? Furthermore, is it wise for a Reformed Christian to get involved, given that RCs, Pentecostals and liberal Christians all wish to attend said meeting?
Fourth, where did Nevin stand on the 2k/worldviewism spectrum?
Peace out.
Nick
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Nick, Here’s a link to one overview of neo-Calvinism (which I dub worldviewism). Here’s a website with other recriminating evidence — er — resources.
I think your two examples would have less direct ties to neo-Calvinism. They seem to be evidence of Protestant efforts to deny distinct differences and find unity in experience or a mere-faith.
Nevin was likely prone to worldviewism given his debt to German philosophy and theology. But he also had a high view of the church as distinct from nature or the world. Neo-Cals do not like dualities of any kind and so tend to minimize the ways in which the church is different or set apart from the world.
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Michael, I look at this as less a function of academic specialization than of Christian liberty. Paul, Zrim and I may have different answers because we are different people.
I didn’t know Aristotle was Roman Catholic. But if it makes you feel any better, I also like Cicero. So how’s that for Roman?
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Thanks Darryl. These look like useful sites.
I suppose the examples I gave were intended to serve as evangelical coutnerparts to worldviewism. Not sure that the prayer meeting was an attempt to deny differences, as said Head Teacher was dismayed at the “ecumenicity” enforced by holding such a meeting in a secular workplace. I don’t think the person in view had thought through the implications.
I found myself asking the question about Nevin as I read through your book. His high church theology sounded very 2K.
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Yes, DGH, the RC’s have Aristotle under the “we’ve got dibs” doctrine. The dibs doctrine is not special revelation, but is clearly the NR glue that holds together playgrounds, families, and theological/philosophical lineage. To preserve this 2k concept, just let them have Aristotle. We can take Augustine and Bono.
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Nick, on Nevin, believe it or not, sometimes historians see in subjects what they want to see. But I do think it fair to say that Nevin’s German idealism is far more otherworldly than contemporary neo-Cal’sm.
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“It is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who OBEY the law who will be declared righteous.” Rom. 2:13
A law has been added to the law, ref. Rom. 5:20, that has perfected the crucifixion of Jesus as a unilateral accountable sin. Therefore the gospel of God is the explanation of the only Way this added law must be obeyed by each individual man to save himself. You are right. The apostles were not latitudinarian. You either obey God this Way or it is hell you pay for not obeying him this Way.
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Theodore,
Are you a self-appointed prophet or what? Your exegesis of Romans has been refuted by Luther, Calvin and the writers of all of the confessions and catechisms that came out of the reformation. The Apostle Paul would kick you out of the Church if you said that to his face- read the book of Galatians.
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There’s the passage in My Own Life where Nevin talks about his early interest in political economy, which at first sounds like a rather otherworldly 2k perspective, but then seems to object not so much to political economy itself but rather it’s lack of a Christian foundation, even when explicated by a Christian like Wayland. Here’s the passage in Appel (who sticks closely to Nevin’s own language):
http://books.google.com/books?id=DRHFHH5B-UoC&dq=nevin%20life%20work&pg=PA56#v=onepage&q&f=false
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