“Readers who do not assume that there is a distinctively “Christian” cultural-political task, or that the kingdom of God is the measure for all earthly kingdoms, or that the present social order is supposed to be transformed, or that Reformed Christianity is a Calvinism consisting of a “life-principle” or worldview, will probably come away having eaten much but not finally satisfied. The book that we still need is one that critically challenges rather than promotes the Kuyperian captivity of the church.”
~ David Van Drunen
If the Reformed Church is being stirred up by controversy it is being stirred up by the R2K club. This quote, which served as a kind of public commencement of R2k hostilities against Kuyperian theology dates back to at least to 2002. If there exists rancor in the Reformed Church it is rancor created by the innovation called R2K. R2K had an agenda to throw off basic Biblical Christianity in favor of this nouveau experiment in fashion designer “theology.”
So, don’t be fooled when you hear R2K champions like R. Scott Clark say things like, “”Carl Trueman has waded into the swamp that is the current discussion of transformationalismism.” No, what Carl Trueman waded into was the swamp that is R2K’s incessant attack on basic vanilla orthodox Christianity…. and he waded into it with both guns blazing in support of R2K.
You can hardly accuse the party who is merely defending themselves as being the aggressors.
Hat Tip — MVDM
Battle plans in this war against Dutch Calvinism/Christian worldview thinking started even earlier, as seen in this 1995 excerpt from armchair general Mike Horton:
“Kuyper did make “Christian” versions of many things in the world: Christian schools, newspapers, and political parties tended to obscure the earlier Protestant confidence in the realm of nature as possessing sufficient life and justification for its existence without having to be organized as specifically Christian. This Kuyperian spirit has been especially attractive in some circles in North America, because it is world-embracing and eschews the pietistic retreat from society, and yet it should not be too hastily concluded that one can find a distinctively “Christian” philosophy, political theory, or aesthetic. If these are indeed realms of common grace and natural revelation, they do not require a specifically Christian explanation. Looking for one will only tend to polarize Christians from non-Christians until believers are at last exiled again from the public square forced to pursue their “Christian” philosophy in their own spiritual ghetto.”
“Where in the World is the Church: A Christian View of Culture and Your Role in It”, (Moody Press, 1995) p.32
No such thing as a Christian Philosophy? Why not just say there is no such thing as Christian Theology? How much Theology do you read that is completely bereft of philosophy? And isn’t it a Philosophy to say that there is not such thing as Christian philosophy?
Is the man Coo Coo? You want this man teaching your future Pastors?
“it should not be too hastily concluded that one can find a distinctively “Christian” philosophy”
Paul disagreed
Col 2:8 “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to (the philosophy of) Christ.
No accounting for these people Jerry.
I bet that Prof Horton didn’t like seeing RC Sproul weigh in recently against R2K madness.
Ed,
Do you have a link for that R. C. Sproul statement?
Well I was talking about your own recent piece where you were quoting Sproul from Table Talk, the one about ‘sacred duty’ and ‘prophetic criticism.’ When I read that, my first thought was, “Horton will bristle at this.”
OK Ed … I thought he might have said something even more direct and I missed it.