J. Gresham Machen and Christendom … Contra R2K’s Despising Of Christendom

It is a popular ploy of R2K types to insist that Christendom is no more, or that Christendom was a bad idea, or that we need to rid ourselves of the ideas of Christendom. Indeed, just recently at a R2K blog site one R2K advocate named “Sean” said, “State of Christendom? Christendom died a long time ago. “

This anti-Christendom mindset is unique to R2K. In point of fact it is one of the many innovative aspects that one finds in the Radical Two Kingdom Theology. Unlike almost all of Christendom that went before them they earnestly believe that Christendom is a myth. I find it curious for them to complain about something that to their mind could never have possibly existed. It would be like me complaining of a Grumpolumpagus. R2K advocates will often complain of the sins of Christendom but how can something that doesn’t exist have sins. If it is not possible for Christendom to exist then it never existed even when people thought it existed and any sins that might have existed certainly can’t be laid at the feet of a thing that never existed.

J. Greshma Machen of course did not agree with this despising of Christendom. In his sermon, The Creeds And Doctrinal Advance Machen could and did speak respectfully of Christendom.

“So they sit down and concoct various forms of words, which they represent as being on a plane with the great creed of Christendom. When they do that, they are simply forgetting what the creeds of Christendom are. The creeds of Christendom are not expressions of Christian experience. They are summary statements of what God has told us in His Word.”

R2K folks could never speak like Machen does here with his tend referencing of “Christendom.” Machen likely wasn’t even self conscious that he chose the word. It was natural for him, as it has been natural to the history of Reformational thought to refer to Christendom. R2K advocates self censor when it comes to the notion of Christendom.

Here we see again that Dr. Machen was no harbinger of R2K.

Author: jetbrane

I am a Pastor of a small Church in Mid-Michigan who delights in my family, my congregation and my calling. I am postmillennial in my eschatology. Paedo-Calvinist Covenantal in my Christianity Reformed in my Soteriology Presuppositional in my apologetics Familialist in my family theology Agrarian in my regional community social order belief Christianity creates culture and so Christendom in my national social order belief Mythic-Poetic / Grammatical Historical in my Hermeneutic Pre-modern, Medieval, & Feudal before Enlightenment, modernity, & postmodern Reconstructionist / Theonomic in my Worldview One part paleo-conservative / one part micro Libertarian in my politics Systematic and Biblical theology need one another but Systematics has pride of place Some of my favorite authors, Augustine, Turretin, Calvin, Tolkien, Chesterton, Nock, Tozer, Dabney, Bavinck, Wodehouse, Rushdoony, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, C. Van Til, H. Van Til, G. H. Clark, C. Dawson, H. Berman, R. Nash, C. G. Singer, R. Kipling, G. North, J. Edwards, S. Foote, F. Hayek, O. Guiness, J. Witte, M. Rothbard, Clyde Wilson, Mencken, Lasch, Postman, Gatto, T. Boston, Thomas Brooks, Terry Brooks, C. Hodge, J. Calhoun, Llyod-Jones, T. Sowell, A. McClaren, M. Muggeridge, C. F. H. Henry, F. Swarz, M. Henry, G. Marten, P. Schaff, T. S. Elliott, K. Van Hoozer, K. Gentry, etc. My passion is to write in such a way that the Lord Christ might be pleased. It is my hope that people will be challenged to reconsider what are considered the givens of the current culture. Your biggest help to me dear reader will be to often remind me that God is Sovereign and that all that is, is because it pleases him. View all posts by jetbrane