Over here;
Mid-America Seminary sponsors a podcast having as a guest Dr. Alan Strange. Dr. Strange had decided to do a four part series of the subject of Christian Nationalism.
Now, as it is my conviction that Reformed Clergy have an absolutely tin ear when it comes to this subject (and a host of others) I thought I might give this a listen, doubting from the outset that this podcast was going to encourage me much.
I was right. All I got from Dr. Strange’s podcast was discouragement combined with a list of books, many of which I’ve already read.
Generally speaking, Strange’s main problem is that he keeps talking about “secular” culture as if such a thing existed. Strange even categorizes “secular culture” as being more benign vs. more vicious. Strange doesn’t seem to realize that the more benign version of “secular” culture is just Stephen King’s Kujo as a cute little puppy before he grows up and becomes all vicious. All benign “secular” culture is, is the vicious version just getting its legs under it.
Strange, like so many Reformed clergy does not seem to realize that there is no such thing as “secular” culture. He does not seem to realize that when it comes to culture there is no neutrality. Either a culture reflects Christ and therefore is Christian or it does not reflect Christ and therefore is “secular.” And it really isn’t “secular” since all culture is driven by its theological convictions. Culture is the outward manifestation of a set peoples inward beliefs. The point here is that “benign secular culture,” is never benign but is always being driven by a “I Hate Christ and love some other God” motif.
Dr. Strange begins the podcast by saying;
“My overall assessment — well let me just say this — I’d say it (Christian Nationalism) is a wrong-headed response to many of the cultural currents.”
Dr. Alan Strange
Mid-America Podcast
So, I take it if Christian Nationalism is a wrong-headed response to many cultural currents that anti-Christian anti-Nationalism would be the right response to many cultural currents? I mean, where else are we as Christians to go when it comes to this issue except to Christian Nationalism? Does Strange prefer Christian Internationalism (i.e. — “Christian” Communism)? Does Strange prefer America as “Christian” Empire? It is just nuts that we have so many denouncing Christian Nationalism while not giving us a Biblical alternative.
Dr. Strange goes on to offer;
“We live in a particularly polarized and politicized atmosphere and I don’t think that we want as Christians simply to add to that by embracing this title (of Christian Nationalism).”
Dr. Alan Strange
Mid- America Seminary
Podcast on Christian Nationalism
1.) Look, its hard not to call this cowardice. Why shouldn’t Christians want to add to this polarized and politicizes atmosphere? These people in this culture are coming after us with sharpened knives and Strange’s advice is to not become polarized or politicized? That is damn strange advice if you ask me.
2.) Notice how Strange is scared of the sobriquet “Christian Nationalist.” The phrase has now, by the work of our enemies, become so polarizing that Strange concludes that we must never embrace it. This is the old game of the Marxists that I myself have run into. I’ve been told countless times, “You shouldn’t embrace the term ‘Kinist’ Bret since there are so many bad connotations.” Now, we are being told that the alternate term that people have landed upon, “Christian Nationalist” is also a terms we should flee. This is just stupid. The enemy, whose expertise is polarizing will steal any term or phrase we might like and poison the well. And the laughable thing is, is that it is then our folks who come along and say that because of the enemy’s work of polarizing our language therefore we should give up our language.
As I said… this is both stupid and cowardly.
When are we going to stand and fight?
Oh, I forgot, per people like Strange (and their name is LEGION) it is not Christian to either fight or even be polarizing.
This is so pathetic.
And it is made all the more so by many of the people that Strange recommends that people should be reading?
Kidd?
Mattson?
De Young?
Gag me with a crozier.
“Strange doesn’t seem to realize that the more benign version of “secular” culture is just Stephen King’s Kujo as a cute little puppy before he grows up and becomes all vicious.”
Edmund Burke observed in the 1790s about the atheistic Jacobin revolutionaries:
https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/658#Burke_0005-03_305
“Let no one judge of them by what he has conceived of them, when they were not incorporated, and had no lead. They were then only passengers in a common vehicle. They were then carried along with the general motion of religion in the community, and without being aware of it, partook of its influence. … But when the possibility of dominion, lead, and propagation presented themselves, and that the ambition, which before had so often made them hypocrites, might rather gain than lose by a daring avowal of their sentiments, then the nature of this infernal spirit, which has “evil for it’s good,” appeared in its full perfection. Nothing, indeed, but the possession of some power, can with any certainty discover what at the bottom is the true character of any man.”
Excellent!
I like Dr Strange overall, at least when he has preached in my church. But I see where he is coming from as an overall fault of the OPC. It is a fault that lead to their founding, that they never learned from, and are continuing to make. The OPC started not by the conservative members wanting to break away, but because the liberals took over and forced out the conservative Presbyterians who then started the OPC. The OPC may be solid in its theology and sit firmly upon it, but they will not take a stand or speak up for anything. Allowing themselves to be pushed aside by the loud liberal and mad marxist. I can only see the OPC going the way of so many other Presbyterian denominations. I just think they’ve lasted so long because they’ve kept quiet and nobody knows who they are. But their silence when evil abounds will not save them.
We may not need to embrace the label Christian Nationalism, but we need to be pushing back on our increasingly vile and anti-Christian culture. No matter who or how many it “offends,” the truth will always offend anyways.