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The Walls Children

On June 8, 2016 By In Books, Culture, Family and Children

The Glass Castle: How to “Skedaddle” Through Life

Jeannette Walls

Jeannette Walls

 

The Glass Castle is the compelling memoir of Jeannette Walls. Written in 2005, The Glass Castle follows the various exploits of a family’s drunken father and free-spirit mother. As of last month, Lionsgate began filming a Hollywood adaption of the book. The movie is anticipated for release in 2017 featuring Brie Larson (who also starred in the critically acclaimed “Room” in 2015), Naomi Watts, and Woody Harrelson. The book exposes the cultural challenges of the post-modern family and the vulnerabilities of a family outside of the Christian Church. The morality of “independence” is challenged as the memoir painfully connects “free spirit” parenting to neglected, abused, and resentful children. (more…)

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On April 15, 2016 By In Culture, Politics, Theology, Worship

The doxological foundations of a Christian social order

Introduction

In recent years, various writers have given some thought to the shape of a distinctively Christian social order: What would the world look like if large numbers of people turned to Christ and sought to live out their faith in every sphere of life?

This is an important question for at least two reasons. The first is of particular concern to me, as a Minister in London England: this issue has been almost entirely neglected in contemporary British evangelicalism. While God has blessed us richly in the last century or so with a rediscovery of the priority of biblical preaching, personal faith, evangelism, church planting and so on, we have not given enough thought to the ways in which the gospel should impact the wider structures of society – the life of nations, our educational systems, the media, the law, politics, medicine, the arts, and so on. It’s about time that we did.

Second, these questions about the nature of a Christian social order are not merely peripheral or academic. In the contrary, the answers we give to them will profoundly shape the kinds of decisions we make in many different areas of our lives. They will help us decide how we should educate our children, what kind of political change we ought to work and pray for, how we should vote (and what to expect from even the best candidates if they win), what strategies we should employ as we engage in public life, what kinds of attitudes we ought to have towards our vocations, and a whole range of other questions.

Indeed, almost every major decision (and a good many minor ones) we make in our lives as individuals, families, and churches presupposes some kind of answer to this question, since at its heart it is about the shape of history (past, present and future), and our interpretation of the past and our expectations for the future will necessarily shape our decisions in the present. Life is eschatology.

A neglected question

There is one important issue, however, which has been rather neglected (so far) as we have sought to reformulate our vision of a distinctively Christian social order. The question concerns the role of the church in bringing about the change we seek for. At a superficial level, it appears that the church’s role is far from neglected. Everyone affirms that the church must pray; everyone affirms that it is through the church’s evangelism and witness that people are draw to faith in Christ and begin to display the transformed lives that lie at the heart of the social change we desire; everyone affirms that the church has a vital role as a place of teaching, fellowship, encouragement, and so on; and most importantly of all everyone affirms that it is in response to the church’s prayers that God acts graciously in the world to bring about the social change that we long for. At their best, these affirmations have been self-consciously corporate in focus – that is to say, “the church” has meant not just “That collection of individual Christians who worship at St Ethelwine’s and then head off to pray and evangelise and so on in the hope that that Spirit of God would draw other men and women to faith,” but rather, “That congregation at St Ethelwine’s in response to whose corporate prayer, evangelism and community life the Spirit of God is at work to change the world.”

But this answer, it seems to me, stops short of explicating the full extent of the church’s place in this aspect of the Spirit’s work. In particular, it fails to address explicitly the vital importance of the church’s worship on the Lord’s Day as the first step in God’s plan to renew and re-create the world.

The worst effects of this are seen when Lord’s Day worship is replaced (almost) entirely with evangelistic activities, on the well-intentioned but ultimately misguided assumption that this is the best use of our precious time together if we want to see our communities transformed by the gospel. Of course evangelism is vitally important, but worship is vitally important too, and the two activities are not to be seen as a trade-off, as though doing one would detract from the effectiveness of the other. On the contrary, both are necessary (at different times, in different contexts), and it is in response to both of them (and also, as it happens, in response to the renewal of our relationships within the corporate life of the church) that God works to change the unbelieving world around us.

So what exactly is this missing element? How exactly is the church’s worship related to the Spirit’s work to renew and transform the world? The answer could be put like this: It is as the church gathers in the presence of God, lifted up in the Spirit into the heavenly places in Christ Jesus to worship before the Father, that God is at work both to renew and reorder the relationships between the members of the church and to transform the unbelieving world outside the church by drawing people to faith in Christ and bringing about the broader social change we long for.

To put it most simply, everything begins with worship. A Christian social order has doxological foundations.

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On April 1, 2016 By In Culture, Wisdom

Social media and the death of human society

So much has been written about the impact of social media from a Christian perspective that it’s hard to imagine how anyone could contribute anything new. But my friend Arthur Kay, Minister at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Bolton, Lancashire, UK, made some remarkably profound and insightful comments in a recent email exchange with a few friends. Here, with his kind permission (thanks Arthur), are some reflections prompted by what he said, including some large chunks straight from his pen (of course, I’m to blame for anything that’s inaccurate, irritating or confusing):

People today have fewer and fewer reasons for getting together. Many of the things in the ancient world that reinforced tradition and kept people together geographically are gone. Travel is much easier; we no longer need to go to the local market to exchange goods; many cultural and social festivals are disappearing.

But even today the constraints by which cities have arisen in the past are being stripped away. Technology is enabling more and more personal isolation. For example, consider the impact of:

  • Instant remote communication
  • Remote diagnosis and even remote surgery
  • Online shopping and drone deliveries
  • Online multi-player games
  • Working from home
  • Virtual meetings
  • 3D printing
  • Superb all-round sound and vision reproduction over vast distances so that it is no longer worth the hassle of attending concerts and art-galleries

What all this means is that human selfishness is easier than ever to indulge. Human community does not arise “naturally”; it must be formed deliberately, and it takes a considerably effort to do so.

This prompts some interesting thoughts about what the local church community will look like in the future. Assuming that we don’t capitulate to the virtual church movement (Lord preserve us), perhaps God is bringing us to a point where pretty much ther only communities around are those gathered around the Lord’s Table. Though our cities may be larger than ever before, there may come a time when there might simply be very few actual localised, embodied communities left.

Perhaps God is handing us over to the consequences of our individualism, giving the world in an extreme form what we’ve been foolishly been seeking for many years, and daring the church to stand against the cultural tide. Churches that have the courage to do this may find that they suddenly become havens for large numbers of fragile, splintered people who have been stripped bare by the folly of (post-)modern, post-romantic individualism and are desperate for a community that will hold them together.

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On March 11, 2016 By In Culture, Film

The absurdity of sin in ‘Fargo’ Season 2

The Coen brothers have a reputation for exploring biblical morality in many of their movies, Hail, Caesar!  being their most religious yet. The writers of the Fargo television series have remained faithful to the Coen tradition. Seasons 1 & 2 serve as a cautionary tale of how belief fundamentally shapes moral behavior. This review focuses on Season 2 and concludes with a summary of both seasons. The review for Season 1 can be found here.

Warning: Spoilers ahead

Season 2

Season 2 is a prequel to Season 1, set in 1979. Lou Solverson is our hero, a young cop with a wife named Betsy and a daughter named Molly. Other than these characters, a connection to Season 1 isn’t immediately discerned. Many have said that the series could be watched in reverse without giving away spoilers. This much is true and will prove relevant to our conclusion.

In episode one, Waiting for Dutch, we catch a glimpse of Ed and Peggy Blumquist holding hands to pray before a meal. The Blumquists are religious to some extent, though we learn that it has no root in their lives. Ed has big dreams of owning a butcher shop and raising children, but he is oblivious to his wife’s needs and desires. Peggy is plagued with stress and anxiety. She’s a compulsive hoarder who yearns for satisfaction in what she perceives to be an unsatisfactory life. She isn’t happy at home, at work, or in Luverne, Minnesota.

fargo-prayer-1024x591 (more…)

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On March 9, 2016 By In Culture, Film

The consequence of evolution in ‘Fargo’ Season 1

Religion and philosophy are common themes on FX’s Fargo series. Seasons 1 & 2 serve as a cautionary tale of how belief fundamentally shapes moral behavior. Together the seasons offer a grim analysis of our cultural landscape, but one that doesn’t leave us without hope. This review focuses on Season 1 only. Click here for Season 2 and series summary.

Warning: Spoilers ahead

Season 1

The year is 2006 and Lorne Malvo is a professional killer with no conscience. He is presented as a master of manipulation and intimidation. Malvo kills who he wants, when he wants – and with great ease. When he finds himself confronted by law enforcement, Malvo always manages to get free. Magically so, seemingly able to escape enclosed basements, control minds, and create fake identities ex nihilo.

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On March 3, 2016 By In Culture, Politics

Unrelenting: A Prayer for Faithfulness

In their excellent book, Unchanging Witness, Professors Fortson and Grams spend a chapter recounting the capitulation of the numerous mainline denominations to the homosexual agenda, including the Episcopal Church and Evangelical Lutheran Church. But the account that caught my attention was the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA).

I am not an expert on the history of the PCUSA, but I believe there were serious issues, such as rejection of the authority of Scripture, rejection of the supernatural, and ordination of women, which preceded their acceptance of homosexuality. If true, their capitulation to the homosexuals was not a surprise. A denomination that ordains women is going to have a hard time barring the doors against homosexuals. Here is the timeline of how the PCUSA moved to accepting gays, gay ministers, and eventually same sex marriage (Fortson and Grams p. 157-158): (more…)

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On February 20, 2016 By In Books, Culture, Politics

Political Theology From a Field Hospital

The books of William T. Cavanaugh, Professor of Catholic studies at DePaul University, have a unifying feature: they challenge common assumptions. Just try reading The Myth of Religious Violence: Secular Ideology and the Roots of Modern Conflict or Theopolitical Imagination: Christian Practices of Space and Time without questioning something you previously assumed.

This week week Eerdmans released his newest book, Field Hospital: The Church’s Engagement with a Wounded World. While the book (which Matthew Levering calls “Richly instructive”) is made up of a number of essays and lectures developed over several years, the work holds together as a cohesive argument, summed up in Pope Francis’ famous metaphor of the church as a field hospital. Says Cavanaugh:

“The image of field hospital pictures the church not simply lobbying but taking risks, refusing to accept ‘the political system’ or ‘the economy’ as is, but rather creating new mobile and improvised spaces where different kinds of politics or economic practices can take root.”

While there’s plenty within the pages with which to quibble (the distinguishing quality of any good book!), the book represents the mature, thoughtful thinking of one of the most creative Political Theologians working today. In keeping with Cavanaugh’s overall project, that which is “earthly” is revealed to be incredibly “heavenly,” and vice versa. For a taste, watch the following interview between Cavanaugh and Rachel Bomberger:

 

 

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On December 28, 2015 By In Books, Culture, Family and Children

Are Christian Schools Necessary?

I’ve mentioned my appreciation for the work of Nicholas Wolterstorff before. Even in those times when I’m not completely persuaded by his argument, I find his reasoning  to be incredibly stimulating and helpful. The below excerpt comes amid a discussion on the question, “are Christian schools necessary?” In offering an affirmative answer, Wolterstorff gives a splendid discourse on the logical implication of the Christian world-and-life-view vis-à-vis education. For book length discussions in this vein, I’d highly recommend Norman Dejong’s classic Education in the Truth, the collection of essays by Berkhof and Van Til Foundations of Christian Education, Desiring the Kingdom by James K.A. Smith, Donovan Graham’s Teaching Redemptively, and of course Wolterstorff himself, starting here:

“Christian parents, in directing the education of their child, will seek to train the child to live the Christian way of life as a member of the Christian community in the midst of human society[i]. The children of Christian parents are already members of the household of faith, they are immature members. It is the duty and responsibility of Christian parents to bring their membership to maturity.

It should be noticed that the primary aim of the education that Christian parents give their child is a positive one—preparing the child to do something in society. The primary aim is not a negative one—secluding and isolating the children from society, quarantining them against infection. The Christian view of faith, life, and society justifies no such fearful and apprehensive negativism.

Thus, the question as to whether the Christians should maintain separate Christian day-schools will have to be wholly determined by their judgment as to whether the public schools, plus their homes and churches, are adequate instruments for that end. There can be little doubt that homes and churches together are adequate instruments for teaching children the proper devotional practices and the proper theological beliefs; one scarcely needs separate day-schools for that. But the question is whether homes and churches plus the public school are adequate instruments for training children to live the whole Christian way of life.

How could the public school supply what Christians must demand of the school to which they send their children? For, to repeat, the public school must be affirmatively impartial in its educational policies and practices. It cannot with propriety undertake to be a training ground for the Christian way of life. It cannot rightfully, in our religiously diverse society, systematically inculcate Christian standards for the assessment of art and literature, Christian economic and political principles, the Christian understanding of work, the Christian view of nature, the Christian understanding of the source of evil in human affairs. Yet exactly these things—and many others of the same sort—are what the Christian wants inculcated in the child, for the inculcation of such things is indispensable to training the child to live the whole Christian way of life.

It cannot be overlooked that the gospel speaks to our this-worldly secular existence as well as to our other-worldly existence. I think it is difficult, therefore, to avoid the conclusion that Christians need Christian schools for the education of their children. And once more—they do not need them to teach children the Christian way of worship; they need them to teach children the Christian way of life.”

[i] Wolterstorff, Nicholas, Gloria G. Stronks, and Clarence W. Joldersma. Educating for Life: Reflections on Christian Teaching and Learning. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2002. Pg. 203-204

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On December 21, 2015 By In Culture, Scribblings, Wisdom

Olasky and Myers: A Conversation on Culture

Marvin Olasky turned the tables on Ken Myers, conducting an intelligent, sweeping conversation on things ranging from modern dance to radical Islam. Per usual, when Ken talks about anything he talks about everything, deftly showing cultural connections between seemingly unrelated artifacts. Those who listen to Ken’s bimonthly MARS HILL AUDIO Journal won’t be surprised by the themes emphasized:

  1. Life is a gift and the Spirit is the giver.
  2. You can only believe what you can imagine.
  3. Religion is a modern myth.

If you don’t have time to listen to the whole interview, skip to minute 58:30. There, Myers attempts to answer the question, “why does God allow Islam?” Following Peter Leithart and William Cavanaugh, Myers says Islam is a rebuke to the Western church which has succumbed to the temptation to privatize the faith. Perceived this way, the church can engage Islam by critiquing not its outward stance, but its dogma; that it’s a public outworking of a faith lacking a Trinity, an incarnation, or indeed grace.

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On December 14, 2015 By In Culture, Scribblings

The Five Core Ideas of L’Abri

“All of life is spiritual except what is actually sin.” – Francis Schaeffer

An extremely formative class during my time at Covenant Seminary was Cultural Apologetics, which my wife, Whitney, and I took with Mark Ryan and Dick Keyes. I’m thankful for the work of FrancisSchaefferStudies.org in bringing a number of old L’Abri lectures back into circulation – including the one below by Keyes. Here, Dick gives a brief intro to L’Abri by describing its five core ideas, which are as relevant today as they were in 1984:

  1. Christianity as “true truth.”
  2. The reality of the supernatural.
  3. The humanness of spirituality.
  4. Living in the shadow of the Fall.
  5. The lordship of Christ over the whole of life.

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