Next Week

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Here is what you can expect next week at Pastor Dave Online:

1) A review of Bad Religion: How We Became A Nation of Heretics by Ross Douthat

This is easily the most fascinating book I’ve read all year. I was captivated by Douthat’s thesis and his comprehensive presentation. I can’t wait to review this book.

2) The Grass Will Die: Full Contentment Only Comes in Eternity

Concluding this last week’s series on contentment I will speak to the reality of cycles of discontentment and the spiritual good that it can do for us.

3) A Theology of Sex: Sex and the Mind

The connection between the biological organ that is our brain and sexuality is a strong one. The way that sex interacts with our brain is profound and it is important if we are going to effectively fight against sexual sin and encourage Biblical sexual ethics.

4) A Theology of Sex: Sexual Sin (Part 1)

What makes sexual sin a matter worth discussing so often? It’s not that it is necessarily any worse than any other sin and yet the Bible does make some profound connections between our sexuality and the gospel and that translates into important implications for sexual sin.

Also look for more Hipster Hymns

A Theology for Hipsters (Part 32): Keeping the Fundamentals (Part 11)

Posted on by Pastor Dave Online
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We’ve been discussion for a few posts now three values: individualism, rebellion, and progressiveness. All three are really intertwined. Rebellion and progressiveness are really symptoms of the desire for selfish distinction. And the desire for selfish-distinction produces rebellion and leads us to tend towards progressiveness. The church was warned of the last of these threats three centuries ago. Sadly it did not heed that warning and a whole slew of well-meaning Christians were led astray in their pursuit of the new.

The 19th Century church saw the encroachment of liberal theology at a rate that was undoubtedly alarming. Progressiveness itself had been around for almost as long as the history of the church. Heretics crept up everywhere from among the early church, the Medieval church, throughout the Reformation, and into the 18th century, but it was among the church in the 19th century that a flood of heresy and liberalism engulfed Christians. It came in the form of German Higher Criticism, a literary theory which denied the inerrancy and authority of Scripture and cast doubt even on its most basic meaning. It came in the form of the Quest for the Historical Jesus, a historical approach to Jesus that denied his supernatural nature in favor of a strict natural biography. It came most notably in the form of the Social Gospel, a shift away from the good news of Jesus death for sinners to an emphasis on Christianity as purely a movement for social reform. Theological Liberalism’s legacy cannot be overstated.

In the 20th century more and more American churches adopted liberal theology and more and more progressive theological developments were being promoted. Rudolf Bultmann began to “demythologize” the Bible, the Christian Atheists pronounced God is dead, and religiously plural theologians began to deny the exclusivity of the Christian faith. At various stages in the 20th, and into the 21st century, different emphasis dominated the theological landscape and served as the authority: experience, history, and science. Noticeably missing from much of the dominant academia was Divine Revelation. This progressiveness has birthed a bewildered, confused, and, in many quarters, a dead church. We today are the inheritors of a progressive church culture.

Thankfully God has preserved His church, as He said He would, and many faithful men and women reaffirmed the core doctrines of the faith. J. Gresham Machen, the distinguished Princeton New Testament scholar wrote a, still very useful, book titled, simply, Christianity & Liberalism in which he defended classic orthodox Christianity. He stated plainly that if the liberals wanted to pursue their own studies they were free to do so, but that they should stop calling themselves Christians, for they were indeed not. Many others with him took a stand and elsewhere faithful men and women persevered reading their Bibles and praying. But liberalism had made its mark and today’s church bears much of its imprint.

More and more young Christians today are embracing pluralism, denying the authority of Scripture, and contending for a purely humanitarian Jesus over a supernatural one. In part the rejection of Fundamentalism has sent many hipsters running into the arms of liberals, who were noticeably more open. The Emergent Theology of the day is particularly prone to simply copying 19th and 20th century liberalism. And the results are that the gospel is being lost, the Scriptures are being displaced, and God is not known. The point I am trying to make in this rapid fire history is that progressiveness is not all it’s cracked up to be.

This Week’s Good Reads

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Here are some interesting articles from around the web to check out:

1) “A Major New Defense of a More Biblical Way than Dispensationalism or Covenant Theology” by Justin Taylor

In this post Justin Taylor highlights a new book coming forth next month. He discusses some of the distinct features of the book, gives us the promotional reviews of other scholars, and let’s us read a few interview questions with the authors about the work. As a Covenant Theologian, and as a former student of the authors of this new book I am anxious to read Kingdom Through Covenant by Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum. This certainly whets my appetite. I am not certain that I will agree with the work, but I am certain it will challenge me to think.

2) “A Little Bit Indian” by Ross Douthat

Douthat picks up on a rather humorous news story surrounding Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren. At one point in her career as a law professor at Harvard Warren attested that she was part Cherokee. This assertion won her accolades and attention as the school’s one tenured female minority. It turns out she was wrong. Douthat, in this interesting piece, does not necessarily fault Warren so much as he does the system that rewards a person for being one-eighth Native American. Such a trend does not actually build and create genuine diversity, he states.

3) “What Happened at Nicaea” by Fred Sanders

Sanders gives us an insightful survey of the what happened at the historic church council at Nicaea. He articulates an important historical point: Arianism was not some outside heresy but one that developed from within the church and in fact had elements from a long-standing theological tradition. This is an important point, and while Sanders doesn’t necessarily make this modern-day connection we must be aware of the ways in which small errors can lead to big theological fallacies.

4) “Biological Dispositions Toward Homosexuality – and Other Sins” by Justin Taylor

In this post Justin Taylor quotes, at length, from David Powlison’s chapter in a four views volume on Christianity and Homosexuality. In the chapter Powlison sensitively, knowledgeably, and Biblically argues for faithful Christian obedience in the midst of sexual temptation. He directly addresses the discussion around Biological factors related toward homosexual tendencies and draws some helpful parallels for us to think more critically about this point. I look forward to reading the actual book, but for the time being you can check out this excerpt.

5) “The Demise of Guys: How Video Games and Porn are Ruining a Generation” by Dr. Philip Zambardo and Nikita Duncan

I am not certain that I agree with all the premises of this work but I think it is worth paying careful attention to. If the information is even remotely accurate we have a serious “guy” problem on our hands. Of course the reality is that these problems are hardly isolated to men, though that is often the stereotype. I wonder if the church is prepared to address these matters in a discipleship process with young men?

6) “Has the Passion Gone Out of America’s Fabled Love Affair with the Automobile” by Ashley Halsey III

This interesting pieces speculates on why Americans, particular those of my age bracket, are driving less and some not even at all. The answers aren’t surprising – social media, economy, traffic, environmentalism - but it’s all still interesting.

7) “The Service Patch” by David Brooks

The sagacious Brooks offers a critique of younger generations, stating that they are more concerned with questions of what than of how. That is to say he believes that many young people think their job will make them a good person and in the process are making blind assumptions about themselves and the work they do. It’s an insightful piece and worth considering, especially if you’re in the age group fascinated by entreperneunialism. Character is not found in career.

This Week’s Good Reads

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If you’re looking for something good to read this weekend, then try out one of these articles:

1) “Young Adults on Social Issues: Headed for a Shift?” by J.E. Dyer

This insightful piece reflects on the reality that as many of us get older we become more conservative in our views. The suggestion, then, that political parties should poll young 25-30 year olds and adjust their platforms to accomodate such views is silly, accorind to Dyer. I am not sure what to think about all of this. I am definately in this age bracket and I have definately become more progressive with age, but I think about others that I know who have gone through this phase and come out on the other side more conservative. Perhaps Dyer is right. What do you think?

2) “Blessed Are the Geek” by Richard Clark

I don’t play video games very much, but this is a beautiful piece by my good friend Rich on the power of true play. Rich argues, taking a cue from the Beatitudes, that we are more happy when we play not simply to win and unlock achievements. For all you gamers out there, this is a must read!

3) “When Charity Turns Toxic” by Bob Lupton

This engaging article from a long-time social justice leader is worth reading. It’s thoughtful, informed, and challenging. As a pastor involved in a church that cares for our community this has given me much to chew on.