Loving the Neitzsche quote Dr. Bird! I’ve been reading “Neo-Calvinism” by Cory Brock and, in it, Bavinck and Kuyper understood what it meant to speak to a modern world. This is definitely a struggle for American Evangelicals (like me) who grew up with an understanding but haven’t been able to translate to modernity.
Over the past few years I’ve been linking much of the social justice ideals to Christianity showing others (including Christians) that our epistemological basis is driven by this God shaped void in our hearts and that Christianity gives answer.
Hi Brian, yes, I think Bavinck and Kuyper, much like Barth, are trying to figure out how Christianity fits into the socio-political realities of European modernity.
This is so interesting and so descriptive of a major societal problem! We are either afraid to call sin, sin ! Or we have a holier than thou or a more sinful than thou attitude!
It probably doesn't help that "sin" has often meant things that are of lesser importance: dancing, playing cards (even just at home), eating meat on Fridays, to name a few. So it's easy to get the idea that sin is about being nitpicky about minor issues. Add to that the usual sexual stuff which many consider is between the adults concerned and no one else, and it seems not all that relevant to the world at large.
"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matt 7:11). Jesus conflates them!
Looks like you're entertaining "...the fantasy of just one, big violence purge to clear the world of their enemies to create utopia on earth. A utopia achieved by gulags or guillotines!"
Loving the Neitzsche quote Dr. Bird! I’ve been reading “Neo-Calvinism” by Cory Brock and, in it, Bavinck and Kuyper understood what it meant to speak to a modern world. This is definitely a struggle for American Evangelicals (like me) who grew up with an understanding but haven’t been able to translate to modernity.
Over the past few years I’ve been linking much of the social justice ideals to Christianity showing others (including Christians) that our epistemological basis is driven by this God shaped void in our hearts and that Christianity gives answer.
Hi Brian, yes, I think Bavinck and Kuyper, much like Barth, are trying to figure out how Christianity fits into the socio-political realities of European modernity.
This is so interesting and so descriptive of a major societal problem! We are either afraid to call sin, sin ! Or we have a holier than thou or a more sinful than thou attitude!
Yup, that's a good summary of the problem.
It probably doesn't help that "sin" has often meant things that are of lesser importance: dancing, playing cards (even just at home), eating meat on Fridays, to name a few. So it's easy to get the idea that sin is about being nitpicky about minor issues. Add to that the usual sexual stuff which many consider is between the adults concerned and no one else, and it seems not all that relevant to the world at large.
Every time I see the word utopia, I see the Greek meaning. Not place. In other words utopia does not exist.
Conflating sin and evil is perhaps unwise. Hitler and Donald Trump are evil. Donald Trump’s adultery and cheating are sinful
"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matt 7:11). Jesus conflates them!
Isn't that what the Sermon on the Mount says? A little sin leads to a bigger sin leads to outright evil?
Looks like you're entertaining "...the fantasy of just one, big violence purge to clear the world of their enemies to create utopia on earth. A utopia achieved by gulags or guillotines!"