Trusting Non-Christians

Last updated on: May 8, 2020 at 5:30 pm By D. G. Hart

When you recommend worldview w-w as Protestants have ever since Francis Schaeffer popularized some of Abraham Kuyper’s ideas, it may come as a surprise when you also praise the outlook of authors and editors who are not necessarily Christian, at least for understanding the past. But that is exactly what Thomas Kidd does in a recent post about choosing books about history: There are three great ways to discern the intellectual value of a book. First, consider the author’s profile. Does the... Read more

Church Responses to Quarantine

Last updated on: May 7, 2020 at 4:28 pm By D. G. Hart

Some favor that churches remain closed. When they do they usually invoke love and the common good. This is from the mainline churches in Iowa: As denominational leaders in the Christian tradition, we are united in our concern regarding Governor Kim Reynolds’ declaration to allow spiritual and religious gatherings in Iowa. It was with surprise we learned of the Governor’s proclamation and, as such, we feel compelled to provide clarity and guidance of what it means for congregations to be... Read more

David French Has a Theonomy Problem

Last updated on: April 29, 2020 at 4:29 pm By D. G. Hart

At the risk of seeming obsessive, a little more attention to David French’s political judgments are in order. He was in the news fairly recently for calling attention to Al Mohler’s hypocritical flip-flop in support of President Trump. French, who has appeared on Mohler’s podcast, was reluctant to take off the gloves with his friend compared to the way he lets punches go with politicians who do not measure up to the columnist’s righteous standards. In other words, French used... Read more

Resistance Theory for a Global Pandemic

Last updated on: April 24, 2020 at 5:06 pm By D. G. Hart

Protestants have a long history of resisting tyrannical governments. It was partly a function of disobedience to the papacy, though truth be told Roman Catholic bishops had their own long history of seeking the freedom of the church from oppressive civil magistrates. Here’s a simple way of defining the idea from Mark David Hall: Within a generation of Calvin, virtually every reformed civil and ecclesiastical leader was convinced that the Bible taught that governments should be limited, that they should... Read more

What if POTUS Were a Drag Queen?

Last updated on: April 20, 2020 at 12:28 pm By D. G. Hart

How righteous does David French think he is? Apparently, sufficiently so to question the character of Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Seminary. In response to Mohler’s recent expression of willingness to support Donald Trump this year in the general election, French underscored the inconsistency (read flip-flop) of the man “I respect a great deal”: Mohler has not always supported Trump. In 2016, he was consistent with his denomination’s clear and unequivocal statement about the importance of moral character in... Read more

Pastors as Prophets to the Holy Nation

Last updated on: April 17, 2020 at 3:37 pm By D. G. Hart

Why do pastors, Roman Catholic or Protestant, think they may legitimately pontificate — no pun intended — about society, nations, and government? I read a piece about origins of the Religious News Service and Reinhold Niebuhr’s contributions and this line stood out: As an American, Reinhold Niebuhr offered his opinions on different aspects of the Truman’s presidency, such as the railroad strike of 1946, his controversial luxury tax, and his near defeat to Thomas Dewey in 1948. He wrote candidly... Read more

Pandemic Politics Before COVID-19

Last updated on: April 13, 2020 at 5:12 pm By D. G. Hart

“Will I be infected by the virus?” is a question that guides most evangelical arguments about politics. The virus, is not COVID-19. For about three years running it has been TRUMP-16 and lots of evangelical critics of their peers’ hypocrisy in voting for the president were quick to avoid contamination. Way back in 2017, Tim Keller in the New Yorker indicated that the 2016 virus was responsible for some evangelicals creating political distance between themselves and Trump supporters: People who... Read more

Make America Safe Again

Last updated on: April 9, 2020 at 5:12 pm By D. G. Hart

As things stand on April 9, 2020, somewhere on the curves of COVID-19, America is not safe. Heck, the world is unsafe. Maybe people are locked in (without too many threats from police or magistrates). With so many businesses and institutions closed, people have no reason to go out. But as the climate in North America does its impersonation of Spring and as people tire of either killing time at or working from home, political authorities and their freedom-liking subjects... Read more

Who Benefits when Evangelicals Publicly Ridicule Other Evangelicals?

Last updated on: April 3, 2020 at 5:09 pm By D. G. Hart

Jonathan Merritt thought the readers of the Daily Beast needed to know how bigoted Franklin Graham is (apparently his editors at the website agreed). At the same time that Graham’s humanitarian organization is setting up health care facilities to treat COVID-19 illnesses, Merritt reminds readers that Graham is unworthy of admiration: New Yorkers have plenty of good reasons to feel uncomfortable about this new coronavirus hospital. Of chief concern is the person overseeing the Central Park ward: Samaritan’s Purse’s president... Read more

Rusty Reno Gets Backup From Tim Keller (sort of)

Last updated on: April 2, 2020 at 5:11 pm By D. G. Hart

Reno is not happy with how the church in NYC or the Governor of New York is responding to COVID-19. Governor Andrew Cuomo said, “I want to be able to say to the people of New York—I did everything we could do. And if everything we do saves just one life, I’ll be happy.” This statement reflects a disastrous sentimentalism. Everything for the sake of physical life? What about justice, beauty, and honor? Lots of people are unhappy with him.... Read more