Seminary Day 12

 Apologetics –
In his book Creation Regained, Al Wolters introduces the concept of structure and direction. This conceptualization helps us to think about things in terms of what they were meant to be by the creator (the “structure”), and how it has been distorted by our rebellion against him (the “direction”). One can employ this to think about something as simple as a tree or as complex... as economics or the arts. Briefly, how is a tree distorted from its intended creational use? Perhaps the most obvious way is by those who worship nature instead of the True and Living God, but it is also in the abuse of forests for mere profit (for example). We were given care over the creation and while it is there for us to use, the way in which we use it matters. Trees have key functions in our environment, like that of producing oxygen and of preventing erosion with their roots. Likewise, the concept of money and economics is a gift from God and is good, but it has been distorted by our rebellion. No longer is money a servant, but to many it is their master. It reveals hearts of greed, which then place security, power, or pleasure over the wellbeing of others. It is not money that is the root of all sorts of evil, but the love of money. Finally, we can appreciate the goodness of the arts, their ability to stir the soul and to challenge by showing reality, yet because we are fallen, we can use the arts to merely shock, titillate, to push our own agenda, to glorify evil, to entice people into buying things that won’t provide happiness, and to degrade others. Yet the structure-direction concept allows us to look at things not merely in a black and white manner, but to recognize the creational good in something, while seeking to correct the fallen direction that has distorted it.

Reformation History -
In 1541, Calvin presents proposal for church reform in Geneva, but does not get all he wants. He asks for weekly communions, but gets quarterly ones. For Calvin, this is less about sacramentalism and more about church discipline. He wants ordination by the laying on of hands, but is turned down. He also wants prospective pastors to be examined exclusively by other pastors and only upon approval to then by brought to the council for their approval. Instead the council insisted that it be included in this first step as well. At this time in history because there was not separation between the church and state, there are some things they did that seem to our society unpalatable. Adultery, for example, is not merely an ecclesiastical matter, but it is a civil crime. To be excommunicated was to be placed for all intents and purposes, outside public life. This is also why non-conformists, such as the Anabaptists, were not seen merely as those with differing opinions, but as subversive radicals. Thus, the Consistory (having 4-12 pastors and 12 counselors or elders) met once a week and held the power of excommunication. People were summoned and despite rumors that they always went for the harshest sentence, they operated with great pastoral sensitivity – but they did make bad missteps. There was also a feeling that this was a French institution intruding upon their society.

Seminary Day 11

Apologetics -  Pop Culture is produced in a world of general revelation - a world where the creation itself testifies of God's existence and his power and invisible qualities. A world where mankind, in order to continue the belief in autonomy, suppresses this revelation like pushing a beach ball under the water in a pool. No matter how hard man tries, the reality of this creational witness pops up so ...that none of us have an excuse. As we seek to engage the world and make connections, pointing to the reality of God's World, we are challenged to consider the ways in which the Image of God expresses itself in our lives, and where sin and rebellion has distorted and led us to misinterpret this image and general revelation.

As an example, we considered a music video by Jonsi, for his song "Go Do." Ted Turnau, the author of Popologetics, led us through a discussion of this video. I will include the lyrics here for those who are not familiar with who he is (I wasn't), but the music video includes a depth of communication that is not there with merely the lyrics.

What is the story, the narrative, or the mood in the video? Jonsi appears as an anthropomorphized bird, caged; liberation theme; drawing on the walls and breaking through them; liberation through expression; existentialism; issues a moral imperative - "we should always know we can do anything."

What is the imaginative world this is projected into? There is a lot of cold black and white, red and black in the beginning - the bird is the exception. There is a move to flesh tones and warmth as the video progresses. Jonsi was the focus of every shot except the lovers montage, and they employed many jump cuts, which give it a sense of frenetic energy - which reflects the title "Go do."

What is good, true, and beautiful about this (i.e. where is common grace evident)? The theme of freedom, the optimistic view, the idea of rebirth and renewal, and the creativity in the video. There is a longing to be freed to nature which is evident, and birds as a symbol of that freedom.

How does it show the fallenness of humanity? There is a commitment to autonomy - that Jonsi is the authority you should listen to. There is an idealization of nature - for instance, there is no predation in the world we are shown. Even the idea of freedom - is it freedom from all authority (yet he includes his own "should"), from all boundaries? Or freedom to be what you were meant to be?

What direction might a conversation take to talk of our fallenness? What if the thing that is imprisoning you is not outside you, but within you? There seems to be a contrast of great effort and "letting go" to achieve liberation. Is it just your own efforts you have to let flow? Doesn't this idealized view of nature belie the fact that predation spoils the idea that nature is our goal of salvation? Just as energy must be directed and perhaps even organized by an intelligence to be helpful and healing rather than destructive and decaying, so too freedom and creativity are not just blasted all over life. Do the lives of many creative people show that perhaps unfettered freedom or creativity leads to destruction and chaos in life? Is it merely "Go do?"

How does the gospel speak into this world and redeem it? There is a God worth trusting. This God gives you the joy of belonging and the freedom to struggle and work out your freedom. You no longer need to struggle to be free, but you are free to struggle from within that relationship. If you are the source of the restraints on you, you need a new relationship outside yourself. We need a relationship with someone who has the authority to give us a new identity - and creativity under this healing authority means you don't have to hurt others in expressing it. Ultimately, we don't create ourselves, but have been created by our creator with a plan and purpose in mind, and true freedom comes in being who you were created to be.

 

Doctrine of Man - Meredith Kline spoke to three components to the image of God in man. Mankind's role as vice-regent over creation reflection a functional or official image, a judicial overseeing and an exercising of lordship under God's Lordship. The second component is the formal or physical image. God is Spirit and thus had no body, yet our eyes reflect that he is the God who sees,... and our hands reflect that he is the God who creates. If we insist that physicalness is not part of the image of God, then our bodies become incidental to salvation - and the resurrection does as well. But God the Son takes on humanity and thus brings humanity into the Godhead, not making us gods, but rather becoming the perfect mediator between God and man, the perfect sacrifice for sinful man, and the perfect image of God. The third component of the image of God in man is the ethical component. Adam was inclined to holiness but Eden was not his destiny, There was always an ultimate maturity in view, a change from a simple righteousness to a confirmed righteousness. Adam was in a sense in his "infancy of righteousness."

The goal of redemption is not merely a return to Eden. In Eden, Adam was given all that he needed to obey, but he was not yet confirmed in his righteousness and thus could fall. But Jesus, the second Adam, does not merely return us to the probationary period of righteousness Adam had, but rather fulfills Adam's role as representative and brings us to the final destiny of humanity - a confirmed righteousness from which we cannot fall.

 

Church History, Reformation - Like Luther (and all of us), Calvin was a flawed man. He was a product of his times, though he brought great reform as well. He was a Lawyer as well as a Theologian. There are multiple editions of Calvin's Institutes, showing growth, depth, and reforming of his own positions as he went on through life. When Geneva becomes Protestant, a lot of the intellectual elite and skilled labor leaves the city (for the RC Church was the primary means of education then). But, there is also an influx of skilled labor from Calvin's homeland of France. Because Protestantism is a religion "of the Word" it attracts readers, which helps counter the earlier loss - but immigrants are not easily welcomed into the city, and much of the clash has an ethnic quality to it.

There is much crossover from the church to civic leaders, and theological crimes are civic crimes with civic penalties. Calvin preaches and writes, and his exegetical works are one of the few works from the 16th century that are still useful today. Calvin has a pastor's heart and weaves pastoral application throughout his exegesis. In 1541, he presents proposals for church reform: weekly communion (more about church discipline than sacramentalism), ordination by the laying on of hands, and pastors to be examined exclusively by other pastors and then passed to the council for approval. He gets quarterly communion not weekly, they say no to ordination by laying on of hands, and the council changed the examination so that it (the council) was also included in that first step.

In Scotland, church discipline dealt with issues of folk religion, but in Geneva, the issues were pertaining to marriage. The Consistory was formed and met once a week. It operated with great pastoral sensitivity, but there were rumors that it always went for the harshest resolution to matters - this was untrue, but it did have missteps. It banned pubs at one point, turning them into places to read and discuss the Bible, but that lasted only 2-3 weeks. There is a sense among Genevans that this is a French institution imported there.

One of the most infamous moments of the Consistory is when Cervatus comes and denies the Trinity, making him guilty of blasphemy. One of Calvin's students brings the charge. Because Calvin is a lawyer as well as a theologian, he brings the prosecutions case against Cervatus, who is found guilty and burned at the stake. This has the effect of enhancing Calvin's power, as he becomes known as "the man who finished off Cervatus." (The same error of Cervatus continues to this day, as Socinianism morphs into Unitarianism) A man name Castellio who does not see the Song of Songs as canonical (because of the sexual content in it), and who does not agree with Calvin's interpretation of the assertion in the Apostle's Creed that Jesus descended into hell, and who was censured by the civil authorities, argues against Calvin here, making the case that theological crime is not a civil case.