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Christianity Today, October (Web-only), 2008 |

Theology in the News

Emerging Theology, Liberal Politics

Does one thing lead to the other?

Collin Hansen | posted 10/06/2008 09:33AM

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From history we learn that Abraham Kuyper led theological conservatives away from the lapsed Dutch Reformed Church in 1886. But he also worked to launch a labor union and founded the forerunner to the Christian Democratic parties in Europe. William Jennings Bryan opposed theological liberals in his Presbyterian denomination after serving as Woodrow Wilson's secretary of state. Carl F.H. Henry, the first editor of Christianity Today and a champion for biblical inerrancy, was no political liberal. But he did believe capitalism should not be immune from criticism. That was enough to mark him a socialist among some conservatives.

History teaches us another lesson. We celebrate those Christians like Bonhoeffer or Wilberforce who stood on biblical principle and challenged the evils of their day. Timeless theology enabled them to see what their contemporaries sinfully ignored. They started with the radical message that it was necessary for Jesus Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead. This is the gospel Paul preached, the gospel that led the Jews to complain to city authorities that he and Silas had "turned the world upside down." Paul and Silas acted "against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus" (Acts 17:6).

If Christians today want to turn the world upside down, then we must preach the apostolic gospel of King Jesus. Before "everything must change," Jesus is building a kingdom of subjects who repent of their sins and trust him to forgive them. Then we can follow Jesus' example and reject political power plays; otherwise, "we will, ironically, be assimilated into the very idolatries of wealth, status, and power we seek to change," as the Gospel Coalition's Theological Vision for Ministry explains. "If we seek service rather than power, we may have significant cultural impact."

Collin Hansen is a Christianity Today editor at large and author of Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists.

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October (Web-only) 2008, Vol. 52

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Help Rescue America

Posted: October 19, 2008 9:56 AM

Well of course emergent leaders will vote for the candidate that promises all sorts of Federal Gov't goodies FREE for years to come and enslaved people with them. Just think of the heaven we can create on earth!! Wow, when Obama becomes President I am sure we will never have the poor with us ever. These liberal christians are changing our motto from In God we Trust to In GOV'T we Trust. It is nothing more than idolatry disguised as helping the poor. I am sure the Gov't is immune from stealing, greed, human rights violations, abuse of the poor, and so forth. The best thing these emergant leaders can do is go live in countries in South America or Asia where Gov't controls all things and then come back and tell me what heaven they have created on earth. Ecclesiates says there is nothing new under the sun. Isreal told God Give us a King, God did and it was a sign of rejecting Him. Liberals are saying the same old song - Give us Big Gov't to trust and politicians we can render worship.

Nate	Posted: October 16, 2008 1:36 PM

The faddish Emergent movement is nothing more than the counter-revolution of the Protestant mainline. McClaren and other folk are a bit too accommodating of the current US political left. Well what i say is that this is taking the American Church "Out of the frying pan into the fire". What Christians need to do is (1) Elevate the conversation to encourace politicians to be specific and (2) Hold our governors accountable for what they are doing. If we as Christians will do those simple things, we will wake up and realize that no Church or para church organization ought to directly affiliate with a Political Party. Beyond abortion and homosexuality are policy issues of spending and corruption that tend to fester with Dem administrations. They are the party of government power and power corrupts... McClaren would do well to do God's work...not Obama and Pelosi's.

search for truth

Posted: October 14, 2008 8:09 PM

I am a follower of Jesus Christ.I am very sad and sick in my heart that some Christians will vote for Obama.some of his voters and campaign people are treating him like he is GOD.And that is very WRONG !! according to my book(The Bible) http://obamamessiah.blogspot.com/2008_06_01_archive.html But my VERY biggest beef with Obama,Are his views on abortion.He said that "I don't want my daughters "punished with a baby" Obama is the scariest candidate ever?sense when is a baby a punishment? Children are a gift from God! Obamas=(The Freedom of Choice Act)" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR1RD2-fabA&feature=related Abortion is murder of Gods creation.(No ands,if or buts about it)! Scriptures state repeatedly that people will prosper ONLY if they obey the commandments of God.Job 36:11-12 Worldwide reports indicate that more than 40 million abortions are performed per year. May God have mercy on our souls !! http://www.abortionno.org/

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