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Christianity Today, April, 2009 |

The Controversialist

Between his prolific writing, prominence in classical Christian education, and recent foray into public apologetics, Doug Wilson is becoming a mainstream evangelical. Maybe.

Molly Worthen | posted 4/17/2009 09:35AM

Of all the spokesmen for godlessness to emerge during 2007, the "year of the atheist," Christopher Hitchens is perhaps the most prominent. He is a prolific journalist and television pundit, selected by ...

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Matthew Morizio

Posted: April 27, 2009 3:30 PM

Doug has issues...theological and otherwise! Ultimately, Doug has yet to realize that his views are embedded in Mosaic shadows, per the Apostles. Hence, the reason why "culture wars" are Doug's foray and not the Gospel. The World has a reason to be afraid of folks like Wilson (who does not stand in the Spirit of Christ) for all his "biblically" warranted hatred of fellow sinners (like he and I). "Christian" these things are not. Let the World despise us for the very reasons they despised our Lord...and it wasn't because He withstood wicked governments like those of Rome, but for His dismantling all idolatry (including strident Mosaic hopes in a long lost Golden Age). Doug, I love you man! But, I just think your basic orientation takes its lead from something other than Christ. Your message and means are of this Age. And fading they are. Peace.

Haim Aquatacus

Posted: April 23, 2009 11:37 PM


Ake. Tapped in to your vibes, bru. Send more, but tone South. "White Knight" Wilson's gots to go, true - we all know he stands in the wake of the ultra JC hip trip. I think CT's gotten a taste and his hooked. Ease up. The Rab's behind the wheel. The Century stinks (like Grandpa Fishwrap).

Discernment?

Posted: April 23, 2009 9:44 PM


"I had never heard of this man before, and I'm glad I hadn't.... People with discernment can see through people like Wilson." Discernment after reading one article? Here is the fuel of many an unnecessary fire in the church.

Iyorston@columbus.rr.com

Posted: April 23, 2009 7:59 AM


Mr. Wilson cannot possibly speak for all Christians. His theology alone limits him from doing that. Though we may like

Iyorston@columbus.rr.com

Posted: April 23, 2009 7:59 AM


Mr. Wilson cannot possibly speak for all Christians. His theology alone limits him from doing that. Though we may like apologists, we do not like advocates of slavery or obscure interpretations of Holy Scripture. The world is surely tired of religious extremists. I pray that Doug's journey will lead him to fully embrace the catholic faith as delivered to us by the apostles.

Steve Lemmel

Posted: April 22, 2009 11:23 AM

This is a fair article. I have known Doug over 30 years and he is certainly hard to put in a box. I don't agree with his theological direction, but I do know him as a Godly man and certainly no bigot. He has helped many people and has Godly children. He is willing to stand up for the Truth and is not ashamed of the gospel. He has a good sense of humor with a satirical bent, which aggravates those who disagree with him. He certainly is not perfect, but that makes him a fallen human like the rest of us.

Anonymous

Posted: April 21, 2009 9:57 PM


Perhaps if many of you negative commenters read some of WIlson's books on family, marriage, and child rearing, you may find that you stay married, and raise children who do not leave the church as soon as they get on their own. The problem most evangelicals have with Wilson is that he takes all of scripture too seriously.

S. Baker

Posted: April 21, 2009 9:33 PM


"...how I long for the day when the children of Light will embrace their call to true Christo-sensory love... the very fact that CT decided that this Puritanical scalawag was important enough to invite to dialogue with a vetted critic is beyond me." Ummmm..... Ahhh..... Errr..... Yes, what we need is more of this Christo-sensory love, you Puritanical scalawag, you.

Christopher Benge

Posted: April 21, 2009 7:09 PM

Have I been reading a different article to the one you read, Dave? This seems to me a sober, constructive article which does some justice to the complexities involved in a person like Doug Wilson. I don't see here any intention to "shoot" a warrior. However, the test of good journalism often seems to be whether you manage to upset both followers and critics. Thanks Molly for doing your job so well. (Oh, and why won't the site let me give more than 1 star to this article?)

Will S

Posted: April 21, 2009 8:13 AM


Ake J. Watremon, Quick question for you.... are you absolutely against absolutism? Will

Ake J. Watremon

Posted: April 21, 2009 1:36 AM

Upon finishing this article I made the surprising conclusion that there may still be some fledgling party out there of hyper-absolutists that have yet to dwindle into obscurity - apparently calling themselves Christians for some reason (unbeknownst to me) - how I long for the day when the children of Light will embrace their call to true Christo-sensory love and not this propositionalist bilge water of Wilson's. I thought we were past all this bullying and this pulpitting. The very fact that CT decided that this Puritanical scalawag was important enough to invite to dialogue with a vetted critic is beyond me. I am seriously thinking of cutting off CT altogether. They were headed in the right direction when they finally gave the emergents their due fame, but I am beginning to realize that one really can't teach an old dog new tricks. The Century remains the last bastion of hope this side of the eternal rave upstairs. The church has all the Pattons it needs - where are the Ghandis?

Tom Larson

Posted: April 20, 2009 9:47 PM

I read Mr Wilson's entire debate with Mr. Hitchens. He hit all the right points in pointing out atheisms inherent weaknesses but the impression I got was of two very intelligent people eruditely, yet undeniably slamming each other with everything they had. For Mr. Hitchens as the atheist I expect that. From Mr. Wilson, the Christian, I was very saddened. The Bible says our speech should always be with "grace, seasoned with salt." Mr. Wilson's debate responses did not contain much of that. Mr. Wilson is very gifted and blessed with apologetic fervor, intellectual acumen, and philosophical adroitness. What I wish he would add to this is Christlike humility. I see little of this in his writings either in his debate with Mr. Hitchens or on his website.

Trierr

Posted: April 20, 2009 5:32 PM

Good article, well done and surprisingly unbiased. But there is no wonder Hitchens likes to debate this guy. Someone who thinks that slavery is justified by the Bible? He embodies exactly what Hitchens finds wrong in religion. Given Wilson's way of understanding the Bible, I wonder if he can be consistent and trinitarian. If you understand the Bible in such a static way that views slavery as acceptable, how can you accept the trinity, which is by no means explicit? Keep in mind slave holders did many good deeds, but this does not mean that there theology was not wrong. In fact it was in opposition to the everything Jesus stood for in his life and death.

Highly Amused

Posted: April 20, 2009 5:25 PM

I would highly recommend reading the comments - and looking at how polarized a vision they present. Mr. Wilson and his church are either full of dirty water or clean water; it can't be both. It has to be one or the other. If you are not a Christian, all of the craziness you are reading about is just part of the broader "absurdity" of Christianity; but for the Christians reading this, there is a lot to be learned here. I have know Mr. Wilson for 12 years- he is good man, and his children and grandchildren follow the Lord with joy and good humor. He is a diligent man, and has labored for many people both in his congregation and across the world. If you are a Christian, do your best to assess the fruit of this man- as well as the fruit of those speaking for and against him.

Derek Davis

Posted: April 20, 2009 2:02 PM

Based on this article alone, I wouldn't know what to think of Wilson. But it just so happens that I have read his books. He actually expounds on things in his books. He defends things, confirms things, denounces things, mocks things, and asks things. You may want to read his own words to see what all the hub bub is. Oh, and wisdom is vindicated by her children. So if you think he might be trying to trick us with all of his books, then I welcome you to join me in taking note of the fruit of his ministry. Is it producing good fruit or not? And as soon as you've answered that, check your own life's fruit just to stay humble. Lastly, if you don't want him representing you as an evangelical, don't get too worked up about it. It's mostly just a line that writers put in stories like these. And hey, no one ever asked me if I wanted Rick Warren as my representative.

Broadman

Posted: April 20, 2009 1:58 PM


Three cheers for Doug Wilson! What you hear from his critics is intellectual envy. The man is our Beowulf!

Chuck Shanks

Posted: April 20, 2009 10:07 AM

If you like reading regurgitated pablum, don't read Wilson. If you like comfortable idea categories where everything falls neatly into little boxes labeled "chocolate pudding" or "anthrax"... well... Wilson might drive you a little crazy. But if you like shaking the tree hard enough to feel how deep the roots of your faith really go, and testing your foundation for sand vs. bedrock, then read Wilson and spend time thinking. Controversial? Yes. But his writing is interesting, challenging, and unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Your theology comes out your fingertips, and Wilson just keeps pointing at our fingertips.

David

Posted: April 20, 2009 10:03 AM

My impressions: Doug Wilson: 1. A man working out his salvation with fear and trembling. Said again, he seems more interested in pleasing YHWH than man. 2. Doug reminds me of the Bereans. Christianity Today & The Author of this Article: 1. Very interested in being relevant to the world. Said another way, wanting to be pleasing and relevant to mankind. Sensitive. Christ: Very direct. Very offensive to the notion of sensitivity and inclusiveness. Just ask (or read about) Nicodemus, other Pharisees, Peter-James-John, the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, those who found his sayings "hard." Better yet, read the four Gospels. It is hard to miss.

Patrick Gann

Posted: April 20, 2009 7:07 AM


You can hate him and call him a legalist, but the man is merely trying to be consistent with his reading of the Bible. If you're a Christian, you can hardly blame him for that.

Dave N.

Posted: April 20, 2009 1:39 AM


Christian Reconstructionism is anything but Christian.

Chris Griffith

Posted: April 19, 2009 9:25 PM

Douglas Wilson has been highly influential to me since our pastor gave premarital counseling to my wife and I almost 10 years ago. I was assigned to read Federal Husband and Reforming Marriage, both by Wilson. Of course I was hooked! I continue to read his blog faithfully, and Credenda Agenda. It's good stuff! Christians might actually benefit much more from his writings than some of the other stuff that comes down the pike, I.e. The Shack, Purpose Driven Life, Prayer of Jabez... Need I say more?

J.	Posted: April 19, 2009 8:59 PM


I had never heard of this man before, and I'm glad I hadn't. There's an ugly fundamentalism rampaging through the Reformed movement, and this man appears to be part of this extremism. Now, there have always been, and always will be, extremists like this who claim to be true Christians and claim that those who disagree with them are not. People with discernment can see through people like Wilson.

Michael Metzler

Posted: April 19, 2009 6:58 PM

FYI: Here is Wilson's comment on his blog: "If you go to read the article, make sure you take a look at the comments section. There are only nine comments as I write this, but the early returns promise a fruity discussion, with traces of oak and charcoal. The main line of criticism appears to be coming from the "all-you-need-is-love" wing of the Church, and an outline of that critique is begining to take shape. It is that I am a certifiable nutjob, a budding mass suicide-organizer like Jim Jones, beyond freakish, devoid of the Holy Spirit, and a pointer-outer of dark and destructive directions for evangelicalism to go in. One fellow deems me a lousy writer, and he should know -- he's been reading me for years. Reminds me of the joke we had in the Navy -- telling the cook his steaks were lousy. I ate three of them before I found a good one. At any rate, I may need to write more about this. It depends on how much love comes my direction."

Michael Metzler

Posted: April 19, 2009 6:12 PM

This article by Worthen is well done. However, it has some flaws and limitations. Some background: I was a long-term mentor, student, friend, and parishioner of Doug Wilson's. I was also a student at New St. Andrews and Grayfriars Hall. I authored a number of articles in his Credenda Agenda, was married by him, and my children baptized by his hands. Now, thankfully, I am far away from him and writing a book on his extended 'empire,' 'The Kirk.' Worthen gets some subtle and important jabs in, but they are at places either too superficial or misguided. I have written a review of this article, which you can find here: http://www.poohsthink.com/molly-worthen-on-douglas-wilson/ My book is tentatively titled The Kirk : Mother of War (Note: I will not address libelous attacks from "Kirkers" on this thread unless they address a claim on my web site or this comment, an argument, a primary document, or a piece of evidence.) Thank you, Michael Metzler www.poohsthink.com

Mark	Posted: April 19, 2009 5:39 PM


Christopher Hitchens should debate James White who is found at AOMin.org.

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