DOCSLIB.ORG

The Relevance and Suitability of Tim Keller's Contextualization For

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Relevance and Suitability of Tim Keller's Contextualization For The relevance and suitability of Tim Keller’s contextualization for Reformed evangelical ministry in urban South Africa JN Koning orcid.org/ 0000-0002-4955-742X Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Missiology at the North-West University Promoter: Prof PJ Buys Graduation: May 2019 Student number: 25832778 DEDICATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This PhD is dedicated to my family with immense love and gratitude. I remember my parents, John and Alice, with much affection. They never gave up on the prodigal. Mom prayed; dad paid for my initial Bible training. To my lovely wife, Moekie: your patience, prayers and encouragement helped me stay the course. Thanks for bearing with me and humouring me when at times I was horribly preoccupied, discouraged and excitable. You are a gem! To our beloved children: Nick, our new daughter Sarah, and Mike – what a joy and privilege it is to be your parents. We thank God for you. I thank God for my fathers in the faith. It was under the faithful, wise and winsome ministry of Pastor Brian Stone that God opened my eyes to see the ugliness of my sin and the beauty of Jesus Christ. I am grateful to the faculty and staff of the Bible Institute of South Africa, where I grew under several godly and gracious teachers. It was here, in the ’80 s, under the tutelage of the late Ds. Jan Mostert, that I was exposed to Reformed missiologists such as Hendrik Kraemar and J.H. Bavinck and began to think about the subject under consideration. My study leader, Prof P.J. (Flip) Buys, is an absolute champion. He has been more than a supervisor. His wisdom, grace, correction and friendship have been hugely appreciated. Baie dankie, Prof! Ek waardeer u moeite. Thanks to the finance department of North-West University for the bursary that enabled me to undertake this research. Ms Hester Lombard (Librarian: Theology and Ancient languages, Potchefstroom campus) was so helpful, friendly and efficient. She has made distance learning easier. Thanks to Prof Phil Brouwer (formerly of the University of Fort Hare), a new friend, who helped me get to grips with a Dutch critique of Keller’s Center Church. My friend, Marcus Collins, is a superb editor. I’m so grateful for your keen eye, meticulous attention to detail and your patience. You thought I was joking when I told you I was a technological dinosaur. Now you know! To the members and adherents of Grace Bible Church, East London: in some ways the fruit of this study is being exercised on you. I am especially grateful for the fellowship of my co-elders, Dave Dingle and John Menton. i And, of course, I am very grateful to the one who is the subject of this thesis, Dr Timothy Keller. Through his ministry I have gained new insight into the riches of God’s grace, the depth, scope and profundity of the gospel, as well as an appreciation of my own baggage, and the importance of faithful gospel proclamation and ministry. This thesis is submitted in prayerful hope that it will in some measure stimulate and contribute to faithful gospel ministry in the desperately needy urban centres of South Africa. Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika “Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!” Psalm 105:1-2 ii ABSTRACT Rapid urbanization, postmodernity and African Traditional Religion (ATR) pose significant challenges and opportunities for gospel ministry in South Africa. Reformed churches appear to be struggling to come to terms with these realities. The causes of declining impact and faltering witness could be several; but a sub-biblical, inadequate and superficial understanding of contextualization could be one among them. Contextualization is a vital and essential component of authentic Christian ministry, yet it is fraught with dangers. The issue is how to engage faithfully and meaningfully with contemporary culture while remaining faithful to historic, orthodox Christianity in the Reformed tradition. Conservative pastors and missionaries tend to ignore the inevitability of contextualization, and under-contextualize, which results in a superficial engagement with culture, and thus irrelevance. On the other end of the spectrum are those who over-contextualize in the desire to be relevant, and who employ questionable methods and gimmickry. In this manner the central tenets of the gospel are jeopardized, and this results in syncretism that incorporates elements from other religions into Christian religious faith and practice, resulting in a loss of integrity and ultimately in assimilation to the surrounding culture. Missiologists have long argued that the West should be considered a mission field and that Christian pastors should take the stance of cross-cultural missionaries. Keller’s model of contextualization is worthy of careful consideration in urban South Africa. Keller has the appropriate theological convictions, and he is a practitioner with a proven track record. His value lies not only in his solid biblical-theological basis for his model of contextualization, but also in the fact that he posits a comprehensive, holistic model of contextualization in the Reformed tradition. While many conservative pastors tend to limit contextualization to the verbal proclamation of the gospel, Keller contends that all of ministry should be contextualized. His emphasis on holistic contextualization may dovetail well with the urban South African context, where socioeconomic issues, like the poor, unemployed, immigration, and health and education needs, and growing trends of agnosticism create significant opportunities for ministry. The specifics of Keller’s methodology cannot simply be translocated from New York to urban South Africa – this would represent a colossal failure in terms of contextualization. But in terms of principles, his model of deliberate, biblical, comprehensive contextualization could be utilized with great benefit in the burgeoning cities of South Africa. iii Key terms: Contextualization Timothy Keller Reformed evangelical Urban South Africa Postmodernism Syncretism African Traditional Religion (ATR) iv OPSOMMING Toenemende verstedeliking, postmodernisme en Tradisionele Afrika-Godsdiens bied besondere uitdagings en geleenthede vir die bediening van die evangelie in Suid Afrika. Dit wil voorkom asof gereformeerde kerke sukkel om met hierdie realiteit tred te hou. Daar mag baie redes vir die dalende impak en wankelende getuienis van reformatoriese kerke in Suid-Afrika wees, maar ’n sub-Bybelse, onvoldoende en oppervlakkige begrip van kontekstualisering mag een so ’n rede wees. Kontekstualisering is ’n kritiese en noodsaaklike komponent van ware Christelike bediening van die evangelie. Tog is dit met noemenswaardige gevare belaai. Die uitdaging is hoe om sinvol met die hedendaagse kultuur om te gaan, maar tegelykertyd getrou te bly aan die historiese, ortodokse Christelike geloof van die gereformeerde tradisie. Behoudende leraars en sendelinge is geneig om die onvermydelikheid van kontekstualisering te ignoreer. Die gevolg hiervan is dat hulle onder- kontekstualiseer en dus onsensitief met die kultuur van die ontvangers omgaan, wat tot irrelevantheid lei. Aan die ander kant van die spektrum is daar diegene wat in hulle ywer om relevant te wees oor-kontekstualiseer en dus metodiek en slimmighede aanwend wat bevraagteken kan word. Dan word die sentrale leerstellings van die evangelie op die spel geplaas, wat lei tot sinkretisme wat elemente van ander godsdienste tot die Christelike geloof en praktyk toevoeg. Die uiteinde hiervan is ’n verlies van integriteit en die uniekheid van die evangelie kompromitteer deur assimilering met die omliggende kultuur. Missioloë voer al lank aan dat die Weste as ’n sendingveld beskou moet word en dat Christen- leraars die gesindheid van transkulturele sendelinge behoort in te neem. Met betrekking tot stedelike Suid-Afrika, verdien Keller se model van kontekstualisering deeglike oorweging deur reformatoriese kerke. Keller handhaaf duidelike gereformeerde teologiese oortuigings en het homself oor die jare as ’n praktisyn hiervan bewys. Sy waarde lê nie net in die Bybels-teologiese basis van sy model van kontekstualisering nie, maar ook in die feit dat hy ’n omvattende, holistiese model vir kontekstualisering binne die gereformeerde tradisie nastreef. Alhoewel baie behoudende leraars geneig is om kontekstualisering te beperk tot die verbale verkondiging van die evangelie, voer Keller aan dat alle aspekte van bediening gekontekstualiseer behoort te word. Sy beklemtoning van holistiese kontekstualisering mag goed inpas in die stedelike Suid Afrikaanse konteks, waar sosio-ekonomiese kwessies soos armoede, werkloosheid, interaksie met buitelanders, gesondheids- en opvoedkundige behoeftes, asook die toenemende postmoderne neiging tot agnostisisme, beduidende geleenthede vir bediening van die evangelie bied. v Die spesifieke inslag van Keller se metodiek kan nie bloot eenvoudig vanaf New York na stedelike Suid Afrika oorgedra word nie – dit sou ’n massiewe fout in terme van kontekstualisering wees. Maar wat beginsels betref, kan Keller se model van berekende, Bybelse, holistiese kontekstualisering tot groot voordeel in die ontluikende stede van Suid Afrika aangevul en aangewend word. Sleutel terme: Kontekstualisering Timothy Keller Hervormd Evangelies Stedelike Suid Afrika Postmodernisme Sinkretisme Afrika Tradisionele-Geloof/Godsdiens vi ABBREVIATIONS AIC African Instituted/Independent Churches ANE Ancient Near East
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Must Satan Be Released? Indeed He Must Be: Toward a Biblical Understanding of Revelation 20:3 Gregory H
    Volume 25, Number 1 • Spring 2014 Must Satan Be Released? Indeed He Must Be: Toward a Biblical Understanding of Revelation 20:3 Gregory H. Harris Regaining Our Focus: A Response to the Social Action Trend in Evangelical Missions Joel James and Brian Biedebach The Seed of Abraham: A Theological Analysis of Galatians 3 and Its Implications for Israel Michael Riccardi A Review of Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy Norman L. Geisler THE MASTER’S SEMINARY JOURNAL published by THE MASTER’S SEMINARY John MacArthur, President Richard L. Mayhue, Executive Vice-President and Dean Edited for the Faculty: William D. Barrick John MacArthur Irvin A. Busenitz Richard L. Mayhue Nathan A. Busenitz Alex D. Montoya Keith H. Essex James Mook F. David Farnell Bryan J. Murphy Paul W. Felix Kelly T. Osborne Michael A. Grisanti Dennis M. Swanson Gregory H. Harris Michael J. Vlach Matthew W. Waymeyer by Richard L. Mayhue, Editor Michael J. Vlach, Executive Editor Dennis M. Swanson, Book Review Editor Garry D. Knussman, Editorial Consultant The views represented herein are not necessarily endorsed by The Master’s Seminary, its administration, or its faculty. The Master’s Seminary Journal (MSJ) is is published semiannually each spring and fall. Beginning with the May 2013 issue, MSJ is distributed electronically for free. Requests to MSJ and email address changes should be addressed to [email protected]. Articles, general correspondence, and policy questions should be directed to Dr. Michael J. Vlach. Book reviews should be sent to Dr. Dennis M. Swanson. The Master’s Seminary Journal 13248 Roscoe Blvd., Sun Valley, CA 91352 The Master’s Seminary Journal is indexed in Elenchus Bibliographicus Biblicus of Biblica; Christian Periodical Index; and Guide to Social Science & Religion in Periodical Literature.
    [Show full text]
  • Science Destroys the Evolutionary Paradigm
    SCIENCE DESTROYS THE EVOLUTIONARY PARADIGM An Inservice Manual for Young-Earth Creationists Free Images – Snappygoat.com Materialistic Naturalism, an Immoral and Incoherent Philosophy!!! Dr. Jim Pagels – 4/18/2018 1 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:9-11 This book along with its predecessors including Apologetic Resources, Lesson Plans for Biblical Apologetics and Touching Lives through Apologetics, a Counseling Perspective are offered free for personal and professional use in ministry, being available as downloads on the Michigan District website under schools-curriculum. Scriptural references are typically taken from the English Standard Version (ESV) although the King James Version (KJV) is also periodically utilized. 2 Contents Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………..…….5 Preface…………………………………………………………………………………………...6 Intended Audience ……………………………………………………………………………....8 Inservice Perspective……….…………………………………………………………….……..9 Inservice Questionnaire……………………………………………………………..…………10 1. Evolution, an Attack on the Supernatural Nature of God…………………………………..21 2. In Search of Truth…………………………………………………………………………..23 3. Creation Apologetics, Simple for Some, Incomprehensible to Others………..……..…….35 4. Two Typical Approaches to Young Earth Creationism……………………………………38 5. The Absolute Veracity of the Supernatural…………………….…………………………..40 6. A Tactical Approach to Creationism………………………….………………………..…..43 7.
    [Show full text]
  • The Battle for the Bible
    Volume 43/4 May 2016 The battle for the Bible: Contents Editorial The Creation battlefront (1) Six Day Creation 3 The Creation battlefront (2) You may be thinking that the theme for this month seems overly dramatic. Yet Looking for loopholes: the attempt to within the Reformed and Presbyterian world and even beyond, the Scriptures reinterpret Genesis 1 in the are under attack. There is a trend among leading theologians and churchmen “Framework Hypothesis” 5 towards blending Scripture with science. There seems to be the view that the Holy Scriptures are not scientific and therefore have nothing to say about our The Creation battlefront (3) origins. Through which glasses? 9 Some very notable individuals in Reformed circles claim that the first two The Creation battlefront (4) chapters of Genesis are poetical-type literature and not historical narrative, so Let’s be careful … 10 should be read metaphorically. The implications of this view are huge. Why the Outward focus shift in this view of the biblical historical narrative? Put not your trust in Princes 12 Some are saying that Genesis Chapters 1 and 2 are a stumbling block to people accepting the Gospel. Because science is king in our secular society, Feminine focus some avoid being dogmatic about the origins of life and everything that it Being courageous 14 entails. It seems many would rather make the Scriptures more palatable to Missions in focus those who are openly hostile to the Word of God. It also seems that if the God Guest lectureship at Reformed Churches of the Bible, the God of creation, can fit within the framework of King Science, Bible College, Papau New Guinea 17 then and only then could some possibly believe in Him, or, only then would Christianity seem more acceptable.
    [Show full text]
  • With Tim-Keller (Completed 05/08/20) Page 1 of 24 Transcript by Rev.Com This Transcript Was Exported on May 10, 2020 - View Latest Version Here
    This transcript was exported on May 10, 2020 - view latest version here. Announcer: Welcome to The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast, a podcast all about leadership, change and personal growth. The goal? To help you lead like never before in your church or in your business. And now your host, Carey Nieuwhof. Carey Nieuwhof: Well, hey everybody, and welcome to episode 339 of the podcast. My name is Carey Nieuwhof, and I hope our time together today helps you lead like never before. Well, I am so thrilled to bring you today's episode. Every once in a while, you think, wow, if at some point in my life I could actually meet and perhaps have a conversation with somebody who's made a huge difference in your life, really toward the very top of my list would be today's guest, Tim Keller. Tim really doesn't need an introduction if you're at all familiar with the church space, but he's been one of the most influential writers, thought leaders, pastors in my life, and I had an opportunity to actually travel to New York City a few weeks before the Coronavirus hit, and sit down with Tim, and we spent a couple of hours together, and I'll tell you the interview was bucket-list stuff. Carey Nieuwhof: We talked about how to bring the gospel to post-Christian America, how he'd preach today if he was starting all over again, why founders get addicted to their churches, and even we got into why he left Redeemer when he did.
    [Show full text]
  • Deaconesses Keller
    The Case for Commissioning (Not Ordaining) Deaconesses BY Tim Keller ISSUE NUMBER: 21 August 25th, 2008 Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City has since its inception commissioned (but not ordained) deaconesses working alongside male deacons in diaconal work. Why do we do this? A Personal History In 1982 the Reformed Presbyterian Church Evangelical Synod (RPCES) joined with the PCA. Earlier, the RPCES had defeated a motion to ordain women as deacons. But the 155th Synod reminded churches that, “they are free to elect Spirit-filled women as deaconesses and set them apart by prayer…. We affirm the right of a local church to have separate body of unordained women who may be called deaconesses.” The 1982 PCA General Assembly did not consider the actions of the RPCES Synods to be binding on us, but rather “valuable and significant material which will be used in the perfecting of the Church,” and therefore to be granted respect. This is the reason that a number of churches with deaconesses, including Philadelphia’s Tenth Presbyterian Church under Jim Boice, came into the PCA and were accepted by our presbyteries at that time. The understanding in these presbyteries was that, under Book of Church Order (BCO) 9-7, godly women could be appointed to assist the deacons in their work, and this was a valid way for sessions to do so. In addition, many PCA Korean churches, keeping the traditional practices from their home country, have unordained but commissioned women working with the diaconate. In the mid-1980s I often attended Tenth Church. I saw how important strong diaconal work was in urban ministry, and also how crucial women were to an effective diaconate.
    [Show full text]
  • Sermon Study
    JESUS, CHAMPION FOR WOMEN Romans 16:1-7 7.15.18 SUMMARY For centuries, committed Christians have disagreed on the role of men and women in the church. Regarding women specifically, those on the egalitarian side of the discussion believe that women are free to pursue any avenue of leadership and service as men—including the roles of pastor and elder. Those on the complementarian side believe, in varying degrees, that women are equal to men, but that there are certain roles in the church that are reserved only for men. In extreme versions of complementarianism, women are expected to fill domestic roles only—cooking, cleaning, caring for the children, and quietly supporting their husbands and can be met with suspicion if they have other interests also. There are also forms of complementarianism that open all avenues of leadership and service to women except for the unique roles of preaching, governing, and guarding, which belong to elders who, based on Scriptures like 1 Timothy 2:11-13 and Paul’s appeal to creation. Being a church that abides by the second, latter form of complementarianism, we believe that Scriptures like 1 Timothy mustn’t be dismissed as if they were mere cultural artifacts. At the same time, we believe that Scripture mandates a climate in which women are having influence on the same level as men. For this reason, Paul glowingly speaks of women like Mary, Prisca, Junia, and Phoebe—none of whom was in the background of the early church, and all of whom were at the forefront playing prominent roles.
    [Show full text]
  • Tim Keller June, 2010
    WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT THE PCA Tim Keller June, 2010 My first General Assembly was the PCA’s third, held in Jackson, Mississippi just under thirty-five years ago. Ever since then, I’ve seen a lot of conflict in our communion. My friends in other denominations ask, ‘isn’t there something inherently wrong with a denomination that is filled with such tensions?’ Now church fights are always fueled in part by ego and spiritual immaturity, and we must all share responsibility for that. But I propose that these struggles are also a sign of something good, even uniquely good, about our denomination. I believe our conflicts lie in that we are one of the few Presbyterian denominations that hasn’t pruned of one or more of its historic branches. Within the Reformed churches, there has always been a tension between what George Marsden calls ‘the Reformed branches’--the doctrinalist, pietistic and culturalist impulses.1 (Please read this footnote.) To understand the PCA today, we must trace out the history of these branches in American Presbyterianism. Spiritual revival and the ‘sides’ of Presbyterianism Reformed Christianity puts a high value on the objective—on theological soundness and creedal subscription. But it has also historically given a lot of attention to the subjective. Reformed soteriology holds that salvation is not a human product—it is God’s work. This emphasis has drawn attention to the 1 I am going to use George Marsden’s terminology to describe the Reformed Branches, even though they are rather bland, and each on is bit negative.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction to Biblical Communication
    Institute of Biblical Studies Intro to Christian Theology Winter 2016 Page 1 Intro to Christian Theology Keith E. Johnson, Ph.D. Course Description Good theology is vital to the life and health of the church. Theology helps us answer questions like, ‘What is God like?’ ‘How does God speak to us?’ ‘Why did God create the world?’ ‘What does it mean to be human?’ ‘What’s wrong in the world?’ ‘Who is Jesus Christ and what did he do for us?’ ‘What is the good news of the gospel?’ ‘Who is the Holy Spirit?’ ‘What is a church?’ ‘How will God’s story end?’ This course will introduce you to the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith affirmed in the Cru Statement of Faith. Not only will you gain a deeper understanding of these doctrines but you will also discover how these doctrines should practically shape our lives and ministries. Course Objectives 1. Grow in your capacity to love God with your mind. 2. Discover the importance of good doctrine for personal growth, evangelism, discipleship, movement launching, and cross-cultural mission. 3. Develop a deeper understanding of and commitment to the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith expressed in our Statement of Faith. 4. Better understand the biblical and theological bases for these doctrines. 5. Become more familiar with major viewpoints, differences, and conflicts which exist among Christians regarding major doctrines. 6. Develop a deeper understanding of and greater confidence in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 7. Grow in your ability to read Scripture “theologically.” 8. Be better prepared to partner with those who hold differing theological views by understanding three categories of doctrine.
    [Show full text]
  • Living the Christian Life in a Secular Culture RTS New York Program – Spring 2019 Tim Keller Residential 3 Hour Credits
    PT 514 – Living the Christian Life in a Secular Culture RTS New York Program – Spring 2019 Tim Keller Residential 3 hour credits Class format: In the classroom on these dates: (1) Tues, Feb 19 (2-5pm); (2) Tues, Feb 26 (2-5pm); (3) TBD evening dates with guest lecturer Dr James D. Hunter; (4) Wed, Apr 24 (6- 9pm); (5) Fri, May 3 (12-7pm); (6) Thurs, May 9 (2-9pm); (7) Thurs, May 16 (6-9pm). Course description This course consists of two parts. (1) First, it surveys, analyzes, and critiques our increasingly secular late modern western culture, and (2) then begins to lay out ways to both live and minister as Christians in such a society. Course learning outcomes (1) To make the underlying narratives of the culture more visible to students, so that they can detect their operation in art, economics, politics, and public discourse. (2) To identify ways to live and form distinctively Christian lives in such a society, and (3) To identify and develop ways to have a “missionary encounter with such a culture”, that is, to evangelize and lead members of this society to faith in Christ. Course required reading *James Hunter, To Change the World 275 pp. *Patrick Deneen, Why Liberalism Failed 200 pp. *Lesslie Newbigin, Foolishness to the Greeks – 160pp. *Keller, Making Sense of God – 200pp Keller Syllabus “Christian Life and Ministry in a Secular Culture” – 240 pp. Approx 1100 pp. Course requirements (how grade will be determined) 1. Reading. At the end of the course, I want a simple statement that you did all the reading, and if not, how much you failed to read.
    [Show full text]
  • Conservative Christianity After the Christian Right Dr. Timothy Keller
    TRANSCRIPT Conservative Christianity after the Christian Right Dr. Timothy Keller Redeemer Presbyterian Church March 2013 MICHAEL CROMARTIE: Now, our speaker this morning is a man in great and high demand, but I knew we had a shot at getting Dr.Tim Keller here this morning when I was reading his best-selling book The Reason for God, and I found at least three footnotes referencing the transcripts of these meetings. And I said, “Okay. Tim knows we exist, and he knows how serious the conversation is, and maybe he, too, would like to join us for a conversation.” And when I ran into him some time ago he said, “I need at least a year advance.” And so I have done my best to make it happen. So he is the best-selling author of many books. He is also the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which has been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. His latest book is just out. It’s on vocation and work called Every Good Endeavor, which I will highly commend to you, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work. And this has been out maybe two months, right, Tim? So, ladies and gentlemen, you will read the bio of Tim Keller in the packets that we have given you. I would just say that the topic we have given him, “Conservative Christianity after the Christian Right,” was suggested by one of the advisors to this event, your friend and our colleague Barbara Bradley Hagerty of NPR.
    [Show full text]
  • How Did Faith Go from Assumed to Assaulted?
    How did faith go from assumed to assaulted? Probably no book published in the last decade has been so ambitious as Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age. He seeks nothing less than to account for the spread of secularism and decline of faith in the last 500 years. Now a remarkable roster of writers—including Carl Trueman, Michael Horton, and Jen Pollock Michel—considers Taylor’s insights for the church’s life and mission, covering everything from healthcare to liturgy to pop culture and politics. Nothing is easy about faith today. But endurance produces character, and character produces hope, even in our secular age. “No philosopher has ofered more insight regarding the state of belief in the modern age than Charles Taylor. This work will benefit all Christians by teaching them to communicate the gospel to a secular culture with neither ignorance nor fear.” RUSSELL MOORE, president, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention “The essays in this helpful volume do more than borrow from Taylor: they engage, question, develop, and occasionally criticize his influential account of our complex cultural moment in which we all—moderns and postmoderns, millennials and non-millennials—are trying to live, move, and have our being as disciples of Jesus Christ.” KEVIN J. VANHOOZER, research professor of systematic theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School “Easily one of the best books I've read this year.” TREVIN WAX, Bible and reference publisher at B&H, author of This Is Our Time: Everyday Myths In Light of the Gospel “Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age is a landmark book, and the essays collected here ponder it intelligently and charitably.
    [Show full text]
  • The Gospel and Sex by Tim Keller
    QIdeas.org Article | Church The Gospel and Sex by Tim Keller PART I: A BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING OF SEX Three different personal and cultural attitudes toward sex have been predominant through the centuries. Sexual Realism: Sex as natural appetite. Many of the ancient Greeks and Romans viewed sex as similar to any other bodily activity, such as eating or sleeping. When you felt like doing it, you should do it—just be careful not to overdo it, as with all appetites. This modern view of sex has been called “realism.” Realists claim to be neutral about sex; they see it as just one human activity among many, but one that must be demystified. Their message, prominent in today’s public school sex education, is that we should understand the natural biological drive of sex, realize that if we are not careful sexual activity can have negative consequences, master it like any other skill, and be responsible. Sexual Platonism: Sex as animal passion. One of the most influential branches of Hellenistic philosophy viewed the spirit as the highest good and the body as “lesser.” That is, the lower, physical, “animal” nature was seen as chaotic and dark, and the higher, more rational, “spiritual” nature was seen as civilized and noble. This led to viewing sex as a degrading, dirty thing, a necessary evil for the propagation of the human race. Premarital sex was forbidden because sex in general was dirty and was allowable only for the higher good of having children and building up the family name. Unfortunately, this view took root in many places in the Christian church.
    [Show full text]