Daily Archives: October 1, 2009

The Many Faces of Jonathan Edwards

Posted by on October 1, 2009 2 comments

Millinerd has a nice little write up on Jonathan Edwards:

Funny thing about the Princeton Plato, Jonathan Edwards, is how he transcends all later American denominational stereotypes. He promotes revival like the most enthusiastic Charismatic, accommodates secular learning like the most worldly Episcopalian, preaches hellfire like the stoutest Baptist, celebrates beauty like an Orthodox iconographer, subscribes to sovereignty like an uncompromising Presbyterian, and practices personal piety like the most earnest of Methodists. Best of all, he typologizes like a Catholic, and the way he uses nature to extrapolate about the character of God makes him thoroughly guilty of the (Christologically grounded) analogia entis. Edwards is, as Perry Miller put it, a Puritan Saint. . . .

Later American denominations have divided up the Edwards patrimony like so much cake, each content with a portion, some satisfied with the cellophane container, some getting excited enough about a corner piece with extra frosting to think they have it all. The downside to this is that few there are who think as largely as Edwards did; the upside is that not only the ultra Reformed get to claim him.

Democracy’s False Humility

Posted by on October 1, 2009 35 comments

It is often said — going back to Churchill, right? — that democracy is the worst form of government in the world . . . except for all the others. This comment generally occurs in discussions where somebody is being critical of this or that aspect of democracy or democratic practice. Inevitably some genius whips out this aphorism  as a way to somehow validate the person’s point while simultaneously making sure that it has no potential impact on anything. “Yes, your point is clearly valid, but any alternative to the problem you point out is infinitely worse, so how about you shut the hell up now?”

Could we please have people who say this sort of thing just drop this disingenuous trope altogether? The thin rhetorical shroud around this all too common quip is nothing other than false humility. What’s really being said is that democracy is the best system of government the world has ever produced — I mean if “all the others” are worse, where do you think that leaves us?

After all, if democracy really is the best form of government ever, why tip-toe around it with false humility and patronization?

Jealousy vs. Envy

Posted by on October 1, 2009 4 comments

Scot McKnight has some helpful thoughts on the nature of God’s jealousy inspired  by reflections on the second commandment:

God is “jealous” for his love and that is why idol-making is wrong. A little lesson: “I’m sooo jealous” is a commonplace expression today, but it’s an erroneous one most of the time. Most of the time it means “I’m so envious.” We envy what others have; we are jealous of what we have. God is not envious of us and what we are doing. God’s honor is wounded, his glory is clouded, and his love is broken when any of us decides to focus our love and our worship and our allegiance to anyone but God. God is Jealous for his love and for his glory and for his honor.

That the point of idol-making has to do with God’s Jealous love complements what Jesus said: the laws are about either loving God or loving others. The 2d Commandment is about loving God and we don’t love God if our loyalty is split.

I’m not so sure about the language of God’s “honor” being “wounded” but the distinction between envy and jealousy is quite important and helpful.

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