I have to say that I’m quite impressed with what Joe Carter has been able to put together–literally over the weekend–with regard to First Things’s new blog, Evangel. It’s quickly become the best group blog in evangelicalism.
Here are the contributors:
- Matthew Anderson
- Hunter Baker
- Collin Brendemuehl
- Jared Bridges
- Joe Carter
- Kevin DeYoung
- Gene Fant
- Sarah J. Flashing
- James Grant
- Amy Hall
- David T. Koyzis
- Russell D. Moore
- Roger Overton
- Jeremy Pierce
- John Mark Reynolds
- Fred Sanders
- Frank Turk
- Justin Taylor
- Jared C. Wilson
Justin,
Not to point out the obvious — the elephant in the room — but is not this a kind of strange forum, for uh, evangelical discussion, given the host’s home in Italy? Wink, wink.
Are you all, by a sort of soft default, suggesting that Evangelicals and Catholics Together is a good thing?
Intellectual notoriety aside (albeit with a twist of sour Thomism), what gives? I get the prestige thing, but this has been tried before, with ill-consequences.
All the best in Christ,
Chris
Chris,
Get with the ecumenical movement!
So, will T4G be hosting an all Roman Catholic blog spot where all the Neuhausians can come on in and have a go at figuring out who they are? “What is a Roman Catholic?”
Really and sincerely, what gives?
Chris: “is not this a kind of strange forum, for uh, evangelical discussion, given the host’s home in Italy?”
Actually, while First Things has a lot of Catholic contributors it is an interreligious journal (its founder was originally a Lutheran). Evangelicals are not only welcome at FT, but encouraged to contributed, including voicing their differences with Roman Catholics.
My belief is that if we are going to change anyones minds, we need to engage people outside of our own “holy huddles.”
Joe,
Neuhaus WAS a Lutheran, and I don’t mean before he passed away. He was a Lutheran, THEN a Roman Catholic in real time. …”But I didn’t know until this day that it was Barzini all along”. Bro, I know who Neuhaus was.
So, will GC be hosting the Roman Catholic Hour? Again, what gives? Really. I mean, really.
“It’s quickly become the best group blog in evangelicalism.”
Wow. That WAS quick.
“best group blog”
Evangelicals are so stinkin’ humble.
***Wow. That WAS quick.***
It’s all due to Frank T. ; )
In fairness, that title would probably go to Pyromaniacs if you guys didn’t dislike the term evangelical.
TeamPyro only got disqualified because the occasional evil clown images are frankly, terrifying.
Chris, just because they are using this opportunity to speak about the gospel in “enemy” territory doesn’t mean they have to extend the offer the other way. It’s like if a Roman Catholic invited an Evangelical to preach in their church on anything they want, would that be wrong to take the offer? I think not. There is a great line in the recent Luther movie where Luther says, “The Emperor invites us to present our creeds, to present what we believe in. Satan invites us to preach in hell. Is that a trap? Or our greatest opportunity so far?”
Evan,
I am a former RC and, not to be rude but, you don’t get it. And, if you didn’t notice, the Evangel blog is a “dialogue” about how evangelicals don’t know who they are. RC’s love this kind of stuff, as it simply proves their point: you are outside the boundaries of Mother Church, and therefore you are lost— lost spiritually, lost intellectually, lost socially, lost. All these guys are simply dancing to their fiddle.
Frankly it looks like these guys are sauntering up to Mother Rome to get a pat on the back, while She condescendingly smiles at their adolescent confusion. No man, you really don’t get it.
Rome redefines EVERYTHING. Even the Ancient Creeds are interpreted differently. THERE IS NO ECUMENICAL BASIS BETWEEN THE ROMAN CHURCH AND A MAN REGENERATED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Chris–
Is it the content of the blog you don’t like, or just the fact that it’s hosted at First Things? E.g. it were at evangel.com would you object?
JMH-
Both. And, half-ly. I think Doug Wilson sums it up nicely here.
So do you see this type of thing as pointless navel-gazing (I sympathize), or do you not think any of them are offering anything better? Both? Neither?
Granted that evangelicalism is in sorry shape, is there anything any of these guys could do to help? (Honest question.)
JMH,
In my opinion: Join the PCA or the OPC, or another confessionally faithful church. Not that these don’t have their own problems, but at least there is an understood ecclesiology and doctrinal clarity is not an issue (although Tim Keller would give you the impression that there is). Bring some new and energetic blood into the current reformed churches.
Maybe that is an over-simplification, but perhaps it is a start. Swell the ranks of the reformed churches that have been at it for a while, rather than attempting to reinvent the wheel every fifteen to twenty years (Acts 29, T4G, etc.). If you want to confound the RC, do it by joining a single, confessionally faithful and ecclesiologically reformed church that already exists. And, encourage all your friends to do the same.
Maybe my words are overly sharp, but the guys talking make it sound like the whole American Evangelical scene is just a wasteland by asking the kinds of questions on behalf of “us”. But, they should really confess that they are personally confused and individually uncertain, because although they might be, many of us are not. They are leaders in varying degrees (there’s a double meaning in that!), but they sound as if they don’t know where they are going. If that’s the case, fine. Go to Rome for some help if you are so inclined. But please stop chatting on behalf of “the church” of Protestantism. They do not represent me nor many of the brethren I know, nor do they represent a massive part of American believers.
I am, truly, shocked at how easily these guys accepted this offer. But, I don’t think they understand what the Reformers meant when they called Rome the “Whore of Babylon”. She still is. Even a cursory reading of the Roman Catechism reveals the distance between Biblical doctrine and Roman Church dogma. It is antithetical in almost every point. The same words cover over a whole world that is far removed from Biblical faith.
Any way. I should probably just ween myself off the blogs. It would be good for me and many others I am sure.
I wouldn’t wean off just yet, Chris. You’ve been a gentleman in this thread.
That’s high praise coming from a Southerner.
Why wasn’t D.G. Hart asked to join?