Anti-Modern Two-Kingdom Theology

In this post I outline my view of the two kingdoms. I, with Calvin and most others, widely separate the two kingdoms, but I do not follow the modern 2k advocates in saying that Christians and the Church have no social agenda. I argue that 2k theology calls for radical critique of modern life and …

Bach’s Reformation Day Cantatas

Luther “wrote [the 95] theses on indulgences and posted them on the church of All Saints on 31 October 1517,” wrote Phillip Melanchthon. Protestants have celebrated this event since the late 16th century, and October 31th became Reformation Day in the Protestant areas of Germany in the early 18th century. The famous composer J. S. …

Social Hierarchy and Protestant Resourcement

Simon Kennedy at the The Calvinist International has written a piece explaining the primary aim of the website. He writes, One of the aims of the The Calvinist International is the ‘renewal of Christian wisdom’ to re-invigorate the Church. The method for this renewal is a principled retrieval of classical Protestant Christianity. The retrieval is …

Stephen Wolfe’s New Blog

I started a new blog called Lovely Country. I will focus on issues related to place, home, and localism. I will also post on theological and philosophical issues. If you have found my writing beneficial to you in some way, please follow my new blog. I have enjoyed my time at Reformation500. I thank John …

Taming the Wild

The West suffers from an unhealthy view of wilderness. Wilderness is often called innocent, pure, untrammeled, sacred, and God’s country. It is land not (yet) desecrated or sullied by human development. Humans impose themselves upon the “natural condition” of wilderness in the interest of habitation. Our development is, however necessary, an impure act. The governing …

Living vs. Living well

Do cities still exist in the West? That is a question one must ask after reading Aristotle’s Politics (3.9). For him, a true city is not formed when people share a location, prevent injustice, and facility commerce. It is not merely for the sake of living. A true city is most importantly a political community …

Complementarianism and Why Natural Law Needs a Community

In the past few weeks, a few Christian bloggers (mainly from the Reformed camp) have engaged each other in a discussion on complementarianism. The discussion has missed, to my mind, a key element and requirement in natural law practical reasoning. It all started with John Piper who, commenting on women in the workforce, distinguished between …

Posts on Antinomianism, Good Works, and Sanctification

Over the last couple years I’ve published a few posts on antinomiansim, good works, and sanctification. Here they are all in one place: You Might Be an Antinomian if… J.C. Ryle on Justification and Sanctification Robert Traill on Justification and Sanctification Benedict Pictet on Justification and Sanctification Francis Turretin on the Necessity of Good Works …

Calvin’s Social Agenda

In my previous two posts (here and here), I have quoted from a series of sermons given by Calvin on 1 Corinthian 11:11-16. The sermons shed light on Calvin’s view of social hierarchy, social mobility, and social customs; and he sounds much more medieval than modern. In other posts and using other sources, I have …

The Importance of Social Customs in the Christian Tradition

Perhaps because the “sophisters, economists, and calculators [have] succeeded” (Edmund Burke), it is fashionable today for Christians to forget or dismiss the importance of social customs, traditions, and manners in the maintenance of societal order. These rarely receive consideration in discussions on Reformed social ethics; and, when considered, they are discarded as “old prejudices” or unreasoned habits useful …