Brief on marketing of Reformed churches (PhD Edit)

MPhil, Bangor University, 2003: The Problem of Evil: Anglican and Baptist Perspectives 

PhD, University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Lampeter, 2010: Theodicy and Practical Theology 

From the PhD

Reformed concepts are often not being taught adequately within the evangelical church. Reformed theology is likely often watered down in many cases as Reformed churches are marketing themselves as primarily evangelical as opposed to primarily Reformed. Church attendance can be so low in some cases that it is more marketable to avoid teaching and dealing with controversial Reformed concepts.

CALVIN, JOHN (1539)(1998) The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book II, Translated by Henry Beveridge, Grand Rapids, The Christian Classic Ethereal Library, Wheaton College.

CALVIN, JOHN (1539)(1998) The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book IV, Translated by Henry Beveridge, Grand Rapids, The Christian Classic Ethereal Library, Wheaton College.

CALVIN, JOHN (1543)(1996) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I. Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

FEINBERG, JOHN.S. (1986) Predestination and Free Will, in David Basinger and Randall Basinger (eds.), Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press.

FEINBERG, JOHN.S. (1994) The Many Faces of Evil, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House. 

FEINBERG, JOHN.S. (2001) No One Like Him, John S. Feinberg (gen.ed.), Wheaton, Illinois, Crossway Books.

Theology cannot abolish suffering (MPhil Edit)

Bangor University: My MPhil (Never set foot)

MPhil, Bangor University, 2003: The Problem of Evil: Anglican and Baptist Perspectives 

PhD, University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Lampeter, 2010: Theodicy and Practical Theology 

From MPhil

'Theology may not be able to abolish suffering - but it can allow that suffering to be seen in a new light. Although the way things are cannot be changed, the way in which people view them and respond to them can. The theologian can reassure believers concerning the validity of their faith and help them to apply it to the riddles of life. For faith makes a vital difference to the way we see and experience things. Just as the sun shines upon the righteous and the unrighteous, so both the believer and the non-believer suffer and die. The vital difference lies in the way in which they experience and understand what is happening to them.' McGrath (1992: 8).

McGRATH, A. (1986) Iustitia Dei, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

McGRATH, A. (1992) Bridge-Building, Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press.

McGRATH, A. (1992) Suffering, London, Hodder and Stoughton Limited.
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Bangor University

Academic knowledge from theology, bible, philosophy of religion, psychology, as well as pastoral counselling, cannot abolish suffering (all suffering, some things can be solved), but it can explain it to some extent, and hopefully when in Jesus Christ and the gospel, provide some peace based in historical, religious scripture.

Salt and light (How much salt?)

Fortress of Faith

I was listening to Mr. Wallace on KARI radio last evening, driving from work to bible study, and he had some interesting perspectives on Islamic objections to Christianity. Mr. Wallace uses the Scripture well. It is a shame his program is only approximately fifteen minutes long.

Salt and light (How much salt?) 

WALLACE TOM Jr. (2015) Refuting Islam, The Christian Patriots Guide to Exposing the Evils of Islam, Bellingham, Fundamental Publishers.

The book review continues...

Chapter Four: Taking A Stand

In discussing Salt and Light on page 36, Mr. Wallace agrees that this idea does include evangelizing the lost. (36). Salt preserves and purifies, while the light reveals and exposes, (36). The author therefore reasons that when evil becomes apparent, the Church is to expose it as evil. (36). Being salt and light is exposing evil and purifying things from it.

Of course I worked on theodicy and the problem of evil from 1999 to 2010 with British degrees, and continue on this website, please see website archives on the right panel.

My add:

Matthew 5: 13-16 from New American Standard Bible

13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how [a]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a [b]hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a [c]basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Footnotes:

Matthew 5:13 Lit will
Matthew 5:14 Or mountain
Matthew 5:15 Or peck-measure

In principle, I agree with this theology from Mr. Wallace. But there is an important matters of degrees.

There is a cultural difference between the United States and Canada/Europe on this issue. Mr. Wallace takes a common American, evangelical view indicating that Christians should be involved in politics. A heavy political involvement seems implied. I do not have a disagreement with Christians being involved in politics, but in general, American evangelical Christianity is much more politicized than is Canadian and European Christianity.

I realize that many American evangelicals would reason that Canadian and European Christians are too weak politically. I can grant that this is true at points, but there are other ways of looking at the issue.

Clearly, the New Testament Church was much less politicized than modern American, evangelical Christianity.  I am not accusing Mr. Wallace of this as he seems balanced, but many modern American, evangelical ministries appear to be holding on, for dear life, to the political power of the Christian, evangelical church. This political power for these ministries seems comparable in importance to preaching the New Testament gospel message.

In the New Testament, the clear priority was preaching the gospel as opposed to gaining political power and freedom of religion within the Roman Empire. I see a view closer to the New Testament model being followed by the Mennonite Brethren denomination, that I happen to be baptized in and am a member of, although admittedly, I am of the Reformed tradition as opposed to a traditional Mennonite tradition.

The Mennonite Brethren are not apolitical, I have heard the topics of abortion, homosexuality, sexual sin, materialism, Trinity Western University and the rights of Christian academia, for example, mentioned in sermons, but the Mennonite Brethren are not part of any religious right in Canada seeking to gain influence and power in Canada.

In other words, there is no hint of desires for theonomy (God's law) or theocracy (God's rule in this present fallen realm) in typical, modern, Mennonite Brethren theology, but there often is within American evangelical Christianity.

Instead, the Kingdom of God is not of this present realm (John 18).

I would agree with many American evangelicals that there are sell-outs claiming to be Christian Churches in Canada and Europe, but there are also many of those types of churches in the United States of America.

Yes, I definitely and definitively desire freedom of religion for myself and for religious freedom to remain in the Western world. I will be involved politically at times. But that is tempered by the New Testament priority to preach and teach the gospel message.

Propaganda revisited

I. United States: World War II poster

Propaganda revisited

Propaganda uses art to illustrate a political point of view; usually in the support of one view and at the expense of another.

Cited

‘Selected information, true or false, which is promoted with the aim of persuading people to adopt a particular belief, attitude or course of action. During the 20th Century all the major political ideologies have employed propaganda and made use of modern media to reach a mass audience. It has an important role in modern warfare and by WWII separate bureaus and ministries were established to promote morale and subvert the enemy. The Nazi Ministry of Propaganda, headed by Goebbels was one of the most effective. In the West there has been an increase in professional propagandists such as people in public relations and advertising.’ Concord (1982: 995).

Stanford.edu

Cited

'A working definition of propaganda is the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person. While propaganda has been around for almost a thousand years, only recently (last 100 years) with the advent of technologies that allow us to spread information to a mass group has it evolved to a scientific process capable of influencing a whole nation of people. While propaganda is most evident in times of war as in the poster, it is constantly being used as a political and social means in even less obvious ways to influence peoples attitudes. This is currently evident with all the election commercials on TV, where the candidates are using propaganda techniques to elevate themselves above their competitor. Another place propaganda is being exploited is by the use of the media in its portrayal of countries that have nuclear technology.

Modern propaganda uses all the media available to spread its message, including: press, radio, television, film, computers, fax machines, posters, meetings, door-to-door canvassing, handbills, buttons, billboards, speeches, flags, street names, monuments, coins, stamps, books, plays, comic strips, poetry, music, sporting events, cultural events, company reports, libraries, and awards and prizes. It is most likely that some of these media uses are surprising, but that only serves to show how easy it is to not even recognize propaganda as such.'
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Politically, I would consider myself a moderate conservative. Acknowledging that in war especially, all sides use propaganda, this does not mean I equate all political systems as being equally evil, in general terms. I do not support politically or militarily totalitarian regimes. I support Western political democracy and within a fallen world it is the best system to preserve human rights and freedoms. I also support Western policing and military action when it concerns maintaining law and order. Romans 13 gives the state the right to maintain law and order.

Propaganda posters may be considered historical art. In agreement with Concord, propaganda can present true or false information, but as it is presented from one side, one worldview, it is not what I would consider an attempt at objective world history. Propaganda, in general terms, appeals to subjective feelings in order to convince people of a perspective, as opposed to presenting highly rational premises and arguments for an attempt at an objective perspective.

Within the Christian Church, an attempt at an objective presentation should be made, acknowledging the truth of divinely inspired Scripture and the gospel, while acknowledging problems within the present fallen reality.

As a Christian I would not use propaganda as a ministry tool.

THE CONCORD DESK ENCYCLOPEDIA (1982) New York, Concord Reference Books, Inc, Time.

February 19 2008 Propaganda
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I. An animated character from Walt Disney is used by the American War effort. How can Mickey Mouse be bad? He is entertainment for children.

II. Notice with the Canadian poster that in the World War II era; Canada had closer political ties to the United Kingdom. In the poster Canada is like Robin, to the United Kingdom as Batman. Today in Canada, the country would be represented as more independent and equal.

III. The Norwegian poster is documented as in support of Nazi-Germany. Notice that the image is equated as being both of the Klu Klux Klan and Jewish, as if affiliated. Mr. Damsleth, if he would have cared to do more research would have realized that historically the Klu Klux Klan has not only been racist against non-whites but also anti-semitic. Notice, also the native American.

This is an example where factual history does not matter, according to the propaganda poster. This poster was made to appeal to the biases of its audience (s) which were both skeptical and fearful of the hooded Klu Klux Klan and as well had anti-semitic aspects within the culture (s).

IV. The 'divine', 'Christ-like' (imagery) Mao Zedong.

II. Canada: World War II poster from Time Magazine

III. By Harald Damsleth: Norwegian pro-Nazi Germany poster

IV. Chinese Civil War propaganda poster