Posts from — July 2009

The confusion between Baptist theology and Calvinism continues. It has become an unargued assumption that Calvin and Credo-baptists are one in their understanding. John Piper and many others are flying this flag. It makes no sense — it is logically impossible.

The reason? Calvin presents a system of theology that is a whole cloth, and the covenant is central to it.As a definitive expression of the covenant, the children of believing parents are included in the sacramental signs and seals. Genesis 17 is a good text to ponder. His system is so closely knitted together, taking away one thread destroys the fabric.

But to take him up as one’s figurehead, all the while denying two-thirds of the Institutes is simply irrational — Presbyterian government is another heavy point that many choose to simply ignore. I am not trying to make any claims to Calvin-ownership, far from it. This is simply a philosophical issue for me. If I disagreed with Marx, I would not call myself a Marxist. If I disagreed with Plato, I would not call myself a Platonist. But, for some strange reason, certain pastors who are at odds with many of the primary teachings of the man still claim him as their own.

If this kind of thing continues, the sheep are going to get more and more confused as time goes on. It seems like these men have little or no concern for the minds of the people, and expect them to fall in line with an irrational leap across an empty chasm. They have done with Calvin what Apple did with Ghandi — turned him into a

There is a rally happening right now on the capitol campus of my state. It is a gathering of charismatic Christians praying for economic recovery. I am glad that they are free to gather, that we are still free to state our minds in the public arena. They are blasting the neighborhood with loudspeakers.

Here is a sample of the prayers being offered: “God, we pray that consumers would not be afraid to spend their money…” “God we know that you can reverse this trend with the simple breath of your mouth”.

Not heard: “God, if you are disciplining us for our misbehavior, our ill-spending, our greed, our unrighteous expectations, please forgive us and give is the grace to walk through the trouble. You alone are righteous and know what is best for us. Amen”. Or, “God, grant us the will and the desire to aid the helpless and support our needy neighbor. Amen”.

Escaping suffering seems an odd request.

Writing on the Holy Spirit, he said:
“…with tender care He supported the confused matter of heaven and earth, until beauty and order were added”. Institutes, Book 1, 148.

Via my older brother who introduced me to the author, I am a fan of William Gibson. Gibson is well known for his predictions and applications of future technologies. The household term cyberspace is one of his babies, amongst others. I read him because he spins such fun and intoxicating tales, but also because he is somehow jacked-in (there’s another one of his ideas), to what ever is coming next. I kid you not. Earlier this year I finished reading the two newest novels by the Canadian, Pattern Recognition and Spook Country. Pattern Recognition‘s protagonist, Cayce Pollard, is a free-lance cool-hunter. She spends her time hunting down the next big thing for Brand Marketers and industrial big-wigs. I would not be surprised if this is Gibson’s alter-ego as she seems to have a radar for the next trend. She even wears Mr. Gibson’s favorite jacket.

In Spook Country, a follow up to PR, a new kind of geo-spatial, public installation is making the rounds, and Gibson calls it “locative art” (he did not invent the phrase). It is based on a complex relationship between the internet, GPS (a product of released military technology, just as the internet is) and cell-tower triangulation. The viewer gets to see the art via a headset and computer hooked up to the system. One installation entails a memorial to River Phoenix which is a reenactment of his death outside the Viper Room in LA. The idea is that these invisible installations will eventually take up the space around us, placed there by the digital artists who claim the territory first. The preservation of historical moments and the iteration of memory is at the heart of the idea.

Having said all that, I nearly dropped my coffee when I saw this. Although it is not the full-blown thing, it is a step towards Gibson’s vision, brought to a very public level. Gibson’s vision is very much DIY and underground, but real research (think MIT) and experimentation has been going on for a while. This kind of user friendly app could make this the next big thing in terms of media exploration and communication. Here is a brief essay on the phenomenon.

The Formative or Cultural Aspect
This aspect is often referred to as the cultural mode. I have written elsewhere about the term and the meaning of culture as Biblically understood. The Scriptural definition is much broader and more inclusive than the modern notion. I am aiming at a maximal idea rather than a limiting one. These are preliminary thoughts.

1. The key or kernel notion is the deliberate shaping of a social sphere. This entails planning and goal setting for the sake of change over time. A long-term perspective of change and influence is necessary. This includes not only the artistic projects themselves, but the business side of creating music or design.

2. Influence is more important than leadership. Influence happens from the bottom up. An artist’s work may not have immediate affect upon the social life of the arts or other spheres, but over time, the ideas and projects that are undertaken may influence the work of others. Question: How is influence built within the arts community, and how does that influence affect the broader society?

3. The artist should aim at making a significant contribution to the flow of history. This means that the artist must overcome any scruples about crossing over into the business and promotional side of his or her work. Artists ought to form partnerships with those in business and the broader world of the marketplace. There are numerous examples of this, including the work between Puma and Hvyw8, as well as many others.

4. Formative power within the arts is not coercive. The formative power of the Christian arts is an unfolding of creative power, following upon the pattern of biology found within the creation. “He shall be like a tree…” Psalm 1. This is true of all Christian influence. The sword is not the means of gaining influence, as this is revolutionary, not Biblical.

5. Formative power includes access to, or ownership of the means of production. Ideas can go nowhere unless they can be produced as actual objects or works. This includes printing, sewing, musical instrumentation and recording facilities. etc, etc. Ownership is itself a formative power that allows for control over the direction and formation of artistic works.