{"id":3256,"date":"2014-11-08T04:00:44","date_gmt":"2014-11-08T04:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=3256"},"modified":"2014-11-08T04:00:44","modified_gmt":"2014-11-08T04:00:44","slug":"representing-the-king-and-his-kingdom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/representing-the-king-and-his-kingdom\/","title":{"rendered":"Representing The King and His Kingdom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Philosophical study is often neglected by the Evangelical and historically the Pentecostal branches of contemporary religious sects. Some say it is the very ethos of the Evangelical\/Pentecostal movements being \u201cactivist, populist, pragmatic, and utilitarian\u201d that provides the reasoning as to why they do not delve into deeper intellectual efforts. These branches of Christendom are too often \u201cdominated by the urgencies of the moment.\u201d[1]<\/a> We see even in the new \u201cProgressive Pentecostal movement,\u201d with its focus on social activism, that the \u201curgency of the moment\u201d is what often guides time and effort. This urgency of the moment mentality does beg a question, \u201cWith the world \u2018going to hell in a hand basket\u2019 and people dying daily from the lack of basic nutrition and medical aid, is there a need to study philosophy, morality, ethical argumentation, and the like? Should we not just go do the work that is needed, not wasting time on such mental gymnastics?<\/p>\n

I believe that as representatives of the King and His Kingdom we need to be prepared to be able to both understand the ethical arguments around us and properly represent the King and His Kingdom. Patrick Nullens and Ronald T. Michener in their book The Matrix of Christian Ethics: Integrating Philosophy and Moral Theology in a Postmodern Context <\/em>state, \u201cTo be a Christian is to be a Christ follower in a world largely committed to not following Christ.\u201d[2]<\/a> We see the reality of this statement when we recognize that there are signs all around us that although we grow ever more advance in our technology, communication, travel, and ability to make profit we have only to scan our headlines to realize that beneath the surface of our \u201coh so wonderful achievements\u201d we find decadence, corruption, and evidence of a society losing its way unable to handle the very personal freedoms we so heartily fought for.[3]<\/a> Such headlines ought to highlight the need that representatives of the King and His Kingdom ought to clearly understand the arguments and be able to engage the downward societal spiral providing the King\u2019s perspective on such matters of morality, ethics, and philosophy. Are we prepared to represent the King and engage the downward societal spiral?<\/p>\n

As Christ followers in a society that often does not care to follow along with us, we must at least be the voice in the fray that speaks for a moral reflection that will guide others to a more dignified and charitable future. I appreciate and agree with the authors when they state, \u201cif a culture is unsuccessful in passing along the value of moral reflection, it may end up as a police state where power and control, rather than human dignity and charity, become the regulative norms of society.\u201d[4]<\/a> As representatives of the King we need to be the voice for doing things right based on dignity and charity least we simply become a police state where punishment is our only guide. Are we prepared to represent the King with dignity and charity keeping our society from becoming a police state?<\/p>\n

Then there is the rise of postmodernism and with it a propensity to challenge, question, and push against the status quo of thinking. Postmodern thought has the tendency to deconstruct anything that is not nailed down. Though this mindset is challenging it is not inherently relativistic, leaning more on situational ethics then on solid truth. Though it is difficult to apply caricatures or generalizations to postmodern thinking it is helpful to at least understand some of the intellectual tendencies. Though some would look at postmodernism as a threat to the establishment, I appreciate the potential new ways of understanding and possible new insights that such challenging perspectives bring. Postmodernism underscore the deficiencies of modernism.[5]<\/a> Such deficiencies have left humanity looking for more than just the \u201ctext book\u201d answers. As representatives of the King are we prepared to assist others when their questions take us off the text book?<\/p>\n

Lastly, not all the people that we desire to share this revelatory and salvific Word of God desire to hear it, let alone accept it for themselves. They are caught up in their own worldview that keeps them from hearing the truth that would set them free. Paul experienced this difficulty as he tried to reason with the philosophical players he encountered at Mars Hill. If we are to represent the King and His Kingdom to these type of people we must be familiar with the ever changing world views that they desire to hide behind. As representatives of the King are were prepared to help those hiding behind their worldviews see that they are created in the image of God and thus change their entire worldview?[6]<\/a><\/p>\n

As representatives of the King we need to represent the King and His Kingdom with proper and right argumentation begin able to both understand others side but also properly present the King and His revolutionary perspective. In doing so I believe we can better address the incredible situations around us like people dying daily from the lack of basic nutrition and medical aid and even those going to hell in a hand basket, whatever that means. Are you ready to represent?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Patrick Nullens and Ronald T. Michener, The Matrix of Christian Ethics: Integrity Philosophy and Moral Theology in a Postmodern Context<\/em> (Paternoster Publishing, 2010), 66.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Ibid., 28.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Ibid., 30.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Ibid., 19.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Ibid., 39.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Ibid., 185.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Philosophical study is often neglected by the Evangelical and historically the Pentecostal branches of contemporary religious sects. Some say it is the very ethos of the Evangelical\/Pentecostal movements being \u201cactivist, populist, pragmatic, and utilitarian\u201d that provides the reasoning as to why they do not delve into deeper intellectual efforts. These branches of Christendom are too […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[212],"class_list":["post-3256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-nullens","cohort-lgp4"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3256"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3256\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3257,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3256\/revisions\/3257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}