Three Top Ten Lists
by Motte Brown on 03/19/2009 at 9:52 AM
As you may know, I'm a sucker for top ten lists. And I've run across three recently that got my attention. Enjoy.
Top Ten Ideas Changing the World Right Now
1. Jobs Are the New Assets
2. Recycling the Suburbs
3. The New Calvinism
4. Reinstating The Interstate
5. Amortality
6. Africa: Open for Business
7. The Rent-a-Country
8. Biobanks
9. Survival Stores
10. Ecological Intelligence
For more on number 3, go here, here, and here.
Top Ten Recession Winners
1. Home gardening
2. Hollywood
3. Escapist literature
4. Condom makers
5. Resume editing
6. Public universities
7. Chocolate
8. McDonald’s
9. Career development websites
10. At-home coffee brews
Ah, at-home coffee brews. I can relate. In an effort to tighten our household budget, I've limited my Starbucks runs to 1.5 times a week. And not that I'm looking, but I've done number 5 too. Because you never know.
Top Ten Movie Stars 2009
1. Denzel Washington
2. Clint Eastwood
3. John Wayne
4. Will Smith
5. Harrison Ford
6. Julia Roberts
7. Tom Hanks
8. Johnny Depp
9. Angelina Jolie
10. Morgan Freeman
The list is interesting but the poll breakdown by gender, age, political affiliation, and region is what's really cool.
HT: Between Two Worlds; Challies; World Mag Blog; Big Hollywood
1. Susie said the following at 10:12 AM on Mar 19:
interesting...
Thanks for sharing, Motte!
2. Cassandra said the following at 10:19 AM on Mar 19:
Motte, it would be nice if instead of just linking to three negative articles about the "New Calvinism" if you commented on why you agree or disagree with them. I'm surprised at this negativity towards these brothers working for the spread of the Gospel and wonder what's behind it.
3. JuliaH said the following at 10:36 AM on Mar 19:
From the Time article: "It will be interesting to see whether Calvin's latest legacy will be classic Protestant backbiting or whether, during these hard times, more Christians searching for security will submit their wills to the austerely demanding God of their country's infancy."
Ouch.
4. Dr. Ransom said the following at 10:37 AM on Mar 19:
Hurrah! Let's hear it for the so-called "New Calvinism," i.e., Christ-followers who earnestly desire to return to very old truths that are solidly based in Scripture. These doctrines of Grace and God's sovereignty certainly do not lead to all the stereotypical fatalism and lack of evangelism, but instead magnify God's name, not man's actions, and teach us better to see Him as bigger and work to delight in Him only forever!
5. Rachael said the following at 10:51 AM on Mar 19:
That's very interesting that 'new Calvinism' would be one of the top 10 on Time's website.
6. Dr. Ransom said the following at 11:04 AM on Mar 19:
Cassandra (no. 2), I just looked over Motte's three links and found that they're not negative about the so-called "New Calvinism" at all.
The first, by Thabiti Anyabwile (himself a Reformed pastor/author), merely hopes that Christians won't get so jazzed about "Calvinism" winning or their favorite groupie-centers that they take their eyes off the true Gospel (which is exactly the point of genuine "Calvinism").
And the next two blogs are mildly critical of Mark Driscoll (who is already criticized by some, including Phil Johnson, for overdone "contextualization" of real truths that leads to filthy talk and crude jokes). Driscoll apparently is drawing dichotomies for "old" Calvinism for all its negativities, real and perceived, and "New Calvinism." Among other issues, the bloggers point out, with such talk we risk setting ourselves up as finally Reformed (as opposed to "always Reforming) and ignoring the lessons of church history in order to trump ourselves up as finally doing church the perfectly "right" way.
7. Ashley said the following at 11:10 AM on Mar 19:
I think it's awesome that New Calvinism is considered one of the top 10 things changing the world right now! I hope it does change the world, and changes lots of hearts right along with it. Unlike Cassandra, I did not find the three links offensive! :)
8. Saidahwk said the following at 11:50 AM on Mar 19:
I don't know about anyone else but all the new "reformed" groupies scare me. Some of them (to me anyway) err on the side of extremism. Some of them seem just unusually dedicated to Biblical truth while some of them strike me as overzealous to some extent. Can you be "overzealous" about the Bible? I don't know. But the whole "reformed" movement disturbs me on some level.
9. Cassandra said the following at 11:51 AM on Mar 19:
"And the next two blogs are mildly critical of Mark Driscoll (who is already criticized by some, including Phil Johnson, for overdone "contextualization" of real truths that leads to filthy talk and crude jokes)."
After reading the article you linked, Dr. Ransom, I'm wondering if you or Phil Johnson have listened to Driscoll's sermons. Supposedly Driscoll was referred to as the "Cussing Pastor" in Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz. I've heard this accusation and I'm not sure where exactly it comes from, but it doesn't matter to me too much because like a couple other things Driscoll's been called out on, he's repented of it, and I have listened to every single one of his sermons since the summer of 2006 and I can't recall a single time I was offended by his choice of words.
Regarding the "Mark Driscoll's sermons are mostly too racy to post on [an] evangelical Christian 'family friendly' . . . Web site." he got a lot of negative attention during his recent Song of Solomon series, which is really too bad, because the whole thing was about celebrating sex within the context of marriage, and there were NC-17 warnings everywhere for the sermons that weren't appropriate for children. He walked through each verse of Song of Solomon and explained from the Hebrew what was being said. I don't see what's so offensive about that, rather, I'm glad that someone is promoting marital sex as fun and exciting rather than dull and tedious.
10. Becca said the following at 12:01 PM on Mar 19:
Where's #9 on your first list?
11. Cassandra said the following at 12:18 PM on Mar 19:
Dr. Ransom I had a knee-jerk reaction. I was assuming that you have the same criticisms as Johnson does and I apologize.
12. Alison said the following at 12:46 PM on Mar 19:
I'm very excited about the new the reformed evangelical movement. I'm starting to see this new movement budding in the city of Philadelphia. It is so exciting to see the love of reformed theology coupled with evangelical movement.
13. Alison said the following at 12:47 PM on Mar 19:
ok, i just said the word exciting to much in my last post, but you get my point!
14. Dr. Ransom said the following at 1:29 PM on Mar 19:
For those "excited" about Reformation fervor -- and I'm one of them -- I think Thabiti Anyabwile reminded us well in this blog page to which Motte linked:
Wouldn't it be just absolutely hilarious for the Devil to see all the Reformed fervor, supposedly anti-man-centered and hoping to point toward the Cross and God's glory, turn back on itself?I daresay this would certainly please the Church's true human enemies as well -- Churchians, compromisers and liberal divergents posing as Christians, along with well-intended yet "free willie" semi-Pelagian malcontents in the true Church.
That, along with the fact that such an anti-"establishment" movement becoming itself the establishment, would be bad. (I was just thinking earlier today, remember when "The Simpsons" used to be so edgy and "anti-establishment"? Now it's everywhere and constantly imitated.)
But worse would be the truth that God's glory and the centrality of the Cross and Christ's Grace would be exchanged for even trace amounts of mere emotional fervor about a "movement."
Thus the Church's enemies would chuckle softly to themselves -- the Devil, especially -- he's turned even non-man-centered doctrines back around to worshiping man all over again. And so the cycle toward yet another mini-Reformation begins anew.
15. Al said the following at 5:41 PM on Mar 19:
As someone who appreciates Mark Driscoll and the contextualized Reformed "New Calvinist" movement, I did appreciate the link to Thabiti Anyabwile's article and the caution it advises against following movements out of emotional fervor and not creating unnecessary, polarizing disunity. It was very helpful.
However, the next two links are mostly critical of Driscoll and the movement he is associated with, and one of the links sort of does the very thing Anyabwile warns against by going into detail on how Driscoll is not really "Reformed" or "Calvinist" by the author's strict definitions of Calvinism, some of which I find esoteric.
For many of the good things the "New Calvinism" is doing in preaching a strong, contextualized gospel and trying to reignite a marriage of sound theology, missional living, and active service for a new generation, I would have appreciated at least one link that highlights the positive, or allows someone associated with the movement to speak for himself so that the uninitiated might form their own impression-- rather than three links that all cast the movement, one that brings solid theology to a young generation enough for Time to take notice, in a solely cautionary light.
16. Christopher from Albuquerque said the following at 12:58 AM on Mar 20:
I was a member of a theologically "Arminian" church at the time that I came to understand and embrace "Calvinism," or better, Reformed theology (I hate to use these terms named after fallible men!). I did not become Reformed because I thought it was "cool" or "hip" in some cultural sense. I truly hope that the "New Calvinist" movement is not growing for that kind of reason. I embraced Reformed theology because I believed it to truly reflect the Bible's teaching. That is the *only* reason anyone should embrace it.
17. Dan real-name said the following at 11:44 PM on Mar 22:
Since this post seems more to be about Calvinism than lists, here goes:
Why I (Dan real-name) am not an acknowledged Reformed Calvinist:
I have yet to meet a Calvinist/Reformed individual who is humble and can freely admit that they don't have all the answers. Worse, I met one who gave me horrible and ill-timed "advice" all in the name of god's sovereignty.
I am just a Christian, plain and simple.
18. Cassandra said the following at 10:18 AM on Mar 23:
"I would have appreciated at least one link that highlights the positive, or allows someone associated with the movement to speak for himself so that the uninitiated might form their own impression-- rather than three links that all cast the movement, one that brings solid theology to a young generation enough for Time to take notice, in a solely cautionary light."
Al #15, Thank you for articulating that better than I did. The Time article was sarcastic, as JuliaH #3 pointed out, but like Dr. Ransom I'm excited about the attention the "New Calvinism" is getting and I wouldn't rush to criticize that attention. I found a copy of last year's Top Ten Ideas list, and the religious movement they covered last year was the Re-Judaizing of Jesus. I didn't read the article, but that whole movement I believe is associated with the Emergent Church and an over-focus on Jesus' humble incarnation to the detriment of his glorious exaltation. I know Rob Bell is in that camp but I can't name any others off the top of my head.
So if Calvinism and the higher view of Scripture it espouses is reemerging... I don't care if it's hip and trendy among young people. In fact, if they're getting saved and creating a new legacy of respect for scripture and the worship of Jesus, why on earth would I criticize that?
I'm just glad the Emerging Church isn't the newest, hippest thing anymore, but that the Bible is making a comeback.
19. Christopher from Albuquerque said the following at 4:46 PM on Mar 23:
Dan (#17),
I'm a "Calvinist" Christian (even though I hate the term itself), and I will very freely admit that I "don't have all the answers." In fact, putting one's trust in a God who is sovereign over all things (including salvation) *necessitates* admitting that one doesn't have all the answers, because with such a God, there is inherent mystery.
As for whether or not I am humble, I know myself too well to make any claim to humility... but by God's grace, I do *want* to be humble.
Cassandra (#18),
I am very excited to see Reformed theology making a "comeback" among younger people. I am only concerned in the sense that if the *reason* many people are embracing it is that it is becoming "hip" and "trendy," such a reason almost guarantees that the resurgence will not last. Either way though, God is still sovereign, and He has His elect people who *will* persevere, by His power.
20. Casey (the Student Nurse) said the following at 8:18 PM on Mar 23:
I got that Time magazine and somehow just knew it would end up linked in Boundless...
21. Cassandra said the following at 10:05 AM on Mar 24:
#19 Hi Christopher from ABQ!
My experience was sort of like yours, although I came from a Presbyterian, not Arminian, background. Although ask your average Presbyterian today about Calvin or TULIP and they'll give you a blank stare. I fell backwards into the Neo-Reformation, not knowing what it was at the time or embracing it because it was trendy, but because through hearing the Word I began to really love the Bible. I hope that many others will have experiences similar to mine, and they won't give it up in the future as a trend to be discarded. One of the tenets N-C espouses is to love God from a regenerated heart, to become a new creation. Maybe I'm naively optimistic, but I'm not too worried about it. After all, the elect are the elect, like you pointed out. :)
22. BDB said the following at 11:18 AM on Mar 24:
Hey, I took that facebook famous theologian quiz, and apparently I'm Mennonite. That's what I get for never having taken a theology class!
23. Christopher from Albuquerque said the following at 4:50 PM on Mar 24:
Cassandra,
Just curious-- to which Presbyterian denomination did you initially belong (PCA, PCUSA, etc.)? The PCUSA is generally liberal, and from what I understand (speaking from the outside as a Reformed Baptist), many of its churches don't preach anything close to the Gospel, much less the specifics of Reformed theology.
On the other hand, I have heard that many (perhaps even most?) churches in the PCA do teach Reformed theology, the PCA being a split-off from the PCUSA, when its more "conservative" (i.e. Biblically faithful) members were no longer willing to go along with the doctrinal downgrading of the denomination.
24. Cassandra said the following at 5:17 PM on Mar 24:
It's PCUSA. I think part of the reason I'm so attracted to inerrancy now is because I was raised on infallibility. It's my form of rebellion. :)
I've seen how far PCUSA and other denominations have gone in questioning which are the essential doctrines of the Bible, and I've come to the conclusion that if one Biblical teaching is open to a postmodern, perspectival interpretation, then the whole Bible will eventually lose its authority.
25. Christopher from Albuquerque said the following at 8:39 PM on Mar 24:
Cassandra,
I agree with you completely about Biblical inerrancy. I don't know if you've heard of my former pastor, Mark Dever (of Capitol Hill Baptist Church), but if not, he has a para-church ministry which you might find interesting and helpful. It's called 9 Marks, taken from his book, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Mark is a "five-point Calvinist" Baptist who works with Bible-believing Christians across many denominations (including the PCA and the Anglican Church) to help increase the Biblical health in existing churches. One of his closest friends is Ligon Duncan, a great preacher and scholar in the PCA. Here is the link to Mark's ministry: http://www.9marks.org/ You will find TONS of great, thoughtful articles there. If you'd like to hear his sermons, go to http://www.capitolhillbaptist.org/
Blessings to you, sister!
26. Cassandra said the following at 10:16 AM on Mar 25:
I've definitely seen references to 9 Marks all over the place, but I've never checked it out. I will! For some reason, church health is an issue that is of particular concern to me. I tend to see dysfunction but not be able to pinpoint or articulate what's missing, so resources that outline the hallmarks of health are like epiphanies for me. One thing the church I'm going to now is missing is church discipline, so I'm happy to see it's #7 on the list!
Blessings to you, also!