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Spirit of the Age (5)
The stories the modern world tells us are powerful: the future-oriented promise of science, the technology that privileges the young, the materialistic paradise offered by consumerism, which is always just around the next corner, the dying of confidence in words, the fragmentation of human nature, the distrust of traditional structures and notions of authority, and the wicked results of saying that somebody else is wrong and does not belong. All of these in their different ways make the idea of doctrinal Christianity, expressed in creeds and confessions, both implausible and distasteful; and all of them are part of the cultural air we all breathe.
If the church as a whole is losing its ability to be "salt and light" in the culture, it is not because its members have no opinion of the films of Bernardo Bertolucci, no appreciation for the poetry of Emily Dickinson, and no regular slot on The Charlie Rose Show. More likely, it is because they do not have a solid grasp of the basic elements of the faith, as taught in Scripture and affirmed by the confessions and catechisms of the church.
Cultural relevance can be a cruel mistress.
The intuitive moral structure of our modern social imaginary prioritizes victimhood, sees selfhood in psychological terms, regards traditional sexual codes as oppressive and life denying, and places a premium on the individual's right to define his or her own existence. All these things play into legitimizing and strengthening those groups that can define themselves in such terms. They capture, one might say, the spirit of the age.
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Top Authors
1. Charles Spurgeon (113)
2. J.C. Ryle (108)
3. Thomas Watson (95)
4. John Piper (81)
5. John Calvin (79)
6. J.I. Packer (74)
7. George Swinnock (68)
8. Louis Berkhof (62)
9. A.W. Pink (60)
10. C.S. Lewis (51)
11. Francis Schaeffer (47)
12. Gerald Bray (46)
13. B.B. Warfield (45)
14. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (43)
15. Tim Keller (42)
16. Abraham Kuyper (40)
17. John Owen (39)
18. John Flavel (38)
19. Thomas Brooks (36)
20. Martin Luther (33)
2. J.C. Ryle (108)
3. Thomas Watson (95)
4. John Piper (81)
5. John Calvin (79)
6. J.I. Packer (74)
7. George Swinnock (68)
8. Louis Berkhof (62)
9. A.W. Pink (60)
10. C.S. Lewis (51)
11. Francis Schaeffer (47)
12. Gerald Bray (46)
13. B.B. Warfield (45)
14. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (43)
15. Tim Keller (42)
16. Abraham Kuyper (40)
17. John Owen (39)
18. John Flavel (38)
19. Thomas Brooks (36)
20. Martin Luther (33)
Top Topics
1. Sin (152)2. Prayer (114)
3. Preaching (101)
4. Scripture (98)
5. Faith (92)
6. Gospel (71)
7. Suffering (57)
8. Church (51)
9. Law (47)
10. Truth (45)
11. Justification (43)
12. Salvation (38)
13. Theology (35)
14. Love (33)
15. Grace (32)
16. Sanctification (31)
17. Apologetics (30)
18. Fear (30)
19. Unbelief (28)
20. Creation (27)
21. Pride (27)
22. Worship (27)
23. Holiness (26)
24. Eternity (24)
25. Evolution (24)
26. Heaven (24)