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Dear Friends,
On Monday the Rev. Dr. Kevin DeYoung (probably the nicest guy in the Reformed theological world, and maybe the nicest guy on the planet) published a long essay giving his overarching evaluation of Doug Wilson and his various ministries in Moscow, Idaho (e.g., Canon Press, New Saint Andrews College). As you might expect, it generated a lot of intense reaction because people generally have very strong emotions and opinions about Doug Wilson.
I also have opinions about the Moscow tribe, and I am grateful to Kevin DeYoung for his essay because now I will never need to write a comprehensive one of my own. He effectively took the thoughts right out of my head and wrote them out. And, on top of that, he did so more graciously and skillfully than I would have. I recommend reading the whole thing. In my view, his evaluation hit the bullseye.
One of the signs he hit the bullseye is that the intense reactions came from two diametrically opposite directions. On one side, many people thought he was way too nice and gracious and charitable toward Wilson. Doesn’t he know Wilson’s rotten theology? What about his “Federal Vision” stuff or his patriarchalism? He didn’t mention the sex abuse scandals! These folks seem to think that there are underlying theological matters that are generating various Muscovite excesses. More on that in a moment. On the other side, a coterie of Wilson defenders was instantly on the attack, which always—always—amounts to (and I have never seen an exception to the rule) misdirection and whattabouts. Sure, but what about X, Y, or Z? Why don’t you ever critique all these other people? It’s because you’re an elitist snob and want to be liked by the “establishment,” isn’t it?
In the interest of providing a little context, I should let you know that I have been reading Doug Wilson’s output for over thirty years—since at least 1993, and very likely before that. We are talking the early Credenda/Agenda days. I am no stranger to his content or style (the latter hasn’t wavered, changed, or, in my view, matured in significant ways), nor am I a stranger to what DeYoung calls the “Moscow Mood.” Like DeYoung, I have found much of Doug’s writing insightful and beneficial over the years. But it is abundantly clear to me that he habitually over-seasons the meat, and sometimes there isn’t any meat at all—just heaping portions of salt and pepper. And just as poisons are determined by the dose, a steady diet of rhetorical salt can be very corrosive to one’s character. DeYoung writes:
My concerns are not so much with one or two conclusions that Christians may reach if Wilson becomes their intellectual mentor. My bigger concern is with the long-term spiritual effects of admiring and imitating the Moscow mood. For the mood that attracts people to Moscow is too often incompatible with Christian virtue, inconsiderate of other Christians, and ultimately inconsistent with the stated aims of Wilson’s Christendom project.
That is just … right. And, really, obviously so to most people not inhabiting Moscow’s particular and unique sociological subculture.
But what about the theological issues? Is there any merit to the argument that all the performative excesses, seeming pride, condescension toward other Christians, and so forth, are really the fruits of some underlying theological error? I simply don’t believe so. I have no interest in rehashing the “Federal Vision” wars of a decade ago which for some reason a lot of people seem to want to bring up, but no, I do not believe that Doug Wilson teaches “works righteousness,” despite what some have thought, and no, he doesn’t—as one hyperventilating Tweeter declared—“deny the gospel.” There is probably more solid ground if you want to argue that Wilson’s particular brand of patriarchalism generates some of these excesses. But in my view things are just way simpler than that.
Sin.
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