There is unfortunately an uncritical strain of this in the Christian Classical School movement. I enjoy a little creative anachronism as much as the next guy, but many would be intellectual Christians have failed to study exactly how Jesus ripped the classical world up, down, and sideways. About the only barely redeemable thing in that world was Stoicism, and even it is just another form of unbelief.
Not with you on Stoicism (neither was Paul—Acts 17) but I HAVE been having some nagging doubts about classical education just as you say! Definitely worth thinking about.
Classical Stoicism is doing what's right simply because it's honorable. Biblical stoicism is doing what's right because you serve a victorious general.
It's kinda like the difference between Marcus Vinicius and Gaius Petronius in Quo Vadis.
We could certainly use a lot more stoics in this world, but at some point I'd like to convert them so they know the reward coming for their goodness.
Ah, got it - it seems some sem guys nowadays want to get a church AND a platform so they can carve out some land for their approach... Lack of accountability is one main area where they can go off the rails...Thank you America! As in the old days, all they need to do is go further West where there's always more "land"...!
And very few of them, if any, went to “sem.” 😉 Isker’s a Greyfriars grad—Moscow’s “ministerial training program” that appears to have two faculty members: Doug Wilson and Toby Sumpter.
Yes - single name church or school leadership can be 2-edged, depending on what is taught. Have only read some about Wilson et al. MacArthur has his church/school - CHS had his too back when... the work seems to rise or fall on the man and the doctrine - and generational ministries don't do well either...
I wonder if people like Isker are serving members of actual local communities!
I remember back at TEDS how some guys used their studies and classwork as their "local church" and "community."
It seems if some of these online pundits, etc. were accountable to church leadership somewhere along the way, it could deflect a lot of their kooky behavior...
As I understand it, Isker, Webbon, and others pastor small churches with little oversight. Sort of the “Reformed” version of the Pentecostal “anyone can hang out a shingle” routine. I suspect their online followings dwarf their real-life followings.
There is nothing new under the sun.
Courageous and incisive, Brian. Bravo.
There is unfortunately an uncritical strain of this in the Christian Classical School movement. I enjoy a little creative anachronism as much as the next guy, but many would be intellectual Christians have failed to study exactly how Jesus ripped the classical world up, down, and sideways. About the only barely redeemable thing in that world was Stoicism, and even it is just another form of unbelief.
Not with you on Stoicism (neither was Paul—Acts 17) but I HAVE been having some nagging doubts about classical education just as you say! Definitely worth thinking about.
Classical Stoicism is doing what's right simply because it's honorable. Biblical stoicism is doing what's right because you serve a victorious general.
It's kinda like the difference between Marcus Vinicius and Gaius Petronius in Quo Vadis.
We could certainly use a lot more stoics in this world, but at some point I'd like to convert them so they know the reward coming for their goodness.
Well, there’s also the pantheism. 😉
Ah, got it - it seems some sem guys nowadays want to get a church AND a platform so they can carve out some land for their approach... Lack of accountability is one main area where they can go off the rails...Thank you America! As in the old days, all they need to do is go further West where there's always more "land"...!
And very few of them, if any, went to “sem.” 😉 Isker’s a Greyfriars grad—Moscow’s “ministerial training program” that appears to have two faculty members: Doug Wilson and Toby Sumpter.
Yes - single name church or school leadership can be 2-edged, depending on what is taught. Have only read some about Wilson et al. MacArthur has his church/school - CHS had his too back when... the work seems to rise or fall on the man and the doctrine - and generational ministries don't do well either...
Good thoughts!
I wonder if people like Isker are serving members of actual local communities!
I remember back at TEDS how some guys used their studies and classwork as their "local church" and "community."
It seems if some of these online pundits, etc. were accountable to church leadership somewhere along the way, it could deflect a lot of their kooky behavior...
As I understand it, Isker, Webbon, and others pastor small churches with little oversight. Sort of the “Reformed” version of the Pentecostal “anyone can hang out a shingle” routine. I suspect their online followings dwarf their real-life followings.
Thank you. Had a conversation recently with someone at church about folks in Isker's orbit. I'll be sharing this.