The Prophetic Witness of the Church Let’s use HIV/AIDs as an example Part of our response

- To seek to change attitudes and behavior- To mobilize care and to educate- Perhaps even to change public policies

in terms of priorities, practices Each of the endeavors moves us into the public

realm This movement into public life requires us to

think how we, as Reformed Christians, should engage in such endeavors

Christian Faith and Public Life from a Reformed Perspective

Corwin SmidtDirector, The Henry Institute

Calvin College

Introduction #1

Given the time and nature of this presentation, I must be relatively brief

Want to also allow some time for possible discussion as well

As a result, I am presenting more of an outline than a detailed discussion

Introduction #2 Emphasis here on Reformed

perspectives This is not to suggest that the

perspectives of other Christian faith traditions are less Christian

Rather, this is an effort to think how the theological understandings of Reformed Christianity has particular ramifications for public life

Introduction #3

My presentation will consist of two parts

- The Distinctive Nature of Reformed Theology

- Principles of Public Life Drawn from the Reformed Perspective

Distinctive Nature of Reformed Theology What distinguishes the Reformed view

theologically, and how does that understanding shape and color the way in which Reformed Christians approach public life?

Answer Centrality of “Creation, Fall, Redemption”

narrative Implications drawn from it

Creation, Fall, Redemption Narrative

Other Christian traditions also recognize and emphasize this thematic scheme

But, as noted, what distinguishes the Reformed tradition is its centrality and the implications drawn from it

The outline of this narrative is very familiar

Creation: The Cultural Mandate #1

God created the world; all things that exist have their being as a result of His original created act

When God finished this act of creation, God pronounced all things good—including the natural realm and the human race

Creation: The Cultural Mandate #2 Creation story does not mention

social or governmental institutions Does not discussion art, recreation,

institutions of worship or education Yet, to the extent these are implicit

in the creation story, they too can be considered to have been pronounced good

Creation: The Cultural Mandate #3 Creation more than this primary formative act; it is an

ongoing process

Opening pages of Genesis reveal that the Creator assigns the human pair a “mandate” Be fruitful and multiply & Fill the earth and subdue it

While the first command can be viewed as a reproductive command, the second command cannot be so interpreted- Filling and subduing can be viewed as a cultural mandate- Naming animals, creating basic labeling systems, crafting

tools, making schedules to order their lives- These activities can be viewed as fulfilling the cultural

mandate

Creation: The Cultural Mandate #4 Clear that God has given humankind tasks to

perform on earth These tasks are not merely perfunctory duties,

but are creative acts as well They are a major part of the way in which we, as

humans, reflect and embody “the image of God” God has delegated some of His authority to

humans by giving them a measure of influence and responsibility over the rest of the created world

Creation is both finished (in the sense of the original act of Creation) and ongoing

Creation: The Cultural Mandate #5 Some see in this “cultural mandate” the development of

publicauthority and government

Some see the state as an institution that emerged as the result of sin, with the political sphere existing to hold back sin

Reformed theology provides for a more positive view of the state

Assuming no fall, and assuming procreation along with technological developments within the Garden, could well necessitate the formation of some kind of governmental authority to provide order within society

- thus, the state does not exist simply to hold back sin, but to enable members of society in their life together to accomplish more and faire better than they could simply on their own

Fall: Common Grace #1 With the Fall, sin has affected everything

in creation and all aspects of life Total depravity relates to the breadth,

rather than the depth, of the corrupting effects of sin

Humankind continues to bear much of the image of God, even though this image is distorted

Even those who reject God or who worship idols can still do some good works

Fall: Common Grace #2 Therefore, Reformed theology also

recognizes the presence of “common grace” While those who are called by God

experience a particular kind of grace (“special grace”), the Bible notes that God continues to bestow His goodness to all men and women, believers and nonbelievers alike

Common grace is that grace provided to all people

Fall: Common Grace #3 The common grace of God is experienced in

the ordering of nature, the restraint of evil, and the ability of nonbelievers to reason and perform acts of civil good

Therefore, as Reformed Christians, we do not believe that all insights of unbelievers or their accomplishments are necessarily bad and are to be rejected as totally corrupt and fallen

It is common grace that provides us with certain common ground with unbelievers, which give us a reason for Christian engagement with the larger society

Redemption: Cosmic in Scope #1 God did not leave this fallen world in a

hopeless situation Sent Jesus Christ to redeem all things

(individuals, social life, and nature) to reconcile everything to Himself and each other

Jesus came not only to save individuals, but or restore His whole creation and reestablish the proper function of family, religious life, state, and all other institutions

Redemption: Cosmic in Scope #2 Redemption in the “Creation, Fall,

Redemption” narrative, therefore is not limited to personal salvation; it is much broader in scope

Just as the Fall touches and affects all aspects of Creation, Redemption in Jesus Christ also seeks to “reclaim” all facets of Creation

This task of Redemption is not an effort to restore Creation to some original, relatively pristine, yet “primitive” form

Rather it means a restoration of culture and society in their present stage of development

Redemption: Cosmic in Scope #3 Christians have an obligation to facilitate

this task of redemption Certainly God is at work saving His creation Yet, those of us who know God’s salvation

are saved not simply because God loves us, but in order to fulfill God’s tasks for His people in the world—whether in farming, building, manufacturing, educating, or engaging in political life

Biblical Principles and Public Life #1

Given the purposes for which it was written, the Bible is not a political treatise that provides some detailed political philosophy or manual of political instructions

Rather, there are various passages within the Bible that relate to politics, some directly and others indirectly

Moreover, those passages that do relate to politics must be assessed to determine whether they represent instructions that transcend time and place, or whether they were instructions for a particular historical audience

Biblical Principles and Public Life #2 Certainly, there are biblical instructions

related to politics that remain true for contemporary political life

Such political principles need to be discerned

In the end, what can be discerned from biblical texts are principles regarding public life that hold across time and space—rather than detailed prescriptions about political institutional arrangements that transcend time and space

Principles of Public Life from a Reformed Perspective

The Vital Role of Communities The Nature, Tasks, and Function of

the State The Call to Political Engagement to

Political Vocation The Need for Modesty, Toleration,

Cooperation, and Compromise

Principle #1: The Vital Role of Communities

Reformed theology emphasizes the social nature of human beings

Individuals are born into families, and are part of social groups and communities

Hold that these associations and communities are an intrinsic part of society

Principle #1: The Vital Role of Communities

Reformed Christians emphasize different spheres of authority

God has ordained, as part of the creational order, various spheres of authority

Each sphere has a reason for existence and has its own particular right to exist

Principle #1: The Vital Role of Communities These spheres represent different domains in

which different authority structures operate The state is not permitted to compel its

authority on the other spheres in order to compel their to conform to the state’s will

For example, the state should not usurp the function and authority of the family that God ordained at Creation

Principle #1: The Vital Role of Communities Reformed thinking confers authority and

integrity to social associations and institutions outside the state

In so doing, it advances what may be labeled as “mediating structures” or the notion of “civil society” that exists between individuals and the state

These structures (associations, organizations, institutions) provide a sense of community, while shielding their members against any aggrandizing tendency of state authority

Principle #2: The Nature, Tasks, and Function of the State

Another major principle: the importance of institutions and their responsibilities

The nature of the political realm is characterized by certain qualities:

- first the state has limited powers- second, the state functions to secure

justice- third, the state is an agent of common

grace

The Nature of the State:Limited Power For Reformed Christians, the power of the state is not

absolute State authority limited in two ways

- other legitimate authority structures exist prior to, and independent of, the state

Jesus: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what

is God’sStatement clearly sets limits on what Caesar can claim

- Christians are called to submit to political authorities, but we do not owe absolute obedience to the state

Romans 13: Paul emphasizing that the Roman emperor

was a servant, not the only or final sovereign entity

The Task of the State: Securing Justice State is, in part, an instrument to restrain evil But justice involves more that punishing wrong doers Nor is the state an instrument for pursuing morality

per se- Gov cannot compel everything that is right or moral (e.g., to honor

one’s father or mother)

- Nor can it punish everything that is wrong or immoral (e.g., lying or

marital infidelity)

- Gov may seek to deter or encourage certain behavior, but it is far less

able to control and shape human thoughts and desires

The Function of the State: An Agent of Common Grace State is not an agent for the advancement of

religion or the securing of salvation State is an agent to care for the common

interests and general welfare of its people Its task is not to redeem its citizens, but to

sustain the created order –to maintain the law and uphold public justice. Implications: -precludes any utopian view of politics (politics will never fully eradicate human pride or sinful behavior) -need for patience (our work as Christians in politics is incremental in nature)

Principle #3: The Call to Political Engagement and Vocation

Because Christians are called to seek justice, they are called to political engagement

They are not to refrain from politics because it is deemed to be a sphere of activity outside the domain of God’s sovereignty

It is the belief that God’s redemption is at work in this present world that spurs Christians to engage in public endeavors

Principle #4: The Need for Political Modesty, Toleration, Cooperation, and Compromise

Not a principle that directly flows from Reformed theology, but develops from its theological underpinnings

Even with the generous tools God has given us in this age to know Him and discern His will (e.g., the Bible and the Holy Spirit) we need to be cautious about claiming to speak for the Lord in public life

We presently “See through a glass darkly” Must act humbly Our responses are not necessarily God’s will but only our

response to God’s will

Principle #4: The Need for Political Modesty, Toleration, Cooperation, and Compromise

In an effort to seek public justice, Christians must be ready to negotiate and compromiseJustice requires attention to particular circumstances and changing contexts. To discern what constitutes justice may well require discussion and negotiation among different parties

While evil pervades all of life, goodness is not necessarily absent even in the lives of the reprobate

The need for negotiation and compromise helps to avoid the theological error that the people of God (or Christians) should ruleChristians are not called to rule, but to serve

Principle #4: The Need for Political Modesty, Toleration, Cooperation, and Compromise

In working to secure justice, the perfect should never become the enemy of the good

In other words, the taking of incremental steps towards a desired policy goal should never be viewed as reflecting unprincipled action

Conclusion #1 Reformed Christianity recognizes and accepts

the diversity evident in public life and the presence of different structures of authority operating in different spheres of social life

It affirms the state as a social structure possessing legitimate authority within a particular domain of life, but as only one among various structures to which God has delegated authority

Conclusion #2 While the state is limited in the powers

that God has delegated to it, the state also plays an important role in God’s created order

It is an agent of common grace, an instrument to secure and administer justice

Conclusion #3 Christians are called to be engaged in

public life They are not to abandon the

responsibilities they owe to their neighbors

While the political domain, like all other domains of human life, is affected by the Fall, God remains sovereign and seeks to redeem His creation

Conclusion #4

When Christians engage in public life, they are called:

- to act with political modesty,

- to demonstrate tolerance and forbearance toward

those with whom they disagree,

- to cooperate with others to achieve the broader public good