“Progressive Christianity is an open, intelligent and collaborative approach to the Christian tradition and the life and teachings of Jesus that creates a pathway into an authentic and relevant religious experience.”
(ProgressiveChristianity.org)
Progressive Christianity - Focuses on Feelings, Pragmatism, Personal Happiness, Social Justice, Care for the Poor and Oppressed, Environmental Causes, Acceptance of Diversity, Keeping Up with Culture
Progressive Christianity - is not overly concerned with core Christian beliefs, but uses Christian terminology, redefines doctrines or at least, understates them
Biblical authority - inspiration - sufficiency
The substitutionary atonement of Christ (seen as unnecessary. . . “Cosmic child abuse”)
Original Sin - Deny the sin nature
Miracles - Downplayed, ignored
Progressive Christianity is sympathetic to or fully affirms . . .
LGBTQ+ - Relationships, “Marriage”, etc. - (side A & B)
Universalism - Eventually every person will be saved
Social Justice
Perennialism - All religions share similar truths - key is to practice yours faithfully
Naming Names
Hard Core
Jim Wallis
Richard Rohr
Marcus Borg
Peter Enns
Rachel Held Evans
Rob Bell
John Dominic Crossan
Nadia Bolz-Weber
Kristin Kobes Du Mez
Brian McLaren
Brian Zahnd
N.T. Wright
Use Extreme Caution
Tim Keller
Matt Chandler
David Platt
Jen Wilkin
Jen Hatmaker
Russell Moore
Beth Moore
David French
Julie Roys
Karen Swallow Prior
“Discernment is not a matter of telling the difference between right and wrong; rather it’s telling the difference between right and almost right.”C.H. Spurgeon
Scriptures to Know
Romans 16:17-18
2 Timothy 4:3-4
2 Peter 2:1-3
1 John 4:1
Jude 1:4
Ephesians 5:6-13
2 John 1:7-11
Sep 7, 2022Week 1 – What is Covenant Theology and Why Study It?
Sep 7, 2022
Week 1 – What is Covenant Theology and Why Study It?
Covenant and KingdomWeek 1 - What is Covenant Theology and Why Study It?Hebrews 10:19-25
Why study covenant theology?
Properly understanding covenant gives us deeper grounds for greater assurance of our faith, and a greater appreciation of God’s wisdom and faithfulness
Covenant is the way that God relates to man and the way that the members of the Godhead relate to one another
Helps us to see the fullness, scope, continuity, authority, and applicability of all of Scripture
Helps to provide a framework for understanding the whole of Scripture in its context
What is covenant theology?
The study and explanation of the united purpose of God in all history past, present , and future (Samuel Renihan)
A framework for biblical interpretation, informed by exegetical, biblical, and systematic theology, that recognizes that the redemptive history revealed in Scripture is explicitly articulated through a succession of covenants, thus providing an organizing principle for biblical theology (Ligon Duncan)
Strong emphasis on the historical development and outworking of God’s redemptive plan
Considers and impacts various branches of theology, thus it is important that we carefully consider it and understand it
Key terms/concepts
Covenant - A commitment guaranteed by a solemn oath, with the threat of [divine] sanctions
Typology - The study of analogical correspondence among revealed truths about persons, events, institutions, and other things within the historical framework of God’s special revelation, which, from a retrospective view, are of a prophetic nature and are escalated in their meaning (Greg Beale)
Federal Head - One covenant representative whom God deals with and who connects all those under his headship to the covenant
Covenants of Works - Covenants in which promised blessings are received on the basis of works done
Covenants of Grace - Covenants in which promised blessings are received on the basis of free grace as a gift
Kingdom/Dominion - Covenants delegate authority, grant dominion over a particular sphere
What makes a covenant?
Sanctions - Threats that enforce and ensure the fulfillment of covenant commitments