Christendom Awake!
The title for this post is drawn from theologian Aidan Nichols’s important book, written several years ago, meant to spur Christians to proclaim boldly the truth of the Gospel and to reclaim the beauty and nobility of their heritage. A non-theologian, in a newly published book, makes a similarly stirring plea to Christians. Herb London, in America’s Secular Challenge: The Rise of a New National Religion, takes on the many new atheists and radical secularists in our culture in making the argument that only Christianity, not a national secular religion, can save Western Civilization from the threat of Radical Islam.
There is a review of London’s book at National Review Online that is worth checking out. Of course, the thesis of the book is ultimately unacceptable from a theological standpoint: Christ did not institute His Church in order to serve or to protect the interests of a nebulous entity known as “Western civilization.” But it is good to see a non-theologian take on the ludicrous and dangerous secularists who are fast becoming the substitute priests of the burgeoning secular religion of the United States.
Meanwhile, south of our border, the Spirit appears to be stirring in the growing community of Evangelical Christians. There is a massive outreach of Evangelical Christians planned for the coming weeks, that will be a national, televised event, bringing together 48,000 churches and 850,000 Christian homes. This will be a time of testimony and witness to the power of the Lord of history.
These Evangelical Christians serve an important mission to the One, True Church of Christ: they force her ministers to abandon their false, political religion and to preach once again Christ and Him crucified.
Christendom is, indeed, awakening. Even in communist Brazil.
.jpg)
Christ did not institute His Church in order to serve or to protect the interests of a nebulous entity known as “Western civilization.”
Hm…. Maybe it we turn it around, and pay attention to the way that Western Civilization is a vine on the trellis of His Church? Then it’s just a little conceited. ;^p
Thank you for the blogrolling!
Comment by Foxfier — November 9, 2008 @ 10:27 AM
“These Evangelical Christians serve an important mission to the One, True Church of Christ: they force her ministers to abandon their false, political religion and to preach once again Christ and Him crucified.”
I guess you’ve forgotten the shenanigans of evangelical Christians in the US, who make full use of “their false, political religion.” And read about the misson of evangelicalism in Latin America – it’s not all “spirit-filled.” There’s plenty of idolatry, false promises, and alliances with the powers that be.
Comment by Laura — November 10, 2008 @ 3:16 PM
Laura,
That’s all true, but this is even truer: either the Catholic prelates of Latin America will give the people the fullness of the Catholic religion or the Catholic Church will disappear. The Evangelicals spur the prelates to action in this regard. And they are also pro-family, which cannot be said of many Catholic prelates who have tried to see Karl Marx in Christ.
Comment by Hierothee — November 10, 2008 @ 9:57 PM