There is a growing concern over The Federal Vision (FV) again in North American Reformed Churches, here is why and here’s how to stop it:
1. Very few (at least initially) are attracted to its theological positions. Most people aren’t interested in Baptismal Regeneration, Padeocommunion, and a questionable view of Justification. They aren’t being drawn by the Romanizing Tendency of FV. It’s something else.
2. The major draw is what they are saying in the areas of gender roles, politics, culture, and issues within the church. Doug Wilson is addressing these issues at a rapid pace. He responds to issues in real time.
3. Wilson and Co. are saying common sense things which no one else is willing to say in respectable Reformed churches (so called). I am talking about gender roles and modesty here. I don’t always agree with what they say, but they are willing to talk about it, sometimes too bluntly but that is better than can be gotten out of many other quarters of the Reformed church.
4. They are building and preparing. Western Society is in a precarious situation and Wilson sees this. He offers decent advice on educating children and building strong churches in the midst of a radical and revolutionary society. They are encouraging people to build instead of just react to the chaos around them.
5. They do it like men. They are logical, masculine, and they fight. They are blunt and don’t back down. They don’t obsess with nuance or caveats. They say what they think and mean what they say.
6. They are anti-woke. They see Wokeness as dangerous and laughable. They treat Wokeness with scorn and offer it no quarter. This resonates with young men particularly.
7. They are anti-feministic. They are willing to speak about feminism and areas where feminism has encroached on the church. Again this has a huge appeal to both young men and women, who feel confused and struggle with lack of teaching on gender roles in the church broadly.
8. They use the Bible. Yes, they have errors. But they use the Bible to advance their cause on common sense/social issues far more cogently than weak kneed right wing politicians and pastors. They aren’t afraid of what the Bible says about social issues.
9. They are willing to resist. Whether you like it not Wilson’s followers were arrested at an anti-lockdown Psalm sing. Wilson has also been monitored by the FBI for his religious/ political activities. They are willing to fight for what they believe and aren’t easily scared off. This is more than I can say for much of the evangelical church in the West.
If the church wants to stop FV from again becoming a voice it needs to deal with the appeal of Wilson and others in these areas. Basically Pastors have to quit looking at in house debates, quit being hyper academic navel gazers and realize the house that is Western Civilization is on fire. It’s actually engulfed.
We need to treat the survivors we have build out and prepare to build something to weather the approaching storm.
Until the church does this FV will have an appeal because of the common sense issues it proponents address more thoughtfully than much of the Reformed church in North America.
