Covenant Lord and Cultic Boundary: A Dialectic Inquiry Concerning Meredith Kline and the Reformed Two-Kingdom Project

by Michael Beck, Charles Lee Irons (Foreword)

The Reformed Two-Kingdom project has generated a great deal of literature. However, this literature is often characterized by inflamed rhetoric. Further, though it is standard fare to assume that Kline was the architect of the project, in reality, there has been very little scholarly examination of this point. In response, Kline's system is analyzed through the means of a dialectical discourse with three differing models within the Reformed tradition--the Theonomist, Perspectivalist, and Dooyeweerdian schools. Through this means, the study keeps away from surface-level polemics and instead directs readers to the critically important substructural level of current discussions. While clarifying some of the key differences between Kline and his interlocutors, often-overlooked points of nuance are also highlighted. These points are shown to be important in that they present the potential to lessen frustration and impasse in the ongoing dialogue.

428 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 8, 2023

About the author

There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.

Beck is known predominantly for his roles as Swan in the action film The Warriors (1979), Sonny Malone in Xanadu (1980), Lieutenant Commander Dallas in Megaforce (1982), and Koda in Triumphs of a Man Called Horse (1983). Both the Xanadu and Megaforce roles garnered him Razzie nominations, for Worst Actor and Worst Supporting Actor, respectively.[citation needed] Beck has appeared in other movies such as Warlords of the 21st Century (1982), Wes Craven's Chiller (1985), Gone to Texas (1986, as James Bowie) and Forest Warrior (1996).[citation needed] He also read for, but did not get, the role of Lancelot in John Boorman's film Excalibur.

Beck appeared as Hans Helms in the 1978 TV miniseries Holocaust, and starred in a short-lived television series, Houston Knights (1987). More recently, he appeared in such television shows as JAG, Walker, Texas Ranger, In the Heat of the Night, as the Mars-born terrorist-turned-cyborg assassin Abel Horn in Babylon 5 (episode "Spider in the Web"), and as Mr. Jones in the spinoff series Crusade.

Beck has narrated numerous audiobooks of John Grisham's novels. He has also narrated Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz; A Darkness More Than Light by Michael Connelly; State of the Union by David Callahan; and the unabridged version of Bill Clinton's My Life. He also reprised his role as Swan in 2005, lending his voice to the popular video game adaptation of The Warriors.

Reviews

[Brenden Wentworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

So helpful! Since it was a dissertation that got turned into a book, it’s pretty technical, but was helpful for someone like me that had “technical” questions haha.

Needless to say, the book is a phenomenal survey of reformed two-kingdom theology as it interacts with perspectives, like theonomy and Neo-Calvinism. Beck very aptly and exhaustively summarizes and analyzes the relevant literature, as well as helpfully surveys Meredith Kline’s brand of covenant theology, a covenant theology I am, along with many other Reformed Christians, indebted to.

Much more can be said but as Christians, especially in the west, who see the decline of culture all around them and are desiring for a legitimately biblical and culturally faithful option on how to engage with the world as a pilgrim in exile, this book has no peers.
Some might find the deep thoughts of such a book difficult, but Beck is to be commended for leaving no stone unturned in his examination of such a crucial and at times controversial topic

If you’re not afraid of dense theology, take the plunge.

[James R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heavy Chewing on some of Calvin’s Theological Descendants

My own lifelong, personal study on Christian and Political Hebraism required following many threads in disparate academic disciplines in theology, science, political science, etc. My start was at Covenant Seminary under the fine tutelage of Dr. Laird Harris and my uncle, Dr. Wilber Wallis. I graduated from Covenant with Bill and Nancy Pearcy who have provided so much depth to our understanding of truth applied to culture.

Much of my reading since then has been in Jewish scholars: Messianic, Orthodox, Secular, and ones in the recently the re-emerging field of Hebraism. I recently added Kline at the suggestion of a graduate of Westminster.

Having spent nearly 30 years as an adjunct professor at secular universities, the application of the Bible to everday academic subjects and to students all to real life issues has been a real joy. Thanks to Michael Beck for helping me understand the Two-Kingdom thinking in Reformed circles.

[Tim Wilder]

Systematic presentation of Kline's theology with a "dialectical" interaction with Beck's notion of other perspectives. One is the "Dooyeweerdian" which he sometimes calls the neo-Calvinist. Who exactly that is is not clear. After all the Two-Kingdom theology is neo-Calvinist tricovenantalism, and Beck seldom keeps this in mind. Of course Beck interprets this so the Radical Two-Kingdom theology wins.