One thing is for sure: Douglas Wilson writes provocatively and persuasively! This can be wonderful when you agree with all of his theology and assumptions about how Christians must act in their culture. However, Wilson’s theological and cultural train drags along many questionable assumptions and perhaps unbiblical tactics.
So let me divide this up into the good and the bad.
The Good: Wilson writes provocative and persuasive short essays regarding the biblical definition of marriage, how Christians should address this issue in the culture, and the heroic defense of religious liberty in the public square of Christian bakers and photographers. Wilson also does a wonderful job of describing the predicament that Christians are currently in when he states, “In fact, now that the cultural headquarters of our republic has been transferred to the National Zoo’s central monkey house, every day that goes by makes normality more and more outrageous.” (p. 9) It is clear that many Christians are rightly concerned that our culture is making it normal to call evil good and good evil.
Wilson also identifies the hypocritical illogic of the “intoleristas” that clamor for free speech, but object as soon as the Christian opens their mouth. Such inconsistent illogic should be pointed out, and we should learn to do it persuasively like Wilson does. However, Wilson also believes Christians should “kick some…hinder parts and take names.” In this respect, Wilson is a dirty cultural warrior who believes he is justified with any foolish and inappropriate thing he says. This leads into the bad.
The Bad: Wilson is smart, so he anticipates objections to his inappropriate tone. Wilson says things like, “If you would admonish me for writing in such an unseemly fashion, I would reply that it is far more unseemly to approve and do such things than it is to point them out that people are doing them. Scripture does not just condemn the perverted; it condemns those who applaud perversion as well.” (p. 240) (Rom. 1:32, ESV) However, an admonishment that you already know you deserve is not justified by somehow reasoning that it is a greater sin to somehow “approve” of the unseemliness in our culture. It seems that Doug thinks he’s the only one walking this line appropriately; however, we don’t correct folly with folly of a lesser degree. Doug just needs to clean up his language, stop making excuses, and meditate on Ephesians 4:29 which states, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those to hear.”
Not only does Wilson need to meditate on Ephesians 4:29, but he needs to stop shooting people on the same team! Russell Moore, Reformed Seminary professors and even a Table Talk article from Ligonier Ministries are among the ones Wilson chides as compromisers in the culture. Apparently if you don’t adopt Wilson’s approach you may represent the one Wilson will call “unseemly” names, while actually thinking that this is a loving thing to do!
Finally, we arrive at perhaps one of the most problematic stops for this train in Wilson’s narrow line of thought. Namely, the eschatology and cultural expectation that somehow Wilson “knows” will take place. Even though Wilson is not a charismatic, somehow he received a “word of knowledge” that, “Politics and law cannot save us, but both politics and law can both be saved. And they will be.” (p.241) Really, they will be? How do you know? Scripture says this? Where? Assumed in Wilson’s line of thought is that Christians will be heavily involved in this “saving” politics and law process, but you had better do it Doug’s way, or he’ll call you a name and make fun of you!
Most problematic is the 5 smooth stones of theocratic libertarianism. Wilson somehow thinks that part of the answer to sexual perversions in our nation is to formally adopt the Apostle’s Creed and that Jesus is Lord. However, this idea is without Scriptural support and completely theologically and historically naïve.
Let me offer my response to this grave error. For Christians, the government is never tasked with the duty to enforce by law our creeds, confessions, or our specific Christian duties that are specifically the work of the Church. This is the problem, not the fix. Where in New Testament do we see Jesus or the Apostles trying to get the State to enforce creeds or confessions, or even trying to get them to carry out any tasks of the church? We just don't see it. We see general guidelines. Punish evil and reward good. These are very broad categories, and we'd be hard-pressed to force our particular political agendas into them. What we'd be doing is making Jesus and the Apostles say things that they never said. What we do see is that we expect the State to be the State. Make no mistake, the State has no right to be immoral and make laws that forbid Christians to do what God commands, or force us to do what God prohibits. The main distinction is that the State needs to be the State, and we hold her accountable to that task.
Theocratic Libertariansim misses the whole message of the gospel in some respects. The Mosaic Law, nor any State-enforced law for that matter, cannot change any sinner's heart! Only the gospel can do this! I loved part of what Doug said when he stated, "A formal recognition of the Lordship of Jesus is necessary, but is not sufficient. More is required than paper commitments. All true constitutions arise from the people, and genuine allegiance to Christ is not going to happen unless there is a reformation and revival. In order for any of this to work, we must have countless preachers of the gospel, faithfully declaring the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The role of the government here is to stay out of the way, allowing such preachers free access to the people, and thereby encouraging them to have at it." (p.173)
Yes, Amen! The government's role is to "stay out of the way". However, I don't think that before Christ returns that Christians are to (through government) establish by law a "formal recognition of the Lordship of Jesus". No, no, no! Scripture does not make this the task of the Church anywhere! Where is government's role in Scripture said to be to establish by law "a formal recognition of the lordship of Christ"? There is no explicit teaching regarding this. This happens through the gospel, and is the task of the Church, not government. This calls into question Doug's understanding of the gospel to me, because what about 2/3 of our Bible that demonstrates a society (Israel) where God has showed us that law and a "government enforced" keeping of that law (we're talking Mosaic Law here), did not bring about good, but much, much, bad! All of Israel is the object lesson for all Christians that salvation never comes from the Law.
Not only that but that the primary "good" that we promote comes through the Church's faithful preaching of the gospel. It's like having the proper balance and category clarity, without mixture or confusion. When we focus too much on "law", whether we are talking about laws in society or the moral law in the life of the believer, we forget that the law can only do certain things. The law can never do what the gospel alone can achieve. The law can show us what is Holy and pleasing to God, instruct believers in the how they should live, and is our basis to restrain evil in our society. However, legislating and enforcing "law" in and of itself did not bring about change for Israel, nor has it done so for any nation for that matter. If the law doesn't drive one to Christ, then we have missed the most important aspect of the law! This is what the Pharisees and other "self-righteous" folks missed. The Law never can deliver the lasting change that we need, which is what the church and gospel alone can do. (sola-fide, sola-gratia, etc.) Doug acknowledges rightly that, “genuine allegiance to Christ is not going to happen unless there is a reformation and revival", but he sees as a "necessary" consequence of that reformation and revival a "formal recognition of the Lordship of Jesus". This is not the role of government in Scripture. His argument is based upon a slick use of logic and what becomes necessary according to that logic, but there are no commands in Scripture for Christians to endeavor to craft constitutions or governments with a "formal recognition of the Lordship of Jesus" or "The Apostle's Creed". That is the duty of the Church, and we are to do it faithfully in any and all governments that God sovereignly ordains.