Cultural Amnesia: Three Essays on Two Kingdoms Theology

by Brian G. Mattson

In three short, readable essays, Brian Mattson subjects Two Kingdoms Theology to searching theological and biblical critique.

Genres: Theology, Nonfiction, Politics

70 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 2, 2018

Reviews

[Mark Jr.]

I actually agree with the author’s thesis; he’s also a skilled and engaging writer. But he didn’t win my trust. His rhetoric was too dismissive. “The Two Kingdoms model fails the test, quite miserably,” he says. But I just didn’t get the sense that he listened hard enough to his (very smart) opponents. A takedown like this needs a lot more quotes and footnotes. I hope he’ll revise, maybe write a bigger book. Get a developmental editor with good chops.

[Felipe Sabino]

Touché!

[Samuel Kassing]

Mattson in brief shows the rhetorical overstatement of 2K theology and its weak exegetical foundations.

[Leonardo Bruno]

Muito elucidativo. Em poucas páginas, o autor analisa a ideia central por trás da chamada teologia dos Dois Reinos, expondo os seus problemas retóricos, teológicos e exegéticos. O título, nesse sentido, não poderia ser mais acertado. Leitura essencial para todos quantos se interessam pela discussão sobre o relacionamento entre cristianismo e cultura.

[Kirby Key]

"To allow Christianity and the church to stand unrelated to the rest of culture is to believe that the work of redemption is unrelated to the work of creation."

I had no clue Ref. 2K stands or falls on the Noahic covenant...

a bit more on Christian plumbing would have been helpful

[Dawn]

Excellent treatment on 2K. I highly recommend this short book. I gave it 4 stars due to the sprinkling of rhetoric (even if true, haha!). Take out the rhetoric and it’s a solid 5. I would like to see the author follow up with a book on how radical 2K affects (ie. [my rhetoric] cripples) the church.

[Claudio]

Excelente!

[Rusten]

Excellent *short* and to the point critique of the trainwreck of Two Kingdom theology that has infected the Church.

[Steve]

In a short compass, Mattson, exposes the rhetorical, theological and exegetical failures in the Two Kingdoms theological school. He carefully exposes the 2K reliance on the Argument from Cultural Homogeneity'.

[Cooper Cobbs]

Fine

This book did a good job at analyzing the wrongheaded views of R2K as it relates to the Noahic Covenant and comparing the R2K view of the family to scripture’s language.

I wish the author had not associated R2K with “two kingdoms” writ large. There is much debate over whether R2K advocates revise the classical protestant version of the two kingdoms (I happen to think they do indeed significantly revise the view of Calvin, Luther, Hooker, and the other Reformers along with their successors).

Additionally, he seems to assume Bavinck (who I admire as well) created “grace perfects nature” when that phrase comes from Aquinas (who is the very archetype of the RC “dualistic” view Mattson seeks to avoid).

Anyway, a mixed bag.

[Joseph Rizzo]

When I got to the later chapters in Aimee Byrd's book (Housewife Theologian) and encountered some of her cultural theology, that's really where things started to sound wrong. Read a little further and see that it's pushing Two Kingdom theology coming out of Westminster California. Mattson gives a great and short response to why 2k theology fails the test. Stay away from the creative theology on this topic coming from Horton and VanDrunen, and go read some older and more theologically sound writings on church and cultural engagement.

[Rylan]

Pairs well with JH Bavinck's Personality and Worldview. What we mistake as common was not always common. Worldviews carry long-lasting legacies of leavening society. I have to do more reading of VanDrunen to hear more of his side.

[David]

Some decent critiques of radical two kingdoms but still many aspects of the debate are left fuzzy and there is the need for cleaner definitions.

[Jonah]

Fine job dismantling Two Kingdoms theology, now I'm waiting for the book that builds a biblical theology for the discipling of the nations.

[Judson Marvel]

My only critique is that it was too short.

[Ryan Denton]

Good explanation and refutation of R2K.

[Ben Howard]

Gives a good overview of the two kingdoms debate.

[Steve Herreid]

Extremely short but highly effective indictment of R2K theology. I loved this book.

[Scott Kennedy]

Short and incisive critique of r2k theology.

[Dan Berkholder]

My biggest complaint is that this book is about 200 pages too short. The author has a great perspective on this work as a book that will not be necessary very far in the future. Two kingdom theology is an impotent theology. It's a theology that doesn't make babies. His argument about stirfry is pure gold.