Kara’s Reviews > Neo-Calvinism: A Theological Introduction > Status Update

“Because every creature of God is good and not to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because everything can be sanctified by the Word of God and prayer, rejection of any one of His creatures would be ingratitude to God, a denial of His gifts. Our conflict is not with anything creatures y but against sin alone.” Bavinck quote p288

“Christ, argues Bavinck, has given the church a twofold office of elder and deacon as exemplary of the twofold ministerial call that extends to all Christians: the ministry of Word and deed. While the formal ministry of the Word happens within the institute, the missional ministry of the Word extends into the life of this world.” Ministry of evangelism & ministry of mercy. P285

“Thus, Kuyper & Bavinck do not seek to Christianize everything as in the sense of Rome, but to witness and call people to see God’s creational norms & to understand that Christianity fits reality best-for people to see themselves as thinking and living pro Rege (for the king) in the world.” P283

“The institute (physical building of church and physical people attending plus their offices) as mother serves that organism (living, true believers & members of Christ’s body) in feeding it and equipping it for life in the world.” P278. A beautiful picture of the church as institution’s role.

Christian art is Christian not because it is about religious matter but because it honors God and is derivative of an artistic heart that understands that beauty is God’s gift and art God’s calling to humankind. Grace renews nature, and thus Christian transformation of the self determines a transformation of the self with respect to the agency of common life.” P269

“In distinction from Rome, as Bavinck develops, Protestantism does not seek a material difference between sacred and profane but allows Christ to matter for all of life, calling art & science, family life, and business practice, to seek the holy rather than the unholy. 1/

“Because the unity of the church catholic is spiritual, bonded together by the spirit of Christ, branches grafted into the root,the foundational spirit of unity among the people of God exists prior to & apart from institutional distinction. This must lead Christians to a spirit of fellowship and a deep desire for unity in ministry.” P264

“Christianity as a religion speaks of the work of the Spirit of Christ in space and time. Christianity as a power, the power of Christ, extends beyond the boundaries of Christ’s church and into all the realms of creation.” P264

“The church is a visible witness to the kingdom, and the people of God, the regenerate, organic church, are indeed citizens of that kingdom, but do not make up the whole of the reign of Christ.” P263

“Further, it is also true that the church triumphant is not the kingdom of God either, but the glorified citizenship of the kingdom. The kingdom of God is the society of Christ, which encompasses the whole of the cosmos in its season, extending well beyond the boundaries of the human people of Christ.” P263. This makes me think we limit our focus of recreation to people w/out including all of creation.