The Ethics of God: A beginner’s class on traditional Christian ethics.
(The new audio from apologetics.com radio.) (Click here for audio)
What are the basic presumptions common to all “Christian” ethical systems? The moral law of God and the cultivation the traditional Christian virtues.
1. The existence of God.
2. The identity of God and the uniqueness of Christianity.
3. The veracity, historicity, and inerrancy of Holy Scripture.
4. The presentation and defense of a basic orthodoxy.
5. The promotion of a healthy spiritual life in faith and practice.
6. The understanding of a consistent Christian ethic applied to all of life.
7. Communicating the coherence and defensibility of the Christian faith with clarity, kindness, and grace to any that might be inclined to hear and teaching those that desire such how to do the same.
The Classical form for Individual and Social Justice
The Moral Law of God-
“Love the Lord your God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself; on these hang all of the Law and the Commandments”
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
“What you have done unto the least of these you have done to me.”
“Have mercy on the little children and do not keep them from coming to me for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.”
The Cultivation of the traditional Christian Virtues-
Faith, Hope, Love, Wisdom, Justice, Courage, and Self Denial
Faith- “Without faith it is impossible to please God because to please God one must first believe that He exists and that He is the rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.”
Hope- “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Love- “These three remain: Hope, faith, and love, but the greatest of these is love…”
Wisdom- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”
Justice- “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Courage- “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Self Denial- “Then he said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”
Christopher Neiswonger
How to Evangelize the Emergent Generation
Christopher Neiswonger teaching a class on the current postmodern climate as it influences the Christian churches. Postmodernism reigns, but does it have the legs to last? At Cornerstone Church in Riverside California. (With question and answer)
Postmodernism’s influence upon the Evangelical and Emergent Churches www.apologetics.com audio
Christopher Neiswonger and Doug Eaton discuss some of the ways in which secular philosophers have had a direct influence upon how the Church is doing theology and the ways that that thought might be irreconcilable with traditional orthodox Christian theology. (W/calls last half hour)
Subjects include: Postmodernism, Emergent theology, J. Gresham Machen, Richard Rorty, Brian McClaren, Tony Snow, propositional truth, faith and practice, being followers of Jesus, Christendom, law and gospel, communitarianism, individualism, metanarrative, narrative, evangelization, hermeneutics, universalism, doubt, Rob Bell, Michael Horton, analogy, absolute truth, Augustine, C.S. Lewis and others.
