Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Michael Goheen
Trinity Western University
Gods Response
While justly angry
God did not turn his back
on a world bent on destruction;
he turned his face to it in love.
With patience and tender care he set out
on the long road of redemption
to reclaim the lost as his people
and the world as his kingdom (CT, 19).
Genesis 3.15
Promise of battle
Promise of a Champion
Promise of victory
Observations on redemption
Redemption is progressive in its outworking
Redemption is restorative in its nature
Redemption is comprehensive in scope
Progressive in Outworking
Act One: God Establishes His Kingdom: Creation
Act Two: Rebellion in the Kingdom: Fall
Act Three: The King Chooses Israel: Redemption Initiated
Scene One: A People for the King
Scene Two: A Land for the People
Interlude: A Kingdom Story Waiting for an Ending: The
Intertestamental Period
Act Four: The Coming of the King: Redemption Accomplished
Act Five: Spreading the News of the King: The Churchs Mission
Scene One: From Jerusalem to Rome
Scene Two: To the Ends of the Earth
Act Six: The Return of the King: Redemption Completed
Story of mission
Gods mission: Long term purpose to restore the
whole creation and all of human life
Israels mission: Embody Gods original creational
purposes for the sake of the world
Jesus mission: Reveal and accomplish Gods final
redemptive purpose for the creation
Churchs mission: Continue Jesus mission to make
known the kingdom of God to the ends of the earth
in life, word and deed
Mistaken Notion
Very often people have come to the
New Testament with the presumption
that going to heaven when you die is
the implicit point of it all. . . . They
acquire that viewpoint from
somewhere, but not from the New
Testament. (N. T. Wright)
Redemption is restorative
The creation is very good, the way God intended it
Human beings are created to live a bodily life in the context of
creation.
Sin is the problem not materiality.
Old Testament views future kingdom as restored life on new
creation.
Jesus proclaims the gospel of the kingdom.
Jesus resurrection is a preview.
The biblical language of redemption, restoration, renewal all
point to the return of the good creation to what it was meant to
be.
Destruction of the creation would mean a Satanic victory.
Restoration is comprehensive
And he made known to us the mystery of his
will according to his good pleasure, which he
purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when
the times will have reached their fulfilment
to bring all things in heaven and on earth
together under one head, even Christ
(Ephesians 1:9-10).
Comprehensive restoration
accomplished in crucifixion
Gustav Auln: The work of Christ is first and
foremost a victory over the powers which hold
mankind in bondage: sin, death, and the devil.
John 12.31-33; Col. 2.15; Rev.12.7-12
Public battle and victory for the whole creation
Lesslie Newbigin: We privatize this mighty work
of grace and talk as if the whole cosmic drama of
salvation culminates in the words For me; for
me.
Comprehensive restoration
inaugurated in the resurrection
Resurrection in Jewish thought: Arrival of
life of new creation
Jesus: Dawning of new creation
Prophetic Expectation
Spirit Messiah
Sin
Death
Evil
Satan
Knowledge
of God
Love
Joy
Justice
OLD AGE
AGE TO COME
Powers of
sin
death
evil
Satan
OLD AGE
Power of
Spirits
renewing
work
AGE TO COME
Acts 1.1-8
Acts 1.6: Question about the kingdom
Receive Spirit (firstfruits, deposit)
You will be my witnesses.
K in g d o m o f d a r k n ess
K in g d o m o f G o d
one domain
Antithetical encounter
Israels battle with idolatry
Church takes up Israels mission (Ex.19.3-6;
cf. 1 Pet. 2.9-10)
Very different situation:
Unbearable Tension of
Living at the Crossroads
Unbearable Tension
Christians are:
Members of western community
Shaped by cultural story
Members of covenant community
Shaped by Biblical story
Unbearable tension
Tension Between
Gospel and Culture
The deeper the consciousness of the tension and
the urge to take this yoke upon itself are felt, the
healthier the Church is. The more oblivious of this
tension the Church is, the more well established
and at home in this world it feels, the more it is in
deadly danger of being the salt that has lost its
savour.
- Hendrik Kraemer
Affirm
Gospel/Yes
At home
Good creation
May not withdraw
Reject
Gospel/No
At odds
Sinful distortion
May not accept
status quo
Subversive Fulfillment
Discerned creational relationships
Subverted relationships creating new
institution recognizable as good news to
culture
School?
How can we participate in broader tradition of
humanistic education, be at home, offer
relevant witness (much creational good)
Where has purpose, structure, curriculum,
pedagogy, etc. been twisted by idolatry
(rationalism, consumerism, etc)?
Christian Perspective
on Education
Efforts at worldview and Christian educational
philosophy sharpened vision for Christian education
Language of Christian perspective: Christ-centred
curriculum, inner reformation of the sciences, biblical
perspective on all areas of learning, or Christian worldand-life-view
Kuypers vision of comprehensive scope of gospel
challenges assumptions:
Reality is segregated into two realms, sacred and secular, and gospel
belongs only to the sacred
Gospel transforms only individuals but not society
Enlightenment notion that public life, including education is
religiously neutral
Persuasive: Biblical
Elusive: As far as I can tell, Christian schools do not provide an
alternative Christian education, if by that term we mean that our
biblical perspective on life leads to a biblical model of education.
Educational Faithfulness
Christian education: difference
Christian educating: enriching additions
Third way: educational faithfulness
Questions:
Missionary Encounter in
Education
Normal position of Christian school in cultural context if it
is faithful
Clash of ultimate and comprehensive stories
Spiritual battle
Requires Christian school community that believes gospel
(true, story, comprehensive, power)
Committed to living out of it and shaping whole life by it
Requires a school that knows idolatrous story of culture
School that wrestles with dominant education paradigm
Encounter takes place in all areas of education
Embraces insights; rejects idolatry
Purpose:
Why do we educate anyway?
Traditional African education:
Muslim education:
Postmodern Challenge to
Modern Education
If (in modernity) education was guided by
the story of progress towards a better society
by science and technology but we no longer
believe that story...
If (in modernity) education was to pass along
a unified body of universal knowledge but
we no longer believe that exists...
Then what is the purpose of education?
Postmodernity and
Purpose of Education
Postmans trinity: economic utility,
consumerism, technology
Vendor of useful information and marketable
skills
Enables student to compete or survive in the
jungle of the market
Questions: Curriculum
What needs to be taught to equip students for
witness?
How does this differ from state
requirements?
Are there any specific omissions?
How does modern and postmodern
worldview affect curriculum?
What now?
Size, complexity, and difficulty of task can lead
to discouragement
Need to return to gospel for forgiveness and
renewal
Need for ongoing study (individual, community)
Continuing baby steps in joy
As individuals
As community