Reformed Ideas
Using the central confessions as a basis, much more theological and philosophical work has been done in the intervening years. Here we will look at only a few more important concepts: a modern confessional approach to technology, the sovereignty of God, the relationship of Christ and culture, and the themes of creation-fall-redemption.
There are a few more important concepts within the Reformed tradition that we should consider. At the time the central confessions were written, technology and science were not such a pervasive influence on society. One modern confession fills in this gap by briefly looking at how faith might impact one's approach to technology. In Our World Belongs to God: A Contemporary Testimony (the entire document is available), read the section on Regarding Science and Technology.
An important concept in Reformed circles is the absolute authority of God over His creation. John Calvin, one of the prominent figures in the Protestant Reformation, stressed God's sovereignty. God is the creator and sustainer of the universe. Calvin's view of predestination and election fit with this view that upholds the reign of the almighty God and his sovereign authority over His universe. Abraham Kuyper, a Dutch theologian in the late 19th century, stressed that there was not one square centimeter of the universe that did not belong to Christ. This implied that all areas of life must be claimed for Christ: marriage, education, work, government, business, recreation, agriculture, music, and every other part of life, nature, and human culture.
To reform means to attach oneself to those features of an established order that reflect some normativity and obedience to creational law. Hence, reformation always takes as its point of departure what is historically given and seeks to build on the good rather than clearing the historical terrain radically in order to lay an altogether new foundation. Albert M. Wolters, Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1985), 78. |
The themes of creation, fall, and redemption refer to the three broad stages of history as seen by Reformed Christians. The entire universe was created good by God in the beginning. However, because of Adam's sin, all creation now experiences the damaging effects of the fall. With Christ's redeeming work, we can recover (or re-form) that good from the original creation. This reformational approach seeks to find the good in all aspects of creation while recognizing that sin still leaves its taint. Christians in the Reformed tradition neither embrace nor reject culture, but rather seek to rejuvenate and redeem it. Reformed Christians are interested in how one can faithfully engage in culture, such as dance, music, education, and more. For example, sexual relationships are not condemned or looked down on by Reformed Christianity. Rather, sexuality can be celebrated as a gift from God present in His good creation. At the same time, we must recognize that sex in our world is warped by sin, resulting in wrong uses of sexuality such as prostitution, rape, sexual harrassment, and sexual promiscuity.