Doug Stabbed You In The Has Got Your Back
– Or So He Says
[updated & revised 1/27/19]
God rest ye merry Puritans,
Let nothing you dismay,
Doug Wilson is a poser
Whatever he may say.
Like it or not, it's that time of year again and come to find out, some of the usual rascals are up to the same old same old.
In other words, what follows is a somewhat critical review of:
God Rest Ye Merry, Why Christmas is the Foundation for Everything,
Douglas Wilson, Moscow: Canon Press, 2012, 151 p.
There are any number of problems with this attempt of an apologetic for a robust Puritan celebration of Advent and Christmas, i.e. the ecclesiastical/church year with its seasons and feastdays in God Rest Ye Merry (GRYM), but the chief one is curious enough. Wilson's idea of a Puritan more resembles what he says about St. Nicholas of Myra.
[updated & revised 1/27/19]
God rest ye merry Puritans,
Let nothing you dismay,
Doug Wilson is a poser
Whatever he may say.
Like it or not, it's that time of year again and come to find out, some of the usual rascals are up to the same old same old.
In other words, what follows is a somewhat critical review of:
God Rest Ye Merry, Why Christmas is the Foundation for Everything,
Douglas Wilson, Moscow: Canon Press, 2012, 151 p.
There are any number of problems with this attempt of an apologetic for a robust Puritan celebration of Advent and Christmas, i.e. the ecclesiastical/church year with its seasons and feastdays in God Rest Ye Merry (GRYM), but the chief one is curious enough. Wilson's idea of a Puritan more resembles what he says about St. Nicholas of Myra.
Somehow Nicholas, who supposedly punched an Arian at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD,
transitioned from a bishop to an elf to a jolly Dutchman till he
finally ended up as the current occupant at PO. Box 1, The North Pole.
“But [what] we must learn from this [is] that if we do not tell our
stories faithfully, they will gradually change over time until they
become quite unrecognizable.” Moreover, “we have to remember that St.
Nicholas probably would have slugged somebody over it.” (p.120). Indeed. As
we shall see what Mr. Wilson describes and defines as Puritan defense
of Christmas is not just unfaithful to genuine Puritanism, but the exact
opposite.
Puritan and Reformed Preliminaries
Not that we would punch Judy over it or suggest Mr. Wilson seek employment as an Everlast heavy bag, but really. Mr. Wilson’s not so stellar record on all things Puritan and Reformed include an assault on the reformed doctrine of worship as a charter member of John Frame's Worship Children and the requisite fundamentalist read of the Second Commandment in common with the crowd he has run with in the past. The same bunch which largely morphed into Norm Shepherd's Covenant Children and came up with the theological novelty of the Federal Vision. Because all Israel is not Israel, our theological sophomores decided baptism is what it signifies, grace is not irresistable, walking by sight trumps walking by faith and the visible church is the real church. Until it's not. Or something like that.
Puritan and Reformed Preliminaries
Not that we would punch Judy over it or suggest Mr. Wilson seek employment as an Everlast heavy bag, but really. Mr. Wilson’s not so stellar record on all things Puritan and Reformed include an assault on the reformed doctrine of worship as a charter member of John Frame's Worship Children and the requisite fundamentalist read of the Second Commandment in common with the crowd he has run with in the past. The same bunch which largely morphed into Norm Shepherd's Covenant Children and came up with the theological novelty of the Federal Vision. Because all Israel is not Israel, our theological sophomores decided baptism is what it signifies, grace is not irresistable, walking by sight trumps walking by faith and the visible church is the real church. Until it's not. Or something like that.
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