Living in God’s Two Kingdoms – Book Review

A book review of “Living in God’s Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture“, written by David VanDrunen, and published by Crossway in 2010. Paperback; 208 pages. Dr. VanDrunen is a professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics at Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, California. He has written extensively about ethics, natural law, and Reformed two kingdoms theology. (NOTE: David VanDrunen is often abbreviated as DVD. Living in God’s Two Kingdoms is occasionally abbreviated as LING2K. ‘Natural Law – Two Kingdoms’ is abbreviated as NL2K)

I’m providing a long book review — 14 years after publication — because some of the short reviews led me astray as to what this book is actually about. Since this review is lengthy, I’ve provided links to the various sections in the table of contents widget below. It might also be helpful as a study guide.

Why Read ‘Living in God’s Two Kingdoms‘?

It’s often been said that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. However, I still fall into that trap. I became aware of this book over a decade ago, and resisted reading it for many years. I remember standing at a book table, discussing Living In God’s Two Kingdoms with an RPCNA leader, at an OPC General Assembly meeting held at Dordt University. Neither of us had read the book, but I naively remarked that it didn’t pass the “basic smell test”, because Jesus never said: “Let me tell you about my two kingdoms.” He agreed, and I proceeded to ignore the book for another decade. (Jesus made the two-kingdoms doctrine obvious when he told Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world.“) However, big questions about Christianity, culture and politics keep popping up — especially in postmodern, post-COVID, post-Christian America.

My Background and Context For This Book Review

As sons of Adam, we are all biased. By sharing some of my background perhaps you can understand why I did NOT want to read this book, and why (later on) I felt compelled to read the book. Now that I’ve read the book, I can report that its viewpoint and subject matter are very different from what I originally assumed.

I’m not a professional theologian. I’m a deacon — not a teaching or ruling elder. (TE, RE) So take everything I say with a grain of salt. However, I attended Reformed Bible College (now Kuyper College) in Grand Rapids and earned a BRE degree, with a focus on world missions and cultural anthropology. I cut my “theological teeth” reading books like Berkhof’s Systematic Theology — back in 1978. I managed the Calvin Seminary bookstore for a brief period around 1987-88. During this decade I developed opinions about various authors, books, and theologians. Karl Barth — bad. Herman Dooyeweerd — dangerous and difficult to understand. (I’ve never read any books by Barth or Dooyeweerd.) We all have formulas and filters for sorting our priorities — because life is short, and it’s impossible to read every book.

Theological Tension Builds as America Crumbles

While the foundations of America were crumbling — I was busy working, raising a family, and serving as a deacon at my local church. I continued reading theological books, but most of my ‘free time’ was spent reading computer software manuals related to my vocation.

In the fall of 1988 we moved back to the Motor City, and I began working at EDS. Our family joined Oakland Hills Community Church – an OPC church plant. Rev. Ralph Rebandt (MDiv. – Westminster, Philadelphia) was my pastor until he retired and ran for Governor of Michigan in 2022. I served alongside Pastor Rebandt for over 30 years as a deacon at Oakland Hills. His main focus was always preaching Christ, and planting new churches. We never talked much about politics. The main thing was always the thing of first importance.

However, in the fall of 2016 Oakland Hills hosted a conference about America’s Christian Heritage. Peter Lillback (President of WTS) was one of the main speakers, along with Harry Reeder and others. Every person who attended the conference received a free copy of Dr. Lillback’s book: Wall of Misconception: Does the Separation of Church and State Mean The Separation of God and Government? Then in 2017, our men’s group studied The Bounds of Love: An Introduction to God’s Law of Liberty by Joel McDurmon.

New Pastor – New Friends – New Perspectives on NL2K?

In 2022, the congregation at Oakland Hills called our new pastor, Dr. Harrison Perkins (MDiv. – Westminster, Escondido; PhD, Queen’s University, Belfast). To be clear, Pastor Perkins has never talked about his political viewpoints, and NL2K doctrine has not been the focus of his public ministry, or his written publications. My new pastor clearly preaches the glorious Gospel of Christ, and the whole counsel of God, from the Old and New Testaments.

That said, people tend to congregate in networks formed on social media, and a new friend, often leads to other new friends. I was happy to meet Dr. R. Scott Clark of Westminster CA at the installation service for Pastor Perkins (Friday, October 14, 2023). I really enjoyed Dr. Clark’s sermon the following Sunday, entitled Denunciation, Declaration, and Doxology. Next, I figured if Dr. Clark was a good friend and mentor of Pastor Perkins, I should get to know him also. So I started following RScottClark on X (formerly Twitter), and started reading articles on The Heidelblog. It’s no secret that Dr. Clark frequently publishes articles about the ‘two kingdoms’. Here’s a link to Dr. Clark’s helpful Resources On the Twofold Kingdom.

I told Dr. Clark a few of my apprehensions about “Natural Law Two Kingdoms (NL2K) Theology”. (If DVD was active on X/Twitter I would have interacted with him directly.) Dr. Clark recommended I start by reading Living in God’s Two Kingdoms (the topic of this book review) and follow up by reading Politics After Christendom — also by David VanDrunen.

Christianity and Culture in 2024

It’s now September 2024, and people on the internet are discussing Christian Nationalism.

Would this book answer all my burning questions about Christianity and politics? Not really. This book is really about Christianity and culture. I should have noticed that in the subtitle. So here we are. Let’s jump into an overview and analysis of Living in God’s Two Kingdoms.

An Overview of ‘Living in God’s Two Kingdoms‘

Living in God’s Two Kingdoms tries to present a biblical vision for Christianity and culture, challenging popular transformationalist views that call for the redemption of earthly society and institutions. VanDrunen proposes a two-kingdoms model that distinguishes between God’s common kingdom (the kingdoms, countries, and cultures of this world) and His redemptive kingdom (the church / kingdom of heaven).

Key Points

1. The Two Kingdoms: (1) The common kingdom, established through God’s covenant with Noah, encompasses societal institutions and cultural activities shared by all humanity. (2) The redemptive kingdom, established through God’s covenant with Abraham, represents God’s saving rule over His chosen people.
2. DVD grounds his argument in Scripture, drawing parallels between modern Christians and Old Testament figures like Abraham and the Israelites in exile, who lived as “sojourners and exiles” in the world.
3. The book challenges the idea that Christians are called to “redeem culture” or transform society. Instead, it argues that Christ has already fulfilled Adam’s original cultural mandate.
4. VanDrunen suggests that Christians can participate in common cultural activities alongside non-believers while maintaining a distinct identity within the redemptive kingdom (the church).
5. The book emphasizes that the church as an institution has a specific spiritual mission distinct from broader cultural engagement by individual Christians.
6. In the final chapter VanDrunen discusses how this two-kingdoms view applies to areas such as education, vocation, and politics.
7. The book aims to provide a balanced approach between cultural triumphalism and retreat, offering a framework for Christian cultural engagement based on biblical principles.

Audience and Purpose

This book was published in 2010, for a popular (non-academic) audience — to help evangelical Christians grapple with the perennially perplexing topic of Christianity and culture. DVD targets a younger audience influenced by “the New Perspectives on Paul (as exemplified by N.T. Wright) and the emerging church (as exemplified by Brian McLaren)” (p.16) He is particularly interested in reaching (and correcting) readers who (in his view) “share a common vision that the redemptive transformation of culture is central to the Christian life.” (p.17)

He also has a bone to pick with contemporary Neo-Calvinism, especially Albert Wolter’s Creation Regained and Cornelius Plantinga’s Engaging God’s World. (p.17) Furthermore, DVD believes that the “Protestant doctrine of justification is ultimately incompatible with a redemptive transformationist view of culture along the lines of neo-Calvinism, the New Perspectives on Paul, or the emergent church”. (p.58) DVD’s goal is to correct those errors — by providing a scripturally based ‘Two Kingdoms’ alternative.

The Structure and Content of ‘Living in God’s Two Kingdoms‘

The book has three main sections, and follows a logical pattern in seven chapters. After the introduction (chapter 1), the book provides a two-page summary of each section — before launching into the two chapters for that section. A scripture index is provided at the back of the book. Footnotes are kept to a minimum.

Chapter 1 – Introduction: Christianity, Culture, and the Two Kingdoms

Chapter 1: DVD introduces the problem: Many contemporary Neo-Calvinist voices, “emergent church” leaders, and N. T. Wright followers have been “misreading important biblical themes and offering a distorted theology of Christian cultural engagement”. (p. 16,17) VanDrunen asserts that “those who hold a traditional Protestant view of justification consistently should not find a redemptive transformationist perspective attractive.” (p.21) So he introduces the Two Kingdoms alternative. (p.24) He provides a roadmap for navigating the book (p.27), and defines the term “culture” (p. 32)

Part 1: First Things and Last Things

Introduction to chapters 2 and 3. “The Bible is a very big book…” (p.33) So knowing the difference between the first Adam, and Jesus Christ the last Adam provides the “foundation for understanding … the importance of the two kingdoms through the grand story of biblical history.” (p.34)

Chapter 2 – The First Adam: Creation and Fall

The Two Adams “summarize the story of Scripture” and all of world history. (p.36) DVD claims that “Christians’ cultural activities should not be construed as picking up Adam’s original task.” (p.36) Why? (See chapter 3 for the answer.) Adam’s probation in Eden: The covenant of creation/works/life. (p.43) The “first Adam failed in his original cultural mandate and … all of his descendants’ cultural activities are corrupted”. (p.46)

Chapter 3 – Jesus Christ the Last Adam: Redemption and Consummation

DVD insists “This is absolutely essential for issues of Christianity and culture! If Christ is the last Adam, then we are not new Adams. To understand our own cultural work as picking up and finishing Adam’s original task is … to compromise the sufficiency of Christ’s work.” (p.50) Christ “has left nothing yet to be accomplished.” (p.51) DVD quotes 1 Cor. 15:25 Christ “must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” (p.53)

Part 2: Living in Babylon

Introduction to chapters 4 and 5. DVD says that “Jesus Christ, the last Adam, has completed the work of the first Adam, and entered the new creation. Because Christ did that for us, we now belong to him and share in the rights and privileges of the world-to-come.” Our citizenship is in heaven, but “how do we relate to earthly activities and institutions?” (p.73) DVD asserts that “Christ, the last Adam has already fulfilled the original commission” given to the first Adam. (p.74) Living in God’s two kingdoms means living “in the world, but not of the world”.

Chapter 4 – Old Testament Sojourners

DVD introduces the concepts of “Spiritual Antithesis and Cultural Commonality” (p.76) We are to live in the “redemptive kingdom” (spiritual antithesis) while sojourners in the “common kingdom” (cultural commonality). There is “no zone of moral neutrality”. (p.77) Key points: the covenant with Noah and establishment of the common kingdom. (p.78) The covenant with Abraham and establishment of the redemptive kingdom. (p.82) Both kingdoms “operate under God’s sovereign moral authority.” (p.97)

Chapter 5 – New Testament Sojourners

Peter calls Christians exiles or sojourners. (p.99) DVD exclaims: “Few things are more important for the two-kingdoms doctrine than a proper view of the kingdom of God that Jesus announced.” (p.101) DVD defends a crucial claim: “the church is the only institution or community in the present world that can be identified with the kingdom proclaimed by Christ.” (p.101)

Part 3: Christian Life in the Two Kingdoms

Introduction to chapters 6 and 7. DVD reviews previous assertions: “The common kingdom was established in the covenant with Noah, and the redemptive kingdom was established in the covenant with Abraham”. DVD explains that “God rules over both kingdoms” but “he rules them in different ways.” (p.129) Part 3 explores how we should participate in the church, and examines three “controversial and important areas of cultural life — education, vocation, and politics.” (p.130)

Chapter 6 – The Church

DVD explains that “the church is primary for the Christian life. Every other institution — the family, the school, the business corporation, the state — is secondary in the practice of the Christian religion”. (p.132) Next, he explains: “The Church as the Redemptive Kingdom” (p.133). The centrality of worship (p.134). Lord’s Day observance. (p.136). The Church’s Distinctive Ethic (p.141). The Spirituality of the Church (p.146). The Ministerial Authority of the Church (p.151); including a short discussion of the regulative principle of worship (p.156) and diaconal or benevolence work (p.157)

Spoiler alert: You might be surprised as I was to discover that VanDrunen only discusses politics for 10 pages in the final chapter of this book. However, before we jump ahead, let’s understand DVD’s viewpoint about education and vocation.

Chapter 7 – Education, Vocation, and Politics

DVD asserts that “Christians have a responsibility to be involved in a broad range of cultural endeavors… They should honor God by their righteous pursuit of such activities, and they should perform these activities of the common kingdom under the Noahic covenant alongside of and in cooperation with unbelievers.” (p.162) DVD maintains that “Christians’ cultural activity” should be “joyful, detached, and modest” (p.163) “All people are morally accountable to God in their cultural work”. (p.165) However, “the normative standards for cultural activities are not distinctively Christian” (p.168) VanDrunen states that we should “discard familiar mantras about ‘transformation’ and especially ‘redemption'” in describing our cultural work. (p.171)

• Education – What is education and who is responsible for it? (p.173) A discussion of home school, Christian school, public schools, and charter schools; followed by remarks about Christian scholarship. “Study and teaching are never religiously neutral”. (p.179) What kind of schools for our children? (p.182)
• Vocation – What we do for a living; “work, occupation, or profession” (p.187) “All vocations are honorable, but let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor…” (p.190) Regarding vocational ethics, DVD affirms that “objective ethics are determined by the moral demands binding all people under the Noahic covenant.” (p.193)
• Politics – VanDrunen declares in “the strongest terms: politics is a matter of the common kingdom.” (p.194) “Scripture teaches that civil magistrates have been established by God (Rom.13)” (p.197) “Christians have many obligations toward these magistrates who govern by God’s appointment… Christians may serve in political offices.” (p.197) “The state’s authority is limited“. Civil government “should not overstep the bounds that God has established… Since the state is under God’s authority it has no right to operate contrary to His moral law.” (p.197) The state “never has authority to promote what is evil.” (p.198)

The Writing Style and Tone of ‘Living in God’s Two Kingdoms‘

As mentioned earlier, VanDrunen wrote this book for a popular (non-academic) audience. The prose is accessible, engaging, and sometimes conversational. He carefully explained terms and logically arranged the material. The tone is gracious and objective. Although VanDrunen “could cite many examples” (p.16) of authors he disagrees with, he mentions only a few, and spends very little time (if any) attacking or correcting other writers by name. This approach (perhaps specified by his editor and publisher) is helpful for his main audience, but is not useful in an academic setting.

Core Message and Relevance

Overall, Living in God’s Two Kingdoms presents a thought-provoking scripture-based alternative to some popular views on Christianity and culture. The book encourages Christians to engage actively and critically with the world while maintaining their distinct identity as redeemed and justified followers of Christ.

How relevant or applicable is the message to the current times or the intended audience? The lessons about the two-Adams, and God’s covenants with Noah and Abraham are timeless (always relevant) because they provide a framework for understanding the whole Bible, and all of history. However, the book was written in 2010, and some examples (‘popular views’) are outdated or obscure. It’s still relevant to broadly Evangelical and Protestant readers, but NAPARC church leaders might find the book does not scratch where they currently itch, unless they are struggling with the New Perspective on Paul or the emergent church. (p.16) I’ve been an active member of the OPC (like DVD) since 1988, and have never read any books by N.T. Wright or Brian McLaren. Nevertheless, I felt compelled to read this book in 2024, as I continue grappling with NL2K issues, in the present cultural and political climate.

Positives

DVD helps the reader tune out the popular political pundits’ podcast, and tune in to the peaceful promises of God. You might not agree with all of VanDrunen’s assertions, but still find that this book provides helpful reminders of important biblical themes.

Living in God’s Two Kingdoms is saturated with scripture. The Scripture Index lists over 700 references. The book helps readers think deeply about the biblical covenants, and the continuity (or discontinuity) of the old covenant (OT) and new covenant (NT).

This book obviously reinvigorates a healthy discussion about the Two Kingdoms Doctrine, as taught by Reformation leaders such as Martin Luther and John Calvin. (A historical doctrine I was unfamiliar with.)

I agree with Keith Mathison’s assessment that: “VanDrunen’s book provides a healthy corrective to many troubling aspects of contemporary Christianity’s engagement with the world. There are far too many Christians who are confusing biblical Christianity with civil religion.”

Questions

1. Why does DVD only talk about only 3 aspects (or elements) of culture in the final chapter? What about the other elements of culture, such as art, food, holidays, rituals and ceremonies? DVD devotes the first 6 chapters to laying a foundation, and in chapter 7 briefly reflects upon “three important and controversial area of culture: education, vocation, and politics.” (p.31,161ff) Did he run out of time during his sabbatical? (p.9) This question is best answered by DVD, along with his editor and publisher.
2. Why does DVD frequently use the phrase “many contemporary voices” (when critiquing other authors) but very rarely mentions them by name? (p.12,13) Who are these people? Several hints are provided in the introduction (e.g. Dooyeweerd, Plantinga, Wolters, and Wright — p.16,20,21) Chapter 7 is confusing in this regard. DVD says: “Many recent books” (p.166) Which books is he talking about? At the bottom of page 168, a footnote says: “See below for examples of writers who say these sorts of things.” Six pages later he references C.S. Lewis. Really? Am I missing something? Again, these kinds of questions are best answered by DVD, along with his editor and publisher.

Comparisons With Other Books

Why are comparisons helpful?

Comparisons in non-fiction book reviews serve as a critical lens through which readers can understand a book’s content, style, and impact more deeply. By drawing parallels or contrasting with other works, readers can gauge the book’s place within a broader context. This approach aids in evaluating the book’s usefulness and enriches the reader’s comprehension, making the review a valuable guide for potential readers looking to explore new ideas or perspectives. Two of the books were mentioned in my introduction (above) regarding theological tension.

Living In God’s Two Kingdoms – Compared To Other Books

Politics After Christendom: Political Theology in a Fractured World, by David VanDrunen

• VanDrunen, David. Politics After Christendom: Political Theology in a Fractured World. United States, Zondervan Academic, 2020. (MLA citation)
• This book was published 10 years after Living in God’s Two Kingdoms (LING2K). By way of contrast, it’s 400 pages and written for an academic audience vs. 208 pages for a popular audience. It has extensive footnotes, a subject index, and scripture index. The primary topic is politics, whereas LING2K devotes only 10 pages to a discussion of politics.
• Politics after Christendom — Part 1 expands upon ideas introduced in LING2K, further developing the concepts of Natural Law, and the Noahic Covenant. Part 2 explores concepts of Political Ethics.
• In this longer book, DVD interacts and engages with other authors such as Dworkin, Hauerwas, Hayek, Hunter, MacIntyre, and O’Donovan — whereas LING2K mentions a few authors by name; and “many contemporary voices”.
• Both books overlook or ignore the Book of Jonah.
• See my summary of seven books by David VanDrunen.
• My full review of Politics after Christendom is forthcoming.

Christian Ethics: Living a Life That is Pleasing to God (Revised Edition), by Wayne Grudem

• Grudem, Wayne. Christian Ethics (Revised Edition): Living a Life That Is Pleasing to God. United States, Crossway, 2024. (MLA citation)
• This academic textbook, at over 1300 pages, is a thorough examination of Christian ethics, organized around the 10 commandments. Recommended by a variety of theologians including Al Mohler and John Frame. It’s not about politics or civil laws.
• Provides a bibliography at the end of each chapter. Also provides a glossary, subject index, and scripture index, etc.
• Includes Appendix D – A Critique of Theonomy.

Lost & Found: Public Theology in the Secular Age, by Michael A. Milton

• Milton, Michael A.. Lost and Found: Public Theology in the Secular Age. United States, Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2024. (MLA citation)
• Essays by five authors: Michael Milton, John Frame, John Panagiotou, Peter Lillback, and George Grant. Edited by Dr. Milton. 206 pages with extensive end-notes, and a bibliography.
• Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Harry Reeder, who was taken to be with the Lord before he could finish his contribution to this volume.
• Approaches public theology from the perspective of Christian vocation.
• Here’s my full review of Lost and Found: Public Theology in the Secular Age.

The Bounds of Love: An Introduction to God’s Law of Liberty, by Joel McDurmon

• McDurmon, Joel. The Bounds of Love: An Introduction to God’s Law of Liberty. N.p., Courting Books Publishing, LLC, 2019. (MLA citation)
• A gentle and accessible introduction to the topic of God’s law (theonomy). 149 pages, including a bibliographic essay, and scripture index. Our men’s group at Oakland Hills OPC studied this in 2017. My personal copy is an earlier edition published in 2016.
• John Frame says in his recommendation for the book: “The Bounds of Love is a new introduction to Theonomy, the view that Scripture, including the law of Moses, contains abiding principles of civil government. The book is written with exceptional clarity.”
• McDurman says: “Theonomy is the biblical teaching that Mosaic law contains perpetual moral standards for living, including some civil laws, which remain obligatory for today.” (p.24)
• VanDrunen says: “God does not condemn the Babylonians for disobeying the law of Moses, but for their pride.” (LING2K p.95). “The N.T. never indicates that civil authorities have any responsibility to make the social or political order conform to the redemptive kingdom of heaven… the state is simply to [enforce] justice so that Christians may lead a peaceful and quiet life.” (p.121) However, “the state is under God’s authority and has no right to operate contrary to his moral law.” (p.197)

Wall of Misconception, by Peter A. Lillback

• Lillback, Peter A.. Wall of Misconception: Does the Separation of Church and State Mean the Separation of God and Government?. United States, Providence Forum, 2008. (MLA citation)
• Dr. Lillback is President of Westminster Seminary in Glenside, PA
• This historical study was written in 2007, and does not interact or engage directly with any of the other authors. At 205 pages, it’s about the same length as LING2K. It’s written for a popular audience, and includes 21 pages of end-notes, that reference many historical documents.
• The book tries to answer the question: Does the Separation of Church and State Mean the Separation of God and Government? Should the 10 Commandments be removed from public courthouses in the United States? Can religious documents be used in governmental settings for secular purposes?

Usefulness of ‘Living In God’s Two Kingdoms‘

Living in God’s Two Kingdoms is a useful and accessible introduction to the two-kingdoms doctrine. It is probably most useful to the readers described in chapter 1, (e.g. Those who may have been influenced by the ‘New Perspectives on Paul’, the emergent church movement, and some neo-Calvinists). As DVD asserts, these groups “do not hold identical views on all issues, [however] they show mutual respect for each other’s work and, most significantly, they share a common vision that the redemptive transformation of culture is central to the Christian life.” (p.16 – emphasis added.) A footnote at the bottom of page 16 says, “See VanDrunen, Natural Law and the Two Kingdoms, chaps. 7 and 9. In these chapters I discuss neo-Calvinism in more scholarly detail than I can treat here.”

My Reaction After Reading ‘Living In God’s Two Kingdoms‘

The contents of this book are not what I expected. I’m really glad I read this book. My sinful presumptions and some misleading book reviews had previously prevented me from reading it. I can now recommend it to others who are looking for a deeper understanding of natural-law two-kingdoms (NL2K) theology.

I almost made the same mistake twice. When I picked up the book about 8 months ago, I set it down again (for 7 more months). I felt like the intended audience described in the introduction did not scratch where I itched. Since I’ve never read any books by N.T. Wright or Brian McLaren, (p.16) would this book be of any use to me? Years ago, Kevin DeYoung spoke at our Michigan/Ontario OPC family camp about the dangers of the emergent church. Our elders taught against the errors of N.T. Wright and the Federal Vision in Sunday school. Since I have not read books by Dooyeweerd, Plantinga, or Wolters. (p.16,17) — I wondered if DVD would answer any of my burning questions.

Taking The Plunge

Finally, I took the plunge and plowed through the book in one week, during a work trip to Virginia. As I reviewed the introduction a second time, I came across this passage (p.13,14) that punched me in the nose. “Though many writers in recent years have ignored, mischaracterized, or slandered the idea of ‘two kingdoms,’ it has a venerable place in the annals of Christian theology. It stands in the line of Christian thinking famously articulated by Augustine in The City of God, developed in the Lutheran and Calvinist Reformations…” That described me. I was ignoring a book about the ‘two kingdoms’.

Fact Checking

While I was reading the book, I took a lot of notes, and highlighted various passages. I was also ‘fact checking’ things via Google and Perplexity. A Wikipedia article about the two kingdoms doctrine confirmed some facts about Luther and Calvin’s views — in agreement with VanDrunen. It also mentioned Scottish pastor/theologian Samuel Rutherford, author of Lex Rex, and this unlocked another facet of the Anwoth keystone.

This article on Natural Law and It’s Use By The Christian and the World, by Rev. Neiswonger, was also reassuring.

Redemptive Transformation of Culture?

One lingering frustration is unresolved. I’m still not exactly sure who or what DVD is talking about when he says: “Many contemporary voices assert that God is redeeming all legitimate cultural activities and institutions and that Christians are therefore called to transform them…” (p.13) This phrase “many contemporary voices” (p.12) appears too many times throughout the book — without footnotes. Another example: “many redemptive transformationist models dominant in contemporary conversations about Christianity and culture.” (p.103) If there are so many voices and many redemptive transformationist models — why not provide a few examples and footnotes? Perhaps some of these questions are answered (with proper footnotes) in the other books by David VanDrunen.

Missionary Anthropology and Culture Change

Dick VanHalsema, Harvey Conn, and Roger Greenway taught me that missionaries should never attempt to change culture when they preach the gospel. (Never bring in American cultural artifacts as part of the Gospel.) We are called to preach the gospel in obedience to the Great Commission and make disciples of Jesus, teaching them to obey all his commandments. (Matthew 28:19,20 and 1 John 5:2,3)

My Simple Way of Looking At It – An Example

When a person hears the gospel, and they are regenerated by the Holy Spirit — they are given a new heart. When someone is adopted, justified, redeemed, and truly saved, — they will reject some former cultural practices, such as cannibalism.

Call To Action

• Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.
• Read this book.
• VanDrunen and Crossway should be encouraged to edit and publish a revised second edition. Hopefully this will address some of the criticisms, and make it accessible to a wider audience.
• If you found this review helpful, let me know. Comments will be open on this post for several weeks, and you can contact me on X (formerly Twitter).

Related Links and Resources

• Other books by David VanDrunen
• R. Scott Clark’s Resources on the Twofold Kingdom
• Two Kingdoms, One King: What Two Kingdoms Theology Really Is – An introduction to Two Kingdoms Theology by W. Bradford Littlejohn – published in October 2024; reviewed 4-Nov-2024
• The Resurgence of Two Kingdoms Doctrine: Survey of Literature – An article by Michael N. Jacobs in Themelios, Vol. 45, Issue 2; Published August 2020 ~ Reviewed 29-Sep-2024
• God, Government and Roger Williams’ Big Idea – The Puritan minister originated a principle that remains contentious to this day — separation of church and state. An article by John Barry, published in the Smithsonian Magazine – January 2012. ~ Reviewed 30-Sep-2024
• The Messy Middle of Christian Cultural Engagement: Two Reasons Why Evangelicalism Continues to Fracture – An article by Josh Laxton; published on 6-Oct-2020 ~ Reviewed 29-Sep-2024

This article was originally published on 27-Sep-2024 at 5:39pm, and was most recently updated on 4-Nov-2024 at 9:58am.