Letters Keep Arriving

Regarding “Mud Fence Ugly”

Reformed scholar Calvin Seerveld rightly said “When Christianity abandons the arts, they really do go to hell.” Unfortunately, a century of the Protestant church largely ignoring the cultivation of faithful artists and makers has led the church to simply play copy-cat to secular culture, just 10-50 years behind the curve, “conservatives” conserving the last generations artistic faithlessness.

Christians and pagans both can’t choose what they haven’t seen, and it will take a multi-generational effort of faithful Christian artists to course-correct and begin making art that truly loves our neighbors and glorifies God. This won’t mean merely repeating medieval Catholic aesthetics and arbitrarily cutting off our style at a particular historical date, nor will it means slavishly copying the cool kids of the present, NOR will it mean pretending several millennia of artistic development don’t matter and that we are somehow able to “start fresh” (while actually just naively recreating bits and pieces of what others probably have done better).

We need to be Christians who really do believe the Lord is working out redemption for His people in the happenings of history, and that means we don’t spite the common-grace sun and rain of the arts just because it falls on the unjust too, lest we too be cursed and burned from our lack of artistic fruit (Heb 6). We need to be ready to plunder the artistic knowledge of the world like God’s people plundered Egypt and received the cities and vineyards of the Canaanites. Do they have good artistic possessions? Of course! Does every good thing come from the Lord, the Father of lights? Of course! Are we afraid to possess the artistic land because we don’t believe that the Lord is with us, or that He gives discerning Wisdom by his Spirit to those who seek it? Hopefully not, but if we disobey due to fear, don’t be surprised if the next forty years are subject to futile wanderings in an aesthetic desert until we repent and turn back to the Lord.

We need good churches that are theologically clear, who think the arts matter, and who don’t sneer when a young man says he wants to be a poet, or a painter, or a sculptor, or a designer. It’s not enough to say that it’s hard to support a family as an artist—if the church will have faithful artists, it’s our job to teach them how to do it as courageous entrepreneurs. We need churches that encourage, expect, and affirm artists who act like hard working craftsman, apprenticed to the trade of art-making, rather than unpredictable slackers enslaved to their passions who are easily manipulated by the world.

We need to care about the arts because God made a universe, called it good, and then commanded us to fill it by the glad exercise of responsible dominion over all things, improving, elaborating, and adorning what He has given us just as a wife does with her husband’s gifts. We must refuse to believe that anything, including our spreadsheets or plumbing or factory work or art-making is religiously neutral, for Christ is Lord of all.

It means we don’t ask whether Christians will use the arts in all aspects of life, but rather “which art will we use”. Not whether we will spend money on art, but “upon which art will our money be spent?” It means the art we make and use should be like the Bible: sometimes direct, sometimes oblique; sometimes clear, sometimes requiring many hours of meditation; sometimes shockingly stylized, sometimes deadly realistic; used to help us laugh, cry, work, praise, grieve, wage war, and make peace; sometimes showing us the glory of creation, the wickedness of sin, the surprising treasure of redemption, and the cosmic victory of restoration. It will sometimes be like Jesus, the perfect Image, who the prophet Isaiah said did not on the surface have a beautiful appearance. It will sometimes be like the Father, who’s glory is beautiful to the saved and terrifying to the sinner. It will sometimes be as seemingly unimportant as a cool cup of water given to another in charity.

The world needs Christian artists who can provide leadership to the imaginations of God’s people, and to the elect within the nations who God desires to save.

Shameless promotion: I’m committed supporting the training of the next generation of Christian artists by working for the Maker Institute of Studio Art + Theology. If you care about the Christian future of the arts, we’d love to talk with you. Our first academic year is planned to start August 2024.

Oh, and Angels in the Architecture is in the curriculum.

Cody

I greatly enjoy both the writing of yourself and KDY and have been helped by each (with disagreements at time for both). KDY the individual has been a great writer, often challenging TGC-types in his own group with things like “I Don’t Understand Christians Who Watch Game of Thrones,” “I Still Don’t Understand Christians Who Watch GOT,” “Have More Children and Disciple Them.” He was full-throated in denouncing Revoice. Openly calls out the wrongness of same-sex identification. So it seems he has no problems standing up the ‘Respectables’ when needed. It’s also clear to me that KDY has been quietly distancing himself from TGC for a few years now. His writing is out of step with TGC. He pulled his blog from TGC and publishes it himself now. I’m willing to bet he cringes when he sees Taylor Swift-like articles and Brett McKracken’s movie reviews being published. That all being said the fact that he hasn’t fully distanced himself from this group is the ball-and-chain that’s drowning out his argument. Why he stuck up for the ELRC is beyond me. It’s inconsistent with his writing. Why he has chosen to go the ‘respectable’ route in this case, but is willing to have a backbone in most others baffles me. Any ideas why now?

I wonder if KDY is writing based on something he’s seeing at his church. One thing I’ve noticed in my church among the fiercest defenders of the Moscow Mood is that they latch onto the serrated edge but miss out on any of the substance that goes with it. Men who use your no-holds barred style in their personal communication. Men who talk about their large families but haven’t changed any of their little one’s diapers. Men who have many of thoughts about how church should function (more like Moscow of course), but can’t be bothered to get involved. I’m not faulting you for that. You are not responsible for how others might take your writing in an irresponsible way. When KDY talks about the “negative long term spiritual effects” I wonder if this is what he’s referring to. It’s possible that some pastors like KDY see this kind of behavior, connect the dots, and conclude ‘this Wilson guy is the source of all this trouble.’ If this is what KDY’s writing against, it is a problem, but he shot at the wrong target.

Last, you should be most grateful for KDY writing this article if for no other reason that the term, “Moscow Mood” is a great line. It’s worth embracing and it should stick around for quite some time.

Anthony

Tom Hicks and his comrades have bolstered themselves and, as of late, are vying for a full time position at Examining Moscow on Twitter. He is not just channeling his inner RSC on Twitter, Tom has also written a piece on you here.

It is supposed to be damning evidence for why you are dangerous. I pray you, sir, unsheathe your pen and respond to Tom Hicks before his “tweets delete.”

Matthew

I have been tremendously blessed by your content over the years being a reformed Baptist. I agree with you on most things and enjoy the use of rhetoric and metaphors in your blogs. I think you are a story teller like Jesus was and I desire to be one myself . . .

I’m originally from India and grew up in a charismatic church in the Middle East. I’ve always struggled to understand the American individualism and smooth talking, as opposed to direct talk, since coming to the US in 2016 and being part of reformed churches. Foster, you and others were a breath of fresh air but also it took me a while to get used to the spice because that was not characteristic of the direct speak in our churches in India or Middle East. I also struggle with the idea of Christian nationalism and mere Christendom on two accounts.

1. I’m not American and so how can I be a nationalist and what happens if America attacks India or the Middle East where most of my people live?

2. I’m married to a godly American woman who is of a different ethnicity. So did I sin? Or was it sub-optimal? I don’t think so, but my mom thought so till she saw her godliness. Shouldn’t Christ unite than divide over ethnic lines? Is there a solution? I want to share with you what weighed me down more than any of those things. My desire is for the western church to learn from the eastern church and vice versa. In the matter of hospitality and brotherly love, your camp is one I think speaks most closely to what I’ve experienced in the East. Yet, my wife and I visited your church on a business trip to CDA early this year. I could sense in the church service that there were some newer people or people that were still getting to know each other at the church. So I want to give a lot of grace to this critique. We came there with a desire to see, share, learn and partake in godly fellowship so that we could take back that Moscow mood back to Columbus OH where we live. But, not one person except you spoke to us and I am hoping that it is an exception. Back in India, when a new person came to church we made it a point as a congregation to cut short conversations between regular members of the church to greet and get to know the new person. It was an intentional movement because we knew that as the regular members of the church we would be in spaces of community all through the week and even the rest of the day. Would you say that my experience was not the norm?

All this to say, I appreciate your ministry deeply and have shared you with people in India. Praising God for what He is doing through you and hoping that you have many more years in this role!

Johann

In the Man Rampant episode with Voddie Baucham, you mentioned that you believe that all babies who are killed in the womb as a result of abortion are saved (if I understand you correctly). How do you come to this conclusion? If election is a result of God’s sovereign choice before the foundations of the world, and the hidden things belong to God, how could we ever know definitively who is elect? Of course, we can see outward fruit of regeneration, but in the case of an unborn baby where we cannot see outward fruit of regeneration, how could we know that the baby is saved? I certainly believe it is possible for a baby in the womb to be regenerate (as I believe was the case with John the Baptist), but apart from supernatural revelation that we have in the case of John the Baptist, how could we ever know that an infant is regenerate? If I am correct in understanding your position to be that all babies killed in the womb are saved, do you have a cut off point at which you are no longer sure that the child is saved? E.g. if babies killed in the womb are saved, are babies who die right after delivery saved? What about those who die after two weeks? As pro-life activists have insisted, there is virtually no difference between a baby right before it is born and right after, but would you say that one is saved for sure while we are not sure about the other? I know that you affirm the doctrine of original sin, so I imagine that your position would not be based on an age of innocence, but do you have some other criteria for determining a cut off point?

Also, how would you respond to the argument that if all babies who die in abortion are saved, abortion is accomplishing a greater good. We generally accept the principle that it is worth sacrificing temporary money, heath, resources, etc. for the sake of the Gospel because those things are temporary while eternal life in heaven lasts forever, would the same principle not apply to aborting babies if this secures their eternal salvation? I certainly think some of them could be saved, but I don’t see how we could know that they are all saved. It seems to me that the best we could say is that the judge of the universe will do right, but we do not know what exactly the result will be in each case.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and please correct me if I have not understood your position correctly!

Will

This is a question for Doug..

Is there any issue with someone doing a quiet hobby during church service, like crocheting, drawing, or other busywork with hands, while listening to the sermon? An adult person that is.

Thank you,

Katie

Thank you for focusing on the typology of Christ’s first advent in ‘By Prophet Bards Foretold.’ This got me ruminating on how much the prophets themselves understood of their typology while penning the Scriptures, and how that might relate to the apostles in the NT regarding the final advent of Christ. From 1 Peter 1:10-12 and Ephesians 3:4-11, it seems like the writers of prophecy in Scripture could write true things about a more immediate reality without knowing that it foretold (by the Spirit) something more ultimate/final in the future. They did not have the full type/antitype picture, even though their message included it.

My question is this: Is it possible that when the apostles refer to the future coming of Christ, they did not necessarily see a distinction between his coming in judgment in AD 70 and the final judgment at the end of history? I say this because the language used in the NT often seems to blur or overlap the two realities (coming of Christ, day of the Lord, etc). Obviously, the Spirit knew during inspiration and Spirit-guided interpreters can know this now through careful exegesis, but did the apostles know this while writing or were they similar to the prophets in 1 Peter 1, searching and inquiring while they wrote?

Jeremy

I am not responding to any post in particular. My question is on post-millennialism. How do you good people at Christ Church interpret Luke 18:8? Jesus seems to ask this question in a rhetorical way, as if the answer is obviously no. I am interested because I am one of those people who think that post-mil would be great if it were true. I have always been taught that everything will get worse before Jesus comes back.

Ariel

I grew up in a dispensational premillennial church, and one of the chapters they always hammered away on was Joel 3.

Try as I might, I simply cannot find a postmillennial, preterist, or even amillennial commentary on Joel 3.

I’m so utterly perplexed about this chapter because its Armageddon-style, end-of-the-world nature seems to fly in the face of the postmillennial/preterist interpretation of history. Are there no postmillennial resources on Joel 3?

Any help you can give here is greatly appreciated.

In Christ,

Brooker

I’ve been watching your videos, hearing some of your sermons, and reading your books for two years now. You could say I’m a fan of yours. I thank you for all that you do, and I believe you are carrying out the Lord’s work faithfully.

I should tell you that I’m currently writing my own blog. Like you, I enjoy writing about Christianity and cultural apologetics. I must confess that my blog posts are somewhat inspired by yours.

Do you have any advice for a younger, newer writer like me? I ask because I aim to become a journalist in the near future. I would particularly like to be a Christian journalist.

Thanks,

Brandon

You’re really an embarrassment to Idaho. What amazes me about judgmental so-called Christians like you is that you typically behave in a manner that is antithetical to Jesus and the life that he lived. He must be truly aghast at the things that are said and done in his name (for many centuries). Maybe you should move to Africa or South America and try to do some real good instead of rabble-rousing here. I’m totally disgusted with the religious right. You misinterpret the Bible regularly. Forgiveness and acceptance is much of what Jesus is said to have preached. You and your ilk are more like Inquisitors in Spain centuries ago! Please go away!

Robert

Re: On Authority, Order, and Equality within the Godhead

Reading this reminded me of something that was bothering me. Several times this statement uses the word “infinite” with respect to the Godhead. On what Biblical basis can “infinite” be used to describe God? I can accept “eternal” as time can and will extend for infinity, but an infinite attribute of God would swallow up the universe and then some. Something that is infinite is really, really BIG!

Now I understand the these infinite attributes are in no way physical, but anything described as infinite would be all encompassing to the detriment of other, finite, attributes.

Ron

I’ve been a listener/reader of your stuff for about a year now. I appreciate your straight-forward approach and Get the Girl was a very encouraging and challenging book to me.

I have a question about finding mentorship as a young man. I’m in my 20s and am fresh out of college moving to a new city. I’ve never had really solid, close, and consistent mentor/mentee relationship with an older believer in my life. I used to think having a “mentor” was one of those marketing gimmicks that rolls through the Christian scene every couple of months, but as I’ve stepped out into adult life for the first time i truly realize how much I don’t know and how helpful having an older believer to talk to and ask questions of would be incredibly helpful.

My question is how do I go about finding this when moving to a new city? Do I just find the first solid Reformed church I see and start talking to the old folks? Or is there a better way to go about this that would be more effective? I appreciate any advice you have!

Thankful for Christ’s work through you and your help,

Sam

How would you counsel a man in starting fires/picking fights? What would be your guide in picking up the flamethrower, so to speak? I am an apprentice in this art and want to understand how to fight well–jovially and in good faith.

Many thanks for your fiery ministry!

GS

I recently read DeYoung’s article about you and the Moscow Mood. I love you both and have really benefited from both of your work and ministries. So I’m looking forward to how you two may continue to interact. Here is a question I’ve had about you for a while, and DeYoung’s article reminded me of it. I think I recall a video of your family talking about you (you had left the room to take care of your dad, I think) where they said they had never seen you cry. That struck me as interesting. And as I considered everything I’ve ever heard or read from you, it occurred to me that NO WHERE do I recall a tone of weeping or sorrow. Righteous anger, yes. Biting sarcasm, yes. Prophetic truth-telling, yes. Biblical teaching, yes. Even tenderness, yes. But a sense of weeping? Deep sorrow? Mourning? No. Not to my recollection anyway.

It seems to me that for someone to really imitate Jesus Christ, and others like Paul or Jeremiah, one would have to have the character quality to, at least occasionally, weep at one’s own sin, weep at the sin of God’s people, and weep at the state of the lost.

So my question is (and I’m asking this as a greater admirer and someone who is very thankful for your work and wants to see your influence and the influence of Moscow continue and grow stronger): When was the last time you wept at your own sin, the sin of the church, and the state of our lost world? And if the answer is a long time ago or hardly ever, might that not indicate some lack in you and a potential weakness that will be reinforced to others who look to you?

Nick

I was reading Berkhof’s Reformed Dogmatics the other day and found a section where he recounts the Gottschalk controversy where he ultimately comes to the conclusion that “this controversy proved to be after all little more than a debate about words. Both the defenders and the assailants were at heart Semi-Augustinians.” I imagine there is very much of this “debate about words” going on today in many different theological areas. With that, I’ve wondered: Does your view of faith and works resemble what MacArthur brands as Lordship Salvation in any way? I don’t believe he teaches a works based gospel, and understand his reasoning, but I have seen detractors lump you and him together in their accusations regarding that issue. Me being way off in left field on this could also be a likely reality. I am grateful for the work that both you and he have done for the Kingdom but have wondered if there is perhaps some common ground in how that issue is addressed.

Many thanks!

Luke

I live in a city in the Midwest of about 1.3 million people. I attend a faithful and vibrant Reformed church that also has a ACCS school that was just launched (literally the only one in the entire city). I can’t tell you how many people want to come to our church AND send their children to our school but don’t do so because it would be an inconvenience for them to drive an extra 10-20 minutes a day to do so. Instead they attend ho hum churches that usually don’t line up with their theology and send their children to local public schools/non classical Christian schools that are closer to home.

You’ve been in the game a long time . . . what gives? Any word you have for these types of people?

Tim

This question is a follow up to my Justin Peters question: Peters was saved while he was serving as a pastor, and it was only, according to his testimony, after he understood and believed that repentance is gift from God did he get saved.

You said “nobody is saved by Calvinism.” Agreed. But you might agree that Calvinism is the best representation of the gospel. And God requires one to understand certain proposition before He gives saving faith.

So my questions are: what are the bare minimum propositions one has to believe in order to be saved? And are there any resources on this subject you would recommend?

From what you’ve said previously, the proposition that “salvation is by faith alone by grace alone” and “repentance is a gracious gift of God” are not necessarily to be understood before the gift of saving faith is given, for that would rule out Arminians.

Sincerely,

Peter

In my last letter, I asked for your thoughts on Operation Reconquista, an effort to re-take the mainline Protestant denominations back for conservative, traditional theology. I was highly grateful and happy that you responded in your always welcome trademark snark and wit (that my wife and I quite enjoy), but I found your trademark willingness to fight notably absent. Not to be dismayed, I’d like to ask a couple of follow up questions.

What then shall we do with the wonderful tradition of the mainline Protestant denominations, including their beautiful buildings, most of which were built out of a glorious understanding of theology and its out-workings, especially in architecture? Shall we cede that ground to the liberal invaders (for invaders they most certainly are, notwithstanding the fact that they are quite entrenched at this point)?

Secondly, does your strategy of “great if it works but don’t kid yourself” carry over to the leftist influence in American government as well? Are we to let the wonderful institutions and buildings in this country, even the Capitol building itself, fall solely into the hands of the liberals or should we seek to reform, revive, and restore these institutions to their former faithfulness?

Is there not great merit and worth in fighting back the onslaught on the very ground that once belonged to our forebears?

I say this in all the charity and encouragement that I can muster. I hope this is an exhortation to consider a different effort. I am grateful for your influence and work. And I anxiously await your response.

Many thanks again,

JR

I am trying to learn more about the detrimental effects the 2nd great awakening has had upon modern Christianity, and the ways in which it differed from the 1st GA. Do you have any resources (books or articles) that you would recommend on the subject?

Thanks,

CC

Forgive me, I believe I asked a similar question some time ago, but lost the answer. Glenn Beck is calling for renewing our covenants with God. While he does have attachments to some of the weirdness that is Mormonism, it still makes me wish to study what covenants we’ve neglected which we’re under here in America. I know about the Mayflower compact and some of Lincoln and Washington’s actions, but I remember you once mentioned a book about some of the covenants we’ve inherited from Britain. Can you please re-link it, along with any others you or the readers can recommend?

Ian

My wife and I have agreed several times that we shouldn’t argue in front of the kids. Yet when disagreements come and I suggest we talk about it later, once we’ve cooled off and the kids are not around, she demands we discuss everything ‘right now.’ How am I to navigate this? I really don’t want our kids to see us arguing.

MH

Do you have any book recommendations on how to read, study, retain, consume, and manage information?

Sincerely,

Peter

Where’s the line between duty and love? The way I look at it, I have a responsibility to protect, provide, and lead my wife and kids. I have a responsibility to worship with fellow believers every Lord’s day (morning and evening service), to give tithe, and to give some more cheerfully. Other than that, I try and do what I love with my time.

Am I obligated to give more of my time to other people? After fulfilling my duties, I find working and studying to be a better use of my time than socializing. I also find it infuriating when people seek help for the troubles they face after being irresponsible. How do I look at this correctly?

Sincerely,

Jake

I think Paul’s thoughts about Philemon are very similar to mine about Nancy — “I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you” (Philemon 1:4-7).

Nancy has been a source of refreshment to me for almost 50 years. May the Lord continue to use and bless you both.

Susan