We have reached a crisis of law in Western society, one predictable enough in light of the rejection of religion in one way or another. The crisis stems from not having an understanding of what stands over law. Lawmakers and judges often say, ‘We are a nation under the law?’, but what happens when the law itself is under nothing? This brief essay raises the question, ‘Can Western society actually be a society of good laws once it gives up respectfulness or even reverence for religion and nature/creation?’ The question is not only asked regarding Christianity, although as a question for Western society in the 21 st century, it is largely about the recently emerged, post-Christian context. The essay will explore the arguments of Marcus Tullius Cicero, a renowned Roman legislature in the first century BC. He argues that a society’s laws must fit into a wider cultural context that honours the gods and is willing to live according to nature, not against it. In ...
Introduction I would like to reflect on two ways to speak of the Gospel of our salvation. The first is the more common way that has to do with justification by grace through faith. I call this Forgiving Grace. The second is in terms of understanding and bearing fruit. I call this Transforming Grace. (Martin Luther, known particularly for his theology of forgiving grace, nonetheless early on preached a similar message, ‘Two Kinds of Righteousness’.) Forgiving Grace So, first, let’s cover familiar territory and speak of justification by grace through faith. We Christians, particularly we Evangelicals, will very often describe the Christian life by speaking of God’s saving us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, our Saviour. When we explain what it means for Jesus to be our Saviour, we continue with saying that Jesus’ death on the cross was for our sins, a free gift from God to people still in their sins. We cannot ear...