James Hogg & Mikhail Bulgakov

In the latest London Review of Books podcast, Marina Warner & Adam Thirlwell look at how James Hogg’s JUSTIFIED SINNER & Bulgakov’s THE MASTER & MARGARITA represent fanaticism, be it Calvinism or Bolshevism, & consider why both writers used the fantastical to test reality

@litstudies

https://www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and-videos/podcasts/the-lrb-podcast/close-readings-james-hogg-and-mikhail-bulgakov

#Scottish #Russian #Soviet #literature #JamesHogg #MikhailBulgakov #gothic #horror #fanaticism #Calvinism #Bolshevism #fantasy

With the General Assembly approaching some reading would be advised for Presbyterians

#Calvinism

Andrew Bruce Davidson, Scottish minister, on Job’s defense against accusers (31:13-15). Job’s position couldda allowed him to despise the complaints of servants, except they were persons with rights, children of an avenging God.

Could we stand a shift of burden to the employer not to cause a complaint? What kind of business would that be?

How can you treat those who work for you, or supply you with services, as persons with rights?

#christian #quoting #calvinism #christbody #waterforall

Confessions of a Mystical Calvinist - Credo House Ministries https://buff.ly/0JAlODm #Christianity #heaven #doctrine #calvinism #theology

The documentary artist & illustrator Jenny Soep attended the 2007 festival & captured “The Burning of Scotland” as it happened – visit her website to see the sketch

5/5

https://www.jennysoep.com/events/varied/15.html#various

#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #sunshine #calvinism #AlastairReid #20thcentury

Alastair Reid performed “Scotland” for the last time at the StAnza Poetry Festival in St Andrews in 2007, in an event now known as “The Burning of Scotland”
🔥🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

4/5

https://web.archive.org/web/20210515104933/past.stanzapoetry.org/stanza07_archive/burnscot.htm

#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #sunshine #calvinism #AlastairReid #20thcentury

The whole documentary is available to watch online from the Leman Productions archive: Alastair Reid reflects on 30 years of writing for the NEW YORKER magazine, & his remarkable literary friendships with Robert Graves, Jorge Luis Borges & Pablo Neruda

3/5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2-NTj70oBA

#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #sunshine #calvinism #AlastairReid #20thcentury #RobertGraves #JorgeLuisBorges #Borges #PabloNeruda

In this extract from A Restless Content (1996), made to celebrate his 70th birthday, Alastair Reid – reclining on a hammock in his Greenwich Village apartment – delivers his poem “Scotland”:

2/5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAgGk88t0NM

#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #sunshine #calvinism #AlastairReid #20thcentury

What with the weather being so beautiful in Scotland at the moment we are legally & morally obliged to post

It was a day peculiar to this piece of the planet,
when larks rose on long thin strings of singing
and the air shifted with the shimmer of actual angels…

—Alastair Reid (1926–2014), “Scotland”
published in WEATHERING: Poems & Translations (EP Dutton, 1978)
🌞🌄🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

1/5

#Scottish #literature #poem #poetry #sunshine #calvinism #AlastairReid #20thcentury

New! My talk for the #Reformed Institute of Metropolitan Washington on Nov. 20: "Reformed Contributions to the #Ecological Movement"--great discussion afterward!
#envhist #history #environmentalism #religion #calvinism

https://reformedinstitute.org/program/reformed-contributions-to-the-ecological-movement/

https://youtu.be/qVl0AuoWukM?si=h-W5pl3YoSBCsLLv

Irresistible Gracie.

Now that California has eclipsed Calvin in US culture, what should the other four letters of TULIP stand for?

#USCulture #AmericanCulture #AmericanStudies #Calvinism #GracieAbrams

It's always surprising to me how quickly a ~certain kind of person~ gets angry if you refer to them as 'Currently Abled' or 'Able Bodied'

No matter what, it's perceived as a threat.

You can see peoples brains trip-over the concept.

I suspect it's tied to some peoples cognitive bias around sickness and morality where sick / ill = Moral failing.

#Disability #Accessibility #AbleBodied #Calvinism #Christianity

Could someone *please* tell the #theobros that #TotalDepravity is not supposed to be their life *goal*?!

#exvangelical #theology #Calvinism

John Charles Ryle, evangelical, Anglican bishop, comments on the social divide, the painful degradation of the poor and heartless selfishness of the highest classes. This is sin.

Today, among most of those quoting Ryle, would more say that sin is the grand cause of people criticizing wealth creators?

How can you examine your own selfishness and participation on degradation of the poor?

#christian #thinkglobally #biblicaldoctrine #calvinism #thoseinneed

Are You Tired of Feeling Unworthy?

In a world where the weight of judgment often feels unbearable, many of us long for a place to belong. What if I told you that Jesus invites us to come just as we are? This invitation to authenticity resonates deeply with the angst expressed in the grunge music I grew up on. As a fan of Pearl Jam and Nirvana, I understand the struggle against societal expectations and the longing for acceptance. Kurt Cobain’s lyrics in “Smells Like Teen Spirit” capture a restless spirit that many of us can relate to: the desire to break free from constraints and find true meaning.

Jesus’s Radical Acceptance

Jesus was a revolutionary figure who turned the norms of His time upside down. He welcomed the weary, the outcast, and the sinner, proclaiming in Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV), “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” His message wasn’t about conforming to rigid standards; it was about offering love and grace without preconditions.

However, in today’s religious landscape, we often encounter leaders and organizations that interpret scripture in ways that reinforce legalism and exclusion. Groups such as the American Family Association and the Southern Baptist Convention often emphasize rules over relationships, focusing on personal gain and power rather than the genuine love of Christ. This can lead to a distorted view of God that leaves many feeling unworthy and distant.

The Danger of Misguided Interpretations

Let’s be real: we live in a world where personal agendas can overshadow the true message of the gospel. When scripture is manipulated to serve the interests of a few, it becomes a weapon instead of a tool for healing. Jesus warned against this in Matthew 23:13 (NIV): “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces.”

These interpretations can lead to harmful teachings that leave people feeling rejected or unworthy of God’s love. But Jesus didn’t come to create barriers; He came to tear them down. His call is for all of us, regardless of our past, to step into the light of His grace.

My Journey: Finding Grace in the Darkness

Reflecting on my own life, I can vividly recall a time when I felt completely lost and unworthy. After years of battling alcoholism and addiction, I found myself at a crossroads. I was on the brink of losing everything—my home, my relationships, and even my sense of self-worth.

One day, in a moment of meditation, I turned to prayer. I begged for help, feeling the weight of my failures heavy upon me. I didn’t feel worthy of love or forgiveness. But in that moment of vulnerability, I felt a profound sense of peace wash over me. It was as if God was saying, “Come as you are; you are accepted and loved.” That day marked the beginning of a transformative journey towards grace, where I learned to embrace my flaws instead of hiding them.

This personal experience taught me that we all have struggles and imperfections, but they don’t define us. In my darkest moments, I found that grace is not something we earn; it’s a gift freely given by God.

Johnny Cash: A Voice of Redemption

In many ways, Johnny Cash’s story mirrors my own journey. He was a man whose life was marked by struggles, including addiction and personal loss, yet his music always pointed back to hope and forgiveness. Cash once said, “I’d like to be remembered as a man who had a good and decent family life.” He understood the power of grace and the importance of coming as we are, flaws and all.

Johnny Cash is grunge.

In many of his songs, Cash explored themes of regret and redemption, inviting listeners to embrace their brokenness and seek forgiveness. His life and music remind us that we are not defined by our past mistakes but by our willingness to seek and accept grace.

The 27 Club: Lives Cut Short

The idea of grace becomes even more poignant when we consider the lives of those in the 27 Club. This informal group of iconic musicians and artists, including Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain, all died at the young age of 27, often due to substance abuse or self-destructive behaviors. Their untimely deaths raise profound questions about the struggles they faced and the grace they may have sought.

These artists, celebrated for their talents and cultural impact, often grappled with immense pressure, addiction, and feelings of isolation. In their music, they articulated the pain of living in a world that often feels harsh and unforgiving. Imagine how different their stories might have been if they had embraced the message of grace—the idea that no matter how lost or broken we feel, we are still loved and accepted.

For example, Kurt Cobain, with his haunting lyrics and raw emotion, often expressed feelings of inadequacy and despair. In songs like “Come As You Are,” he invites listeners to be true to themselves. Yet, the very message of acceptance that he preached became a stark contrast to his own life struggles. Had he experienced a deeper understanding of grace, perhaps he could have found the hope and healing he desperately needed.

The Grace They Could Have Found

Each member of the 27 Club had a unique story, yet they shared a common thread of searching for meaning in a chaotic world. They often faced judgment from society and the media, which could amplify feelings of unworthiness. In the light of Christ’s teachings, we can see how grace could have been a lifeline for them.

Imagine Janis Joplin, whose powerful voice conveyed deep pain and longing. What if she had been surrounded by a community that understood the transformative power of grace? Instead of judgment, she could have received love and support, enabling her to navigate her struggles with compassion rather than despair.

Grace in a Judgmental World

So, what does this mean for you? It means that no matter where you are on your journey, you are welcome in the arms of Jesus. In John 8:36 (NIV), He declares, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” This freedom is not reserved for the perfect; it’s available to anyone willing to accept it.

As we move forward, let’s commit to fostering an environment where everyone feels they can come as they are, without fear of judgment. Can we challenge ourselves to reflect Christ’s love and acceptance in our lives? Let’s be a community that lifts each other up, where grace reigns over judgment.

A Call to Action

It’s time for us to embrace the truth of Jesus’s message: You are loved, you are accepted, and you are welcome. In a world that often feels cold and uninviting, let’s be the light that points others to the hope found in Christ.

To truly embody this grace, we must start asking ourselves some critical questions:

• How can we ensure our churches and communities are places of acceptance?

• Are there ways we might be unintentionally shutting the door on others?

• What steps can we take to share the radical love of Jesus with those around us?

Becoming Agents of Grace

To be agents of grace in a judgmental world, we must actively work to dismantle the barriers that keep people from feeling welcome. Here are some practical steps we can take:

1. Practice Active Listening

Sometimes, the greatest gift we can offer is our attention. Listen to others without judgment, allowing them to express their feelings and experiences. This practice can create a safe space for healing and understanding.

2. Share Personal Stories

Opening up about our struggles and vulnerabilities can foster connection and empathy. When we share our own journeys of grace, we help others see that they are not alone in their battles.

3. Challenge Negative Narratives

Stand up against judgmental attitudes within our communities. Promote messages of acceptance and love, and remind others that we are all works in progress.

4. Create Inclusive Spaces

Make a conscious effort to welcome everyone, regardless of their background or struggles. Host events that emphasize community and connection, showing that all are valued and loved.

5. Engage in Outreach

Reach out to those who feel marginalized or excluded. Show them that they are seen and valued, and invite them to be part of your community.

Final Thoughts

As we journey through life, let’s remember that grace is not a destination but a way of living. Embrace your flaws, celebrate your victories, and extend that same grace to others. Together, we can create a world where everyone truly feels they can come as they are—accepted, loved, and free.

Let us walk in the light of Christ, inviting all to experience the radical love of a Savior who calls us to come as we are.

Call to Action: Ready to Talk?

If this resonates with you—if you’ve been feeling lost, judged, or just plain worn out by church traditions—let’s talk. You’re not alone. Share your experiences, ask your questions, or just drop a line below. Jesus’s teachings offer a path to healing and acceptance, even when the church doesn’t.

So, what’s your story? How can we work together to build more compassionate, inclusive spaces where everyone belongs?

Coming Soon: Is Calvinism Blasphemy in Disguise?

I’m working on something that’s gonna ruffle some feathers, y’all. Get ready for a deep dive into how the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 squares up against the five points of Calvinism, better known as T.U.L.I.P. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t look good for the Calvinists.

Calvinism was crafted by John Calvin, a man whose thirst for power and rigid control of his followers bordered on psychopathy. His doctrines didn’t emerge from divine inspiration but rather as a reactionary defense during the Enlightenment—a time when peasants and commoners were just starting to learn to read. With the sudden availability of mass-produced books, people began to question the authority of the church. Calvin’s twisted theology—focused on predestination and the notion that only a select few are “saved”—was a way to maintain control over the masses and keep them in line. ~Sharing Heaven, September 2024

Stay tuned, because once we unravel these beliefs, you’ll see why Calvinism is not just flawed—it’s blasphemous.

In Hope, With Christ- Alan

https://sharingheaven7.wordpress.com/2024/09/29/overcomers/

#alcoholismAndDepression #Calvinism #faithAndMentalHealth #findingHopeAndGraceOutsideOfChurch #howReligiousIntoleranceAffectsMentalHealth #inclusiveChristianity #JesusSTeachings #JesusSWordsOnAcceptanceAndLove #overcomingDepressionThroughFaith #recoveringFromAddictionWithFaithInJesus #religiousIntolerance #rigidReligiousDoctrines #SouthernBaptistChurch #spiritualAwakening #spiritualHealing #spiritualHealingAfterLeavingTheChurch #TULIP_

Stephen Wolfe grew up in Napa, California,
and his father was an admirer of the right-wing pundit and erstwhile GOP presidential candidate Pat Buchanan.

After attending West Point and serving in the Army, Wolfe earned advanced degrees before leaving academia to
“do the Wendell Berry thing”
in North Carolina with his wife and four kids.

Over the summer, Wolfe, 41, agreed to speak with me on the condition that I refer to him as “Dr. Wolfe”
and call him an “expert on Christian nationalism.”

The Dr. Wolfe I spoke with was a more muted version of the firebrand I’d watched online.

He said his ideal version of America would be led by a Caesar figure.

Gay marriage would be strictly prohibited.

Women would not be allowed to vote
—instead, men would vote for their households.

When I brought up the bit from his book about heretics being killed, he grew annoyed.

“I do think it’s permissible, in principle, for a state to suppress theological heresy,
but that doesn’t mean that it’s prudent or proper,
suitable in every circumstance or every tradition or way of life.”

The Founding Fathers, he added, had encouraged religious liberty,
so killing heretics would not be appropriate in the United States that we inhabit.

We turned to remarks he had made at a recent conference convened by Brian Sauvé:
“I think we need to reflect on this idea of Judeo-Christianity,
or Judeo-Christian worldview,
or Judeo-Christian whatever,
and really eradicate that from our thinking.

Because if we say that America is a
Judeo-Christian country,
then it can’t be a Christian country, okay?”

What role, I asked him, would Jews play?

After a deep sigh, he told me that they would be allowed to “exercise their religion freely.”

We spoke a week before Vance’s RNC speech,
and Wolfe’s remarks helped me understand what the TheoBros heard in Vance’s phrase about
"America as a people".

The founders, Wolfe noted, intended for their country to be “Anglo-Protestant with an American inflection.”

America, he continued, is “a place of settlement and rootedness,
but it’s an open ethnicity in which people can become one of us.”

Which is to say that, like some others, Wolfe is not necessarily opposed to the idea of nonwhite people in America
—as long as they agree to assimilate to the Anglo-Protestant dominant culture.

In this telling, America is not a pluralistic society at all,
but rather one in which there exists an uneasy truce between Christians and those they reluctantly tolerate.

Toward the end of our conversation, I asked Wolfe what motivated him.

“I want Christians to be more assertive and to recognize the Christian heritage of the American way of life,
and to seek to restore that,” he said.

“This is a Christian country, and we’ve got to work to restore it to what it once was"

In his keynote address at Sauvé’s conference, titled “Why Multicultural Pluralism Fails and What to Build Instead,”
Wolfe called the concept of America as a melting pot
“an early 20th-century idea cooked up by a Jew in New York who despised the confident Anglo-Protestant establishment.”

WASPs were the “distinct ethnicity” of America, he insisted,

and America should only welcome those who aspired to assimilate.

As he put it, “This is our homeland, and we welcome you on the condition of conformity.”

Or, in the words of JD Vance, America “is a group of people.”

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/09/theobros-jd-vance-christian-nationalism/

#Heritage #Action #Andrew #Isker #Andrew #Torba #Gab #refugees #Paul #Gottfried #Richard #Spencer #William #Wolfe #Big #Eva #Josh #Abbotoy #Claremont #Institute #Project2025 #Heritage #Foundation #Chris #Buskirk #Rockbridge #Network #Leonard #Leo #Peter #Thiel #Vance #Josh #Clemans #Charles #Haywood #warlord #Nate #Fischer #Brian #Sauvé #Mefferd #Joel #Webbon #dominant #man #submissive #woman #Hawley #Johnson #Lee #Vance #Trump #Turning #Point #USA #Tucker #Carlson #flamethrower #Douglas #Wilson #Calvinism #Vance #hypermasculinity #birthrates #ethnonationalism #misogyny #TheoBros #Calvin #Rushdoony #homeschooling #charismatic #New #Apostolic #Reformation #reformed #TheoBros #apostles #prophets #Bible #postmillennialism #Aaron #Renn #Andrew #Isker #Douglas #Wilson #shared #history #patriarchal #Christian #nationalism #young #pastors #Christian #prince #women #flogging #Franco #multiculturalism #Taylor #Swift

William Wolfe served in the Trump administration
both as the deputy assistant secretary of defense
and as director of House affairs at the Department of State.

He is also an alumnus of #Heritage #Action,
a sister organization of the Heritage Foundation,
the arch-conservative think tank behind Project 2025,
whose chief architect, Russell Vought, posted on X that he was “proud to work with @William_E_Wolfe on scoping out a sound Christian Nationalism.”

A few months later, the Bucks County Beacon uncovered a lengthy online manifesto on the goals of Christian nationalists.

The document, which listed Wolfe and Joel Webbon as contributing editors
and Oklahoma Sen. #Dusty #Deevers as a co-author,
called for “civil magistrates” to usher in 💥“the establishment of the Ten Commandments as the foundational law of the nation.”

The manifesto doesn’t specify exactly how Christian nationalists should achieve these goals.

As Tabachnick, the extremism researcher, interprets it, the TheoBros are imagining a utopia where “they are going to be free to be entrepreneurs in all different senses,
including the tech world that they’re mixing with so freely.”

The key, she said, is that authoritarianism “is required to have the utopian vision.”

Last year, the extremism watchdog group Right Wing Watch posted a video of Wolfe quoting a scripture passage.
There are times when “even the God of peace proclaims by his providence, ‘to arms!’” he says.

“If we have ever lived in a point of time in American history since then that we could argue that now is a time ‘to arms’ again, I think we are getting close.”

William Wolfe’s Christian nationalism manifesto made the rounds on social media,
but in mainstream conservative outlets,
it was #Stephen #Wolfe
(no relation to William)
who brought TheoBro ideas to the wider world.

In his book, which was praised by editors at the Federalist and the American Conservative,
Wolfe paints America as a “#gynocracy” whose government and culture have been feminized by unhappy women leaders.
(Sound familiar?)

He has stated on X that women should not have the right to vote, and that “interethnic” marriage can be “sinful.”

#Andrew #Isker #Andrew #Torba #Gab #refugees #Paul #Gottfried #Richard #Spencer #William #Wolfe #Big #Eva #Josh #Abbotoy #Claremont #Institute #Project2025 #Heritage #Foundation #Chris #Buskirk #Rockbridge #Network #Leonard #Leo #Peter #Thiel #Vance #Josh #Clemans #Charles #Haywood #warlord #Nate #Fischer #Brian #Sauvé #Mefferd #Joel #Webbon #dominant #man #submissive #woman #Hawley #Johnson #Lee #Vance #Trump #Turning #Point #USA #Tucker #Carlson #flamethrower #Douglas #Wilson #Calvinism #Vance #hypermasculinity #birthrates #ethnonationalism #misogyny #TheoBros #Calvin #Rushdoony #homeschooling #charismatic #New #Apostolic #Reformation #reformed #TheoBros #apostles #prophets #Bible #postmillennialism #Aaron #Renn #Andrew #Isker #Douglas #Wilson #shared #history #patriarchal #Christian #nationalism #young #pastors #Christian #prince #women #flogging #Franco #multiculturalism #Taylor #Swift

One eager customer is 38-year-old TheoBro #Andrew #Isker
—the pastor who interned at Wilson’s church,
studied divinity at New Saint Andrews,
and co-wrote a book on Christian nationalism with #Andrew #Torba,
the openly antisemitic CEO of the social media platform #Gab.

In July, Isker announced on X that he planned to move his family of seven to lead a church in a New Founding community in Tennessee.

Life in his native Minnesota, he said, had become untenable because of permissive laws around trans rights and abortion,
not to mention how hospitable the state has been to #refugees.

“Minnesota is one of the top destinations for resettling foreign people hostile to our way of life,” he said.

That month, Isker spoke at a Texas conference about the
“war on white America”
alongside #Paul #Gottfried,
the mentor of prominent white nationalist #Richard #Spencer.

The conference was hosted by the "True Texas Project",
a far-right group with ties to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Like many TheoBros,
Isker sees much to like in Vance.

In early July, before Trump announced his running mate, Isker referred to him as
“Senator JD Vance (R-Heritage America).”

In late July, he posted a video of Vance and told his 29,000 followers,
“You need to double down on childless cat lady discourse.
Kamala sees happy, large families and hates them.
She wants them destroyed.
She wants you to never be able to have this.
She is a nasty, bitter harridan who hates all that is true, good, and beautiful.”

One problem is that there simply are not enough TheoBros to populate Christian communities like the one Isker plans to move to.

Enter #William #Wolfe,
the founder of the
"Center for Baptist Leadership", which aims to persuade members of the Southern Baptist Convention that it,
the largest of all Protestant denominations in the United States,
has fallen prey to the corrupting forces of liberalism.

Baptists are only the beginning.

Wolfe wants to win over the entire evangelical mainstream,
which he and other TheoBros refer to as “#Big #Eva.”

In August, he posted on X,
“Once you realize that Big Eva thinks it’s a bigger sin to desire to preserve the customs, heritage, values, and cultural homogeneity of your own nation
than to kill the unborn in the womb, you can better understand their moral framework.”

#Josh #Abbotoy #Claremont #Institute #Project2025 #Heritage #Foundation #Chris #Buskirk #Rockbridge #Network #Leonard #Leo #Peter #Thiel #Vance #Josh #Clemans #Charles #Haywood #warlord #Nate #Fischer #Brian #Sauvé #Mefferd #Joel #Webbon #dominant #man #submissive #woman #Hawley #Johnson #Lee #Vance #Trump #Turning #Point #USA #Tucker #Carlson #flamethrower #Douglas #Wilson #Calvinism #Vance #hypermasculinity #birthrates #ethnonationalism #misogyny #TheoBros #Calvin #Rushdoony #homeschooling #charismatic #New #Apostolic #Reformation #reformed #TheoBros #apostles #prophets #Bible #postmillennialism #Aaron #Renn #Andrew #Isker #Douglas #Wilson #shared #history #patriarchal #Christian #nationalism #young #pastors #Christian #prince #women #flogging #Franco #multiculturalism #Taylor #Swift