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Saturday, June 8, 2013

Neo-Reformed Life-system


Christianity is an entire life-system. It transforms every aspect of ones being. It is a call to interact in the world, shaping it for the glory of God. Christianity demands not just one day but all day everyday of undivided devotion. Christianity therefore does not compartmentalize its faith; rather the Christian’s faith permeates every aspect of ones being.  Such a comprehensive and irreducibly complex faith requires the same kind of theological/ philosophical framework. This kind of comprehensive life-system is found in in the Neo-Reformed tradition. This paper seeks to explore the foundations of the Neo-Reformed life-system. It does this first by an analysis of Jean Calvin, Abraham Kuyper and Herman Dooyeweerds theological/philosophical system. This life-system will then be analyzed and compared with other ethical systems displaying how the Neo-Reformed tradition stands out from the rest. Finally, there is a section on the application of this life-system.

Background

            Jean Calvin followed in the footsteps of Luther in splitting from the Romanist Church. Calvin was a pinnacle figure in the Reformation in France during the 1500’s. Calvin’s systematic theology found in the Institutes of the Christian Religion is the foundations for Protestant Theology. It is a work that has shaped countless thinkers in the Reformed tradition including that of Abraham Kuyper.  Abraham Kuyper was a pastor, politician, newspaper editor, and founder of the Free University of Amsterdam in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. Abraham Kuyper built upon Calvin’s theology of common grace, formulating it into a concept called sphere sovereignty. Sphere sovereignty was developed into a modal law theory by Herman Dooyeweerd in the mid-1900’s. Dooyeweerd took the principles of the Kuyperian structure and established them within an epistemological framework. While Calvin and Kuyper focused on the independence of the spheres and individuals thought, Dooyeweerd shifts a bit towards more interdependence of the “spheres” and individuals thought.

Jean Calvin: Reformed Foundations

            Jean Calvin laid out the foundations of Protestant Orthodoxy. Among the doctrines re-affirmed by Jean Calvin the sovereignty of God is at the center. Humanity on the other hand is far from it existing in a state of total depravity. Humanity therefore needs the grace of God to be manifested. God manifests God’s grace in a salvific manner for the elect and in a common manner for all in accordance with God’s sovereign will. This grace allows for freedom in Christ to overcome humanities bondage to sin equipping them for good deeds. It is this framework that becomes paramount for the Neo-Reformed life system.

            God maintains meticulous sovereignty over the entire creation. Nothing escapes the providence of God. Everything happens in accordance with God’s will and for God’s glory. God acts as the creator, sustainer, and ruler of the universe, superintending everything to the minutest detail. [1] A core component of God’s sovereignty is the election of a people to God-self. It is with the elect that God has a privileged relationship, working in the elect inwardly by the Spirit and outwardly by the Word. [2] From this sovereign control one sees God’s love for creation. Because God loves the elect, their salvation “is not acquired by slavish observance of the law, but is obtained by faith.”[3] One’s salvation is therefore not dependent upon works of the law but on faith. This faith is also a gift of God.  Because it is of God, and not of oneself, there is assurance of eternal life. Hence God receives all the glory for the work of salvation.

            God’s meticulous sovereignty becomes all the more necessary because of the fallen nature of humanity. Humanity exists in a totally depraved state. Nothing about the human being is pure following the fall, everything has been crippled by sin along with everything that emanates from humanity. [4]  Humanity thereby is alienated from the righteousness of God, incapable of desiring or doing anything pure and upright, while outwardly it might appear as if some do righteous deeds inwardly they are filled with corruption such that it is bound up in wickedness. [5] Humanity has gone astray and is only capable of going astray on its own. There is nothing in humanity of any merit or worth, only sin and shame. Humanity stands in utter and complete need of the grace of God. But it is only when one understands the magnitude of the breadth and depth of sins depravity in humanity that one can see the full sweetness of divine grace. [6] Once one has received God’s saving grace they are no longer their own, but rather live and die to God. [7]

            God’s sovereignty is manifested to everyone through common grace. God acts to maintain the world, meaning that human depravity, even in the non-elect, is restricted. Some of this is done through societal restrictions. [8] Because humanity is a social animal there is a natural instinct to seek to preserve society through civil institutions. God appoints rulers and principalities to govern people and insure that justice is maintained between the peoples. The necessity of this is affirmed by everyone’s God given reason. [9] This common grace not only acts to sustain it also acts to purify in such a way that the elect have freedom in the world to enjoy life, provided that one maintains a focus on living in accordance with the will of God. [10] This means that charity must be shown toward the entire human race, seeing them not in themselves but in God. [11] The elect bear a unique responsibility as those that have been gifted with the special grace necessary to perform these good deeds by virtue of their regeneration. [12] Overall, one sees that purity, piety, holiness, and justice emanates from God, as a gift of common grace in, from, and for, the elect. [13]

            Being equipped to perform good deeds gives the elect a true freedom in Christ. God gives the elect both the will and the power to perform the good work, and hence God receives all the glory. [14] It is thereby a gift of grace that humanity obtains liberty, is filled with joy, is able to persevere, has a will that possesses the good, all of which establishes the dependency of humanity on God. [15] This freedom is still subject to the will and sovereignty of God governing the affairs of the world. [16]  Christians also have a spiritual freedom, a freedom from sin and its guilt.[17] Part of the Christian’s liberty is the recognition that justification is not by the law but by the grace of God in accordance with God’s sovereignty. [18] No merit can possibly be derived from free will as it is all an act of God. [19] One’s merits are derived after the forgiveness of sins when the perfections of Christ are imputed upon the elect. [20] This means that there is a balance to be had between becoming so unnerved by one’s own depravity that one does not use their freedom to accomplish God’s will and yet still be restrained enough not to go beyond ones calling. [21] Any freedom one enjoys is for life, not luxury, being content within ones station.[22] In the interest of charity, all excess should be used for the benefit of others. The liberty that one has is to be subservient to one’s charity and charity in turn subservient to purity of faith. [23] Ultimately if the use of one’s freedom causes another to stumble in the interest of charity that freedom should not be exercised and both freedom and charity are subject to one’s own faith commitments.

Abraham Kuyper—Sphere Sovereignty

            Abraham Kuyper builds from the foundations set by Jean Calvin for the Reformed tradition. Kuyper formulates a model for Christian engagement in the world within the Reformed framework. Kuyper begins with the cultural mandate to “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Gen 1:28b). Like Adam cultivated the garden, humanity now continues the cultivation in culture. The foundations for culture are laid within the creational order to be developed by humanity. Christians by virtue of their humanity, participates within culture, developing the various spheres of culture for the glory of God.  Kuyper argues for Christian engagement in the spheres of politics, science, aesthetics, business, and ecclesial working towards the redemption of each sphere. Kuyper is able to do this while standing firmly within the Reformed tradition by appealing to the sovereignty of God over every sphere and the common grace of God enabling free Christian engagement.

            Common grace is understood as a gift of God that relaxes the curse that was upon the creation, limiting the curse only to that which is sinful within creation. [24] This emphasis on common grace allows for the Reformed tradition to escape the dualisms of human life that are established in partial religions. [25]  The Reformed tradition maintains a monism that preserves the one-ness of human life because it is one-God that upholds it. With all dualisms removed including the nature and grace dualism characteristic of the Romanist tradition, the Reformed tradition is able to conclude that the grace of God restores nature.[26]  

            The congregation simply cannot just retreat to their churches and let the world do as it will.[27] Even though the whole creation is dead in its sin the ideal remains that the whole creation would give glory to God and it is this ideal that the Christian strives after. [28] The church exists for the sake of the world, to be the salt and light of the world. The congregation therefore looks first to God and then to their neighbor who is made in the image of God. [29] The salvation of this world is not done through ethical philosophizing but rather by placing everything face to face with the divine that their heart might tremble at God’s majesty. [30] This is not just the posture of a select few but rather there is a priesthood of all believers, all are tasked, by virtue of their faith in the true King, to have an impact in every aspect of their being, and it is that faith that binds them together in Christ.[31] The unity of the Universal church is therefore a spiritual unity that finds its basis for its existence in heaven.[32]

            The state is derived from an extension of the creational normative of the family as a necessity for societal living.[33] The magistrate on the other hand comes about because of sin as an instrument of common grace to restrain the forces of sin/ evil in the world.[34] The magistrate thereby has the God given authority to bear the sword in three ways: the sword of justice, the sword of war and the sword of order.[35] The sword of justice is to insure that justice is given to all regardless of means, that the spheres maintain their own autonomy and are not threatened or threatening the autonomy of others and that the spheres are properly fulfilling their creational duties. [36] The sword of war is for the defense of the people against an attack. The sword of order is the power to tax and do everything that is necessary to preserve the proper ordering of society. The government also must be held in check by the other spheres as not to exceed its bounds.[37] For instance the government does not possess the means to properly interpret scripture, that is the duty of the church, and therefore there should be no state religion.[38] Nevertheless, all political systems find their basis in religious/ anti-religious conceptions of reality.[39] There is not religious neutrality in government. Government is capable of going beyond its sphere of control and going against the law of God. But nevertheless, government must still be submitted to by Christians as much as possible because governments are an instrument of God at work in the world.

            Each sphere therefore maintains its own God given authority.[40] The spheres do not derive nor depend upon government, the people, nor any other entity for their authority, but it is given to them by God, to be used in accordance with God’s will. The spheres have an independence that they might use their freedom to accomplish the task that is assigned to them without interference of the rest. In the scientific sphere therefore the normalist has just as much right to build an argument to support its conclusions, but the abnormalists must be given that same freedom as well.[41] Neither the church nor the state should stop the normalist from articulating its conclusions even if it does disagree with the biblical narrative.

            The Christian is therefore to conduct themselves in the way of godliness in each of the sovereign spheres. This way of godliness is in part submission and in part resistance.  As has been discussed in part one submits to the rulers of each sphere that God has appointed in accordance with God’s sovereign providence. But on the other hand sin is still an active and vibrant force in the world impacting every aspect of creation including the demonic, nature and humanity.[42]  As Christians encounter these forces at work in the world they are to operate in accordance with the guiding principle of what is the will of God concerning this?[43] God must mediate this process as human effort alone is vain and abominable.[44] It is only with the assistance of God that humanity is able to resist the threats posed in these three areas.

            As the world now stands the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan are pitted against each other.[45] But in principle Christ has conquered Satan at Calvary with the final defeat happening at the consummation.[46] God now permits Satan to molest creation but Christians are called to resist the devil’s schemes.[47] One must accept that it is under God’s dominion that they suffer and that from that suffering there is no escape.[48]  Nevertheless, by the sweat of one brow one is to work, battling with nature and all the other forces that stand against the righteousness of Christ. In some cases God has provided remedies in nature, herbs that assist in the healing process.[49] However, one should not zealously seek after conquering nature, all attempts to see after medical help which excludes the LORD must be condemned.[50]  In conflicts with other human beings, Christians do not resist, however, governments are exempted for the purposes of defense.[51] However, Christian’s passivity is even limited only to it affecting finances, comfort and pleasure, Christians cannot violate God’s law.[52] This does not give Christians the grounds to have a rebellious spirit.[53] Rather instead of ones guiding principle being peacekeeping it should be what is right according to the word of God.[54] This posture is done in all of the spheres including the church and state. In the church Christians hate all untruth seeking to win back all who have strayed.[55] There is tolerance where there is not fundamental doctrine on the line, and patience with those who are weak in the faith, but zealous resistance for the strong who are seeking after followers to false beliefs. It does this because there can be no lasting peace in the church without full harmony of belief.[56]

            The battle for the LORD in the various spheres begins within oneself.[57] The holier than thou attitude is sinful and abhorrent.[58] All have sinned, including the leaders of the various spheres. The leaders are not in the position they are in by their own virtue but by the LORD’s sovereign providence.[59] One’s task is to resist the forces of evil in every sphere, not for oneself but for the glory of God.[60] While the final defeat of evil is only completed upon Christ’s second coming there is still work that must be done in the meantime. While one watches for the LORD’s coming they are not to be idle, rather be preparing the way for the LORD.[61]

            Kuyper therefore has much in common with Jean Calvin. Like Calvin, Kuyper holds that all authority emanates from God in all areas of life. [62] Like Calvin, Kuyper sees a God that wants his creatures to put their resources to use and not be idle. [63] Like Calvin, Kuyper holds to the necessity of Christ for restoration and freedom. [64] However, Kuyper understands freedom a bit differently. When Calvin speaks of freedom it is freedom from the power of sin that one might become a servant of Christ. For Kuyper however, freedom is expanded to include a physical component, for instance for Kuyper there is freedom in government or church to elect ones leaders, or the insistence that Christians should be free to assert their own scientific findings. This expanded view of freedom comes from an expansion of Calvin’s conception of common grace. Under the old form of Reformed thought things like cards, theater, and dance were thought of as off limits for Christians because of some demonic underpinnings. There was still some things that were wrong in and of themselves. But Kuyper begins to challenge this notion, arguing that by virtue of the core goodness of creation and that in Christ all things have been made new such that nothing might be declared unclean, nothing is outside of the grace and sovereignty of God such that it would be forbidden to Christians.  

Herman Dooyeweerd—Modal Law Theory

            Dooyeweerd searches for the starting point for philosophical thought. On the side of theoretical thought many including Kant seek to root its foundations within itself. Others have sought to come at it from the position of the naïve essence in the phenomenological field but are still unable to escape the self. Each have rooted their thinking in the autonomy of thought, and found no need for justifying it.[65] In thought there are various modal aspects in which an entity participates in, these modal aspects include: a numerical aspect, a spatial aspect, an aspect of extensive-movement, an aspect of energy, a biotic aspect, a feeling/ sensation aspect, a logical aspect, a historical aspect, aspect of symbolical-significance (linguistic), aspect of social intercourse, economic, aesthetic, juridical/ moral aspect, and faith/ belief aspect.[66] These modal aspects function as special sciences, each playing a vital role in understanding the real phenomena itself but each in and of themselves still constitutes an abstraction of the real phenomena.[67] Therefore, Dooyeweerd preserves Kuyperian sphere sovereignty assigning particular tasks to each of the special sciences but goes beyond Kuyper to assert that in and of themselves they are incomplete. These special sciences require philosophy to combine the various modal aspects to get a fuller picture of the entity itself within its temporal horizons.[68] However, this cannot be done in theoretical abstraction it must be brought into coherence with the naïve experience.[69] The philosophical analysis of the entity must be done without the absolution of any particular modal aspect but must account for the irreducible diversity of the various modes of experiencing the entity.[70] The individual ego that is doing the experiencing and interpreting becomes of great importance in the quest for the starting point for philosophical thought.

            Some like Martin Buber have asserted a core relational nature to the human ego, an ‘I-thou” relationship. However, for Dooyeweerd, a temporal love as exists in an ‘I-thou’ cannot be the central nature of selfhood.[71] The core of the human ego must therefore be of divine origin, a sensus divinitatis. At the core of the human ego is a religious ego that functions as a guiding life-system for one’s life. It is only in the assertion of this religious ego that one can assert an absolute truth, although because of sin it is corrupted.[72] This religious basic motive is conditioned by it giving rise to a common belief within the faith aspect and gain a socio-cultural power within the historic aspect.[73]  Western philosophy has always been ruled by religious basic motives whether it be the Hellenistic form-matter motive, the radical biblical basic motive of creation, fall into sin, and redemption by Jesus Christ in the communion of the Holy Spirit, the scholastic motive of nature and grace or the Humanistic motive of nature and freedom. [74] However, while there are multiple religious starting points, each by virtue of common grace having something to contribute,[75] nevertheless do not force a relativizing of truth, but rather in illustrating where the core of the differences lies begins the real conversation about which religious system can lead to the absolutes being understood by the naïve essence and theoretical thought.[76]

            Several distinctions need to be made in how Dooyeweerd uses the term theology which is a special science concerned with the modal aspect of faith rooted in a biblical tradition, philosophy which operates as the framework for the dialectic between the modal aspects and their interaction with the naïve essence, and religion which acts as the core operating framework of one’s basic beliefs about the transcendent. Theology is just one modal aspect among many, it has no right to absolutize its particular modal aspect over and against the others as the queen of the sciences.[77] In this respect Dooyeweerd departs from not only the Thomist/ Romanist tradition and Barthian tradition but Kuyper as well. The theological cannot take the place of or supplant the philosophical. Theology in its scientific sense is bound to philosophical fundamentals which in turn are dependent on the central religious motive of theoretical thought.[78] The theological is nevertheless a significant special science in no small part because of its relationship to the core religious ego. For instance the theological doctrine of sin is going to have implications on the undergirding religious motive of creation, fall, and redemption.   

            The Word-Revelation plays a central role in the creation, fall, redemption religious ego occurring through the Holy Spirit to members of the true Catholic Church.[79]  God’s revelation is not preferential. “God does not speak to theologians, philosophers and scientists, but to sinners, lost in themselves, and made into his children through the operation of the Holy Spirit in their hearts.”[80] No specific modal aspect has a monopoly on the revelation of God, nor is any deserving of it. Rather by common grace in a Christo-centric sense all dualisms or privileging of particular spheres is rejected.

              Dooyeweerd is a unique figure of the three studied in this paper in that Dooyeweerd is a self-proclaimed Christian philosopher while the others see themselves as theologians. Nevertheless, Dooyeweerd still preserves many of the same aspects of Kuyper and the Kuyperian reading of Calvin. Common grace and freedom of the spheres certainly binds Dooyeweerd to Kuyper. However, while Kuyper seems to emphasize a core creational independence of the social spheres, Dooyeweerd sees some need for a dialectic between the special sciences through philosophy. Each of the sciences still maintain their own autonomy and freedom, but in order to arrive at the real phenomena itself a dialectic must take place between them and with the naïve essence. Dialectics were used by Calvin as well in Calvin’s portrayal of faith and repentance[81] and between justification and sanctification[82] but certainly nothing as broad sweeping as Dooyeweerd irreducibly diverse modal aspects that are at work in the real phenomena.

            A core staple for Dooyeweerd was the core religious ego which was derived from Calvin’s sensus divinatis via Abraham Kuyper. In Calvin everyone has a sense of the divine, in some it is distorted, but in everyone there is some concept of a god, that God has implanted in the hearts of humanity. [83] In Kuyper the sensus divinatis takes on the role of God’s working in humanity to stir and subject them to God’s judgment.[84] It is part of the confrontation God has with the various spheres such that they act in conformity with God’s will. Certainly like Calvin, Kuyper preserves the core religious nature of all things, holding that nothing can be religiously neutral. However, Kuyper has much more compulsion to conformity coming from the sensus divinatis than Calvin does. Dooyeweerd seems to revert back to Calvin in this regard having less compulsion to conformity than Kuyper’s use. For Dooyeweerd, it is a core piece of ones humanity receiving paramount importance, whereas in Calvin and Kuyper it is dealt with more in passing. 

Ethical Approaches

            The Neo-Reformed tradition offers a complete life-system for the Christian life in the world. This completeness is best seen in its comparison with the major ethical traditions, virtue ethics, deontological ethics and utilitarian ethics. Virtue ethics was developed by Aristotle. It sees the excesses as vices and the golden mean as that which is ethical. For instance when it comes to military valor cowardliness and rashness are vices acting as outliers on each side of the virtue of courage. One being a good person is based upon one living a long and virtuous life. However, for the Neo-Reformed tradition one is incapable of anything but vices on one’s own. It is only by the grace of God that humanity is equipped with the ability to do good. One’s righteousness is not based on works, but on the righteousness of Christ being imputed onto the elect.

            Deontological ethics was developed by Immanuel Kant. Kant affirms a categorical imperative which is acting only upon the maxims by which one would will to become a universal law. The ethical comprises part of the noumena, lying outside of observable phenomena. However, although it cannot be observed ethical principles can be affirmed as universal laws that govern every action. These universal laws are to be fulfilled by the individual out of duty. What one sees is therefore a duty to keep a universal law that is derived from the maxims that the rational individual determines. The deontological ethic has close connection to the golden rule of doing onto others as one would have them do unto you. However there are some stark contrasts particularly in its attempts to determine right and wrong outside of the ordinances of God, its conclusion that right action must emanate only from duty and the false dichotomy it is rooted in between the phenomena and noumena. 

            Utilitarian ethics was primarily developed in large part by John Stuart Mill. It seeks after accomplishing the greatest good for the greatest number. It seeks after establishing what will create the most about of joy for the most people. Its ethical value is entirely determined by the result rather than the means. However, this ethical system requires the ability to predict the future and the ability to make value judgments on how much pleasure one receives. For Mill it is the intellectual pleasures which are the highest pleasures and would therefore have the most weight in the determination.  Every part of this ethical position stands in contrast to the Neo-Reformed position. First in the Neo-Reformed tradition every step of the process matters, not just the ends. All actions not done from the primary motivation of the glory of God is deemed vain and abominable. Joy in and of itself is not wrong, but when it takes the place of God as it does in the Utilitarian ethic it runs against the Neo-Reformed tradition.

The Neo-Reformed Option

            For all of these theories ethics is part of a philosophical study that assigns a particular merit to some human actions because of a reasoned good nature of them. However, this is not the case in the Neo-Reformed tradition.   In the Neo-Reformed tradition ethics functions as a special science operating the same sphere as the juridical. Every real phenomena functions ethically, that is to say the entity is not value neutral. A nuclear warhead is capable of only death and destruction and therefore would be ethically problematic because of that chief operation. As a modal aspect, ethics functions alongside of the other modes with the same freedom of operation. In isolation, ethics remains as much of an abstraction of the real phenomena as the others modal aspects.

            Moral law for the Neo-Reformed tradition is not something that originates from nature but rather is imposed upon nature by God who gives them their authority. [85] It is therefore not natural law but a creational normative established in common grace by divine intervention. However, this is creational law is obscured such that God gave humanity a written law, a law rooted in love of God and love of neighbor to guide ones actions.[86] The guiding action for the Neo-Reformed tradition is seeking after the will of God in everything they do, whether it causes controversy or not, always standing up and resisting evil wherever it is found. It recognizes that no good works emanates from humanity, all is a gift of God to humanity, therefore there is no merit to be had in the doing of good works. Rather they are simply acts of obedience. Christians are not to go sin all the more that grace may abound rather in the doing of good deeds give all the glory to God who has bestowed it.

Application of the Neo-Reformed Life-System

            As Abraham Kuyper once said, “there is not a square inch in the whole domain of human existence over which, Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry ‘mine.’” Every square inch, every fiber of the created order has been claimed by Christ for the kingdom people to enjoy. Christians therefore must be workers with God in every sphere of life, preparing the way for the redemption of Christ. This is the task of all Christians, not just a select few ‘ecclesial leaders.’ Everyone is called to work, to be an active participant in the world, in the process of bringing about reform in the culture. 

            This involves a total transformation of one’s world-and-life-view. No longer does one see the world in dualistic categories, but rather sees the world and life as an irreducibly diverse entity in its own right. This world was created as such by one God who sovereignly directs its path. Given this one’s life and conduct do matter as economics, aesthetics, government and other spheres are not estranged from the covenant of grace. Because all of creation matters to God one must take seriously the call to stewardship in every sphere of life. For the Christian call is not to just be Christians in the sphere of the church, but to allow Christianity to permeate every fiber of ones being such that it flows out of one in every sphere of life.  

            Perhaps most importantly the Neo-Reformed life-system offers a comprehensive framework for the biblically rooted life. At its core it operates from a central religious ego of creation, fall, redemption which constitutes the crux and monistic nature of the biblical narrative. Because of these deep religious convictions there is a resistance to corruptions of the creational normatives be it from demons, nature or humanity.  It allows its faith in the meticulous sovereignty of God to saturate the believer’s life in these trials and in all of life. This allows one to escape looking at one’s own works and instead turning to the perfection of Christ. [87] It is because of the goodness of God that one’s works become meritorious and thereby one endeavors to live in obedience to God. [88]  It is this belief that allows the Neo-Reformed believer to no longer live for themselves, giving up their body as a living sacrifice for the sake of God and by extension God’s image bearers on earth. [89] Therefore the Neo-Reformer will help the poor, support good caused and prevent the weak from being harmed.[90] The only limit to one’s beneficence should be a failure of means. [91] However, as the curse extends beyond humanity, so to must the Neo-Reformers work, seeking to redeem each and every sphere to a right relationship before God.

Concluding Remarks

            Ethics therefore has a role to play in the Neo-Reformed tradition, it occupies a modal aspect all its own within each real phenomena. But it is just a component and not the whole of the real phenomena itself. The modal aspects, ethics included, are shaped by a religious ego. For the Neo-Reformer rooted in the creation, fall, redemption religious tradition they will have an ethical tradition that is rooted in discovering the will of God and seeking to obey that will by the strength and power that God provides such that God might receive all the glory. Nevertheless, try as one might righteousness is not obtained by moral works but rather by the imputed righteousness of Christ. It is Christ that gives Christian’s freedom, in common grace, to engage the world and participate with God in the restoration of the spheres.  

            One’s religious beliefs are not a component of ones humanity, but are the crux of ones humanity in which the rest are dependent upon. The Neo-Reformed tradition believes that every aspect of one’s life is sacred, not just the soul and church, and therefore, Christians need a framework for putting ones faith into practice in every aspect of life. The Neo-Reformed tradition does this through the establishment of sphere sovereignty, spheres in which all people participate on a regular basis each with its own God given autonomy. Christians are called to engage in these spheres, working in them for the glory of God. Hence the Neo-Reformed tradition offers a complete life-system for Christians as they live their lives in the world that God created, and by God’s sovereign will placed them in to be doers of the divine will.
 
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