Oct
22
2007
Help from John Frame
A while back I solicited some help from my former professor John Frame. Dr. Frame is, in my humble opinion, one of the most capable theologians in the world today and I am grateful to the Lord for allowing me to learn from him both as a teacher and a friend.
I came across this quote and asked him to comment on it:
It should not be too hastily concluded that one can find a distinctively “Christian” philosophy, political theory, or aesthetic. If these are indeed realms of common grace and natural revelation, they do not require a specifically Christian explanation. Looking for one will only tend to polarize Christians from non-Christians until believers are at last exiled again from the public square, forced to pursue their “Christian” philosophy in their own spiritual ghetto.
This was his very insightful answer:
As for the quote, I just disagree with it. The reference to “common grace” suggests that it comes out of a certain school of thought that I just don’t think is biblical. I certainly believe in common grace, and I believe that natural revelation is available to all. But unregenerate people reject natural revelation, and they despise the blessings of common grace, until God calls them into fellowship with Christ. So Calvin says you cannot understand nature rightly without the spectacles of Scripture.
Scripture never hints that there is some kind of common-grace realm (e.g. politics, economics, aesthetics) where the gospel makes no difference, or where people can ignore special revelation with impunity. I argue that point at some length in my forthcoming Doctrine of the Christian Life (now at www.reformedperspectives.org under Hall of Frame, for the 2006 ethics course).
Hope this is of some help.
I would be interested in your thoughts on both the quote and Frame’s comments. Again, as I continue to wrestle with the writing of Unfashionable, these are the sorts of things that need to be taken into consideration.