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Living in God's Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture

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This is easily the clearest teaching on Reformed Two Kingdom Theology. VanDrunen surveys the main covenants associated with God's rule over the common kingdom (Noahic covenant of Gen 9) and the redemptive kingdom (Abrahamic covenant). He builds his argument as redemptive history progresses from the Old to the New just as the book's subtitle suggests. The reader is able to follow how the Bible shows God's sovereign rule over these two distinct spheres. He sheds light on the misguided tendency to revert back to the cultural mandates given in the Garden of Eden which have already been fulfilled in Christ. The Last Adam has already completed the task of obedience as a federal head which the First Adam failed to accomplish. This has lasting and profound ramifications for today's Christian sojourner. Key to his argument is the place of the church. The accomplished work of Christ leads to his high view of the church because to her has been given the mission to advance the redemptive kingdom and not the common kingdom. Both the common kingdom and the redemptive kingdoms have their separate purposes. VanDrunen does well to explain these differences and to shed light on the Christian's involvement in both.

Whether you agree with Two Kingdom Theology or not, this should be the first text you read on the subject. His clarity on the matter makes this book highly accessible if you are new to the topic. Great read because it's both introductory and definitive.

Living in God's Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture by David VanDrunen was released recently by Crossway Books and presents a readable, comprehensive view of two-kingdom theology. I'm just a youngster in terms of theology, especially that of a reformed flavor, so I was excited to dive in with VanDrunen and stretch my brain.

The main premise is a counter to the "transformationist" view of culture that seems to be pervasive with emergent theologians, those who ascribe to the New Perspective on Paul and neo-Calvinists (depending on your definition of neo-Calvinists). In transformational theologies, the church and Christians are about the work of restoration, as we march across creation and culture putting things back how they were meant to be before all this sin and death entered the world.

Whilst that can sound all well and good, the ramifications of that worldview are twofold:

1) When Scripture asserts that this world will be put away and a new heaven and a new earth will come, we have to reject any of the cataclysmic language that accompanies such claims. Instead, the new heaven and earth will come by a restoration to utopia.

2) VanDrunen states that when we embrace a transformationist view of culture, we cling to the work of Adam in the common kingdom rather than living in the grace of the redemptive kingdom which Christ has already won for us by living the life Adam, and each of us, should have lived.

This concept of resting in grace with regard to cultural activities was a refreshing exhortation, and one that could easily go unnoticed for many of us as we seek to understand the implications of the gospel in our everyday lives. Having been engaged with the idea of vocation recently on my blog, I was particularly keen to get to the end chapter wherein VanDrunen unpacks the theological foundations into meat for the daily life. But I will say that the book is best read from beginning to end.

As an attorney, he is skilled at building a case and it will provide more scope for discussion when approached in that linear fashion than if you were to pick and choose chapters. The defining of terms such as "church" and "Christian" are key to understanding his argument. Without these underpinnings, his passage on ministerial authority would be excessively contentious - and he knows already that some of his ideas will be met with opposition, especially when that final chapter deals with education and politics.

One of the most fascinating and liberating points is the aforementioned ministerial authority - to read such pointed, Scriptural arguments for the authority of the elders/pastors, but without any of the superiority complex that sends many heading for the hills, is a powerful testimony. And the authority is limited by Scripture. Pastors and elders are not expected to micromanage life, but they are given to the church (being the visible manifestation of His body, in local, observable congregations) and are given real authority by the Lord of the Church, Jesus Christ. When engaged with cultural specifics, VanDrunen holds that ministers should be able to give an overarching principal on a matter, as drawn from Scripture, but cannot confirm or deny a specific technical point as uniquely Christian without the explicit consent of that same Scripture. In other words, we can tell people that Biblically, they are to submit to their governing officials, but we cannot demand one technical outworking of that over against another technical outworking. This does not mean that a pastor/elder in the church cannot have an opinon, but within an official capacity (especially from the pulpit), they should refrain from espousing a particular method, model or candidate.

For example, when dealing with the concept of education, we can show biblically that parents are held as the first accountable party for their children's upbringing and education (general principal), but whether they choose to exercise that themselves (homeschooling) or to delegate to trusted experts (institutional school) is a matter of conscience for those parents (specific, technical outworking). This is one of those areas, also, where the common kingdom and the redemptive kingdom interact. VanDrunen uses the Noahic covenant to draw out the common kingdom - that shared life of cultural activity between both believers and unbelievers - and then the Abrahamic covenant for the redemptive kingdom, which is exclusively the realm of the church (i.e. worship of Jesus Christ is done by believers, not with unbelievers, so it is not a common cultural activity). It is within these interactive areas that we live many of our days, as the church, but not with exclusive rights to excellence and control. The common kingdom is no less ruled by God, but it is shared by all of mankind. As such, it is a cooperative kingdom and one that has value, though not eternal presence.

The redemptive kingdom, on the other hand, will be forever, and the church is the present manifestation of that kingdom on earth.

As I read through all of this and wrestled with the ideas (and believe me, there was plenty of wrestling), I found myself convinced by the general argument of two kingdoms, but two things should be noted. Firstly, I had an inherent concern that people would read this theological view and forsake the common kingdom. If it is going to be destroyed and replaced, why bother? And are all who pursue restoration crazy or is there value in being redemptive in our living as a reflection of God in whose image we are made? At the opening of the final chapter, VanDrunen lays to rest such fears because he agrees that we should still live lives engaged with the common kingdom, seeking to serve people and enjoying all that God has blessed humanity with, but we should do it without an attachment to such things, for they are not to last forever. He also affirms that we simply do not know what cultural activities will exist in the New Jerusalem.

My second concern was with some of the practical implications of his own reading of the life of the church in the redemptive kingdom. Whilst I receive the general argument of two kingdoms and have been really quite blessed by it, I also find myself at odds with two particular ideas. Firstly, the regulative principal in the worship life of the church. Whilst we can read Scriptural presentation of worship in the New Testament Church and draw a sharp line underneath that as the only acceptable mode of corporate worship, we could also look to the worship life of God's people under the entire Abrahamic and Mosaic covenant too and see that dance was certainly involved - which is one of the things VanDrunen argues against for corporate worship. Just to be clear, he is not opposed to dance in general, or even in terms of within a religious context, but would see it limited to an optional setting rather than the commanded gathering of the whole body for worship. Though I don't agree with the entire application, there is certainly wisdom in considering what is advantageous to ALL worshipers in praising God during our regular worship gatherings and reserving the more fringe expressions for optional extra meeting times. Additionally to this restriction, I was a little grieved by the concept that parents are not authorized to preach to their children, that only pastors/elders are authorized for such work. Whilst I agree that teaching against the authority of the local elders/pastors is ill-advised save for if those people are heretical, to deny the authority of fathers and mothers in presenting the gospel (which is really the work of preaching) is something I do not find scriptural or a useful distinction.

One thing is for sure, VanDrunen has presented a solid case and a very comprehensive take on two kingdom theology, and it is a theology that will aid in the life of the church and individual Christians. It is encouraging to encounter such a powerful testimony to the life of the church, with such clear understanding of our being sojourners and exiles, held in tension with our continuing life presently in the common kingdom. We are, indeed, the City of God in the midst of the City of Man.




A review copy was provided to me at no charge by the publisher. No attempt was made to gain a favorable review, and all opinions and recommendations expressed are the author's own.

A good book on how not to over-Christianize our normal affairs. Argues that this world is passing away, and we are to do our work here, not in an effort to redeem this world for the world to come, or to do Adam's work (accomplished in Christ), but simply because we are humans & we are called to do certain things. (This is a gross over-simplification of the book's arguments). Basically - the author tries to achieve a good balance between two issues he views Christians as having: either viewing this present world as completely useless & therefore ignoring or disdaining our vocation, cultural endeavors, politics, etc on the one hand, or on the other hand thinking that the good (redeemed, Christian) culture, politics, etc that we do here & now will last into the new heavens & new earth. He points out that believers are to engage in all these activities hand-in-hand with unbelievers, and that often, unbelievers will be better at them then believers are. He draws from the imagery of the patriarchs and Israel in Babylon, viewing our path in this world as he shows that the New Testament does - as sojourners, citizens of another world, who are nevertheless to strive for the good of this world, while we inhabit it.

One of the strongest parts of this book I think is how he is very clear on the role of the church & its centrality to the believer's life. He carefully defines the role of the church, its extent, and tries to draw boundaries where there is scriptural reason to do so. He does this for the family and the government as well, but to a lesser extent.

This book was well & carefully thought-out and is written in a way that respectfully disagrees with those whose arguments he is opposing, he acknowledges where they are right, but tries to draw the church back to a biblical level of engagement where he sees from scripture that they have taken things too far. There are many references to both supporting and opposing books & papers in this book, so it is a good resource for beginning to look at the issue of the church & culture from a variety of viewpoints.

Living in God's Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture is by David VanDrunen, who is Robert B. Strimple associate professor of systematic theology and Christian ethics, Westminster Seminary California. The book is published by Crossway.*

This book falls into a very large category. Christ and culture is a hot topic in modern evangelicalism. In my estimation, this is a good thing. The fact that a lot of young christians are earnestly desiring to engage the culture at large in a christ-like manner is exciting. Since there are a lot of people contributing to the conversation, there are several competing perspectives for how best to engage the culture. Dr. VanDrunen represents the Two Kingdoms perspective.

Summary

The book is broken down into four parts. First there is an Introduction, where VanDrunen introduces not only the two kingdom perspective, but here he also surveys three other camps within what he calls the "Redemptive Transformation of Culture" movement. The Neo-Calvinist, New Perspective and Emergent camps are surveyed for what they say regarding Christ and Culture. The next section is Part One, where VanDrunen examines the two adams, Adam and Christ. Part Two examines how both Old Testament and New Testament believers lived as sojourners as way to determine how we as modern believers ought to live. In Part Three, VanDrunen begins to flesh out what the Two Kingdom perspective might look like in the realms of Education, Vocation and Politics.

Review

I would give the book 3.5 stars (out of 5). The main gist of the book is that there are two kingdoms in this world. There is the common kingdom, in which all of humanity lives and there is the redemptive kingdom, in which only the church lives. These two kingdoms are governed by two covenants. The common kingdom under the Noahatic covenant (Gen. 9:1-17) and the redemptive kingdom under the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. 12). VanDrunen is attempting to answer how the people in the redemptive kingdom relate to and interact with the people from the common kingdom.

The first two parts of the book were quite persuasive and enlightening and I think, worth the price of the book. As I mentioned earlier, Part One deals with the two adams. The first Adam was created and placed in the Garden of Eden. His role was that of King and Priest. Adam was to rule over the garden and to guard the purity of the garden. Not only that, but as God's image bearer, Adam was eventually to enter rest. As God had worked and then rested, so to Adam was to work the garden and then enter rest in the "world-to-come". As we all know, Adam never entered that rest. Instead, he abdicated his throne and defiled the garden. He was banished, never to return, never to fulfill his destiny. Yet, humanity was not without hope. A second Adam was promised and that promise was fulfilled in the person of Jesus, the Christ. VanDrunen goes onto explain how Jesus has fulfilled the role of Adam and has now entered rest in the world-to-come. He makes it explicit that since Jesus has fulfilled the first Adam's roll, we should not be seeking to do what Adam was commanded to do. Jesus has done it. Any attempts to fulfill the cultural mandates of Adam is to say that Jesus was insufficient. VanDrunen contends that all cultural activities fall under the Noahatic covenant, not the original mandate given to the First Adam.

In Part Two, VanDrunen surveys both Old and New Testament to see how those under the Abrahamic covenant (and thus part of the redemptive kingdom) lived while they were sojourners. VanDrunen states that the Mosaic code only applied to the redemptive kingdom and the commands to kill everything that breathes were only to be carried out within the Promised Land. By looking at how the people of God lived outside the Promised Land when they were sojourners, we can get a clue for how we ought to live. For instance, while in exile in Babylon, even though the Israelites were promised they would return to the Promised Land, they were told to live in Babylon and plant gardens and build homes. They were also instructed to pray for the cities in which they lived, that they would prosper, because their fate was tied in with that of the city. When VanDrunen turned his attention to the New Testament, he points out that the exile terminology is used to describe the church. The church is just like Israel, in that she is in exile, awaiting the return to the Promised Land. In light of this comparison, we are to relate to the common kingdom just like Israel did. We are to work for it's good. We are to pray for it's blessing. Yet, we are to be mindful of the fact that our dealings in the common kingdom are temporary and our work there will eventually be left behind.

Part Three was not as good as the first two (I felt like it became more laborious to read). Here, VanDrunen is trying to show how the Two Kingdom perspective can speak to cultural issues, such as education, vocation and politics. If you're looking for a definitive work on each of these three areas, you're going to be disappointed. It's an overview for how each of these areas might be impacted. The most interesting I thought VanDrunen was trying to point out, was that since each of these areas belong to the common kingdom, there is freedom here for Christians to disagree. Christians can come to different conclusions as to how to do education, work and politics, because those realms are within the common kingdom. The church can only bind things within the redemptive kingdom. Only activities where the church is given authority can it bind it's members conscience on. Whether you choose to educate your child in public, private or at home is freely up to you. The church cannot tell what to do and other Christians can't either.

Dr. VanDrunen has definitely heightened my interest in this area. While he presents a very convincing case for the Two Kingdom perspective, I would like to do some more reading before I commit to this perspective.

~sdg

*Disclosure: I was provided a copy by Crossway in exchange for reading and reviewing the book.

This is a great and accessible book by a clear thinker and a good writer. David VanDrunen provides a solid exegetical and covenantal basis for how Christians ought to think about their place in God's good world. This book is a helpful resource for those who have been blog-fed a "radical" caricature of the Reformed Two Kingdoms perspective.

Dr. David VanDrunen's latest book, Living in God's Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture is a helpful interaction on a Christian's role in our modern world. As this topic is highly discussed in many religious circles today, VanDrunen's primary contribution does not come from cultural understanding, but rather through a thorough Biblical understanding. Due to this fact, I highly recommend this book, not because I agree with him in every respect, but because he has taken the time to review the Scriptures, he wins my vote of confidence. You can be assured with this book that the discussion will lead from the Bible and not to the Bible to prove the author's points.

With this being said, VanDrunen's work focuses on a purely exegetical formulation of his beliefs that determine his theology. This book will help you to understand not only the reasons why Christians debate the issue, but also why the Bible addresses it. We as Christians are called to be in the world, but not of the world, but also to be a transforming agent within the world. How does this all work? VanDrunen at least begins us with the Scriptures.

I recommend to read this book slowly, to reflect, verify and apply the Scriptures yourself. This book will be a staple of my own church ministry in the future as I exhort people in their daily walk in relation to the culture in which they live. This book will challenge your thinking, but in a good way. Do not forget the Great Commission when reading this book and the many exhortations of Jesus in the Scriptures.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Crossway book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Should Christians be transforming the culture? Is there a specifically Christian way of being a teacher, politician, or businessman? Is there a difference between what individual Christians are called to do, and what the church is called to do as an institution? What is the "kingdom of God" and what does it mean to do "kingdom work"? These are some of the questions that drive David VanDrunen's recent book on two kingdoms theology.

The term "two kingdoms" is unfortunately not very well known outside Reformed and Lutheran circles. This is a real shame because I found the two kingdoms, as VanDrunen lays it out, to be a helpful and Biblical framework for understanding the relationship between Christianity and culture. And the world of evangelical Christianity certainly needs more thoughtful reflection on how to approach culture as a whole.

In the first chapter, VanDrunen lays out his argument in brief and states who he believes he is writing to, in particular those who talk about "picking up Adam's cultural mandate" (multiply & rule - Gen 1:28) in order to "redeem the culture" and thereby participate in God's redeeming the world, thus ushering in the new heavens and the new earth. After laying out the argument of the other side, VanDrunen clearly states (rightly I believe) that Adam's cultural mandate was fulfilled in Christ (the Second Adam) - a point which he develops in more detail in chapters two and three. Periodically throughout the book, VanDrunen emphatically states that Christians do NOT contribute anything to God's redemption of the world, and sees that assertion as inconsistent with the doctrine of justification. I have never heard anyone who talks about "cultural transformation" also talk about contributing something to their own justification or salvation, but I can see how such thinking, if followed out to its logical conclusion, could bring one to such a mindset.

The discussion of what Adam did and what Christ has done is important to the two kingdoms framework because if Christ did not fulfill the cultural mandate given to Adam, then it would be imperative that Christians engage themselves in all areas of human activity in an effort to control and transform all institutions of society in the lead up to the kingdom of God fully expressed in the new heavens and the new earth. A two kingdoms understanding of Scripture, however, does not lead to a Christian triumphalism that attempts to control and dominate society at large.

So, how should Christians be engaged in the society in which they live? VanDrunen's answer lies in the thesis that Christians live in two kingdoms, a common kingdom and a redemptive kingdom. Or, in plain English, the world and the church. All people are part of the common kingdom by virtue of the covenant that God made with Noah and all mankind after the flood in Genesis 9. At that time, God formally established the preservation of human cultural activities and institutions until they are done away with at the time of the new heavens and the new earth. Government, education, family, and so forth are valuable human activities common to all people, and Christians share these activities in common with non-believers even though their religious and spiritual values are very different, even hostile to one another.

The redemptive kingdom, on the other hand, has entirely to do with Christians gathered together into the community of the church. Making a covenant with Abraham, God established a special people for Himself, a redemptive kingdom of those whom God has called out to live a religious life of worship that is distinct from that of the world. While there are certain requirements that God places on mankind in general (justice, kindness, fairness), there is separate set of requirements that God places on His people in particular (worship of God alone, Sabbath observance, baptism and the Lord's Supper, prayer, obedience to God's special revelation in Scripture, etc.)

VanDrunen emphasizes time and again that it is important to keep in mind the distinction between these two kingdoms because depending on what kingdom you are operating in, different things may be required of you. For example, in discussing the Sermon on the Mount (p.112-116), VanDrunen points out that Jesus is giving an ethical code for the church community, not for the world in general. These are rules of living for the church. They are not tips for good living that everyone in the world is expected to obey. And "Why not?", you may ask. Because if the government turned the other cheek (Matt 5:39) towards criminals and practiced a policy of forgiving people as Christians are expected to do, then society would descend into chaos. Civil government, as part of the common kingdom, has been established by God to preserve order in society (Romans 13). "If the state wishes to operate according to the ways of the redemptive kingdom as revealed by Jesus then it must forsake the sword -- the very thing that Paul says it must not do." (p.122)

Positively, if you know into what kingdom a certain activity falls, then you know who is responsible for it. The church is responsible for preaching the Word of God and the state is responsible for criminal prosecutions and setting economic policy, not vice versa. Negatively, if you don't know into what kingdom a certain activity falls, then there is confusion and conflict. If the state starts regulating the methods or content of religious worship, or if the church comes down on a particular side of a political policy issue not clearly stated in God's Word (and most aren't), then big problems ensue. And knowing the difference of who's responsible for what brings us into the cash value part of the book.

There is a crisis today regarding defining the mission of the church (redemptive kingdom), and the degree to which the church should be involved in education, business, and politics (among other institutions belonging the common kingdom). After two helpful chapters on Old Testament sojourners (ch.4) and New Testament sojourners (ch.5), living in the two kingdoms, VanDrunen concludes his book with a section on the the nature and mission of the church (ch.6) and another on the Christian's approach to education, vocation, and politics (ch.7).

Regarding the church, VanDrunen helpfully points out that the church (redemptive kingdom) is limited in its authority to areas and tasks specifically spelled out in the Bible. Therefore, the church should focus on the preaching of the Word, the sacraments, prayer, Sabbath observance, and other religious aspects of the life of God's people. Conversely, the church has no authority to speak on issues that the word of God does not talk about. Therefore, if the church tries to speak or act authoritatively in areas that properly belong to the common kingdom (education, politics, vocation, etc.), then the church has acted presumptuously. I found this point extremely helpful as I hear Christians talking about the need to be involved in "kingdom work", i.e. social needs ministries, community development, the arts and other areas that don't directly have to do with worship, the central task of the church (cf. p.134-135). VanDrunen has helped me to understand that while Christians MAY come together to engage in mercy ministries, there is no Biblical requirement that such ministries are necessary as a formal program of the church.

Christians individually have freedom of conscience to work out the implications of Biblical commands to do justice and show mercy, but the church as an institution can not bind the conscience of individual believers to work out these principle in a specific way. There is a limited set of activities that church as a body must do, and to require church members to do more than that is an imposition on their Christian liberty (p.157). His application of this point to the use skits and liturgical dance in worship was also instructive (p.156-7), as he points out that the value of such worship practices are a matter of personal judgment, not Scriptural command. Thus to use them in corporate worship is to infringe upon the Christian liberty of those in the congregation who would judge such creative worship activities to be unhelpful.

As an aid to churches deciding whether to take on a particular ministry or activity, VanDrunen recommends that a church asks itself the following question "about each thing that it does: is this its own proper work, or did God entrust this work to another, nonecclesiastical institution?" (p.151 emphasis original). If this question alone were rigorously asked in elders meetings, deacons meetings, and pastoral staff meetings, then I think we would see a widespread sharpening of focus as to the identity and purpose of the local church.

In the final chapter, VanDrunen takes on education, vocation, and politics but not to commend a specific Christian way to do each of these, but to say that there usually isn't a Christian way to do any of these. Of course, Christians are called to do all things to the glory of God and to conduct themselves ethically and with integrity, but is there really a Christian way to fix a car? Isn't the way that a believer and a non-believer would fix a car be the same? I found his point on this matter to be a helpful corrective to the excessive labeling of things like diet plans or child raising techniques as Christian (as if the particular method being advocated is the ONLY Christian way to do the task at hand). I also appreciated the fact that VanDrunen tries to lay down an approach for Christians to think about their engagement with cultural activities and institutions of the common kingdom, but does not proscribe how we are to go about them, other than the general commands of Scripture.

In summary, VanDrunen's "Living in God's Two Kingdoms" is of great value for any Christian who wants to understand how they should approach culture. It is both theological and practical. But it is not for the faint of heart. Those who want easy reading or prepackaged answers for the Christian's response to culture should look elsewhere. That is not to say that VanDrunen is obscure, for he repeatedly tells you where he is going, why he is going there, and where he has been. His writing style is very readable but because his topic requires a lot of explanation and qualification, I found that I really needed to concentrate to understand his points. But it is well worth the effort and I now feel like I have a better framework for thinking about the nature, purpose, and calling of the church (and the individual Christian) and their place in their relationship to the other cultural institutions and activities of the world.

David VanDrunen is Robert B. Strimple Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at Westminster Seminary California, an ordained minister of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and a licensed attorney. Dr. VanDrunen book Living in God's Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture is a helpful treatment on the often controversial issue of how Christians interact with culture.
Dr. VanDrunen argument for the two kingdoms is thoroughly grounded in the Scriptures. The fact that VanDrunen's argument is thoroughly grounded in Scripture helps the reader as he moves from the Old Testament to the New Testament not just examining various passages but engaging the Scriptures with solid explanation of the passages he considers relevant to his argument for the two kingdoms.

The two kingdoms doctrine affirms that God had made all things, that sin corrupts all aspects of life, that Christians should be active in human culture, that all lawful cultural vocations are honorable, that all people are accountable to God in every activity, and that Christians should seek to live out the implications of their faith in their daily vocations.

This book is a helpful treatment on the topic of Christianity and culture. In two hundred and five pages, VanDrunen clarifies why he wrote the book, why the topic of Christianity and culture is so important, and presents his arguments for the two kingdoms in a biblically faithful way.

For such a short book, Living in God's Two Kingdoms can be said to be an extended exegetical and theological treatment on the topic of Christianity and Culture. This book will help you to understand why the issue of Christianity and Culture is so important to the Christian life. This book will challenge and confront you as a Christian to not just sit on the sidelines but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and then go out and then proclaim the glory of God in Christ in culture.

You should read this book, but do so slowly and reflectively. You will be challenged and you may not agree with what the author says, but the author does not write to give his opinions but to confront, and edify the Body of Christ with the Word of God.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Crossway book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

A few months back I received a copy of a new book from Crossway called Living in God's Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture. I was immediately intrigued by this book since I have done very little reading on the topic of Christianity and culture. When we begin to talk about how we view the relationship between Christianity and culture we are talking about an issue that has big implications for how we live our daily lives. Because of the importance of this relationship there are many different (and often strongly held) perspectives on what exactly that relationship is. Into this discussion comes VanDrunen's new book where he defends a Two Kingdoms view that he considers to be a "Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture."

To sum up quickly, the Two Kindoms view does stand in opposition in some ways to the transformationist understanding of our role in this world. Transformationist may see our task as redeeming the culture to help build and usher in the new heaven and new earth. This Two Kingdoms view pictures us as sojourners in a foreign land, working for the good of our temporary home (similar to the Jews in exile in Babylon) as we look forward to our eternal home with God.

First, I want to highlight what I thought to be strengths of the book.

Strengths

1. VanDrunen is a great teacher. The layout of the book and the way he presents the material made it really easy for someone as thickheaded as me to grasp what can be a very complex argument. He moves from Old Testament to New Testament, First Adam to Last Adam, and Creation to Consummation and built his arguments in a way that truly taught me this Two Kingdoms view.

2. The glory of God in the finished work of Christ on our behalf shown through marvelously. Though I may not have been convinced on every point, I was certainly drawn to worship and contemplation at times as VanDrunen taught on God's gracious work of sending His Son to accomplish salvation on our behalf and purchase for us entrance into the new heaven and the new earth that we do not deserve.

For example he says in contrasting the First and Last Adam:

Before the second Adam no one accomplished the task of the first Adam, and after the second Adam no one needs to accomplish it. The last Adam has completed it once and for all. Christians will attain the original destiny of life in the world-to-come, but we do so not by picking up the task where Adam left off but by resting entirely on the work of Jesus Christ, the last Adam who accomplished the task perfectly.

3. The vision of Christians as sojourners in a foreign land. I was reminded to look forward to my heavenly home with God forever. VanDrunen draws many helpful parallels between Old Testament wilderness wanderers and exiles and New Testament Christians:

Peter calls Christians `exiles' and `sojourners' who are in `dispersion,' using the Greek term diaspora that refers to the scattering of Jews throughout the world after being expelled from the Promised Land. What is Peter saying about our identity in this world? By using the terms `exile' and `dispersion' Peter informs Christians that their identity is similar to that of the Old Testament Israelites who were driven from their land and lived far from home, many of them in Babylon... By using the term `sojourner' Peter points even further back in the Old Testament, to the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As `sojourners' they were promised a land of their own but had not yet attained full possession of it. Like the patriarchs, Christians today are `in a foreign land.'

4. Radical Differences Between Life in the Church and Life in the World:

Vandrunen lists 3 aspects of the church's ethic that is distinct:

1. Forgiveness That Transcends Justice

"In an ordinary civil lawsuit it is irrelevant whether an accused person repents. If he committed a crime he should pay the penalty, whether he feels remorse or not. This is the demand of justice. But in the church it would be a travesty to continue the disciplinary process after repentance, out of desire to give the sinner his due."

2. Generosity That Transcends Scarcity

"It seems almost irrational when analyzed in earthly terms. In the common kingdom something does not come from nothing, but that seems to be exactly what happens in the church. Christians cheerfully desire to give `beyond their means' and rather than rebuking them as fiscally irresponsible Paul actually praises them, for the Lord loves it... He `is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."

3. Evangelism That Spurns Violence

"No particular culture could dominate the world except by a cultural imperialism that fails to respect the creativity of image-bearing human beings in other cultures. In contrast, the church rightly calls every person in this world to itself and invites them to forsake every other ultimate allegiance for the sake of Christ's kingdom. Yet is does so without violence and without any injustice."

Final Thoughts
While the above were very legitimate strengths that are significant truths that can't be neglected I still have some questions about some premises and conclusions that VanDrunen showed in this book. Ideas such as God governing the common kingdom by the Noahic covenant and the redemptive kingdom by the Abrahamic covenant were things I had not given much thought to before and I wonder if things are really as strictly divided as VanDrunen posits. All in all this was, in my opinion, a well-written thought provoking book. I think, though, that I can say in agreement with VanDrunen that I want to work hard in this temporary world in grateful response to what God has graciously done on my behalf as I look forward to my eternal home with Him. A home that He has purchased for me.

This is an excellent treatment of a mercurial subject from an orthodox perspective. Very well written. It is a fairly easy read, even though the subject is hard to get a handle on because of the current 'transformational' thinking by other writers that confuses the subject. Christ rules, clearly. Over every square inch. It is all his. Fortunately we have an author who brings this out with clarity in a way that encourages the heart. Surely we serve a God who loves precisely and rules unquestionably.