Wayne Grudem vs. Greg Boyd: Christian View of Civil Government

I started to read over the weekend a new book by Dr. Wayne Grudem, professor of systematic theology at Phoenix Seminary called Politics According to the Bible. In the first chapter entitled “Five Wrong Views About Christians and Government” he takes on the claim that Dr. Greg Boyd made in his book, The Myth of a Christian Nation, that all government is evil and demonic.

My son was in Dr. Grudem’s class in seminary. I have purchased his “Systematic Theology” both in hard copy and for my Logos 4 software.

Dr. Grudem was on the committee that produced the English Standard Version, ESV, of the Bible. He is considered to be an excellent conservative scholar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Boyd_%28theologian%29

“Boyd is also a former Oneness Pentecostal, and wrote the book Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity (1992), critiquing the movement’s anti-trinitarian view of God and other doctrines. Boyd is also known as an exponent of open theism, which he explores in the book God of the Possible (2000). In essence, open theism is the view that the future is partly open, and therefore known to God partly as a realm of possibilities. Proponents of the conservative or traditional view of God within the Baptist General Conference tried unsuccessfully to have the rules of the denomination changed to exclude Boyd and other open theists.[2]

Boyd was featured in a front-page New York Times profile in July 2006, after losing 20% of his congregation because he refused to lend his public support to conservative political causes, and directly challenged the highly politicized nature of much American evangelical Christianity.[3] In his view, the “Kingdom of God” always looks like Jesus Christ,[clarification needed] and therefore cannot be associated with any particular political or nationalistic ideology. The congregational loss, as well as his view, stem from a 2004 sermon series that he spoke called “The Cross and the Sword.” In the same vein, he authored the book The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power Is Destroying the Church (2006), in which he argues that a commitment to non-violence and to loving one’s enemies lies at the heart of the teachings of Jesus. Boyd expressed these views when he was featured in the CNN documentary God’s Warriors, hosted by Christiane Amanpour, which aired in August 2007.[4] “

Have not read him—yet-but may — I seem to recall the Rev. Hunt had a large Cross erected( Similar in design as the Mojave Cross Memorial that stood on Sunrise Rock since 1934-only out of wood instead of pipe) Rev.Hunt had a large Cross erected then the Colonists held a prayer service. I seem to recall the Mayflower compact was a Christian covenant that declared they had come to “Advance the Christian faith...” among other out dated notions.I seem to recall that President Washington Sep.19,1796 and John Adams on June 21,1776 both suggested Religion, and Morality were essential principles -and like Congress declared in the twice passed Northwest Ordinance Religion,Morality ,and Knowledge being necessary to good govt. and the happiness of mankind...” I really have problems understanding the secularists when that cult teaches there was some “myth’ to America being as the US supreme Court declared in 1892
“A Christian nation”

In the first chapter entitled “Five Wrong Views About Christians and Government” he takes on the claim that Dr. Greg Boyd made in his book, The Myth of a Christian Nation, that all government is evil and demonic.

GREG BOYD IS BACK IN TOWN
sung to the tune of "The Boys Are Back In Town",
as recorded by the band Thin Lizzy
Guess what just came back today?
A heresy that had been away
Hasn't changed, hasn't much to say
And Man? You're back and in charge today

God was asking if you were around
He didn't know you were living downtown
He cannot tell just if you're lost or found
It drives the Old Man crazy

Greg Boyd is back in town

The future ain't what it was supposed to be
Every night God wonders what will happen after 3:00
You make choices that God can never see
Not before you make them

One night over at the Baker place
Well the editor upped and he slapped Jesus’ face
God's Sovereignty, it stops at your chin
If God can’t really know, can He know anything?

Sunday night you’ll be dressed to kill
At the Woodland Hills Church you will
The wine will flow, but no blood will spill
Until you want it to, then you'll think about it

The preacher in the pulpit, getting lots of verses wrong
Hell must be getting warmer, it won’t be long
It won’t be long till the book tour comes
Now that Greg Boyd is here again

Greg Boyd is back in town

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