Foundations and Skyscrapers, some Reflections on Moscow and New York City

I was sitting in my son's "Lordship" class (he's a college freshman at New Saint Andrews in Moscow, ID and it was Joe Rigney's class), listening to a far-ranging discussion stemming from Joe Rigney's *The Things of Earth* to Augustine's *City of God* and Edwards' *Religious Affections*. The students were asking Rigney questions from their reading and related topics. The question of cultural reformation and the best location for such high-minded goals: the city or rural areas. He didn't answer that question, but he did draw our attention to a distinction that had me scribbling notes the rest of the class time. He observed that the two best known pastors committed to a Kuyperian vision of cultural reformation from the past 20 years are Tim Keller and Doug Wilson - two men that normally one wouldn't put in the same sentence. He then pointed out a key difference between them: Keller focused primarily on the arts, white collar business and other things normally associated with cultural success and influence. Wilson has focused primarily on what he has called "repairing the ruins" - restoring the Christian household and Christian worship.

It struck me that this explains far more about the current state of evangelicalism than we'd like to think.

If one is primarily drawn to evangelizing cultural elites (I hate the term, but go with me a bit), then of paramount importance is not offending prevalent cultural sensitivities. Keller wasn't above offending certain sensibilities - but has been criticized for being too delicate in this offense giving, a criticism that I think sticks. 2nd generation ministries out of Redeemer have a far worse record on this than Keller himself did. The fundamental idea is that cultural reformation comes from the influencers - geographically (hence the emphasis on cities) and in terms of power and wealth. Questions of sexuality, men and women, and other secular orthodoxies have to be treated delicately or not at all, lest we lose the opportunity to really see churches grow, and people come to some sort of Christian faith. Cultural renewal or reformation happens as we build on the foundations (no matter how rotted they actually are) already in place. It's a kind of trickle-down mission. Get the urbanites (I am one), the rich and powerful (I'm not one) to believe in the basic tenets of the gospel and then reform will happen from the top-down. Culture is what happens when people learn new stories and new ways of living within an existing cultural framework.

Wilson begins in almost the exact opposite place. Culture arises on the foundations of worship and the life of the household. Nothing will be right if we don't get those foundation stones in the right place. While the goal isn't to throw everybody into a tizzy, when you get to the foundations and start rebuilding stuff, you have to tear out some stuff. This will upset all the folks in the skyscrapers whose buildings are shaking and falling overhead. Wilson built his ministry talking and writing about godly marriages, husbands who lead, wives who joyfully submit to that godly leadership, raising children to love and fear God, and re-establishing Christian worship. He talks about other stuff. Politics seems to be a kind of entertaining hobby for him, while Keller almost never touched politics. But that's not what he was/is aimed at. He has aimed at fruitful, godly, and joy-filled homes. He has aimed at restoring orderly, biblical and joy-filled worship. The theory at root is that cultures are built, not by political engagement nor by winning over hollywood execs, but cultures are reformed by Christian households and Christian worship.

Both men preached the same gospel. Both men have spoken to culturally taboo subjects. But the focus of their ministries was worlds apart and I don't think there is a third way between them. One will be severely limited in most halls of power if one speaks too loudly about issues of sexuality or the household. On the other hand, the same gospel preached to the "rich"man can kill him and make him alive - and then the foundation-laying discipleship work begins. But this is why Jesus said its incredibly difficult for the "rich" man to enter the kingdom of heaven - particularly when you start defining "rich" in cultural terms and not merely economic ones.

This is not meant to be a Keller-trashing observation. I learned much from him. But his style of ministry is attractive to a particular kind of evangelical who wants desperately to be liked, to enjoy the lifestyles afforded by a modern secular city (read: likes to be cool), and has largely bought into the relative lack of importance our culture places on family life. Wilson attracts some people who like the sky-scrapers shaking who haven't bought into the work of foundation-laying (these stones are soooooo heavy!) The modern evangelical looks at what's happening in Moscow and similar ministries and scrambles to find some way to discount all that heavy fruit (sounds FV, "racism!", "abuse!", and my favorite, "He's so caustic!"). But I think this is the way. I like cities. We are going to stay in ours for awhile. But the work to be done here (and everywhere) is not to impress the elites. Its to build churches filled with godly homes, warm hospitality with all the necessary accouterments (Christian schools, sound theology, holy worship) and continue the work for a bunch of generations.

If one takes a look around, not just since 2020, but in the decades preceding one will find that the foundations are in big trouble. If you were looking to buy a house and it had cracks this big, you’d pass, no matter how sexy the big spacious kitchen was. The challenges we’re facing are not to fill a decent house with better stuff and happier and healthier people. It is to rebuild the foundations. None of this will happen apart from the redeeming work of God’s Spirit, wielding His word to save - bringing death and resurrection to individuals currently sipping lattes, thinking most things are fine - and bringing death and resurrection to churches everywhere. Death is a scary prospect, but its the only way to resurrection.

I have a bunch of Acts 29 brothers (formerly of that particular club) looking around after a few decades and trying to find something more meaningful and lasting than a well-attended church service sitting atop the cultural ruins. It is time to get to work building brothers. Die first. Then grab a shovel, we need to get some foundations laid.