Glad to see you sharing your work here on Substack Brian, and look forward to reading more. I have some ambivalence with Schaeffer related to my time Covenant Seminary. The counseling program at CTS likely wouldn’t have existed, or existed in the form it did when I was there, apart from Schaeffer and my 2 most influential profs who had both spent time at L’Abris. I chose CTS because I was unsatisfied after a year at a more liberal anabaptist seminary, and believed CTS was a better fit. Ironically, the biblical counseling movement (Jay Adams et al) kept me afloat while at that first seminary, but when I was looking for alternate schools for the remainder of my degree I couldn’t align myself with a biblical counseling program. I say this is ironic because Schaeffer is one of Machen’s warrior children, as was Adams, but my profs and program at CTS are/were very irenic, non-warrior types. Somehow that warrior spirit didn’t seem to get transferred, in my experience at least. I’m off topic from your post here, but you got me thinking, and I’m thankful for that!
Please comment like this any time you have thoughts — this is great. And I have lots to write about this.
Things aren’t black and white. 😆
There was a group that was reacting against the Warrior Ethos — mainly influence by someone that spend time side-by-side with RJ Rushdoony — Jack Miller.
Glad to see you sharing your work here on Substack Brian, and look forward to reading more. I have some ambivalence with Schaeffer related to my time Covenant Seminary. The counseling program at CTS likely wouldn’t have existed, or existed in the form it did when I was there, apart from Schaeffer and my 2 most influential profs who had both spent time at L’Abris. I chose CTS because I was unsatisfied after a year at a more liberal anabaptist seminary, and believed CTS was a better fit. Ironically, the biblical counseling movement (Jay Adams et al) kept me afloat while at that first seminary, but when I was looking for alternate schools for the remainder of my degree I couldn’t align myself with a biblical counseling program. I say this is ironic because Schaeffer is one of Machen’s warrior children, as was Adams, but my profs and program at CTS are/were very irenic, non-warrior types. Somehow that warrior spirit didn’t seem to get transferred, in my experience at least. I’m off topic from your post here, but you got me thinking, and I’m thankful for that!
Please comment like this any time you have thoughts — this is great. And I have lots to write about this.
Things aren’t black and white. 😆
There was a group that was reacting against the Warrior Ethos — mainly influence by someone that spend time side-by-side with RJ Rushdoony — Jack Miller.
There’s so so so much to explore. History is fun.
We are who we are because of these men.
In other words, Reformed Presbyterianism is always perpetual war between those wanting to fight war and those wanting to take a gentler approach.
Sadly, in my opinion, both fall short of fighting to the most vulnerable.