The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.

10 Lawyers turned theologians

1. Tertullian 160-225 (Church father and Montanist)
2. John Calvin 1509-1564 (Calvinist)
3. Pierre Charron 1541-1603 (Catholic theologian)
4. Nathaniel Ward 1578-1652 (Puritan minister in New England)
5. Moses Amyraut 1596-1664 (Amyraldian)
6. Thomas Erskine of Linlathen 1788-1870 (Liberal lay theologian)
7. Charles G Finney 1792-1875 (Semi-Pelagian theologian)
8. C I Scofield 1843-1921 (American dispensationalist theologian)
9. Tokutaro Takakura 1885-1934 (Japanese theologian)
10. Bishop James Pike 1913-1969 (American Liberal TV theologian)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gutted not to be on the list.

Robert

Emmanuel said...

Didn't Luther study law before becoming a monk?

Gary Brady said...

Robert - a glaring and unforgiveable omission. Emmanuel - his father wanted him to be a lawyer but as I recall it the thunder storm and the promise to St Anne intervened and he entered the Augustine priory without actually beginning a law degree. (I may be wrong about that, of course).

Emmanuel said...

Thanks, you're probably right.