Comments on: Obama as public theologian: Old wine in new wineskins http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2009/05/28/obama-as-public-theologian-old-wine-in-new-wineskins/ Secularism, religion, and the public sphere Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:29:19 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jill Schaeffer http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2009/05/28/obama-as-public-theologian-old-wine-in-new-wineskins/comment-page-1/#comment-6263 Jill Schaeffer Fri, 29 May 2009 02:46:12 +0000 http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/?p=1794#comment-6263 On Memorial Day Sunday (May 24th) I preached on the Reformed interpretation of the "Call" as ingredient in the American experience. And now we have a President speaking again of the American dream (or welcoming the Call) through a classical liberal lens of tolerance. I think that it was Judge Sandra Day O'Connor who wrote the majority opinion in a 1991 (or 92) decision by the Supreme Court in favor of Planned Parenthood. In that decision, Judge O'Connor wrote of the "right to seek one's meaning of existence." If that isn't "call," I don't know what is. Yet that notion of "call," unlike Luther's, doesn't issue from the Anglos, but rather from a Frenchman, John Calvin. Mr. Thiemann mentioned the Enlightenment figures of Locke and Madison. I would add John Calvin, the Frenchman and Voltaire, the Swiss Romand, both from the other side of the channel, who contributed to the headiness of that old wine our President is pouring into the new wineskins of contemporary American culture. On Memorial Day Sunday (May 24th) I preached on the Reformed interpretation of the “Call” as ingredient in the American experience. And now we have a President speaking again of the American dream (or welcoming the Call) through a classical liberal lens of tolerance. I think that it was Judge Sandra Day O’Connor who wrote the majority opinion in a 1991 (or 92) decision by the Supreme Court in favor of Planned Parenthood. In that decision, Judge O’Connor wrote of the “right to seek one’s meaning of existence.” If that isn’t “call,” I don’t know what is. Yet that notion of “call,” unlike Luther’s, doesn’t issue from the Anglos, but rather from a Frenchman, John Calvin. Mr. Thiemann mentioned the Enlightenment figures of Locke and Madison. I would add John Calvin, the Frenchman and Voltaire, the Swiss Romand, both from the other side of the channel, who contributed to the headiness of that old wine our President is pouring into the new wineskins of contemporary American culture.

]]> By: Sherwood MacRae http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2009/05/28/obama-as-public-theologian-old-wine-in-new-wineskins/comment-page-1/#comment-6260 Sherwood MacRae Fri, 29 May 2009 00:03:14 +0000 http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/?p=1794#comment-6260 Reading this article, one might come away with the impression that President Obama was nearing the end of his tenure in office, while the truth is, he has hardly begun his first term. If you want a comparison, try looking at the results of the G. W. Bush administration---that "devout" man who claimed to have been delivered from the curse of drink, only to leave the nation with little more than the taste of sour grapes. Meanwhile, look to Jesus for His thoughts on how a nation should be governed and you might notice, President Obama would be receiving high marks. Reading this article, one might come away with the impression that President Obama was nearing the end of his tenure in office, while the truth is, he has hardly begun his first term.

If you want a comparison, try looking at the results of the G. W. Bush administration—that “devout” man who claimed to have been delivered from the curse of drink, only to leave the nation with little more than the taste of sour grapes.

Meanwhile, look to Jesus for His thoughts on how a nation should be governed and you might notice, President Obama would be receiving high marks.

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