Redeeming Culture is all about finding God in culture, but that’s a pretty vague phrase if you don’t know what I mean by “God.”  There are lots of “gods” in the world, and lots of concepts about each one.  But ours is pretty specific.  Most of Redeeming Culture’s theology can be summed up with The Story, a description of our view of the Gospel.  That’s the important stuff.

But philosophically, we’re kind of Reformed, and that means we like tidy little lists that nail down our beliefs.  So here we go:

The Closed Hand: Important Stuff

To be a Christian, historically speaking, you must believe in these things.  We do.  If you don’t, we still welcome you to Redeeming Culture and hope that some day you will.

• The Bible is inspired by God, and both relevant and useful to all people in all times.  It is preeminent over all other literature and tradition.
• God is the only true God: He is the sovereign creator of the universe, and exists as a “Trinity” of Father, Son, and Spirit.  He is completely satisfying, and the source of all joy.
• All Creation, whether man, beast, or object, was created to glorify God.
• Sin is the willful rejection of that purpose, and carries with it a deserved penalty: destruction.
• All humans are sinful in their heart and by choice from the moment of their birth, with one exception.
• Jesus Christ, the eternally sinless Son of God, laid down His authority as part of the Trinity and stepped onto the Earth as a human.  He is both fully God and fully man.
• Taking our place, Jesus died on a Roman cross, sacrificially taking the penalty we deserve so that we don’t have to pay it.
• Jesus rose from the dead, both physically and spiritually.  After being seen by many witnesses, He rose into heaven.
• Repentance from sin and turning to Christ is the only way to be reconciled to God and experience the perfect joy He promises.
• Jesus will return from heaven physically; on that day, those who have repented and placed their faith in Him will be rewarded.  Those who are still in their sin will be eternally punished.

The Open Hand: The Less Important Stuff

If you don’t agree with us on these points, that’s OK.  We find them helpful, but realize that not everyone shares our views.

• God is sovereign over all things; there is not one square inch in creation over which He does not exercise His power.  Nothing is out of His plan and control.  Your sin is your responsibility, but it was permitted by God as a part of His plan.
• The Holy Spirit is still active in the world.  His extraordinary, supernatural gifts continue today; they did not cease with the death of the Apostles.  However, they are not common.
• Men and Women are complementary; they are equal in essence, dignity, worth, and rights, but have been created with different (complementary) roles.
• God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him, and we are most satisfied in God when His glory most brightly shines through us.

Miscellany: The Reformed Theology Geek Stuff

Our editor and primary contributor is a Reformed Theology Geek™, so if you’re curious, we affirm:

• The 5 Solas (emphasis on Scripture as our highest authority.  It is not our only, but our highest)
• The Reformed Creeds (Apostles’, Nicene, Chalcedonian, etc.; but Christ did not descend into hell, He rescued the Old Testament faithful from Sheol.)
• The Reformed Confessions (Heidelburg, Westminster, Helvetic, etc.)
• TULIP (All five points, though we reject the mindset of the hyper-Calvinists or “Cruel Calvinists”)
• The Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (though we find John Piper’s Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood far more practically useful)
• The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy

And because Reformed Theology Geeks™ really love their authors, here’s an (incomplete) list of our favorites:

• John Piper
• C. H. Spurgeon
• C. S. Lewis
• Blaise Pascal
• Augustine of Hippo
• R. C. Sproul
• Matt Chandler
• Mark Driscoll (see our article about him and his church here)

All of these men are fallen, sinful men.  Their books are not Biblical, and thus not inerrant, but they are helpful.

Questions?  Clarifications?

Are you curious about any of the items above?  Please let us know!  Comments are on for this page; we’d love to have a respectful dialog about our theology and distinctives.  Thanks for visiting Redeeming Culture!