Richard Mouw - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Richard Mouw

The authors say that it is not necessary for Christians to view pluralism in purely negative term... more The authors say that it is not necessary for Christians to view pluralism in purely negative terms. By seriously wrestling with the types of pluralities that pervade contemporary society, Christians can better understand and appreciate the genuine challenges that pluralism poses to human social life. Mouw and Griffioen also critique the leading contributors to the pluralism debate.

Not long after the conclusion of the Synod of Dordrecht, the Puritan party in the Church of Engla... more Not long after the conclusion of the Synod of Dordrecht, the Puritan party in the Church of England proposed that the Canons of Dordt be adopted as an official Anglican confessional standard. A series of conferences were held in 1626 to debate by Richard Mouw Richard Mouw is "president emeritus and professor of faith and public life at Fuller Theological Seminary. He returned to teaching after 20 years as president of Fuller (1993-1013). A philosopher, scholar, and author, he served as Fuller's provost and senior vice president for four years prior to his presidency and as professor of Christian philosophy and ethics beginning in 1985. He is the author of more than 20 books, including The God Who Commands,

The Journal of Markets and Morality, 2015

Too often today, antagonisms prevail between academics and business professionals. This article l... more Too often today, antagonisms prevail between academics and business professionals. This article looks to the Reformed Christian social thought of Abraham Kuyper to help bridge this gap, especially for those who find themselves living between these poles as professors of business, caught between the academy’s generally leftleaning, ivory-tower scorn for business on the one hand and the practical realities of businesspersons’ struggling for success in their enterprises on the other. What Kuyper offers, and what this article illustrates, is a paradigm for understanding the spiritual vocation of business as a sovereign sphere of common grace. A note of caution is in order regarding the abuse of this autonomy through sin in Kuyper’s understanding of the antithesis. Then Kuyper adds a coherent delineation of the rightful role of government in the business world by highlighting its threefold right and duty: first, to adjudicate disputes among spheres; second, to defend the weak against the...

The Annual of the Society of Christian Ethics, 1989

The Annual of the Society of Christian Ethics, 1989

Philosophia Reformata, 2006

In 2001 the leading American newsweekly, Time magazine, ran a series featuring the people who (ac... more In 2001 the leading American newsweekly, Time magazine, ran a series featuring the people who (according to the magazine’s researchers) were considered to be the most influential in their fields of leadership. The religious thinker who was given the title “America’s Best Theologian” was Stanley Hauerwas, who teaches ethics at Duke University. There is an element of irony in the fact that one of the leading arbiters of cultural popularity would choose to honor Hauerwas in this manner. While Hauerwas is officially a Methodist, he identifies closely with the Anabaptist tradition of ethical thought, often citing the late Mennonite theological ethicist John Howard Yoder as the primary influence on the development of his ethical thought. The Anabaptists, as we all know, make much of the need to form communities of radical disciples of Jesus who stand over against the dominant cultural patterns, and Hauerwas, like his mentor Yoder, is not shy about calling for this over-against-ness.

Philosophia Reformata, 1995

Joris van Eijnatten’s critique of our view of ‘directional pluralism’ touches on matters central ... more Joris van Eijnatten’s critique of our view of ‘directional pluralism’ touches on matters central to Pluralisms and Horizons. It is a honour to have our book subjected to such a careful and sensitive reading. Some of the points he raises we want to keep thinking about, but others are so pivotal to our account — as well as, we believe, to Reformational philosophy as a whole — that a prompt answer is called for. Therefore, we welcome this opportunity for a public response.

Political Theology, 2009

Many thinkers, of whom Jean-Jacques Rousseau is a prominent example, have expressed ambivalence r... more Many thinkers, of whom Jean-Jacques Rousseau is a prominent example, have expressed ambivalence regarding John Calvin's contribution to our understanding of a healthy civic order: while Calvin's political genius is undeniable, he and his followers are also known for intolerant attitudes and practices. Thus the image of "two Calvins" by a recent biographer of the Reformer. In this essay I lay out some relevant tensions in Calvin's political thought, while also identifying underlying themes that were later developed by his followers. Special attention is given to the ways in which the "neo-Calvinist" movement, initiated in the nineteenth century by Abraham Kuyper, both corrected and expanded upon Calvin's theology of public life. It is noted that while Kuyper's thought also influenced the Afrikaners' apartheid ideology, Reformed opponents of apartheid also appealed to elements in Kuyper's theology of public life. Although the results have been mixed, Kuyper and others did demonstrate the ways in which some basic elements of Calvin's thought can be used to address issues that are being given sustained attention today in broad-ranging explorations of what makes for a flourishing civil society characterized by a variety of "mediating structures."

Faith and Philosophy, 1985

My colleague Nicholas Wolterstorff recently published an excellent book with the title Until Peac... more My colleague Nicholas Wolterstorff recently published an excellent book with the title Until Peace and Justice Embrace. 1 Wolterstorff's title is itself instructive, hecause it points to the fact that what Psalm 95 describes in the present tense-the embrace of peace and justice-is actually an eschatological promise. The Roman Catholic bishops also made much of this eschatological dimension in their recent pastoral. Only in the coming kingdom, they tell us, will peace and justice be "fully realized." Until then we will experience a "tension" between the struggle for justice and the quest for peace. The ongoing debates between Christian pacifists and Christian Just War theorists can be viewed as an important argument over how we should deal with this experienced tension, with one side arguing that in the present dispensation the primary emphasis must be placed on a consistently non-violent witness to the promise of peace, and the other side insisting that the doing of justice requires us on occasion to commit acts of violence. I will offer here some observations about the present status of this important debate from the point of view of a Christian who subscribes to Just War theory , with special attention to the role of Christian philosophers in helping to clarify the issues at stake. I will begin by offering a brief review of the reasons why many of us are not ready to embrace a consistent pacifism. Then I will go on to offer some comments in support of the contention that, while a significant gap in moral thinking still separates the pacifist from the Just War theorist, that gap ought not to be viewed as being as wide as it has sometimes been thought to be. Many of us are not pacifists. We believe that governments have been invested by God with the legitimate authority to use the sword in both the internal policing of the affairs of nations and in the defense of nations against external enemies. We also believe that there are circumstances in which citizens are justified in wielding the sword against their own governments, when those governments have become agents of systematic oppression. Furthermore, we believe that it is permissible-perhaps even obligatory on occasion-for Christian citizens to participate in these violent activities. In allowing for these kinds of activities, it is not necessary for us to insist that all such violence takes place "outside the perfection of Christ"-to use an Anabaptist phrase. Some Christians may, of course, want to argue that kind of case.

Faith and Philosophy, 1991

is regularly portrayed as a key figure in the emergence of a kind of political-economic individua... more is regularly portrayed as a key figure in the emergence of a kind of political-economic individualism that is antithetical to a Christian understanding of human nature. In this essay I argue that such an account fails to recognize Locke's own serious engagement with biblical themes. Locke's discussions of political topics are in fact very much in the mainstream of Christian thought. But he begins to depart from biblical patterns, I argue, when he offers a confused account of the sense in which human beings "belong" to God. On March 30, 1696, John Locke sat down to pen a letter to William Molyneux, in response to his Irish friend's urging that Locke write "a treatise of morals." He had given serious thought to writing such a book, Locke confessed, but he had decided that it would not be a good use of his time. Indeed he had even come to the conclusion that the world did not need such a philosophical study. "[T]he Gospel," Locke wrote, "contains so perfect a body of Ethicks, that reason may be excused from that enquiry, since she may find man's duty clearer and easier in revelation than in herself."\ This pious declaration would have done nothing to satisfy the Reverend John Edwards, a retired Calvinist clergyman who during that same year of 1696 published a book entitled Socinianism Unmask'd, the second of several scathing attacks by Edwards on Locke's religious views. Edwards was convinced that the author of The Reasonableness of Christianity was a unitarian heretic-or as Edwards actually put it, that Locke had shown "himself to be of the right Racovian breed"2 (thus linking Locke to a Socinian school of thought that had been flourishing during the 17th century in the Polish city of Rakow). What most disturbed Edwards about Locke's theology was Locke's insistence that, in Edwards's words, there is "but One Article of Faith in all the Chapters of the four GospeLs and the Acts of the ApostLes," namely, that "Jesus is the Messiah." To settle for such a simple formula requires, Edwards insisted, that one not only ignore "several considerable passages in the very GospeLs," but that one must also set "aside the Epistles, as if they were no part of the New Testament."3 Of all of his critics, Locke seemed to find Edwards especially irritating.

... Tax rates may have some effect, but not the decisive one. ... popular thought about giving se... more ... Tax rates may have some effect, but not the decisive one. ... popular thought about giving sees a decline in generosity, the truth is that Americans have consistently shared a significant portion of their growing prosperity with charities and ... 4 American charity doesn't stop with money ...

The Review of Faith & International Affairs, 2007

Journal of Reformed Theology, 2010

Oxford Handbooks Online, 2015

Philosophia Reformata, 1995

Joris van Eijnatten's critique of our view of 'directional pluralism' tou... more Joris van Eijnatten's critique of our view of 'directional pluralism' touches on matters central to Pluralisms and Horizons. It is a honour to have our book subjected to such a careful and sensitive reading. Some of the points he raises we want to keep thinking about, but others are so pivotal to our account — as well as, we believe, to Reformational philosophy as a whole — that a prompt answer is called for. Therefore, we welcome this opportunity for a public response.

The authors say that it is not necessary for Christians to view pluralism in purely negative term... more The authors say that it is not necessary for Christians to view pluralism in purely negative terms. By seriously wrestling with the types of pluralities that pervade contemporary society, Christians can better understand and appreciate the genuine challenges that pluralism poses to human social life. Mouw and Griffioen also critique the leading contributors to the pluralism debate.

Not long after the conclusion of the Synod of Dordrecht, the Puritan party in the Church of Engla... more Not long after the conclusion of the Synod of Dordrecht, the Puritan party in the Church of England proposed that the Canons of Dordt be adopted as an official Anglican confessional standard. A series of conferences were held in 1626 to debate by Richard Mouw Richard Mouw is "president emeritus and professor of faith and public life at Fuller Theological Seminary. He returned to teaching after 20 years as president of Fuller (1993-1013). A philosopher, scholar, and author, he served as Fuller's provost and senior vice president for four years prior to his presidency and as professor of Christian philosophy and ethics beginning in 1985. He is the author of more than 20 books, including The God Who Commands,

The Journal of Markets and Morality, 2015

Too often today, antagonisms prevail between academics and business professionals. This article l... more Too often today, antagonisms prevail between academics and business professionals. This article looks to the Reformed Christian social thought of Abraham Kuyper to help bridge this gap, especially for those who find themselves living between these poles as professors of business, caught between the academy’s generally leftleaning, ivory-tower scorn for business on the one hand and the practical realities of businesspersons’ struggling for success in their enterprises on the other. What Kuyper offers, and what this article illustrates, is a paradigm for understanding the spiritual vocation of business as a sovereign sphere of common grace. A note of caution is in order regarding the abuse of this autonomy through sin in Kuyper’s understanding of the antithesis. Then Kuyper adds a coherent delineation of the rightful role of government in the business world by highlighting its threefold right and duty: first, to adjudicate disputes among spheres; second, to defend the weak against the...

The Annual of the Society of Christian Ethics, 1989

The Annual of the Society of Christian Ethics, 1989

Philosophia Reformata, 2006

In 2001 the leading American newsweekly, Time magazine, ran a series featuring the people who (ac... more In 2001 the leading American newsweekly, Time magazine, ran a series featuring the people who (according to the magazine’s researchers) were considered to be the most influential in their fields of leadership. The religious thinker who was given the title “America’s Best Theologian” was Stanley Hauerwas, who teaches ethics at Duke University. There is an element of irony in the fact that one of the leading arbiters of cultural popularity would choose to honor Hauerwas in this manner. While Hauerwas is officially a Methodist, he identifies closely with the Anabaptist tradition of ethical thought, often citing the late Mennonite theological ethicist John Howard Yoder as the primary influence on the development of his ethical thought. The Anabaptists, as we all know, make much of the need to form communities of radical disciples of Jesus who stand over against the dominant cultural patterns, and Hauerwas, like his mentor Yoder, is not shy about calling for this over-against-ness.

Philosophia Reformata, 1995

Joris van Eijnatten’s critique of our view of ‘directional pluralism’ touches on matters central ... more Joris van Eijnatten’s critique of our view of ‘directional pluralism’ touches on matters central to Pluralisms and Horizons. It is a honour to have our book subjected to such a careful and sensitive reading. Some of the points he raises we want to keep thinking about, but others are so pivotal to our account — as well as, we believe, to Reformational philosophy as a whole — that a prompt answer is called for. Therefore, we welcome this opportunity for a public response.

Political Theology, 2009

Many thinkers, of whom Jean-Jacques Rousseau is a prominent example, have expressed ambivalence r... more Many thinkers, of whom Jean-Jacques Rousseau is a prominent example, have expressed ambivalence regarding John Calvin's contribution to our understanding of a healthy civic order: while Calvin's political genius is undeniable, he and his followers are also known for intolerant attitudes and practices. Thus the image of "two Calvins" by a recent biographer of the Reformer. In this essay I lay out some relevant tensions in Calvin's political thought, while also identifying underlying themes that were later developed by his followers. Special attention is given to the ways in which the "neo-Calvinist" movement, initiated in the nineteenth century by Abraham Kuyper, both corrected and expanded upon Calvin's theology of public life. It is noted that while Kuyper's thought also influenced the Afrikaners' apartheid ideology, Reformed opponents of apartheid also appealed to elements in Kuyper's theology of public life. Although the results have been mixed, Kuyper and others did demonstrate the ways in which some basic elements of Calvin's thought can be used to address issues that are being given sustained attention today in broad-ranging explorations of what makes for a flourishing civil society characterized by a variety of "mediating structures."

Faith and Philosophy, 1985

My colleague Nicholas Wolterstorff recently published an excellent book with the title Until Peac... more My colleague Nicholas Wolterstorff recently published an excellent book with the title Until Peace and Justice Embrace. 1 Wolterstorff's title is itself instructive, hecause it points to the fact that what Psalm 95 describes in the present tense-the embrace of peace and justice-is actually an eschatological promise. The Roman Catholic bishops also made much of this eschatological dimension in their recent pastoral. Only in the coming kingdom, they tell us, will peace and justice be "fully realized." Until then we will experience a "tension" between the struggle for justice and the quest for peace. The ongoing debates between Christian pacifists and Christian Just War theorists can be viewed as an important argument over how we should deal with this experienced tension, with one side arguing that in the present dispensation the primary emphasis must be placed on a consistently non-violent witness to the promise of peace, and the other side insisting that the doing of justice requires us on occasion to commit acts of violence. I will offer here some observations about the present status of this important debate from the point of view of a Christian who subscribes to Just War theory , with special attention to the role of Christian philosophers in helping to clarify the issues at stake. I will begin by offering a brief review of the reasons why many of us are not ready to embrace a consistent pacifism. Then I will go on to offer some comments in support of the contention that, while a significant gap in moral thinking still separates the pacifist from the Just War theorist, that gap ought not to be viewed as being as wide as it has sometimes been thought to be. Many of us are not pacifists. We believe that governments have been invested by God with the legitimate authority to use the sword in both the internal policing of the affairs of nations and in the defense of nations against external enemies. We also believe that there are circumstances in which citizens are justified in wielding the sword against their own governments, when those governments have become agents of systematic oppression. Furthermore, we believe that it is permissible-perhaps even obligatory on occasion-for Christian citizens to participate in these violent activities. In allowing for these kinds of activities, it is not necessary for us to insist that all such violence takes place "outside the perfection of Christ"-to use an Anabaptist phrase. Some Christians may, of course, want to argue that kind of case.

Faith and Philosophy, 1991

is regularly portrayed as a key figure in the emergence of a kind of political-economic individua... more is regularly portrayed as a key figure in the emergence of a kind of political-economic individualism that is antithetical to a Christian understanding of human nature. In this essay I argue that such an account fails to recognize Locke's own serious engagement with biblical themes. Locke's discussions of political topics are in fact very much in the mainstream of Christian thought. But he begins to depart from biblical patterns, I argue, when he offers a confused account of the sense in which human beings "belong" to God. On March 30, 1696, John Locke sat down to pen a letter to William Molyneux, in response to his Irish friend's urging that Locke write "a treatise of morals." He had given serious thought to writing such a book, Locke confessed, but he had decided that it would not be a good use of his time. Indeed he had even come to the conclusion that the world did not need such a philosophical study. "[T]he Gospel," Locke wrote, "contains so perfect a body of Ethicks, that reason may be excused from that enquiry, since she may find man's duty clearer and easier in revelation than in herself."\ This pious declaration would have done nothing to satisfy the Reverend John Edwards, a retired Calvinist clergyman who during that same year of 1696 published a book entitled Socinianism Unmask'd, the second of several scathing attacks by Edwards on Locke's religious views. Edwards was convinced that the author of The Reasonableness of Christianity was a unitarian heretic-or as Edwards actually put it, that Locke had shown "himself to be of the right Racovian breed"2 (thus linking Locke to a Socinian school of thought that had been flourishing during the 17th century in the Polish city of Rakow). What most disturbed Edwards about Locke's theology was Locke's insistence that, in Edwards's words, there is "but One Article of Faith in all the Chapters of the four GospeLs and the Acts of the ApostLes," namely, that "Jesus is the Messiah." To settle for such a simple formula requires, Edwards insisted, that one not only ignore "several considerable passages in the very GospeLs," but that one must also set "aside the Epistles, as if they were no part of the New Testament."3 Of all of his critics, Locke seemed to find Edwards especially irritating.

... Tax rates may have some effect, but not the decisive one. ... popular thought about giving se... more ... Tax rates may have some effect, but not the decisive one. ... popular thought about giving sees a decline in generosity, the truth is that Americans have consistently shared a significant portion of their growing prosperity with charities and ... 4 American charity doesn't stop with money ...

The Review of Faith & International Affairs, 2007

Journal of Reformed Theology, 2010

Oxford Handbooks Online, 2015

Philosophia Reformata, 1995

Joris van Eijnatten's critique of our view of 'directional pluralism' tou... more Joris van Eijnatten's critique of our view of 'directional pluralism' touches on matters central to Pluralisms and Horizons. It is a honour to have our book subjected to such a careful and sensitive reading. Some of the points he raises we want to keep thinking about, but others are so pivotal to our account — as well as, we believe, to Reformational philosophy as a whole — that a prompt answer is called for. Therefore, we welcome this opportunity for a public response.