And this is why I support this young man with his groceries. I like his pen. Now he has given me a platform to respond. We all like to rationalize that what we are going through now is just a phase and that one day soon we'll get back to the good ole days. I'm afraid we have crossed a line and there is no going back. I want a Mayberry town with a barber that looks like Norman Rockwell for my grandchildren to grow up in. I know that's just plain silliness. The more I observe the way we are living now the more I'm forced back into history to see where we dropped the ball. All I'm finding is that ball dropping is all my forefathers did as well and this fact pushes me more and more to my Bible and my Savior as I dream of that celestial city and that banquet that will be held there. Thank you Jon for helping me see it. dp
Hey Jon, appreciated the article! I resonated with your articulation of the modern discourse’s foundation on shifting labels and celebrity culture
I’m curious about your mention of Nick Fuentes as “Dark Right.” Understandably, you may not want to give Fuentes much attention, but I think he’d be worth addressing directly as his political influence among zoomers continues to grow. I haven’t seen all of your work, but I haven’t found a full articulation of your thoughts on Fuentes aside from a few mentions here or there. I’d love to hear more of your view!
This jumped at me: "I wonder sometimes how many people with large social media followings, large bank accounts, and attractive images will be disappointed on the day of judgment. " Indeed, social media likes, branding, amount of influence as an "influencer" (I can't stand that term), I doubt, will seriously be considered as eternal fruit at all.
Your point about the problem with the word radical reminds me of a fellow grad student in the 1980s-90s who declared he wanted to be a radical. A radical “what” he never said.
I tend to pay attention to some Christian theologians who are doing good work without making themselves the center. For example, Matthew Barrett who started Credo (former Baptist now Anglican), Craig A. Carter (Baptist) who is writing a series of books recalling us to the Great Tradition. Both have a Substack presence, but only occasional. Jordan B. Cooper (orthodox Lutheran) posts on YouTube ( and wears suits). There are many good, solid Christians doing good theological work, without making themselves the center.
Jon. Very well articulated. I too have been observing and assessing the happenings within whatever we’re calling conservative Christianity at the moment. I keep coming back to the loss of language, meaning, and conviction. It’s as if faithful, doctrinally sound Christians have allowed themselves to be out-narrated and redefined by cultural label-makers than the word of God. Branding and gifting seem to have won the day.
In my opinion, this stands out.
“The labels that mean the most to us should be rooted in tangible or transcendent realities. We should get back to standards.”
Well said. And I may work with some of your thoughts. If that’s okay with you?
"I have thought on more than one occasion about how figures like John Piper and Mark Driscoll"? Did you mean Mark Dever? I don't know much about Driscoll politically, but Dever seems to fit better here. I may be wrong.
Thanks for the insight Jon! I read your Religions in Conflict recently and thought it was really excellent. Keep up the good work
And this is why I support this young man with his groceries. I like his pen. Now he has given me a platform to respond. We all like to rationalize that what we are going through now is just a phase and that one day soon we'll get back to the good ole days. I'm afraid we have crossed a line and there is no going back. I want a Mayberry town with a barber that looks like Norman Rockwell for my grandchildren to grow up in. I know that's just plain silliness. The more I observe the way we are living now the more I'm forced back into history to see where we dropped the ball. All I'm finding is that ball dropping is all my forefathers did as well and this fact pushes me more and more to my Bible and my Savior as I dream of that celestial city and that banquet that will be held there. Thank you Jon for helping me see it. dp
Amen
Hey Jon, appreciated the article! I resonated with your articulation of the modern discourse’s foundation on shifting labels and celebrity culture
I’m curious about your mention of Nick Fuentes as “Dark Right.” Understandably, you may not want to give Fuentes much attention, but I think he’d be worth addressing directly as his political influence among zoomers continues to grow. I haven’t seen all of your work, but I haven’t found a full articulation of your thoughts on Fuentes aside from a few mentions here or there. I’d love to hear more of your view!
This jumped at me: "I wonder sometimes how many people with large social media followings, large bank accounts, and attractive images will be disappointed on the day of judgment. " Indeed, social media likes, branding, amount of influence as an "influencer" (I can't stand that term), I doubt, will seriously be considered as eternal fruit at all.
Your point about the problem with the word radical reminds me of a fellow grad student in the 1980s-90s who declared he wanted to be a radical. A radical “what” he never said.
I tend to pay attention to some Christian theologians who are doing good work without making themselves the center. For example, Matthew Barrett who started Credo (former Baptist now Anglican), Craig A. Carter (Baptist) who is writing a series of books recalling us to the Great Tradition. Both have a Substack presence, but only occasional. Jordan B. Cooper (orthodox Lutheran) posts on YouTube ( and wears suits). There are many good, solid Christians doing good theological work, without making themselves the center.
Jon. Very well articulated. I too have been observing and assessing the happenings within whatever we’re calling conservative Christianity at the moment. I keep coming back to the loss of language, meaning, and conviction. It’s as if faithful, doctrinally sound Christians have allowed themselves to be out-narrated and redefined by cultural label-makers than the word of God. Branding and gifting seem to have won the day.
In my opinion, this stands out.
“The labels that mean the most to us should be rooted in tangible or transcendent realities. We should get back to standards.”
Well said. And I may work with some of your thoughts. If that’s okay with you?
Please do Lance!
"I have thought on more than one occasion about how figures like John Piper and Mark Driscoll"? Did you mean Mark Dever? I don't know much about Driscoll politically, but Dever seems to fit better here. I may be wrong.
Thanks for the insight Jon! I read your Religions in Conflict recently and thought it was really excellent. Keep up the good work
Good catch
I am curious, Jon, as to your opinion of Free Grace Theology (GES).