[asa] Creation-Fall-Restoration Paradigm and Pragmatic Questions

I was recently speaking with a pastor who's starting a really neat group
study on the Church's social responsibility. He is working in a fairly
conservative evangelical context, but is admirably (IMHO) trying to get away
from the "culture war" mentality. His study is a broad one, following the
familiar "creation-fall-restoration" theme starting with the creation
narratives in scripture.

So here is a question related to recent discussions here: do we need to
feel uncomfortable with this paradigm generally, if we're asking questions
about exactly what "fall" and "restoration" might mean outside a YEC
context? Is it hypocritical to affirm and support a study using this
paradigm if you would have to do some major nuancing of what "fall" and
"restoration" mean -- or even if you might prefer a term like "completion"
to "restoration?" (I don't think the study in question, BTW, deals with YEC
or any other such specific questions -- I think it focuses more on the "what
does this mean spiritually" kind of theme). If you are blessed, or cursed
as the case may be, with the need and means to ponder such questions, do you
flag it as a question, or let it go and participate without raising it?
When does harboring private reservations turn into hypocrisy or even
unbelief?

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Received on Wed Sep 5 12:50:31 2007