I often ask my students to give me a quick summary of church history. It’s a good way to see what they know, and, more importantly, what they think they know. The results are fascinating. Beyond the unsurprising fact that most know very little about the story of God’s people between the end of the New Testament and the day before yesterday, the stories usually have at least one thing in common: a Golden Age.
That’s the beginning of my latest post over at Christianity.com: “There Was No Golden Age.” I go on to explain four things that I think is wrong with the “Golden Age Mentality,” and then I conclude with:
There was no “Golden Age.” Or maybe we’d be better off saying that every age is a Golden Age; that is, a time when God is still faithfully working through his people to spread his gospel and display his glory throughout this broken and fallen world.
Well done. I agree entirely. Reminds me of Ecclesiastes 7:10
“Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.”
Mark, a couple other thoughts about why your students don’t say this is the golden age…
1- Western’s location: When you stare out the window and take a look down Hawthorne (yeah I know bueerman doesn’t look straight down, but go with me) students are unlikely to think this is the best the church has ever done.
2- Western’s location (pt 2): the secular/spiritual northwest as a whole isn’t a culture that makes you think its the golden age.
3- Western’s location (pt 3): the political overtones of pdx and the northwest are another influence that can make a northwest seminary student feel like the church is declining, not at its best.
Living in Louisville for a year now, I wonder if the church history profs at Southern would have the same non-answer that this is the golden age. I bet you would find a percentage who say this is the golden age. Hope you are well!