tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post4059962128470321603..comments2024-03-28T10:44:30.518-06:00Comments on American Creation: Christianity Today Library on American President's ReligionBrad Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17669677047039491864noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-89359028801212804662008-08-23T15:13:00.000-06:002008-08-23T15:13:00.000-06:00Dave, I agree that there are various definitions/i...Dave, I agree that there are various definitions/interpretations of what Deism is, and the sort I'm familiar with is more akin to yours than to Jon's. However, I also realize that there is an overlap between the broad definitions of Deism and Christianity.<BR/><BR/>For descriptive reasons there is motive to constrain the definitions of the words so as to provide context to discussion. For that purpose I like Jon's approach. <BR/><BR/>Perhaps it would be useful to have a FAQ on how Deism, Unitarianism, nominal-Christianity, and orthodox Christianity, etc it defined in the context of this blog. However, I expect that topic would be a bit passionate ;-)bpabbotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17047791198702983998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-75195300031513834502008-08-23T12:31:00.000-06:002008-08-23T12:31:00.000-06:00The distinction between 'theistic rationalist' and...The distinction between 'theistic rationalist' and 'deist' seems to rest on a historically ignorant definition of 'deist'.<BR/><BR/>They seem to think that 'deists' denied the efficacy of prayer and the activity of God, as seen in the sentence "Unlike deists, theistic rationalists believed that God was active in the world and that prayer was therefore effectual". But is that true of the paradigm deists in English history? John Toland, Anthony Collins, Matthew Tindal, Lord Herbert of Cherbury, William Wollaston, Lord Bolingbroke, et al.? I doubt it.<BR/><BR/>Indeed, Jon Rowe's description of Christian rationalism -- "[i]t's basically Christianity stripped of all of its orthodox doctrines such that theism and mere morality remain" -- seems like a near-perfect description of deism (i.e., 'deism' as it actually existed, under that very name, in history).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-50057439214189113912008-08-17T20:02:00.000-06:002008-08-17T20:02:00.000-06:00Well done, Gary Smith! It is inevitable that more...Well done, Gary Smith! It is inevitable that more and more Christian Nationalists will come around to the truth...especially when good scholarship like this is coming from one of their fellow believers.Brad Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17669677047039491864noreply@blogger.com