Ben Hein
@brheiny.bsky.social
Neo-Calvinism, Reformed ethics, and church planting for the urban ministry context. Near Westside of Indianapolis. Mostly quotes. Good vibes only.
The sinful inequality in people’s lot in life offends Jesus, and his wrath is ignited at the hardness of those who have.
Abraham Kuyper, Christ and the Needy
Abraham Kuyper, Christ and the Needy
March 17, 2025 at 11:59 AM
The sinful inequality in people’s lot in life offends Jesus, and his wrath is ignited at the hardness of those who have.
Abraham Kuyper, Christ and the Needy
Abraham Kuyper, Christ and the Needy
The Reformed social ethic is as alien in its nature to the inflexibilities of conservative orthodoxy that does not take into account the evolution of human situations as it is to any revolutionary ethic that frees itself from the Word of God.
Biéler, 456
Biéler, 456
March 13, 2025 at 7:10 PM
The Reformed social ethic is as alien in its nature to the inflexibilities of conservative orthodoxy that does not take into account the evolution of human situations as it is to any revolutionary ethic that frees itself from the Word of God.
Biéler, 456
Biéler, 456
[so] Calvinism in its original form could not fail to see the dangers and vices of capitalism from its very beginnings and oppose them with absolute rigour.
André Biéler, Calvin’s Economic and Social Thought, 454
André Biéler, Calvin’s Economic and Social Thought, 454
March 13, 2025 at 1:00 AM
[so] Calvinism in its original form could not fail to see the dangers and vices of capitalism from its very beginnings and oppose them with absolute rigour.
André Biéler, Calvin’s Economic and Social Thought, 454
André Biéler, Calvin’s Economic and Social Thought, 454
and has produced a conservatism that had often been reactionary, totally contrary to its original social dynamism.
André Biéler, Calvin’s Economic and Social Thought, 366
André Biéler, Calvin’s Economic and Social Thought, 366
March 9, 2025 at 12:09 AM
and has produced a conservatism that had often been reactionary, totally contrary to its original social dynamism.
André Biéler, Calvin’s Economic and Social Thought, 366
André Biéler, Calvin’s Economic and Social Thought, 366
W. Fred Graham, The Constructive Revolutionary, 76
March 8, 2025 at 4:38 PM
W. Fred Graham, The Constructive Revolutionary, 76
We are murderers when we kill our neighbor’s soul. This happens when we flatter our neighbor’s pride, incite their evil lusts and desires, weaken their tender consciences, shock their faith by our doubt, crush their faith by our ridicule, or offend them in anything whatsoever.
H. Bavinck RE 2:454
H. Bavinck RE 2:454
March 4, 2025 at 6:22 PM
We are murderers when we kill our neighbor’s soul. This happens when we flatter our neighbor’s pride, incite their evil lusts and desires, weaken their tender consciences, shock their faith by our doubt, crush their faith by our ridicule, or offend them in anything whatsoever.
H. Bavinck RE 2:454
H. Bavinck RE 2:454
how messy and challenging it was for the early church to live out its multi-ethnic calling.
The screenshot below shows Byron's taxonomy for these rhetorics.
The screenshot below shows Byron's taxonomy for these rhetorics.
February 26, 2025 at 3:02 PM
how messy and challenging it was for the early church to live out its multi-ethnic calling.
The screenshot below shows Byron's taxonomy for these rhetorics.
The screenshot below shows Byron's taxonomy for these rhetorics.
Trimmed the blackberry and raspberry canes today. Small leaves are budding.
Starting seeds inside this week.
It’s happening. Spring is almost here.
Starting seeds inside this week.
It’s happening. Spring is almost here.
February 24, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Trimmed the blackberry and raspberry canes today. Small leaves are budding.
Starting seeds inside this week.
It’s happening. Spring is almost here.
Starting seeds inside this week.
It’s happening. Spring is almost here.
The early church “opposed pagan political philosophy inasmuch as it was embodied in the emperor and the apotheosis of the state, emperor worship, the deification of human beings, and they drew or at least sought to draw a distinction between religion and public life.”
February 21, 2025 at 2:14 PM
The early church “opposed pagan political philosophy inasmuch as it was embodied in the emperor and the apotheosis of the state, emperor worship, the deification of human beings, and they drew or at least sought to draw a distinction between religion and public life.”
Kevin Vanhoozer: Western evangelical theologians have been "fatally abstract" in their theology by ignoring cultural context. This has resulted in "criminal negligence" toward the church:
"Twentieth-century evangelicals in Europe and North America largely agreed with Charles Hodge that theology
"Twentieth-century evangelicals in Europe and North America largely agreed with Charles Hodge that theology
February 18, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Kevin Vanhoozer: Western evangelical theologians have been "fatally abstract" in their theology by ignoring cultural context. This has resulted in "criminal negligence" toward the church:
"Twentieth-century evangelicals in Europe and North America largely agreed with Charles Hodge that theology
"Twentieth-century evangelicals in Europe and North America largely agreed with Charles Hodge that theology
The Church thus appears to be God’s pilot scheme for the reconciled universe of the future.
F. F. Bruce on Ephesians 3:10-11 (cf. 1:8-10)
F. F. Bruce on Ephesians 3:10-11 (cf. 1:8-10)
February 16, 2025 at 9:38 PM
The Church thus appears to be God’s pilot scheme for the reconciled universe of the future.
F. F. Bruce on Ephesians 3:10-11 (cf. 1:8-10)
F. F. Bruce on Ephesians 3:10-11 (cf. 1:8-10)
The offices in the church of Christ are not a ruling but a serving power.
Even though the offices exist for the sake of the church, they are not its organ and do not derive their power from it.
Even though the offices exist for the sake of the church, they are not its organ and do not derive their power from it.
February 14, 2025 at 5:37 PM
The offices in the church of Christ are not a ruling but a serving power.
Even though the offices exist for the sake of the church, they are not its organ and do not derive their power from it.
Even though the offices exist for the sake of the church, they are not its organ and do not derive their power from it.
A charity which knows only how to give money is not yet Christian love. You will be free of guilt only when you also give your time, your energy and your resourcefulness to help end abuses in society for good, and when you allow nothing that lies hidden in the storehouse of your Christian religion
February 14, 2025 at 1:09 AM
A charity which knows only how to give money is not yet Christian love. You will be free of guilt only when you also give your time, your energy and your resourcefulness to help end abuses in society for good, and when you allow nothing that lies hidden in the storehouse of your Christian religion
Wolterstorff: If we do not consider the worth of human beings, we will produce all kinds of harsh, distorted, oppressive actions in the name of “justice”:
To employ the category of rendering justice is to place the worth of the other in the forefront of one’s attention.
To employ the category of rendering justice is to place the worth of the other in the forefront of one’s attention.
February 13, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Wolterstorff: If we do not consider the worth of human beings, we will produce all kinds of harsh, distorted, oppressive actions in the name of “justice”:
To employ the category of rendering justice is to place the worth of the other in the forefront of one’s attention.
To employ the category of rendering justice is to place the worth of the other in the forefront of one’s attention.
One of the reasons why I started my DMin in Urban Missiology at Fuller w/ Dr. Rah was to make the case for urban Presbyterianism to scholar-practitioners who are rightly critical of Reformed theology and movements. This feedback, then, meant so much to me:
February 13, 2025 at 2:20 PM
One of the reasons why I started my DMin in Urban Missiology at Fuller w/ Dr. Rah was to make the case for urban Presbyterianism to scholar-practitioners who are rightly critical of Reformed theology and movements. This feedback, then, meant so much to me:
According to Anglican theologian Christopher Wright, God’s people are responsible for pursuing just laws that benefit the poor, immigrants, and those seeking asylum:
There is a persistent demand that the processes of the legal system should be just and, as they say, seen to be just.
There is a persistent demand that the processes of the legal system should be just and, as they say, seen to be just.
February 13, 2025 at 1:47 PM
According to Anglican theologian Christopher Wright, God’s people are responsible for pursuing just laws that benefit the poor, immigrants, and those seeking asylum:
There is a persistent demand that the processes of the legal system should be just and, as they say, seen to be just.
There is a persistent demand that the processes of the legal system should be just and, as they say, seen to be just.
I’ve been on a neo-Cal/school break for 6 weeks (kinda, not really) to focus on some other things. Looking forward to jumping into this stack soon (+ Bavinck’s Foremost Problems).
Any excuse to show off that new Power Ranger frame.
Any excuse to show off that new Power Ranger frame.
January 29, 2025 at 3:20 AM
I’ve been on a neo-Cal/school break for 6 weeks (kinda, not really) to focus on some other things. Looking forward to jumping into this stack soon (+ Bavinck’s Foremost Problems).
Any excuse to show off that new Power Ranger frame.
Any excuse to show off that new Power Ranger frame.
The historic First Lutheran Church of Indianapolis building caught on fire last night.
Indianapolis has several beautiful historic church buildings. This one was right off our memorial plaza downtown. I hate to see it go this way—a real loss.
Indianapolis has several beautiful historic church buildings. This one was right off our memorial plaza downtown. I hate to see it go this way—a real loss.
December 24, 2024 at 4:10 PM
The historic First Lutheran Church of Indianapolis building caught on fire last night.
Indianapolis has several beautiful historic church buildings. This one was right off our memorial plaza downtown. I hate to see it go this way—a real loss.
Indianapolis has several beautiful historic church buildings. This one was right off our memorial plaza downtown. I hate to see it go this way—a real loss.
For the Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor—spending and being spent—to enrich their fellow humans, giving time, trouble, care and concern,
December 23, 2024 at 1:27 PM
For the Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor—spending and being spent—to enrich their fellow humans, giving time, trouble, care and concern,
Every Christmas I make a batch of Chex Mix with double the butter, garlic, and onion powders, and at least quadruple the amount of seasoning salt.
A good batch will burn the tongue a little bit. 😁
A good batch will burn the tongue a little bit. 😁
December 23, 2024 at 1:35 AM
Every Christmas I make a batch of Chex Mix with double the butter, garlic, and onion powders, and at least quadruple the amount of seasoning salt.
A good batch will burn the tongue a little bit. 😁
A good batch will burn the tongue a little bit. 😁
Harvie Conn on liberation theology:
The evangelical must also hear in the liberation call for praxis a call for repentance, a reminder of the "unpaid bills of the church"… an opportunity to rectify the polarity between proclamation and presence…
The evangelical must also hear in the liberation call for praxis a call for repentance, a reminder of the "unpaid bills of the church"… an opportunity to rectify the polarity between proclamation and presence…
December 15, 2024 at 2:38 PM
Harvie Conn on liberation theology:
The evangelical must also hear in the liberation call for praxis a call for repentance, a reminder of the "unpaid bills of the church"… an opportunity to rectify the polarity between proclamation and presence…
The evangelical must also hear in the liberation call for praxis a call for repentance, a reminder of the "unpaid bills of the church"… an opportunity to rectify the polarity between proclamation and presence…
Macleod on liberation theology:
Stress on 'the least of these brethren of mine' is most welcome, particularly after centuries of blind support for the forces of 'law and order', regardless of deeper issues of social justice.
Stress on 'the least of these brethren of mine' is most welcome, particularly after centuries of blind support for the forces of 'law and order', regardless of deeper issues of social justice.
December 14, 2024 at 3:06 PM
Macleod on liberation theology:
Stress on 'the least of these brethren of mine' is most welcome, particularly after centuries of blind support for the forces of 'law and order', regardless of deeper issues of social justice.
Stress on 'the least of these brethren of mine' is most welcome, particularly after centuries of blind support for the forces of 'law and order', regardless of deeper issues of social justice.
it comes up against the kind of religious people for whom a political ideology takes precedence over genuine faith, and who demand total submission from the church."
André Biéler, Calvin's Economic and Social Thought, 93
André Biéler, Calvin's Economic and Social Thought, 93
December 7, 2024 at 5:22 PM
it comes up against the kind of religious people for whom a political ideology takes precedence over genuine faith, and who demand total submission from the church."
André Biéler, Calvin's Economic and Social Thought, 93
André Biéler, Calvin's Economic and Social Thought, 93