Every generation produces its own set of problems for the Church -- new teachings, new fads, and new ideas which seek to undermine the confidence of the saints, or to draw away Christians from the faith, once for all delivered to the saints. In response to this, the Church has produced confessions and catechisms, espousing the biblical view on the subject treated by the challenges at hand. These are often heresises. Sometimes they are simply heterodox practices, and sometimes erroneous beliefs not dangerous enough to merit the title "heresy."
But over the last 350 years, ecclesiastical bodies have met few of these gross offenders head on, with the kind of firm soundness we should like to have seen, as in the days of the Westminster Confession's development and affirmation. This proposed project seeks to make up for lost time. The goals of the project remain five. All baptized persons, indeed all men, have an obligation, warrant and command from Scripture to speak the truth in love. And nothing hinders them from putting it in confessional format and presenting it to others for their use, so long at it remains sound according to the Word and the Church (for she is appointed the pillar and ground of truth in the Word itself).
First, it aims to expand and revise the WCF and subordinate standards, applying their more advanced counterpart to all aspects of human experience. This way it seeks more comprehensive and accurate, more advanced confessional standards. Revising the WCF is justified by the Word and the WCF itself.
It openly notes that Church councils have erred and do err, and its own confession and catechisms contain a system of theology, which system takes precedence as a rule over the exceptional and occasional errors found in these standards. For these remain slight and relatively insignificant compared to all that more central to the Christian faith, which the ecclesiastical standards have conveyed correctly at every major point. So the clear statements on major doctrines, and implicates of the WCF therefrom (as well its subordinate standards) actually DO THE CORRECTING of its more minor, and very few, errors.
Because the WCF et al contains that system found in the Word, it is capable of self-correction with the help of a few people dedicated to speaking the truth for charitable purposes in accordance with the Word. Good confessions at their core imply clearly the rebuttal of their own errors at the fringes of the web of belief which they convey. Such is the case with the Westminster Standards. Moreover, other sound confessional standards (Heidelberg, etc) can be used in the self-correction and expansion efforts. These are two confessinal standards derived from the same Word of God, expressed in ways differing from other standards as from a different national Church. The more of these we have, the better able are we to reconstruct the more perfect amalgamation and expansion of these standards in a better formulation of that system of theology common to both (and the Word itself).
Second, the HLAP purports to refute all non-christian worldviews, in an effort called "total apologetics." The first purpose (mentioned above) more clearly defines just what it is we are defending. This part will make the job of the apologist much easier – by showing him and the world -- the seamless character (internal self-consistency) and majesty of the Christian worldview.
Third, it endeavors the development of a thoroughgoing and biblical "classical education" curriculum, for home-schooling and private schools made up of Christian families. This effort then could yield the next crop of apologists, teachers, and as we shall see – scientists who are also biblicists. We wish no one-time defense, but an ongoing and mounting cultural (total) defense of the biblical outlook. This part aims to help raise up those who will inherit and apply on a far broader scale the biblical standards we pass on to them. Applying and appropriating them takes time.
Fourth, this effort aims to cultivate from the word of God (exegetically and systematically) theoretical constructions – whether they are accurate or no – capable of yielding technological innovations of a wide variety in all fields, for the elevation of the standard of living, and the improvement of (both the quality and quantity) of human life, for all men, but especially for those of the household of faith. This the project also aims for.
By way of explanation, the Word of God does not require a theory to be held as "true" in order for one to think of it simply as a tool and use it for the profitability and utility which we expect from "true theories." True theories may or may not be trivial ones; and so the question of which is more profitable is not directly related to the veridical nature of any particular theory. Unless, it has proof rooted in the observation of many witnesses, or has exegetical proof from the Word -- by citation or implication -- we cannot know if is a true theory anyway.
Although Christians should make an effort at truth in all things, they need not ever say this or that theory is true (but if useful, we should say only that it works well in some contexts). The history of science shows that many false theories have yielded great technological advances. And Christians must also strive for charity in all things. Many among the pagan scientist themselves have self-consciously noted they aimed to produce USEFUL theories, knowing they were probably false at the time of their "production" (texts always call them "discoveries," but this rather begs the question).
This part of the effort will involve both innovation of new biblically-generated (de novo) theoretical constructions, as well as a biblical review and revision of current promising concepts developed by pagans, with an eye to properly recasting their own useful theories in light of biblical teachings.
Fifth, this project seeks to study and show the proper relationship – both from general revelation and special – what is the proper relationship between these two forms of the divine revelation to all men everywhere.
A brief glance at these objectives indicates that a team effort will be necessary to accomplish them, and that the project will not end in a week or two. I intend to create several teams that work together closely to achieve these goals over time. This will involve teams that raise funds, recruit volunteers, research, do apologetics, publish books and articles, and likewise perform a host of related academic and administrative tasks. I envision (eventually) something like the atmosphere of a small call center for the work environment in which to accomplish them. But much more meager environs will do for the beginning.
The historical literature forming the primary focal points of this project are the Bible, and its many constituent parts and translations. They will also consist of the decrees, confessions and cathechisms of church councils, and of the writings of both the early and later church fathers (reformation studies included).
The term "algorithmic" means that in each case, the sources examined will be studied both contextually, and in a rigorously logical fashion -- by studying the text whole, and then also by systematically comparing its many parts one with another. This effort will employ all kinds of conceptual and cyber-tools to accomplish this. Some of them will arise from work in the various fields this comprehensive approach to worldview studies will undertake. Some already exist online and are downloadable. Some exist out there already, but we will have to search hard to find them.
To do this, I have divided the teams ahead of time into 1o particular squads, each taking on a specific set of tasks it engages, and then contributes its results to the others, who in turn bolster the efforts of the rest with their studies. A special coordination team will keep each team in time with the work of the others. A writing team (which I will specially train) will edit all works and results of these teams for final formation and presentation.
In each case, the new chapters developed will take the form of confession chapters, similar to those found here online and in the Westminster Confession of Faith. These will be posted online individually on a website, and will be complied and readied for publication in book form. The proceeds of all materials sold will be re-invested in the for-profit project, or put into a trust to provide salaries and benefits for the senior staff members, and for charitable contributions to very needy families.
The ten teams to be developed come from the following areas:
1. Adminstrative
2. Recruiting
3. Biblical and Confessional Research
4. Internet Scouts
5. Homeschool Curriculum Development
6. Writers, Books research
7. Apologetics
8. Coordination
9. Technical research
10. Science research and theory development
As each new chapter emerges from the study, an increasingly large number of parts to compare with the (new) confession's other parts, will form the focus of still further advances. This is at its heart a project of systematic theology, developed from the biblical (canonical) literature, and edited with the help of other historical literature already mentioned. Computer software and the internet will form the primary mode for speeding the efficiency of this project along.
One of the chief aims for the development of new conceptual tools will be a Bible-specific search tool called a Semantic-related algorithmic program. This will search several biblical words, phrases or topics simultaneously, and yield results showing what they have in common for further study in systematic theology. Teams can do this already online, and this will form one of their major functions for the project.
This post will continue in a series to better explain just what it is I am proposing.
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