That Good Fight: A Reformation for Gentlemen

Why did European Christendom collapse? What went wrong with the west? Where and when did it start going wrong? How you answer these questions will determine what you are willing to do about it. For many, the answer is Christian Nationalism. But how will this look in Britain compared with the US based on the cultural history and temperaments of these familial nations? In this comeback episode, Aaron and Nathan discuss several threads towards a Christian response to cultural decline, challenging the Church to raise up the kind of men needed to defend their spiritual and cultural heritage and advance Christ's kingdom in our time.



From That Good Fight Substack:



"Christendom Aesthetics, Protestant Iconoclasm, and the Danger of Safe Sermons: Postcards from Vienna I" https://thatgoodfight.substack.com/p/postcards-from-vienna-i?r=1ksz6z

"Cultural Quality, Ideological Vandalism, Tortured Souls, and the Gospel of Christ: Postcards from Vienna II" https://thatgoodfight.substack.com/p/postcards-from-vienna-ii?r=1ksz6z

Why are people now talking about Christian Nationalism in Britain? Why are the mainstream media and secular societies suddenly coming out in force to discredit it? And why do so many established church leaders agree more with the secularists than the Christians? How did the Church become so politically impotent to speak into nationalistic concerns? What does it mean to be a nation and to seek to preserve one's cultural heritage? Why have Christians been so unwilling to stand up for inconvenient truths in these areas?

In this special episode Aaron speaks with Bishop Cei Dewar, who caused something of a storm when he spoke boldly at the Tommy Robinson rally after the 2024 Paris Olympics, in an impromptu speech which subsequently went viral. He has since spoken at various related events including the apparently controversial "Unite the Kingdom" rally. Who is he? What are his main influences? How did he learn to preach like that? Why is such preaching so different to other bishops? And was it fair of Sky News to call him "the Far Right bishop"?

Al this and more in this extensive episode of That Good Fight podcast.

Please consider supporting us at our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/posts/145720218



LINKS:

Bishop Dewar's Youtube channel:


https://www.youtube.com/@BishopDewar




Related articles from That Good Fight Substack:


Questions About Christian Nationalism: 10 Responses to the Curious, the Confused, and the Concerned

Who's Afraid of Christian Nationalism?: The Ideological Battle against a Christianity that Changes the World


Is Tommy Robinson Welcome at Your Church?: Evangelical Anxiety, the "Far Right", and Christian Nationalism

While many evangelical churches call themselves "conservative", the reality on the ground is often very different, especially when it comes to challenging front-line issues which might offend the closet feminists in their midst.

This is one reason why evangelical churches and leaders struggle to talk about obvious Biblical moral issues like abortion at just the time they should. In this episode, Aaron interviews Dave Brennan, who heads up Brephos, seeking to help conservative evangelical churches in Britain embrace an unashamedly pro-life emphasis.

How did evangelical churches get to this point where they needed reminding about an issue that is seemingly so obvious? What other Biblical and historical examples of challenging social issues can be drawn upon to help pastors think through the problem? What is the long-term cost of ignoring a more robust evangelical witness on social issues? What kind of reformation does the Church require in order to wake up and speak up?

Resources mentioned:


Brephos: https://www.brephos.org/

Centre For Bio-Ethical Reform UK: https://www.cbruk.org/

UK Baby heartbeat bill petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/733380


Relevant articles on abortion from That Good Fight:


"On Abortion and Reputation": https://thatgoodfight.substack.com/p/on-abortion-and-reputation

"The Evil of Misapplied Nuance": https://thatgoodfight.substack.com/p/the-evil-of-misapplied-nuance

"Why Liberals Love Abortion": https://thatgoodfight.substack.com/p/why-liberals-love-abortion

"Too Few Christians Stand For Life": https://thatgoodfight.substack.com/p/too-few-christians-stand-for-life

What's gone wrong with modern evangelical churches? Why are they so feminised? Why do the men no longer know how to act like men? Why are "Bible-believing" churches often so reticent to apply Bible passages that challenge the way they do (or don't do) things? If evangelical churches are "Gospel people," why have they often been so quick to capitulate to social or state pressure to stop meeting and evangelising?

In this episode, Aaron is interviewed by Pastor Ebow Essel, a former military man, to talk about how this social "conditioning" of the Church leads it to ignore the commands of its commanding officer in the midst of the battle. Over the last 50 years in particular, it's obvious that the desire to engage the culture for Christ has led many Christians to simply capitulate to secular norms in everyday life.

In light of these many compromises, what will it take for the Church to wake up to the demands of the Word of God in our time, and regain its courage, faith, and obedience in light of the advance of the kingdom in our nations?

https://thatgoodfight.substack.com/

What does it really mean to be a reformer in the Church? Many evangelicals laud the legacy of the Protestant reformation whilst holding very tightly to particular traditions and practices within their churches which can, over time, drift further and further away from Biblical norms. Those who seek to recover them usually end up causing trouble, one way or another.

In this special episode of That Good Fight, Aaron interviews Terry Virgo, one of the most important leaders in the Church in Britain within the last 50 years, having founded the Reformed charismatic movement, Newfrontiers, which has since grown to several thousand congregations in many nations across the world. Virgo recounts some of his story, including his time sitting at the feet of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, who gave him vital advice in the midst of the conflicts he was being confronted with by other church leaders at the time.

Aaron and Terry discuss what lessons can be learnt when "pioneering" beyond the existing ecclesial establishment, what often goes wrong with the modern "charismatic" movement, particularly in relation to worshp, and what it means to take a more thoroughgoing Biblical approach to the role of the Spirit in both challenging and encouraging His people when most needed.

For more of Terry Virgo's content:
https://www.terryvirgo.org/

For more of Aaron Edwards' content:
https://thatgoodfight.substack.com/