He Shines in All That's Fair: Culture and Common Grace

by Richard J. Mouw

How do Christians account for the widespread presence of goodness in a fallen world? Different theological perspectives have presented a range of answers to this fundamental question over the centuries. In He Shines in All That's Fair Richard Mouw brings the historic insights of Calvinism to bear on this question and reinterprets them for a broader audience at the turn of the twenty-first century.

Mouw examines long-standing Reformed arguments between those who champion the doctrine of common grace and those who emphasize an antithesis between the church and the world. Defenders of common grace account for the goodness in the world by insisting that God's grace goes beyond salvation to more general gifts of beauty, virtue, and excellence to all human beings—including those who do not believe in God. Those who reject the doctrine of common grace, on the other hand, emphasize the fallenness of the world and the need for the church to maintain a dramatic contrast to it. These divergent theological perspectives, while seemingly remote and abstract, lead to questions with very practical implications: What common ground do Christians share with those outside the faith? How should Christian treat their non-Christian neighbors? How should Christians relate to the world around them? Does God disapprove when Christians form close friendships with people who are "of the world"? Ought Christians to identify with the joys and sorrows of those who do not confess Christ as their Savior and Lord?

In the course of this book Mouw looks at these topics, connecting the larger theological discussions to pressing issues in contemporary society. He insists that we have much to learn from thinkers who have rejected the idea of common (non-saving) grace, but he also defends the traditional common grace teachings, showing how they provide an important basis for wrestling with key challenges in present-day culture. Ultimately, Mouw argues forcefully for a Calvinism that is capable of standing in awe before the mysteries of God's gracious dealings with all human beings—and indeed the whole creation.

Presented as the 2000 Stob Lectures at Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary, these soundly reasoned, elegantly written chapters offer an updated, robust understanding of common grace that will be of great value to anyone interested in the relation of church and culture.

Genres: Theology, Cultural, Christian, Nonfiction, Christianity, Religion

111 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Richard John Mouw is a theologian and philosopher. He held the position of President at Fuller Theological Seminary for 20 years (1993-2013), and continues to hold the post of Professor of Faith and Public Life.

Reviews

[Tim Schill · Rating 5 out of 5]

The part on infra vs supralapsarianism was a little too heady for me and I still don't quite get it but other than that, this was an excellent read and a good first dip into neo-calvinism. Thanks for letting me borrow this, Aidan!

[Jadon Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

100 pages of a very thoughtful and trustworthy Calvinist attempting to spell out a theology within the Calvinist system for God’s concern with more than the spiritual regeneration of souls. Aka “common grace”. If you’re a Calvinist it would probably feel spot on - I’m just not and therefore while I appreciate Mouw’s effort here, it felt a bit irrelevant.

[Taylor Franchuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

The calvinst case for an "empathy mandate" regarding the common good. Very refreshing.

[Timothy Hoiland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came highly recommended by someone in the know as a good introduction to common grace theology, a theme I decided I’d do well to actually study a bit, rather than just carrying around in my head various muddled thoughts about what I took it to mean. It’s a small, 101-page book, and as an introduction to such an enormous topic, it’s a delight to read, and it really packs a punch.

Mouw sets the stage by describing two distinct Christian camps: those who tend to emphasize what Christians and non-Christians have in common, and those who tend to emphasize all the differences. It’s right to acknowledge the legitimacy of both commonness and difference, he says. This book has more to do with the latter, but with an important condition: “Our search for the grounds of commonness must be motivated by a faith that cuts against the grain of much of contemporary life and thought.”

- See more at: http://tjhoiland.com/wordpress/2012/0...

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Calvinist view on common grace: A decent review of the prevailing and differing Calvinist thoughts on common grace, but lacking in biblical underpinnings. Mouw doesn't mention loving others as a command by God and waits until the last page to mention compassion. This book was written for Calvinists, so Mouw doesn't deviate very far in order to accommodate his audience.
The most insightful thing he notes is the ethically weak view of supralapsarians to treat all kindly because one doesn't know who is elect or not. Mouw rightly notes then that if we did know, would that then justify us treating the non-elect poorly? In the end, as a non-Calvinist, I just could not get past the framework of the discussion being ultimately built on top of election. Sure, Mouw admits that election is about glorifying God, but he even affirms that the supralapsarian view makes glorification of God really about the election of humans. The words used to describe humans - as elect or reprobate, regenerate or degenerate, automatically undermine a valid discussion on "grace". Furthermore, entertaining this third space of common grace pokes holes in reformed theology. I believe Mouw is recognizing that traditional Calvinist theology does not account for this third space, this greyness, the mysteries of God working in this world, and that is a good thing.

[Scott Gann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the way Mouw presented the concept of common grace. He shared a balanced approach, addressing support and criticism while being open about his own personal convinctions. And I feel that the case for common grace, the idea that God’s goodness can be found outside of professing Christians, is very convincing. While this is clearly Moyw’s conclusion, he supports taking a critical look at the concept to ensure we are careful about the distinction between common grace and saving grace and its implications here and Earth and for eternity.

[Christian Wermeskerch · Rating 2 out of 5]

This rating isn't a comment on the book as much as it is on the debate. I truly couldn't see the point of the debate, and maybe Mouw could've done a bit more to show me why I care. That being said, it was well-written and I got his point. I just rated it low because I don't think I know anyone who would benefit from reading it.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend for any Christian, especially those with a strong non-believing community. The doctrine of common grace is very comforting and beautiful - a little dense in parts, but keep going! It’s a good challenge and a short book.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartening

It is indeed heartening to consider God’s gracious condescension to humankind. Mouw has helped me process how that grace is experienced and expressed in human interactions. I’m wiser for having read this book.

[Alex Connell]

I'm not going to rate this book. This is clearly a book for Calvinists by a Calvinist. As I am most decidedly NOT a Calvinist, it would not appropriate for me to skew this book's Goodreads ratings by giving it a score on conversations/arguments that aren't the focus of the book.

[Karen Crisler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost gave up on this book so many times- I think 80% of it went over my head! Great theological context for the doctrine of Common Grace, but too heady for me. If anyone knows of a book on Common Grace in more laymen’s language, lmk!

[Glenn Wishnew III · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pleasantly lucid treatment of common grace.

[Ronnie Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very brief but informative discussion of common grace from a Calvinist perspective. Thought provoking and easy to read.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mouw is a great read. He does a great job with breaking down complex issues, such as common grace, the supra- & infra- lapsarian debates, and others by putting them in layman’s terms. He shines light and pulls from the traditions of Kuyper, Bavinck, and Barth. Recommend to any in the reformed tradition or seminarians.

[Mark Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a Scripture study, and Mouw always makes me a bit nervous, but this book contains some very helpful historical and theological reflections. Here's a paragraph that might summarize the book:

"We do not make our witness in the larger world on the assumption that humankind has been made more receptive to the truth of the gospel by some kind of across-the-board upgrade. We proceed with caution, knowing that the rebellious manifesto of our first parents—'We shall be as gods!'—still echoes all around us. But we also know—and this is an important message for common grace theology—that the Spirit of the reigning Lamb is indeed active in our world, not only in gathering the company of the redeemed from the tribes and nations of the earth, but also in working mysteriously to restrain sin in the lives of those who continue in their rebellion, and even in stimulating works of righteousness in surprising places. And so, while we proceed with catuion, we also go about our business in hope." (86–87)

Another summary paragraph:

"My Calvinist convictions do not allow much optimism about finding significant 'wholeness' in either our private or our public lives without the transforming power of redeeming grace. But neither can I give up completely on the possibility that we can still witness in our contemporary milieu some evidences of the workings of common grace as an integrating and preserving power. Nor can I give up on the possibility that active Christian involvement in common grace ministries can promote those evidences." (97)

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This set of lectures on common grace package a lot of theology into a very readable short book. Mouw explores the history of the common grace motif in Calvinist thought, focusing on the line of Kuyper. He processes the common objections to the idea of common grace coming from Reformed theologians who aren't receptive to the idea, but also acknowledges the resources enjoyed by other Christian traditions that Calvinists give up to maintain their view of sovereignty and sin. His chapter on the infra- / supra- debate includes a good discussion of Barth's contributions to that discussion.

The final chapter is a good read all by itself -- "Updating Common Grace Theology." Mouw isn't afraid to look hard questions in the face. Finding himself in a postmodern world, he doesn't look longingly at the "good ol days of Mosernism."

This readable little book will orient you to the discussion among the Reformed of the extent to which believers and non-believers can find common ground. I enjoyed it and found it very profitable.

[Alex Strohschein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though common grace is typically viewed as the brainchild of Calvinists, I didn't realize just how much this book would be confined to that specific theological stream. Richard Mouw was already preaching to the converted (he notes most Christians affirm concepts such as general revelation and natural law) with me. This book is most useful for Calvinists in thinking about how to interact with culture especially in light of the intralapsarian and supralapsarian debate and Mouw presents a more irenic understanding than most. He doesn't really seem to provide much in the way of concrete analysis though; for instance, how can a Christian hold common grace in one hand and Harold Bloom or Maurice Merleau-Ponty on the other? This book seems to serve more as a primer for a very significant discussion.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic piece by Mouw. Learned a lot about the common grace controversy in the Dutch tradition (and how the Protestant Reformed Church in America rejects the notion). Mouw is supremely irenic without losing his nerve or his convictions. Some of his reflections on God’s delight in those things that are common between believer and unbeliever are deeply challenging to the way we Calvinists sometimes lean too heavily on the side of comprehensive depravity for interpreting life to the detriment of recognizing God’s abundant display of common grace in human culture.

[Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is formed from a collection of lectures given by Mouw on the themes of Calvinism, culture, and common grace -- in particular common grace might be expressed in culture. It doesn't build to a conclusion, really; it is more a set of explorations that serve to illuminate a way of thinking about these topics by exploring them from a variety of angles while clearing away a good deal of theological underbrush that impedes clear analysis. There is a lot of useful work done here, but the lack of any clearly pursued and developed thesis prevents me from rating it higher.

[John Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

To go on mission in our context, we must discern the difference between common grace and special grace. The sun rises and sets on the just and the unjust. There is no special calling to love your neighbor. There are no special favorites in God's kingdom, only special gifts with which to love our neighbors. Mouw refines and sharpens our vision for going on mission in our culture.

[Jeff Garrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot packed into this short book of only 100 pages. These essays were originally presented as a lecture series at Calvin College. Read it to learn about common grace and culture, as well as things such as supralapsarian and infralapsarian...

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about Common grace and the Dutch Reformed church (Calvinist thought).

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good explanations, but still a heady book...have to re-read stuff and then i'm not sure i completely understand--which is more of a comment on me than on the author.