Concretization of Creation

Today I started a Men's study on the book Plowing in Hope by Dave Hegeman. You can find the book on Canon Press's website or on their app.

The book is a biblical theology of culture.

In the introduction, he lays out a definition of what culture making is. He also breaks down what he means by biblical theology versus the more popular systematic theology. He makes a comment about the existence of higher and primitive cultures. He goes through etymology as well as biblical terminology. Alright, enough of the breakdown. What's the title about.

As he defines what culture making is, he uses a really weird, but very helpful word: concretization. By this he means what happens when man takes the stuff of creation and refines, develops, and builds with it. This he says is the culturative task given to man in Genesis 1.

Hegeman also notes that since the fall, overlaid this task is now the task to disciple the nations. Why? They're lost and are not capable to do the culturative task to the glory of God. What's the point?

In the new covenant age, Christians should do culturative tasks that facilitate the redemptive task. Christians must remember that their vocations can be used by God to bring about redemption. More on this another time.

Go buy the book. It's great.