Ars Politica - Ep9: Two Kingdom Theology, A Primer - a podcast by Stephen Wolfe

What is R2K?
Classical Reformed Two-Kingdom Theology:The two kingdoms are the visible and invisible, earthly and heavenly
Christ’s rule is over both. The church is in both. So, the church participates in both, but its participation is according to the sphere it is in.Visible: both ministry and magistrates, both visible church and earthly civic life
Invisible: heavenly life, eternal churchAlternate 2K view:
The two kingdoms are the civil society and the church.Christ’s rule is only over the church
Civil: civil sphere is left to the “god of this world”, civil society is always assumed hostile, pagan, or secularChurch: earthly church is separate, apart from civil society altogether with its own life, its own transient, “just passing through” society on earth, stands in opposition to earthly society in “prophetic denunciation” or “moral witness”, persecution complex (Evangelical view somewhat?)
Flattened One Kingdom View:Christ rules over all in the same way, all (should or ought to) belong to the same one kingdom, share in same ways, life, laws, means, authorities 
church or civil holds superior authority? (Leithart’s “theopolis”) (Catholic Church?)Natural Law - God runs the world through consistent ways, principles, reason, laws
These laws are discoverable by all peoples through reason. Protestant Reformers attested this over and over. 

How did R2K develop?Augustine - two cities
Gelasius - duo suntLuther - spiritual and temporal governments, conscience and conduct 
Calvin - spiritual and temporal governments, the soul and conductHooker
LockeContemporary people? 



Why is R2K important?Theonomists - presuppositionalism, OT laws as blueprint for society
Neo-Calvinists - “take every thought captive”Evangelical - a bible verse for everything
Proper role of the church in the Christian lifeover-reaching claims for biblical authority
Blurring religion and politics, salvation and progress, heaven and the nation, discipleship and social justiceImportance for political thought/theory


Quotes:"Regarding our eternal salvation it is true that one must not distinguish between man and woman, or between king and a shepherd, or between a German and a Frenchman. Regarding policy however, we have what St. Paul declares here; for our Lord Jesus Christ did not come to mix up nature, or to abolish what belongs to the preservation of decency and peace among us....Regarding the kingdom of God (which is spiritual) there is no distinction or difference between man and woman, servant and master, poor and rich, great and small. Nevertheless, there does have to be some order among us, and Jesus Christ did not mean to eliminate it, as some flighty and scatterbrained dreamers believe."Calvin, sermon on 1 Cor. 11:2-3"Difference of nations [gentium] or condition or sex is indeed taken away by the unity of faith, but it remains in the conduct (or manner) of mortal life, and this order must be preserved in the journey of this life."Augustine, Epistle to the Galatians (on 3:28,29)


Calvin on Christ's spiritual kingdom belonging to the inner man:"The nature of [Christ's] kingdom...is not external, but belongs to the inner man; for it consists of a good conscience and uprightness of life, not what is so reckoned before men, but what is so reckoned before God."on Isaiah 42:1"We must observe the analogy between the kingdom of Christ and its qualities; for, being spiritual, it is established by the power of the Holy Spirit. In a word, all these things must be viewed as referring to the inner man, that is, when we are regenerated by God to true righteousness."on Isaiah 9:7"Having shown above that there is a twofold government in man, and having fully considered the one which, placed in the soul or inward man, relates to eternal life, we are here called to say something of the other, which pertains only to civil institutions and the external regulation of...

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