Consider America, a "peculiar people." Is there a distinctly American way of thinking about the relationship between law and morality? Why or why not?

Part One
Watch this 8-minute talk by Regent
Professor Dr. James Henderson on Regent University’s Statement of Faith:
https://www.regent.edu/video/home.cfm?address=8001174Links to an external site.
In this video, Dr. Henderson describes
what the Regent University students, faculty, and staff believe to be true
about Christianity and how that relates to all our work.

After watching the video, respond to
the following questions.

Dr. Henderson emphasizes that
while we all share a common Christian worldview, that does not mean we all
necessarily agree about ALL OF THE SPECIFICS of our Christian faith.

What precisely does he identify as
issues or points where we might DISAGREE as Christians while still sharing a
common Christian worldview?

1. How does Dr. Henderson’s talk engage
with epistemology? What does he say that we KNOW as Christians, and how do we
know it? How does Regent University’s Statement of Faith reflect a Christian
worldview epistemology?
2. What does Dr. Henderson say about
“what is real,” and how is this Christian worldview understanding of
reality reflected in Regent University’s Statement of Faith?
3. What does explicitly Dr. Henderson say
about the NARRATIVE ARC of SALVATION, and how does this relate to your
understanding of the Christian worldview? Does he state that everyone at Regent
knows “how the story ends,” and do we all understand that story
similarly?
4. Dr. Henderson doesn’t use the term
VOCATION, but he suggests that we all have a role to play in salvation history
– in our studies and work. How does his talk engage with the Christian
worldview notion of vocation?
5. This week, we learned about
“sovereignty” and that God is sovereign over the universe, though
early rulers may also exercise sovereignty over their territories and borders.
What does it mean to say God is sovereign over various universities,
specifically Regent University, and why does it matter?
HINT: Review the
terms Epistemology, Ontology, and Teleology and include these
concepts in your answers.

Part Two:
In his book, Wilberforce describes England as a country
where many people are, in his view, “cultural Christians” but not
“Real Christians.” How does his understanding of what it means to be
a Christian society align with Martin Luther’s arguments about a Christian
community, as put forth in his “On Secular Authority?”
1. in Martin Luther’s and Wilberforce’s
views, why is it insufficient to merely “live in peace as
Christians?”
2. Why do people sometimes need to be
compelled to do what is right?
3. What are the limits on how government
can and should compel people to behave in decent, humane ways? (Can you be perfect
without knowing the Gospel?) Here, think about how Calvin and Luther might
disagree about this question.
4. BONUS QUESTION: Consider America, a
“peculiar people.” Is there a distinctly American way of thinking
about the relationship between law and morality? Why or why not?