Geerhardus Vos on humanist globalism and legitimate nationalism

[Reformed Covenanter]

... It is true that in the abstract the unity of the race, unbroken by national distinctions, is the ideal. Had sin not entered, this would undoubtedly have been the actual state of things, as it will become so in the final eschatological dispensation [cp. Gal. 3:28]. But for the present intervening period this is not the will of God. Nationalism, within proper limits, has the divine sanction; an imperialism that would, in the interest of one people, obliterate all lines of distinction is everywhere condemned as contrary to the divine will. Later prophecy raises its voice against the attempt at world-power, and that not only, as is sometimes assumed, because it threatens Israel, but for the far more principal reason, that the whole idea is pagan and immoral. ...

For more, see Geerhardus Vos on humanist globalism and legitimate nationalism.

 

[Taylor]

I love that.

 

[Jeri Tanner]

That’s heartening for prayer, I think.

 

[RamistThomist]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say David French probably doesn't read Vos

 

[mcook57]

... It is true that in the abstract the unity of the race, unbroken by national distinctions, is the ideal. Had sin not entered, this would undoubtedly have been the actual state of things, as it will become so in the final eschatological dispensation [cp. Gal. 3:28]. But for the present intervening period, this is not the will of God. Nationalism, within proper limits, has the divine sanction; an imperialism that would, in the interest of one people, obliterate all lines of distinction is everywhere condemned as contrary to the divine will. Later prophecy raises its voice against the attempt at world-power, and that not only, as is sometimes assumed, because it threatens Israel, but for the far more principal reason, that the whole idea is pagan and immoral. ...

For more, see Geerhardus Vos on humanist globalism and legitimate nationalism.

Was Vos against races intermarrying?

 

[Reformed Covenanter]

Was Vos against races intermarrying?

I do not know, Michael. That would be a step too far for me if he did.

 

[Andrew35]

Was Vos against races intermarrying?

Haven't seen any evidence of that in him here or elsewhere.

I think it was a bit harder though for people of that era because the races at that time, such as they existed, were so distinct: physically, culturally, and socially. Things are a lot more fluid today.

E.g. what we call black Americans today are already a "mixed-race" people of African and European descent.

This does bring up an interesting point in favor of Vos, though: when you bring people together into a single, national unity, they will invariably intermix. Even if there are social pressures to prevent it.

There's a natural human impulse toward a kind of geographical, ethnic unity, although govt policies may interfere to slow the process.

 

[jwithnell]

This does not appear to be addressing race at all but the distinction of specific nations. Likely he was addressing, at least in part, an over-realized hope for man to be one happy family as a result of the social gospel. (See the appendix to his work The Eschatology of the Psalter.)