A Serrated Edge: A Brief Defense of Biblical Satire and Trinitarian Skylarking

by Douglas Wilson

Publisher:

Canon Press

, 2003

Overview

Satire is a kind of preaching. Satire pervades Scripture. Satire treats the foibles of sinners with a less than perfect tenderness. But if a Christian employs satire today, he is almost immediately called to account for his unbiblical behavior. Yet Scripture shows that the central point of some religious controversies is to give offense. When Christ was confronted with ecclesiastical obstinacy and other forms of arrogance, he showed us a godly pattern for giving offense.

The driving desire of the Gospel is “my life for yours.” Our desire should be to have this love transform everything we do, room by room. This book works its way through every part of the house, examining each part in light of Scripture. The claims of God are always total, and this is evident on the doorposts and in a sink full of dishes. Self-centeredness destroys in monotonously similar ways. Giving up life for another produces a harvest of kindness and mercy. Household questions should always begin with, “is this my life for yours?”

Contents

Top Highlights

“Arrogance is the sin of assuming yourself to be in the right without warrant from the Word of God” (Page 25)

“The biblical preacher is a herald, a steward. He has been entrusted to declare something that would have been true if he had never been born. He is to preach it with a strong view of his own ultimate irrelevance. He is to get into the pulpit and say, ‘Thus says the Lord.…’ And to the modern world, this is insufferable arrogance.” (Page 23)

“And last, satire requires a norm, which for biblical satire is the character of God as revealed in the Scriptures” (Page 16)

“They had two basic problems here. First, they had no sense of proportion. They would pay Judas money to betray the Messiah, but then when Judas returned the money, they had profound scruples about which account they put it in! We just paid this guy to betray Israel’s hope and glory, and he brought the money back. What do we do now? We can’t put the blood money back in the Temple coffers. That would be a sin.” (Page 39)

“But when Jesus looked on the rich, old rulers and insulted them, why do we tend to assume that this is never, ever to be imitated? It is conceivable that such a division is defensible, but why does it never have to be defended?” (Page 17)

Product Details

• Title: A Serrated Edge: A Brief Defense of Biblical Satire and Trinitarian Skylarking
• Author: Douglas Wilson
• Publisher: Canon Press
• Publication Date: 2003
• Pages: 121

About Douglas Wilson

Douglas Wilson (1953– ), a prolific author and speaker, has been the pastor of Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho for over 30 years. He is a senior fellow of theology, a permanent member of the Board of Trustees, and a professional in residence at New Saint Andrews College. Wilson graduated from the University of Idaho with a BA in classical studies and a BA and an MA in philosophy.

He is the editor of Credenda/Agenda magazine and has authored numerous books, including The Paideia of God: And Other Essays on Education, Standing On the Promises: A Handbook of Biblical Childrearing, Reforming Marriage, and Reformed Is Not Enough: Recovering the Objectivity of the Covenant, which can all be found in the Douglas Wilson Collection (17 vols.).