The Logic of Christian Relationships

I would like to do a series on Christian relationships – specifically, the logical, theological and philosophical nuts and bolts of how and why Christians form relationships with God, Christians and non-Christians. As I have been thinking about this topic, the word which often popped into my mind was “contracts” rather than “covenants” or “relationships” but I am going to forego using that word because in modern vernacular “contract” has an economic connotation, and I don’t want to confuse this issue.

The covenants/relationships at which I plan to look are (though I may think of more as time goes on):

• God and Christians – what kind of covenant exists between God and man? How do issues of free-will and choice come into play? What are the significant differences between God and man that affect this relationship?
• Christians and Marriage – is Marriage a “give and take” relationship? Is there a designated “head” of a marriage? What is the fundamental definition of love in marriage?
• Christians and the Local Church – what should Christians expect from pastors and ministers? How should Christians serve the church? How is the local church supported? What about fellowship?
• Christians and Employers – Does the bible’s language about “slaves” and “masters” apply to business relationships? How can Christians balance obligations to God and obligations to employers? What about work practices and rules which are unethical or restrict Christians?
• Christians and Finances/Debt - what kind of contractual obligations do Christians have with their debt? Should Christians go into debt? Is it legitimate for Christians to pay/charge interest? Is bankruptcy a legitimate option for Christians?
• Christians and Governments – What role do politics have in the life of a Christian? How should Christians decide when and how to obey leaders? What kind of covenant (if any) exists between Christians and governments?
• Christians and Animals and the Environment – what is the nature of a Christian’s interaction with animals and nature? What about pollution? What about property rights? Is animal abuse wrong, and if so, why?

Some Ground Work on Covenants
The most important thing to look at when it comes to these topics is the terms which are being used. A covenant is a (usually) formal agreement between two or more parties to do something or not do something: Colin and Jason agree to be best friends forever. It can also involve a condition: Colin will be Gabe’s best friend forever, if Gabe emails him at least once a year.

Some covenants are formed only for a specific purpose – such as to accomplish a goal or trade material goods: Colin will give a cookie to Phil, if Phil will give Colin a juice-box. Or, in bigger contexts: if a country declares war on England, the United State will declare war against that country.

In additional there are also unilateral covenants (or promises) which are made by one party to another: Colin will love Sadie as long as he lives. These are covenants where there is no condition (no “if”) and there is no agreement or consent from the other party. Again, these can be quite drastic. Japan declaring war on the United States, for example, doesn’t require that the US do or receive anything – it is a unilateral promise by Japan.

Covenants, contracts and relationships make up all of human interaction (including human interaction with God). This is the major premise of my entire discussion on this topic: that human beings have the capacity to act, the inherent right to form covenants and also are the beneficiaries of some unilateral covenants. Moreover, without these things, human relationships could not happen.

Also, if there is anything I’ve missed – feel free to ask about it, or, even better, address the issue yourself in the comments section or submit it for publication.

You may also be interested in:

1. One Christian Libertarian’s View On Gay Marriage
2. Myths in the Modern Church: Christian Folk-Tales
3. Myths: The Middle Class Christian