Paul VanderKlay's Podcast This Little Corner Surfs the Estuary between Calvinist Secular Waves and Antithetical Purities
Nov 5, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Luke Thompson, an active contributor focused on catechesis and online communities, dives into the transformative power of participatory pathways. John Sook, a former CRC minister now within the United Church, shares insights on practical Christianity, emphasizing gratitude and neighborly love in ministry. They explore the challenges of defining community in a digital age, the significance of rituals, and the importance of fostering genuine relationships over mere growth metrics in faith communities.
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Prioritize Vocation Over Platform Fame
- Use online spaces to help people become fully alive in ordinary vocations like bakers, electricians, and accountants.
- Prioritize formation that equips participants for real‑world roles, not platform metrics or fame.
Internet As Person‑Forming Tool
- Paul says the Internet's purpose should be to produce well-formed people, not just creators or pastors.
- He argues online platforms ought to facilitate the formation of morally and vocationally excellent citizens.
Two Currents From Calvinism
- Paul traces two currents in Calvinism: 'every square inch' cultural engagement and sharp antithesis.
- He links both currents to American religious and cultural formation and to later secularisms.
