Reformed Fringe

Doug Van Dorn
  • 4.9 (189)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Where doctrine meets discovery. Weekly conversations at the intersection of reformed theology and contemporary exploration.

  1. 2d ago

    Doug Van Dorn- Subverting Halloween

    Some have argued that Halloween is not a pagan hangover ritual to be avoided but a Christian day of mockery—All Hallows’ Eve, the night before the celebration of the saints’ victory, when the church ridicules a defeated enemy. I take that claim very seriously while testing it against the older Irish material: Samhain as summer’s end, the thin veil, the Fomorians’ tribute, and the Tuatha Dé Danann. The result is a clear distinction between subversion (emptying an old form and filling it with Christian meaning) and syncretism (keeping both meanings alive). Along the way we look at the historical evidence, the jack-o’-lantern legend, the origins of trick-or-treating, what kinds of costumes actually fit the posture of confidence, and why Psalm 2’s holy laughter still matters on October 31. Reformed Baptist Church of Northern Colorado: www.rbcnc.com James Jordan, “Concerning Halloween,” Biblical Horizons (1996):https://theopolisinstitute.com/concerning-halloween/ Peeranormal Podcast, Ep. 18: Samhain and Halloweenhttps://peeranormal.com/podcast/peeranormal-18-samhain-and-halloween/ NO LINKS BUT USEFUL:Helen Sewell Johnson, “November Eve Beliefs and Customs in Irish Life and Literature,” The Journal of American Folklore 81:320 (Apr. – Jun., 1968), pp. 133-142.Jack Santino, “Halloween in America: Contemporary Customs and Performances,” Western Folklore 42:1 (Jan., 1983), pp. 1-20.Hastings’ Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics (ed. James Hastings, John A. Selbie, and Louis H. Gray; Edinburgh; New York: T. & T. Clark; Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1908–1926):“(Celtic) Cosmogony”“Celtic Feasts and Festivals”“Irish Deities” Origins of HalloweenDundalk Baptist Church with Michael Emadihttps://www.sermonaudio.com/sermons/922232323303515/transcript JOIN THE REFORMED FRINGE COMMUNITY!http://reformedfringe.com/ Host Websites: Doug Van Dorn - https://www.douglasvandorn.com/ INSTAGRAM:https://www.instagram.com/reformedfringe X (TWITTER):Reformed Fringe: https://x.com/reformedfringe FACEBOOK:https://www.facebook.com/people/Reformed-Fringe/61559052840459/ #spiritualwarfare #spiritualrealms #supernatural

    Doug Van Dorn- Subverting Halloween

  2. Oct 12

    Doug Van Dorn- No Empty Word: The Five Solas

    Five hundred years ago a monk nailed a protest to a church door because salvation was being sold to build a basilica. The answer was five words: Scripture alone, grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, glory to God alone. They were not slogans. They were a matter of life and death. Rome needed a coin in the coffer. We are worse. We have decided people are basically good and grace is optional. Doug Van Dorn opens his book The Five Solas of the Reformation and walks through the chapters: the word as your very life, grace as absolutely free gift, faith as the instrument rather than merit, Christ as the only mediator and the real Jacob’s ladder, and the glory of God as the end of all of it. Reformation month on Reformed Fringe. The word of God is still no empty word.

    Doug Van Dorn- No Empty Word: The Five Solas

  3. Sep 28

    Doug Van Dorn-The Obedience of Faith and the War for the Nations

    Ready to publish The gospel is bigger than personal assurance, bigger than moral reform, and bigger than the way most Christians think salvation works. Jon Moffat and Doug Van Dorn trace how Scripture connects Babel, Pentecost, Abraham, Psalm 82, and the Great Commission to show why the gospel is the power of God for the nations.This conversation takes a hard look at law-gospel confusion and why it so often leaves both nominal Christians and true believers stuck in doubt. Jon explains how salvation includes the whole person and the whole world, while Doug unpacks how Paul’s language in Romans frames the gospel as the power that brings people out of darkness and into the obedience of faith.You'll discover:     •    Why Romans 1:5 is about apostolic mission to the nations, not a proof text for salvation by works     •    How Galatians 3 exposes the clash between Spirit, faith, flesh, and law     •    The connection between Babel and Pentecost that changes how you read Acts 2     •    How Deuteronomy 32 and Psalm 82 frame the nations, spiritual powers, and Christ’s inheritance     •    Why Jesus’ death, resurrection, and authority in Matthew 28 are cosmic, not merely individual Jon and Doug also show why Abraham’s story matters more than modern moralism allows, and why the church loses something vital when it treats the law as the engine of transformation. The result is a clearer, more powerful picture of what the gospel actually does - it saves, sanctifies, and restores.If you’ve ever wondered why assurance feels fragile, why the supernatural keeps getting pushed out of Christianity, or how the Bible’s big story fits together, this episode will challenge and reframe the whole discussion. Essential listening for anyone who wants the gospel to be more than advice.

    Doug Van Dorn-The Obedience of Faith and the War for the Nations

  4. Sep 22

    Doug Van Dorn- They Knew:The Church Never Lost the Angel

    Who stood in the bush? Who wrestled Jacob? Who bears the Name and still gets sent by Yahweh? Matt Foreman and Doug Van Dorn walk the biblical theology of The Angel of the LORD—the Word, the Name, the Glory, the Face—and why this figure is the pre-incarnate Son, not a created messenger. If he isn’t Christ, you’re left with two gods.Part 1 walks the biblical theology of The Angel of the LORD—the Word, the Name, the Glory, the Face—and why Jesus did not first appear in Matthew.Part 2 takes us on a history of interpretation and why it matters that the Angel of the Lord is Christ in the OT.

    Doug Van Dorn- They Knew:The Church Never Lost the Angel

  5. Sep 14

    Doug Van Dorn- Jesus Was Already There: The Angel Who is God

    Who stood in the bush? Who wrestled Jacob? Who bears the Name and still gets sent by Yahweh? Matt Foreman and Doug Van Dorn walk the biblical theology of The Angel of the LORD—the Word, the Name, the Glory, the Face—and why this figure is the pre-incarnate Son, not a created messenger. If he isn’t Christ, you’re left with two gods. Part 1 walks the biblical theology of The Angel of the LORD—the Word, the Name, the Glory, the Face—and why Jesus did not first appear in Matthew. Part 2 takes us on a history of interpretation and why it matters that the Angel of the Lord is Christ in the OT.

    Doug Van Dorn- Jesus Was Already There: The Angel Who is God

  6. Sep 7

    Doug Van Dorn- The Oath Before the Garden

    Covenant theology is not a Presbyterian password and it is not a way to dissolve Israel into allegory. It is the Bible’s own architecture: an oath in eternity, a creation-order that bound man, the world, and the host of heaven, six typological covenants that climb toward Christ, and one New Covenant that actually saves. Doug walks through his Covenant Theology: A Reformed Baptist Primer book—Covenant of Redemption, Covenant of Creation (including angels), the almost-forgotten Covenant of Levi, and why the children of the New Covenant are believers, not infants by birth. The fringe is in the text. The Reformed part is the oath that holds it together. https://www.amazon.com/Covenant-Theology-Reformed-Baptist-Primer/dp/0986237604/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=AUTHOR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.KgjD34LRrIsFK-oKFWX5CEoeD_tkfiJQjD0vX-KKc8zim9vPQHPZzC3TcWaMCe_u-L8ctc5HFdDjBefN-s6R3KgWH2yGSOlWEo_aEny4Sr45WtqVZuvme1jCaWOMjPe8gwXZrg9gjObg_QKCXBBR5gvWfWX0BPyZd3SUPv2mLDzvN60W3JUfK6K2aVG40blHYZuqGOvaddPSZvSUH73EOeS7wDoZEFWSAkE5SqyRAnI.RGugPh0DcBXKV-kjPQBlCvlLcD2jMkuSDU9yKQMNvcQ https://www.rbcnc.com/ www.reformedfringe.com

    Doug Van Dorn- The Oath Before the Garden

  7. Aug 19

    Doug Van Dorn and Jon Moffit- The Devil In the Church

    Gossip doesn’t sound all that bad. Slander does. How about lying, deceit, backbiting, insulting, reviling. Then there is strife, discord, jealousy, envy, rivalries, factions, and the like. All are caused by the tongue, a fire that no one can tame. That’s all bad enough, but do you realize just how connected all of this is to Satan, the Devil, and demonic supernatural evil? That’s what we’ll talk about on this program. Doug’s church–The Reformed Baptist Church of Northern Colorado, Boulder: https://www.rbcnc.com/  The Reformed Fringe social group: www.reformedfringe.com  Theocast: www.theocast.org  Jon’s churchgracereformed.org

    Doug Van Dorn and Jon Moffit- The Devil In the Church

  8. Jul 20

    Doug Van Dorn- Gog and Amalek

    In this episode we are talking about one of the stranger and enigmatic prophecies in the Bible: the infamous Gog ang Magog. The ties here are deeply supernatural, tied to the angelic princes of the nations and especially to the giant tribes and the nephilim storyline of the OT. One badly misunderstood tribe is at the root of this: the Amalekites. You won’t want to miss this.

    Doug Van Dorn- Gog and Amalek
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4.9
out of 5
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About

Where doctrine meets discovery. Weekly conversations at the intersection of reformed theology and contemporary exploration.

Information

  • Creator
    Doug Van Dorn
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    104
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Reformed Fringe

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