A few weeks ago I submitted a letter-to-the-editor of Una Sancta in response to the following two paragraphs in an article by Rev. Erik van Alten about Identity Politics. I want to state up front that I appreciated the main message of his article about this important subject. As the Una Sancta editor of that issue said: “The article by Dr. Erik van Alten is really important to read. Sometimes it is really baffling to us that people would reject the truth that is clearly taught in the Scriptures or that a man would want to adopt the identity of a woman.” [i] I certainly appreciate and have no problem with the thrust of what Rev. van Alten says about identity politics. However, I do have a problem with what he writes in the last two paragraphs of that article about “the worldwide church” and about everyone being in God’s image. Rev. van Alten says:
“In some quarters of the worldwide church there is a willingness, however, to compromise. And I am not thinking here of churches that have openly embraced these movements and ideologies. No, I am thinking of a more subtle compromise. Think here of someone like Andy Stanley and his ‘Unconditional Conference’, in which he says that Christ does not draw lines, but circles (meaning: Christ does not exclude, He includes) I also think of Revoice in the Presbyterian Church in America and the concept of ‘Side B Christianity’, both of which teach against homosexual practice, but still consider it to be one of many legitimate sexualities (i.e. it becomes part of your identity: I am a gay Christian). We will have to be very clear in our teaching on these matters, without losing the necessary pastoral empathy for people who struggle with it.
The biblical reply to Identity Politics does not deny the reality or the Importance of identity to the human story. It also does not deny the reality or the importance of group identities. The biblical reply does, however, start with what unites all humanity – the image Dei. The biblical worldview grounds the value of the individual in something more transcendent than experience, background, race or gender; it starts with the image of God that resides in every human being. Christians, therefore, do not reject Identity Politics and Intersectionality merely because of its failure as an ideology, but because it denies the common bond that beats in the heart of every human: God’s image. That identity is precious and should be cherished. In the final article we will turn our attention to this very identity.” [ii]
As I said, the two difficulties I have relate to Rev. van Alten’s reference to what he includes in “the worldwide church” in the first paragraph and his claim, in the second paragraph, that the image of God is what unites all humanity. Recalling that Una Sancta editors have in the past encouraged readers to write, and how the chairman of the Una Sancta Foundation once wrote that there was room for polemics in Una Sancta, I sent the following Letter-to-the-editor.
Dear Editor in Chief,
I share the (new) EIC’s appreciation of the three ‘must read’ articles (26/7/2025) in which Rev. C. Kleyn touches on the awesome greatness and majesty of God, Rev. D. Poppe tells us how to do every little thing as though doing it for Christ (seeing Him and living for Him in all we do) and Rev. E. van Alten speaks informatively about the contrast between our identity and today’s Identity Politics. Rev. van Alten’s article led me to re-read his previous article (12/7/2025) which was also very interesting and instructive. However, I feel obliged to express two concerns I have in relation to Rev. van Alten’s concluding remarks in his second article.
First, in his penultimate paragraph (p. 306), Rev. van Alten speaks of “the worldwide church” in which there are “some quarters” that are inclined to compromise. He says he is not thinking of those in this worldwide church that “have openly embraced” movements such as transgenderism, LGBTQ+, Black Lives Matter, etc., but of those who engage in subtle compromise. Rev. van Alten then lists some examples. I wholeheartedly take his point about the dangers. However, his judgement that all these religious bodies are part of the “worldwide church” is misleading and does not harmonise with what we confess about the holy catholic church which Christ is gathering through the ages. For this church, we confess, “governs itself according to the pure Word of God, rejecting all things contrary to it and regarding Jesus Christ as the only Head” (BCF: 29). It would seem at best presumptuous to imply that the religious bodies to which he alludes manifest the marks of Christ’s catholic church.
Second, in his concluding paragraph Rev. van Alten says that the biblical reply to Identity Politics starts “with what unites all humanity – the imago Dei”. He adds that the value of the individual “starts with the image of God that resides in every human being”. Christians, he says, “reject Identity Politics and Intersectionality … because it denies the common bond that beats in the heart of every human: God’s image”. I’ve heard similar terminology used to oppose abortion. It sounds impressive and a cursory reading of some Bible texts may seem to imply it. However, as we confess, our first parents, Adam and Eve, were created in God’s image but that image was lost through the fall into sin (LD 3, CoD III/IV:1, BCF 14). Believers are again being renewed “to be His image” through God’s Word and Spirit (LD 32 & 44). The idea that everyone is created (born) in God’s image has been repudiated on the basis of Scripture and confession by a number of Free Reformed theologians.
Since this is a letter to the editor, I must be brief. However, I am willing to engage in polite polemics about these two matters.
Jelte Numan 30/7/2025
I received a courteous response that the editors had decided not to publish the letter because:
You have addressed both of the matters that you are addressing in your letter previously, on multiple occasions and the editors don’t feel that a further submission is warranted at this point.
The matters that you raised were incidental matters in the article referred to and not the main subject; we don’t want to detract from the main focus of the article.
The author is an overseas author; we really don’t want to have to put any pressure on him to engage in polemics on matters that were incidental to his article.
Broadly, we are trying to keep US faithful, positive and engaging; we don’t think that polemics around this will help in that.
The editor also mentioned that he hoped to write about the second matter (the image of God in mankind), as he has now begun to do, which I appreciate. Naturally I was disappointed that the letter was not published because, as I pointed out in my response: some things have been written (even though they were not the main subject of the article) that were not in accordance with Scripture and confession. That is why I felt obligated to write: so that God’s people reading this are not misled but directed in the truth.
The editors’ response reminded me of why I started this Defence of the Truth weblog in 2013. Articles submitted to Una Sancta, in which I pointed out some disturbing aspects of church life, were not accepted for publication. The reason given at that time was that it was felt that some of the things I said might offend some members of the church.
Appeals to the Una Sancta Foundation, I discovered, are meaningless because the decisions for what is published is left to the editors. As the Una Sancta Constitution says: “The EIC shall take final responsibility for all editorial content of Una Sancta” (Art. 6b).
If appeals to the truth, as we confess that truth in our Three Forms of Unity, are suppressed and errors are not immediately renounced but permitted to stand, the peace and unity we aim to maintain through our toleration is not a peace and unity built on the truth. That is not really love for God and our neighbour. It is well to be reminded of what the Apostle John, speaking through the Holy Spirit, says: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth” (3 John vs 4).
[i] Editorial, Una Sancta, Vol. 72 No 12, 12 July 2025, p. 294
[ii] Rev. Erik van Alten, “Taking up your cross (II), Una Sancta, Vol. 72 No 12, 12 July 2025, p. 306
See also: After the fall into sin is everyone still in God’s image? – Defence of the Truth