Richard Mouw on Gargoyles, Calvinism, and Halloween

As October 31st nears Richard Mouw (president of Fuller Seminary and author of Calvinism in a Las Vegas Airport) examines what we might be able to learn from ancient gargoyles and the traditions behind Halloween. 

Coming from a childhood where we didn’t trick-or-treat or take part in any of the rest of it, I was particularly intrigued by his contrast between Lutheran and Calvinist reactions to the superstitions of their day. 

You can read and comment on the excerpt below, and find the whole post here.

    “Halloween masks and carved pumpkin faces are remnants of measures that were designed to protect people from the power of evil. I’m not arguing that we should revive their original uses. But Halloween is one important occasion for reminding ourselves that the power of the Evil One is still with us. Scary faces will not keep him at bay. But they can be a reminder of the need to be on guard against his wiles.”