Sunday, May 09, 2010
I get more traditional ...
... the farther I get away from fundamentalist Christianity and the idolatry of insisting the Bible is inerrant, and the more I get seriously into historical-critical study of the Scriptures and theological study.
Note: I did not say I'm getting more orthodox.
I think what I'm getting is a whiff of that short, short period of time between the time of Jesus of Nazareth and the firming up of orthodoxy, especially as regards Jesus the Christ, and the development of the biblical Canon.
What is the Gospel? Ask me today, and I'll say:
The Incarnation.
But that's about metaphor and the attempt to make sense of mystery -- it's not about biology, which renders most of what Christians disagree about moot.
What is the call of all Christians?
Ask me today, and I'll say: Faith and works.
"Faith without works is dead" has never been clearer to me.
LOL. Who woulda figured I'd get revived at a flaming lefty seminary with -- GASP! -- Jesus Seminar peeps on the faculty? :-)
--ER
Note: I did not say I'm getting more orthodox.
I think what I'm getting is a whiff of that short, short period of time between the time of Jesus of Nazareth and the firming up of orthodoxy, especially as regards Jesus the Christ, and the development of the biblical Canon.
What is the Gospel? Ask me today, and I'll say:
The Incarnation.
But that's about metaphor and the attempt to make sense of mystery -- it's not about biology, which renders most of what Christians disagree about moot.
What is the call of all Christians?
Ask me today, and I'll say: Faith and works.
"Faith without works is dead" has never been clearer to me.
LOL. Who woulda figured I'd get revived at a flaming lefty seminary with -- GASP! -- Jesus Seminar peeps on the faculty? :-)
--ER
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I'm unclear by what you mean by "traditional," but glad to see another post. I was afraid Facebook had stolen you away.
I mean the basics.
God sent His Son* - they called Him Jesus,
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon*,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.
Because He lives I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
----
* denotes words with which I might have some minor issues, but it ain't no big thang to me and I ain't lettin' anybody else for whom it IS a big thang get to me. :-)
God sent His Son* - they called Him Jesus,
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon*,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.
Because He lives I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives.
----
* denotes words with which I might have some minor issues, but it ain't no big thang to me and I ain't lettin' anybody else for whom it IS a big thang get to me. :-)
i came in a flame'n lefty, i'm leaving a radical moderate. i'm in line with Rienhold Neihbur's Neo-Orthodoxy with a liberationist addition. i'm still a heretic in many ways. i like Borg for the Jesus seminary, he adds in the mystical elements, but over all the whole thing reeks of empiricism to me. not that there is anything wrong with it, but you gotta gather the facts and then LEAP from them.
leap of faith? got it? cool. love the new title btw.
leap of faith? got it? cool. love the new title btw.
Well, I am keeping going. But I don't understand what you mean by tradition is source in biological behavior, unless yer making an evolution pun or somethin'.
While not a seminary grad (although my wife is), I certainly never would have gotten to where I believe today if it weren't for all the traditional conservative Southern Baptists drilling the Bible into my head and telling me to take it seriously.
I ought never go a day without thanking my traditional parents, pastors, Sunday School teachers (God bless ol' Miss Wilson!) and church elders who taught me about Christianity and the Bible.
I ought never go a day without thanking my traditional parents, pastors, Sunday School teachers (God bless ol' Miss Wilson!) and church elders who taught me about Christianity and the Bible.
Hey, Dan!
That's kind of what I'm gettin' back to: the "gist" of it all, which is what I heard in my Southern Baptist Church up until about '78 or '79 when they started piling on a lot of neo-fundamental faux-apolitical horse muffinry!
And it definitely helps to have been Bibled drilled at a yoot!
Of course, one of my profs allows as to how he prefers Catholics, or former Catholics since, because they've never read the Bible, they don't have to be reprogrammed! LOL
That's kind of what I'm gettin' back to: the "gist" of it all, which is what I heard in my Southern Baptist Church up until about '78 or '79 when they started piling on a lot of neo-fundamental faux-apolitical horse muffinry!
And it definitely helps to have been Bibled drilled at a yoot!
Of course, one of my profs allows as to how he prefers Catholics, or former Catholics since, because they've never read the Bible, they don't have to be reprogrammed! LOL
Tradition is following a behavior created by someone else. Behaviors are in origin biologically based.
Traditions are good safe things we need in order to exist in the niches we inhabit. It is when we leave those niches that traditions are not so valuable.
Not to sound too much like a Buddhist but tradition will never take you to enlightenment. Perhaps however that is not an intended destination.
Traditions are good safe things we need in order to exist in the niches we inhabit. It is when we leave those niches that traditions are not so valuable.
Not to sound too much like a Buddhist but tradition will never take you to enlightenment. Perhaps however that is not an intended destination.
well, for Christ's sake, I am not aiming to stop being a Christian. But if my path takes me there, I'll go -- and I'll quit seminary and shake the dust off my freaking feet.
Maybe I'm not using the right words. Maybe I am. I could give a shit less whether it's comfortable or UNcomfortable. And the fact is, it's both, by turns, often at the same time.
But I would no sooner chase after heterodoxy for the sake of heterodoxy than I would pursue orthodoxy for the sake of orthodoxy.
The fact is, I think the Spirit of God God's Unfathomable Self, but more importantly, the very imtimate -- intimately sweet, angry, challenging, devil-may-care open-door accepting -- Spirit of Christ, are alive and well and dwelling in and amidst the people of PTS.
Maybe I'm not using the right words. Maybe I am. I could give a shit less whether it's comfortable or UNcomfortable. And the fact is, it's both, by turns, often at the same time.
But I would no sooner chase after heterodoxy for the sake of heterodoxy than I would pursue orthodoxy for the sake of orthodoxy.
The fact is, I think the Spirit of God God's Unfathomable Self, but more importantly, the very imtimate -- intimately sweet, angry, challenging, devil-may-care open-door accepting -- Spirit of Christ, are alive and well and dwelling in and amidst the people of PTS.
ER: "The fact is, I think the Spirit of God God's Unfathomable Self,...Spirit of Christ, are alive and well and dwelling in and amidst the people of PTS."
Most probably they are.
As your own Priest are they alive and well amidst you? Would a White Eyes of today see them in you?
Most probably they are.
As your own Priest are they alive and well amidst you? Would a White Eyes of today see them in you?
I think so. Ask Dr. ER; she might see things differently, especially these last couple of very stressful weeks!
I confess to a fair amount of uneasiness bordering on fear the paswt week, with the latest round of bone-rattling job cuts by my employer. Three peeps I worked with regularly, at least once a week -- poof, gone -- among almost 60 eliminations total. On top of 100 or so late last year. The body is shutting down ...
I've been there, when your livelyhood is being eroded and you have no control, it test your self image, mind, and seemingly you soul. Not fun.
Rudy, You didn't get banged up by them tornadies, didya?
If I had the choice twixt tornaders and hurricanes, I'd pick snow.
bill loney, MD
ps...dont recover...redefine
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If I had the choice twixt tornaders and hurricanes, I'd pick snow.
bill loney, MD
ps...dont recover...redefine
# posted by 
: 4:49 AM
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