Theological Rants, Musings on the Mystical, and Wonderings about Stuff
Sometimes I feel that when we try so hard not to offend anyone we end up not offering anything of substance. That was kind of what the service was like - a bowl of oatmeal. No spice and no flavor, but it wont hurt you.
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Originally Posted 4-13-2007
What Paul Might Have Meant if He Had A Good Advocate
It’s been a while – I’ll blame Easter. I’m going to try to catch up with the works that I have read/reviewed as best as I can. First, let’s look at What Paul Meant by Garry Wills. Harvey Cox wrote a review of this work that I think was kinder than necessary. After reading Wills’ work, I am left wondering what his agenda might be, and who his audience might be. Wills is trying to make Paul out to be a decent person, but doesn’t use any substantial scholarship or background to support his claim. He continually trashes Luke as historically suspect, unless it supports his own claims that he wants to make about Paul. Wills’ use of scholarship is weak at best (Cox makes this point), and his exploration of issues is surface level and quickly jumps to conclusions. It feels like Wills is making a classic interpretation error, forcing a text (or in this case a cannon of texts around a person) into a category that fits his agenda. Not quite scholarship, nor is it devotional, nor is it inspirational. I wouldn’t recommend the book to anyone.
Be Good, Be Moral
Next up, John Mahoney's The Making of Moral Theology: A Study of the Roman Catholic Tradition. As far as a historical work goes, this one was fine. Mahoney showed the conflicts within the tradition and the development of moral theology that emerged out of those conflicts. The whole idea of "moral theology" is still a little new to me as a Baptist. We are so focused on the word that the idea of developing understandings of morality seem different. Yet we do have a developing moral theology that has emerged through our particular readings of scripture. It would not be bad to look at the development of the Baptist moral theology based upon interaction with scripture and see what has changed and what has stayed the same over time.
A Thick Description of A Time
Moving right along - McGreevy's work Parish Boundaries: The Catholic Encounter with Race in the Twentieth-Century Urban North. This is an excellent work, a great example of a "thick description" of a large part of our Nation's history. McGreevy takes the issue of race relations and focus in on Catholics in the Urban North and their reactions and tensions. It is a great reminder that none of us have clean hands, and how systematic racism can be. It is also a great example of considering closely how one group of people were involved in a larger event. I strongly recommend.
The Bible is a tricky thing, one that I strive to hold as an authority. Yet I do not believe it is possible to remove the Bible from the context of the reader and life it up as an objective source guiding us in all that we do. In the end, we must rest on the Holy Spirit to guide our reading of these dangerous and liberating text.
Read MoreHow do we speak of God?
Read More(Originally posted 1-21-07) Can one connect only to the Gospel without any influence at all? Can one have the purest of sources?
Read MoreIn life, when we encounter pain, we look for the presence of God in the pain, the joy in the tears, and the moment when the pain passes. This is the way life leads.
Read MoreUnity is important, but not at the expense of the whole body. Dissent is also important, but not at the expense of the whole body. We must find a way to give those who dissent full voice and a place at the table. We must continue to stay committed to the movement and the church enough to stay in dialogue with our dissent.
Read MoreBaptists need to look closely at ourselves currently and historically to discern our doctrines and our theological grammar.
Read MoreIs religious freedom a theological construct? Or is religious freedom merely a political necessity to keep different religions from killing each other.
Read MorePerhaps the challenge is to always be critically considering the names one has for God, and questioning if those names are still appropriate. Or, more broadly, to always be questioning and developing one’s theology, looking for the holes, and the constrictions one has placed upon God. Maybe then theology moves from and academic endeavor to a spiritual endeavor.
Read MoreHow can we use our sources of scripture and tradition?
Read MoreWhat makes a history book good, and what makes it excellent? This is something I was thinking about as I read The History of Black Catholics in the United States by Cyprian Davis.
Read MoreWhat would the Baptist imagination look like if there is one? What aspects of the Baptist movement would be found in the popular tradition?
Read MoreMoral Theology is responding to the sin of the people and the way to achieve salvation, while Liberation Theology seems to be addressing the salvation of the people and the sin of society. This is a fundamental difference between focusing on the “rule” of God vs. the experience of the people.
Read MoreOne cannot escape the impact culture has on theology, and it is the job of the theologian to be aware of that effect.
Read MoreOne story has many facets. Think of the four different stories of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are in the later part of the Bible in case you weren’t sure). These are all working with many of the same facts, many of the same bits of information and yet all offer slightly different pictures of Jesus. One goes into great effort to connect the teachings of Jesus with the teachings of Moses and the Prophets. Another shows how the person and ministry of Jesus is one that goes beyond the rules and expectations of Judaism to include outsiders. Another offers a more “spiritual/mystical” view of Jesus’ teachings and ideas but one that does not diminish Jesus’ humanity. In the Bible we have four stories of the same person. Overlapping facts. Overlapping details, yet each one offers a different nuance in the narrative.
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