"The modern post-Cartesian split of mind and body is radically anti-Christian: meaning and truth for human beings are embodied, hence embodied language, metaphorical language, is the most appropriate way - perhaps the only way - to suggest this meaning and truth. The multiplication table, and, we might add, the conceptual clarity of doctrinal creeds or theological propositions, are not more true for human beings than the myth of the fall or the parable of the Prodigal Son. Metaphorical language is a mirror of our own constitution: the unity of body and soul, outer and inner, familiar and unfamiliar, known and unknown. Metaphorical language conveys meaning through the body of the world."
see goodness in the land of the living. ::: hear music in the key of the life. ::: know and be still.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Quick Thoughts on Adam & Sin
What matters in the story of Adam is not the historicity of his person but the meaning that it has for us today. The story is true not because it is in the Bible, but it is in the Bible because it is true. The truth is in the meaning that it conveys for our experience as human beings. This, I believe, is how God still speaks to us through the text.
*Note: the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) is what recounts events from 2,000 B.C.E. up through the 1st Century C.E (if you add the Apocrypha and Pseudopigrapha). The Greek New Testament recounts events of the 1st Century C.E.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Stop Treating LGBTQQ Like Children
Let me to get straight to the point: there are many Christians who treat LGBTQQ persons like children and this needs to stop. This happens under the guise of the "love means helping the sinner" argument that so many people endorse. If you have read blogs or Facebook conversations in which Christians discuss these issues, then you have probably seen this approach rear its ugly head. For example, in a recent post someone wrote that Christians should not apologize for condemning LGBTQQ behavior and trying to proselytize their sexual orientation because they are, after all, living in sin. In another conversation a man compared LGBTQQ persons to a child walking toward the blades of a lawnmower. This approach presumes that gay people do not know any better (like children) and they need Christian heterosexuals to teach them otherwise. This approach treats LGBTQQ persons like children who are not ready for the freedom of the real world and require the parental guidance of Christian heterosexuals. Worst of all, this results in the oppressive limitation of LGBTQQ's freedom.
But this approach is not the Way of Christ. Why? Because it is not loving.
One of the essential elements to love is freedom. Love is the paramount expression of relationship and relationships require freedom. To love others is to respect their freedom. If Christians wish to deny LGBTQQ persons their freedom, then they have failed at loving others with the love of God. The love of God revealed throughout the Bible is the love that allows for human freedom - even freedom to sin. This means that even when Christians disagree with LGBTQQ behavior, they must respect the freedom of others. Love does not oppress the freedom of others. Love is not coercive, it is respectfully persuasive. Love is not oppressive, it is graciously compelling.
The only time that love is expressed in a semi-coercive way is when parents dictate their children's behavior with the hope of bettering their children. But this love is provisional and can never work once a child reaches adulthood. Parents who treat their adult children as if they were still children produce dysfunctional relationships. Freedom is an essential element of adult relationships.
I can't imagine how hurtful it would feel to be an adult and have people constantly remind me that I don't know my right & wrong. I can't imagine how humiliating it would feel to have Christians telling me that I understand neither my sexuality nor the truth of "morality." And I can't imagine how inferior and debased I would feel to have others coercively removing the freedom to be myself and to be an adult.
That's no way to love others. Love requires freedom. And St. Paul said that without love we are nothing. Stop treating our LGBTQQ brothers and sisters like children.
But this approach is not the Way of Christ. Why? Because it is not loving.
One of the essential elements to love is freedom. Love is the paramount expression of relationship and relationships require freedom. To love others is to respect their freedom. If Christians wish to deny LGBTQQ persons their freedom, then they have failed at loving others with the love of God. The love of God revealed throughout the Bible is the love that allows for human freedom - even freedom to sin. This means that even when Christians disagree with LGBTQQ behavior, they must respect the freedom of others. Love does not oppress the freedom of others. Love is not coercive, it is respectfully persuasive. Love is not oppressive, it is graciously compelling.
The only time that love is expressed in a semi-coercive way is when parents dictate their children's behavior with the hope of bettering their children. But this love is provisional and can never work once a child reaches adulthood. Parents who treat their adult children as if they were still children produce dysfunctional relationships. Freedom is an essential element of adult relationships.
I can't imagine how hurtful it would feel to be an adult and have people constantly remind me that I don't know my right & wrong. I can't imagine how humiliating it would feel to have Christians telling me that I understand neither my sexuality nor the truth of "morality." And I can't imagine how inferior and debased I would feel to have others coercively removing the freedom to be myself and to be an adult.
That's no way to love others. Love requires freedom. And St. Paul said that without love we are nothing. Stop treating our LGBTQQ brothers and sisters like children.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Freedom + Military = A Bad (American) Syllogism
I'm a
bit late posting this since Memorial Day was this past Monday, but I haven't
been around a computer for a week. Over the holiday weekend I heard and read a
lot of pro-military / pro-America / pro-freedom signs, songs, conversations and
it all got me thinking: the link between America's freedom and America's
military is an illogical syllogism.* The popular syllogism goes like this:
"America is a free country" + "America has a strong
military" = "America's freedom is derived through its military."
In common parlance it goes like this: "If it were not for America's
military personnel, America would not have its freedom." But this is an
unfounded syllogism.
This
opinion blindly assumes that military force is the one
and only route to freedom.This is accomplished by making a rhetorical
connection between freedom and military activity. But there is no way to prove
this. The conclusion that America's military
beget its freedom is a total assumption.
Not
only does this illogical syllogism look backward on history and say, "This
is how it happened and therefore it is the only way it could have
happened," it also projects into the future and says, "Freedom is
only possible in this way." This
is simply tunnel vision and does not imagine alternative (and more realistic)
means for obtaining freedom.
If
we were living just after the Revolutionary War in 1776, then maybe we could
claim that the military led to freedom (the military of America, France, and
Spain, I might add). But we're not. When is the last time that the every day
freedom of American life has been threatened? (9/11 did not threaten the
American way of life nor America's Constitutional freedom; it was a one-time
event of terrorism that was [brilliantly] spun into the illogical rhetoric I am
addressing here)
Saying
that America's freedom is a direct result of America's military is like saying
that Ohio State's education of its 60,000 students is a direct result of the
hard work of its football team. It sounds great, but it's really not true. The
education of OSU students is the result of teachers, administration, and the
students themselves. Like OSU, America's freedom is the result of
lawmakers, law-enforcers, infrastructure laborers, its citizens, et. al.
All
in all, the entire "military =
freedom" ethos in the U.S.A. is based on nothing more than a
presupposition. It
is an assumption that we keep telling ourselves over and over and over because
we want to believe it. Ultimately, I think that this bad syllogism is
propagated simply because we want to give meaning to the tragic deaths of our
fellow countrymen/women - which is truly what Memorial Day is all about. But to
attach the freedom that Americans enjoy to the unnecessary deaths of thousands
of U.S. soldiers is not the answer. Propagating a myth is not the answer
- for it will only lead to more unnecessary deaths. The
real answer and truly honorable way to memorialize our military is to expose
the myth of this bad syllogism and realize that America does not require
military force to experience its freedom.
* A
syllogism is a logical argument, usually containing an "A" then a
"B" then a logical inference, "C."
--
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Review: Genesis for Normal People (2012)
If Jesus promised blessing to those who make peace, then I hope that Jared Byas and Peter Enns are receiving plenty of it - because that is exactly what they have done in writing Genesis for Normal People: A Guide to the Most Controversial, Misunderstood, and Abused Book of the Bible (2012). Since the book of Genesis is central to a many contentious arguments about science, human nature, and various Christian doctrines, Genesis for Normal People is truly a work of peacemaking. Somehow I don't think that the authors' blessing is pouring down in the form of dollar bills because this eBook sells for an inexpensive $4.99 from Amazon.com. Nevertheless, the peacemaking potential of this book is enormous and I cannot help but give my 'blessing' in the form of an enthusiastic review.
I should probably note that I went to seminary and studied the Bible, but that didn't render this book "beneath me." In fact, I learned a lot from this book and I wish I had read it during my seminary class on the Pentateuch. This book isn't just about Genesis, it also helps to understand the history of Israel more clearly. So even though Byas and Enns were writing for a "normal" audience, it's a good read for anyone hoping to understand Genesis, as well as the biblical narrative.
In Genesis for Normal People (hereafter GFNP), Byas and Enns provide a clear and concise introduction to the book Genesis; not only in content, but in how to read ancient literature. As such, the authors stress the importance of reading Genesis as an ancient story, not as a textbook. Furthermore, the reader is encouraged to read Genesis as a whole book rather than a collection of unrelated stories. Once we grasp this we are then able to understand Genesis as book #1 in a 5-part series: the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the Bible). Genesis, which means "beginning," only makes sense as the beginning portion of a much larger story that is the Pentateuch. What exactly is the point of this larger story? The authors of GFNP paraphrase it like this:
Byas and Enns also stress the important of reading Genesis in its ancient context. That means understanding: Who wrote it? When did they write it? For whom did they write it? and Why? In GFNP we learn that Genesis is an anonymous book (readers may learn why the old hypothesis that Moses wrote it is false). Instead, Genesis was authored by Israelites for Israelites probably sometime after 1000 BCE (after the first monarchy). Even though Genesis retells events that occurred as early as 2100 BCE, the stories themselves were not written down until after 1000 (probably even closer to 700BCE). Rather than leaving the reader to trust "modern scholarship," the authors of GFNP give some examples from the Genesis text itself that point to a later date (e.g. that Cain and Able offer sacrifices is anachronistic; the list of kings in Gen. 36 could only occur after 1000; and more). This is yet another strength of GFNP: the authors always give examples and evidence for their perspective.
Why is all of this date stuff important? Because it gives us an idea of how the Israelites would want to write the stories of Genesis and what kind of things might be important to them. Since the Pentateuch as we know it today did not come together until ca. 539 BCE, we must consider the historical context that influenced these stories. Specifically, the authors of GFNP explain that much of Genesis was written or re-written during the Babylonian Exile. Therefore, Genesis must be read with the Babylonian exile in mind! It is no wonder, then, that Genesis' creation account mirrors the Babylonian creation myth while also clearly making fun of the Babylonian gods (for more on this, buy and read GFNP). It is no wonder, then, that the Israelites would write a satire about Babylonian worship practices, specifically the use of a tower (for more, buy and read GFNP).
More importantly, though, the exile shaped Israel's understanding of their history and identity. Thus write the authors, "It's not hard to imagine, then, why the Israelites at this time did some soul searching. They looked back at their ancient past to make sense of the tragedy of their recent history. 'In view of all that happened, are we still God's people? Does he still care for us? How can we make sure that this doesn't happen to us again? Will we ever regain the glory of our past?' To address these very real and pressing questions, they began retelling their story - one last time. That last telling became what Christians call the Old Testament."
Therefore, it is not at all surprising that Genesis reads like a story that reconnects a people to their roots. In the midst of their exile, Genesis recounts the struggle between human beings and God. The stories of Genesis are about paradise (Eden, think Canaan) and death (expulsion from Eden, think exile). And many of these stories are symbolic portrayals of "Israel miniature" (for more, get GFNP!). Yet, always, these stories recount the faithfulness of Yahweh to his people. The stories of Genesis reinforce that Yahweh is both Creator and Savior.
With a better understanding of the perspective of the ancient Israelites, Byas and Enns expound all 50 chapters of Genesis. The authors break down their mini commentary into the "accounts" of Genesis. These are the 10 sections of Genesis that begin with "This is the account of..." (2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10; 11:27; 25:12; 25:19; 26:1; 37:2). These introductions help give the book its structure and provide the framework for GFNP's commentary, which is able to cover every major account in Genesis. By following this structure the authors of GFNP present Genesis' accounts as one flowing story that leads up to the Hebrew people's enslavement in Egypt (beginning in book #2, Exodus). Thus, anyone looking to understand Genesis as a whole book need look no further than GFNP.
Honestly, this was one of the most pleasurable books that I've read in a while. I literally LOL-ed my way through it, which is why it is such a powerful resource for peacemaking. The authors are both scholarly and pastoral, with an added (and much needed) sense of humor. This approach relieves a hell of a lot of pressure for those who take these complicated, ancient texts seriously. It is much easier to learn new perspectives when the your teachers are humble, humorous, and genuine. This is the feel that I got from Byas and Enns while reading and I am the better for it. Not only do I give Genesis for Normal People my enthusiastic endorsement here, I will be writing a post or two about some classic Genesis stories that will further endorse this little eBook gem. So check back for upcoming posts about Genesis.
I should probably note that I went to seminary and studied the Bible, but that didn't render this book "beneath me." In fact, I learned a lot from this book and I wish I had read it during my seminary class on the Pentateuch. This book isn't just about Genesis, it also helps to understand the history of Israel more clearly. So even though Byas and Enns were writing for a "normal" audience, it's a good read for anyone hoping to understand Genesis, as well as the biblical narrative.
"Listen up, Israel. Yahweh is the creator of the cosmos. He also redeemed you from Egypt and gave you the land of Canaan as a home. You are his people and he alone is your God, worthy of your complete devotion."Therefore, it is imperative that we read Genesis as the beginning (or even background) to this narrative and not as anything else (a textbook, for example).
Byas and Enns also stress the important of reading Genesis in its ancient context. That means understanding: Who wrote it? When did they write it? For whom did they write it? and Why? In GFNP we learn that Genesis is an anonymous book (readers may learn why the old hypothesis that Moses wrote it is false). Instead, Genesis was authored by Israelites for Israelites probably sometime after 1000 BCE (after the first monarchy). Even though Genesis retells events that occurred as early as 2100 BCE, the stories themselves were not written down until after 1000 (probably even closer to 700BCE). Rather than leaving the reader to trust "modern scholarship," the authors of GFNP give some examples from the Genesis text itself that point to a later date (e.g. that Cain and Able offer sacrifices is anachronistic; the list of kings in Gen. 36 could only occur after 1000; and more). This is yet another strength of GFNP: the authors always give examples and evidence for their perspective.
Why is all of this date stuff important? Because it gives us an idea of how the Israelites would want to write the stories of Genesis and what kind of things might be important to them. Since the Pentateuch as we know it today did not come together until ca. 539 BCE, we must consider the historical context that influenced these stories. Specifically, the authors of GFNP explain that much of Genesis was written or re-written during the Babylonian Exile. Therefore, Genesis must be read with the Babylonian exile in mind! It is no wonder, then, that Genesis' creation account mirrors the Babylonian creation myth while also clearly making fun of the Babylonian gods (for more on this, buy and read GFNP). It is no wonder, then, that the Israelites would write a satire about Babylonian worship practices, specifically the use of a tower (for more, buy and read GFNP).
More importantly, though, the exile shaped Israel's understanding of their history and identity. Thus write the authors, "It's not hard to imagine, then, why the Israelites at this time did some soul searching. They looked back at their ancient past to make sense of the tragedy of their recent history. 'In view of all that happened, are we still God's people? Does he still care for us? How can we make sure that this doesn't happen to us again? Will we ever regain the glory of our past?' To address these very real and pressing questions, they began retelling their story - one last time. That last telling became what Christians call the Old Testament."
Therefore, it is not at all surprising that Genesis reads like a story that reconnects a people to their roots. In the midst of their exile, Genesis recounts the struggle between human beings and God. The stories of Genesis are about paradise (Eden, think Canaan) and death (expulsion from Eden, think exile). And many of these stories are symbolic portrayals of "Israel miniature" (for more, get GFNP!). Yet, always, these stories recount the faithfulness of Yahweh to his people. The stories of Genesis reinforce that Yahweh is both Creator and Savior.
With a better understanding of the perspective of the ancient Israelites, Byas and Enns expound all 50 chapters of Genesis. The authors break down their mini commentary into the "accounts" of Genesis. These are the 10 sections of Genesis that begin with "This is the account of..." (2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1; 11:10; 11:27; 25:12; 25:19; 26:1; 37:2). These introductions help give the book its structure and provide the framework for GFNP's commentary, which is able to cover every major account in Genesis. By following this structure the authors of GFNP present Genesis' accounts as one flowing story that leads up to the Hebrew people's enslavement in Egypt (beginning in book #2, Exodus). Thus, anyone looking to understand Genesis as a whole book need look no further than GFNP.
Honestly, this was one of the most pleasurable books that I've read in a while. I literally LOL-ed my way through it, which is why it is such a powerful resource for peacemaking. The authors are both scholarly and pastoral, with an added (and much needed) sense of humor. This approach relieves a hell of a lot of pressure for those who take these complicated, ancient texts seriously. It is much easier to learn new perspectives when the your teachers are humble, humorous, and genuine. This is the feel that I got from Byas and Enns while reading and I am the better for it. Not only do I give Genesis for Normal People my enthusiastic endorsement here, I will be writing a post or two about some classic Genesis stories that will further endorse this little eBook gem. So check back for upcoming posts about Genesis.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Kiss Your Wishful Image Goodbye...
"On innumerable occasions a whole Christian community has been shattered because it has lived on the basis of a wishful image. Certainly serious Christians who are put in a community for the first time will often bring with them a very definite image of what Christian communal life should be, and they will be anxious to realize it.
But God's grace quickly frustrates all such dreams[!]. A great disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and, if we are fortunate, with ourselves is bound to overwhelm us as surely as God desires to lead us to an understanding of genuine Christian community.
By sheer grace God will not permit us to live in a dream world even for a few weeks and to abandon ourselves to those blissful experiences and exalted moods that sweep over us like a wave of rapture. For God is not a God of emotionalism, but the God of truth.
Only that community which enters into the experience of this great disillusionment with all its unpleasant and evil appearances begins to be what it should be in God's sight, begins to grasp the promise that is given to it."
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, 35
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