The History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell
Ch. II Christianity During the First Four Centuries
Christianity began as a reforming movement in Judaism and would have stayed such contentedly had it not been for St. Paul. St. Paul was able to keep what was good about the certainty of Judaism in an uncertain age without forcing the gentiles to take on the two most restrictive elements, dietary laws and circumcision.
Early Gnosticism taught that the Jews were bad and identified Yahweh with the god, Ialdabaoth. Ialdabaoth was a rebellious son of God and responsible for the evil, physical world. God then sent his spirit temporarily into Jesus to free the world from the false teachings of Moses. It was a fusion of Jewish theology and Platonic philosophy.
Manichean theology combined Christian and Zoroastrian elements and was what initially brought Augustine to the Catholic faith.
Early heresies like the Gnostics and Manicheans existed until Christianity took over the government. But some of their beliefs survived. Islam was founded with a Docetic (gnostic) belief that Jesus was a prophet who had the spirit of God in him until the spirit left him at the crucifixion.
As Christianity became Hellenized, it became theological. Even by the appearance of the Gospel of John, with Christ being identified with Logos, the Hellenization had begun.
Judaism did not have deep metaphysical mysteries. Christianity developed them in a Jewish context.
Origen, a contemporary of Plotinus, incorporated a lot of Neo-Platonism into his doctrine. In spite of being considered one of the Fathers of Christianity he was condemned for having believed four heresies:
1. The pre-existence of souls as Plato taught
2. Believed that the human nature of Christ existed before the Incarnation
3. At the resurrection our bodies will be transformed into completely ethereal bodies
4. That all men, even devils, shall be saved at least
Origen is the first to have the one-two punch for belief that is characteristic of Christian philosophy. First, pure reason, when exercised properly is sufficient to establish the basics of the Christian faith. Second, the Scriptures prove more and are proved by the fact that the prophets foretold of the Coming of the Messiah and that once believed the Christian life has tangible beneficent effects.
The Christians prior to Constantine had a high moral character. This high moral character is one of the reasons for the spread of Christianity.
The zeal which the Christians inherited from Judaism was vital to its spread. But, when the Christians acquired secular power they turned that zeal on one another to persecute heretics out of existence.
Two heresies, the Arian and the Sabellian forced the narrow line of the belief that the Father and the Son were one substance and distinct persons. Too much separation and you were advocating Arianism. Too much oneness and you were advocating Sabellianism.
The Arians were favored throughout much of the 4th century until Theodosius in 379 gave his full backing to the Catholic Christians with a cementing effect throughout the Empire. The Arians made a comeback in the West when the Vandals and the Goths, Arian Christians both of them, conquered much of the Western Empire. It took another century for the orthodoxy to prevail.
Showing posts with label Paul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Notes on Confessions Book XIII
Confessions
St. Augustine
Book XIII
Ch. 1
"I call thee into my soul, which thou didst prepare for thy reception by the desire which thou inspirest in it"
Ch. 2
From the fullness of Goodness in God comes creation.
"An unformed spiritual entity is more excellent than a formed corporeal entity; and the corporeal, even when unformed, is more excellent than if it were simply nothing at all"
"The true good of every created thing is always to cleave fast to thee"
Ch. 3
God is the only being that does not have a distinction in his being between living and living in blessedness, "thou art thyself thy own blessedness".
Ch. 4
God created out of his goodness and fullness, not because He lacked anything.
Ch. 5
Augustine argues the language of Genesis affirms the Trinity.
Ch. 6
Augustine wonders why the Spirit was introduced after the waters he was moving over.
Ch. 7
The Holy Spirit lifts us up to the inner heavens where our souls can find rest.
Ch. 8
Augustine confesses that his existence is woe apart from God.
Ch. 9
The Holy Spirit is how we enjoy God.
Ch. 10
"Let him who is able to understand this; and let him who is not ask of thee". Lord, I ask of thee. I don't understand this passage at all.
Ch. 11
What man can fully understand the Trinity? By analogy we can understand how a trinity exists in an unity, but the complete understanding of the Trinity is too much for man.
Ch. 12
When we became displeased with our darkness we turned to thee and there was light.
Ch. 13
We live by faith not by sight because we live by hope in the promise that one day we'll see face-to-face.
Ch. 14
The relapse into the darkness can occur in us but hope and pray and praise God in even the darkness of the night.
Ch. 15
The whole of Scriptures is like the skins God stretched for Adam and Eve after the fall. It is His words stretched over us to protect us and clothe us.
Ch. 16
I cannot satisfy myself; only God can satisfy me.
Everything God is He immutably is.
Ch. 17
When we help our neighbors physically we perform both a physical and spiritual task with both physical and spiritual results.
Ch. 18
By feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and sheltering the homeless we operate on a low level of fruitful action and can come to the joy of contemplation.
By God's eternal design He spreads the Heavenly blessing on earth in the proper seasons.
Ch. 19
Augustine encourages Christians into missionary work: be the light of the world you are!
Ch. 20
"O God, who dost refresh our easily wearied mortal senses that is our mental cognition a single thing may be figured and signified in many different ways by different bodily motions"
Augustine argues he sees the text of Genesis allegorically because it leads to the higher things of God. He notes that those who can't move past the text in its physical meaning still have a soul that has a higher life that profits from the spiritual text.
Ch. 21
Don't be overcome by pride, lust or morbid curiosity. These things are signs of a dead soul because the soul has sought things away from the wellspring of life.
Only wen man has become renewed in his mind by God can he walk in the image of God he was created in without any human guidance.
Ch. 22
Be not conformed to this world.
Ch. 23
Now as a Spiritual man it does not behoove him to judge the Scriptures, even if there are parts hard to understand. "Instead, we submit our understanding to it and believe with certainty that which is hidden from our sight is still rightly and truly spoken"
"Nor does a man, even though he is spiritual, judge the disordered state of society in this world. For what business of his is it to judge those who are without, since he cannot know which of them may later on come into the sweetness of thy grace, and which of them may continue in the perpetual bitterness of their impiety?" That's an interesting point...
Ch. 24
Augustine takes, "be fruitful and multiply" on an allegorical level to mean to increase our fruitfulness of mind because even the beasts are fruitful and multiply physically.
Ch. 25
All men are liars. The truth they speak is only through God's truth.
Ch. 26
Paul was fed with joy and that is why he can be content in all situations.
Ch. 27
The uninstructed and the infidel require mysteries of initiation and great works of miracles. The instructed already accept God.
Ch. 28
The whole of creation, an amalgam of things called good by God, is called very good by God. The sum is greater than the parts.
Ch. 29
The things we see through God's spirit he sees the same way. But the temporal things we see in a way different than God because God does not see things in time.
Ch. 30
Augustine argues against the dualistic notion of a benevolent creator of all things spiritual and a malevolent creator of all things physical.
Ch. 31
What we see as good in creation we see as good because God has called it good.
Ch. 32
The imago dei is having the power of reason and understanding.
Ch. 33
Creation was made by God but made of God.
Ch. 34
In order to perfect the faithful God ordained that the faithful, "should themselves bring forth good things" for both this life and the next.
Ch. 35
Augustine prays for peace and rest.
Ch. 37
God exists outside of time but created everything that exists in time.
God takes the Sabbath and rests in us when He completes the work in us.
Ch. 38
"We can see all those things which thou hast made because they are - but they are because thou seest them."
God has never ceased to do good.
Only by seeking truth in God will we find any truth.
St. Augustine
Book XIII
Ch. 1
"I call thee into my soul, which thou didst prepare for thy reception by the desire which thou inspirest in it"
Ch. 2
From the fullness of Goodness in God comes creation.
"An unformed spiritual entity is more excellent than a formed corporeal entity; and the corporeal, even when unformed, is more excellent than if it were simply nothing at all"
"The true good of every created thing is always to cleave fast to thee"
Ch. 3
God is the only being that does not have a distinction in his being between living and living in blessedness, "thou art thyself thy own blessedness".
Ch. 4
God created out of his goodness and fullness, not because He lacked anything.
Ch. 5
Augustine argues the language of Genesis affirms the Trinity.
Ch. 6
Augustine wonders why the Spirit was introduced after the waters he was moving over.
Ch. 7
The Holy Spirit lifts us up to the inner heavens where our souls can find rest.
Ch. 8
Augustine confesses that his existence is woe apart from God.
Ch. 9
The Holy Spirit is how we enjoy God.
Ch. 10
"Let him who is able to understand this; and let him who is not ask of thee". Lord, I ask of thee. I don't understand this passage at all.
Ch. 11
What man can fully understand the Trinity? By analogy we can understand how a trinity exists in an unity, but the complete understanding of the Trinity is too much for man.
Ch. 12
When we became displeased with our darkness we turned to thee and there was light.
Ch. 13
We live by faith not by sight because we live by hope in the promise that one day we'll see face-to-face.
Ch. 14
The relapse into the darkness can occur in us but hope and pray and praise God in even the darkness of the night.
Ch. 15
The whole of Scriptures is like the skins God stretched for Adam and Eve after the fall. It is His words stretched over us to protect us and clothe us.
Ch. 16
I cannot satisfy myself; only God can satisfy me.
Everything God is He immutably is.
Ch. 17
When we help our neighbors physically we perform both a physical and spiritual task with both physical and spiritual results.
Ch. 18
By feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and sheltering the homeless we operate on a low level of fruitful action and can come to the joy of contemplation.
By God's eternal design He spreads the Heavenly blessing on earth in the proper seasons.
Ch. 19
Augustine encourages Christians into missionary work: be the light of the world you are!
Ch. 20
"O God, who dost refresh our easily wearied mortal senses that is our mental cognition a single thing may be figured and signified in many different ways by different bodily motions"
Augustine argues he sees the text of Genesis allegorically because it leads to the higher things of God. He notes that those who can't move past the text in its physical meaning still have a soul that has a higher life that profits from the spiritual text.
Ch. 21
Don't be overcome by pride, lust or morbid curiosity. These things are signs of a dead soul because the soul has sought things away from the wellspring of life.
Only wen man has become renewed in his mind by God can he walk in the image of God he was created in without any human guidance.
Ch. 22
Be not conformed to this world.
Ch. 23
Now as a Spiritual man it does not behoove him to judge the Scriptures, even if there are parts hard to understand. "Instead, we submit our understanding to it and believe with certainty that which is hidden from our sight is still rightly and truly spoken"
"Nor does a man, even though he is spiritual, judge the disordered state of society in this world. For what business of his is it to judge those who are without, since he cannot know which of them may later on come into the sweetness of thy grace, and which of them may continue in the perpetual bitterness of their impiety?" That's an interesting point...
Ch. 24
Augustine takes, "be fruitful and multiply" on an allegorical level to mean to increase our fruitfulness of mind because even the beasts are fruitful and multiply physically.
Ch. 25
All men are liars. The truth they speak is only through God's truth.
Ch. 26
Paul was fed with joy and that is why he can be content in all situations.
Ch. 27
The uninstructed and the infidel require mysteries of initiation and great works of miracles. The instructed already accept God.
Ch. 28
The whole of creation, an amalgam of things called good by God, is called very good by God. The sum is greater than the parts.
Ch. 29
The things we see through God's spirit he sees the same way. But the temporal things we see in a way different than God because God does not see things in time.
Ch. 30
Augustine argues against the dualistic notion of a benevolent creator of all things spiritual and a malevolent creator of all things physical.
Ch. 31
What we see as good in creation we see as good because God has called it good.
Ch. 32
The imago dei is having the power of reason and understanding.
Ch. 33
Creation was made by God but made of God.
Ch. 34
In order to perfect the faithful God ordained that the faithful, "should themselves bring forth good things" for both this life and the next.
Ch. 35
Augustine prays for peace and rest.
Ch. 37
God exists outside of time but created everything that exists in time.
God takes the Sabbath and rests in us when He completes the work in us.
Ch. 38
"We can see all those things which thou hast made because they are - but they are because thou seest them."
God has never ceased to do good.
Only by seeking truth in God will we find any truth.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Notes on Confessions Book VII
Confessions
St. Augustine
Book Seven
Ch. 1
Augustine struggles to move from a materialistic view of the world to get to a perfect God.
Ch. 2
Augustine struggles with how to understand the Incarnation with an adherence to materialism. It can't be done though because it would inevitably limit God to some extent, which is impossible.
Ch. 3
Augustine struggles with the problem of Evil. If God made the angels and an angel can fall to become the devil then is God the author of evil? No, that is self-evidently false.
Ch. 4
Augustine is convinced that God is incorruptible. He comes to this by a sort of ontological argument. Thus, from God's incorruptible nature he defines evil as a corruption of nature.
Ch. 5
Augustine still struggles with the problem of evil but the faith of Jesus Christ at the heart of Catholic Christianity began to take root in his heart.
Ch. 6
Augustine argues against astrology and reduces it from an art to a mere game of chance.
Ch. 7
Pride separated Augustine from God.
Ch. 8
The Lord is compassionate and heals the broken man.
Ch. 9
Augustine studied the Platonists and while he found wisdom in them he didn't find the gospel message, the Truth.
Ch. 10
Augustine came to the Truth about God's being through a mystical experience. Augustine asked a question, what is truth? God answered, "I AM" and Augustine understood that God is Truth and Truth is real.
Ch. 11
All things not God are both real and unreal. They are real insofar as they are created God. They are unreal insofar as they are not God.
Ch. 12
All things, insofar as they exist are good. They cannot be all-evil because then they would not exist. Evil then is a corruption resulting in the privation of a good in something.
Ch. 13
Augustine states it is above our station to critique the things that exist because while we can pray that our surroundings be better the very fact of having surroundings at all should move us to thank God.
Ch. 14
"There is no health in those who find fault with any part of thy creation". That's a strong statement, but one that bears true.
Once Augustine stopped critiquing creation he became contented in it and no longer struggled with these material distractions.
Ch. 15
God exists outside of time.
Ch. 16
"And I asked what wickedness was, and I found that it was no substance, but a perversion of the will bent aside from thee, O God, the supreme substance, toward these lower things, casting away its inmost treasure and becoming bloated with external good"
Ch. 17
Augustine struggled with having mentally arrived at the truth and now bending his will to it.
Ch. 18
It took the mediation of Christ to truly connect Augustine to God. Try as he could, he could not reach God through mental activity.
One must forsake pride, lowering it, so that love may be heightened in order for one to throw one's self upon God and be lifted up.
Ch. 19
Augustine struggled then with Christological heresies. He and Alypius each embraced opposite ends of the nature of Christ that were heretical, focusing too much on either the human nature or the divine nature in Jesus before both finally being converted to the Catholic faith.
Ch. 20
Augustine followed the Platonists in searching for the incorporeal Truth. It led him to note that the invisible things of God were made visible to him by Creation.
The Platonists sort of primed the pump for Augustine to study Scripture.
Ch. 21
Augustine found he now enjoyed the Scriptures, especially the writings of Paul.
In reading Paul he found the truth he read in the Platonists had been elevated with the exaltation of God's Grace.
Augustine seems to have held the Platonists as being on the right track but insufficient because of their lack of Christ.
St. Augustine
Book Seven
Ch. 1
Augustine struggles to move from a materialistic view of the world to get to a perfect God.
Ch. 2
Augustine struggles with how to understand the Incarnation with an adherence to materialism. It can't be done though because it would inevitably limit God to some extent, which is impossible.
Ch. 3
Augustine struggles with the problem of Evil. If God made the angels and an angel can fall to become the devil then is God the author of evil? No, that is self-evidently false.
Ch. 4
Augustine is convinced that God is incorruptible. He comes to this by a sort of ontological argument. Thus, from God's incorruptible nature he defines evil as a corruption of nature.
Ch. 5
Augustine still struggles with the problem of evil but the faith of Jesus Christ at the heart of Catholic Christianity began to take root in his heart.
Ch. 6
Augustine argues against astrology and reduces it from an art to a mere game of chance.
Ch. 7
Pride separated Augustine from God.
Ch. 8
The Lord is compassionate and heals the broken man.
Ch. 9
Augustine studied the Platonists and while he found wisdom in them he didn't find the gospel message, the Truth.
Ch. 10
Augustine came to the Truth about God's being through a mystical experience. Augustine asked a question, what is truth? God answered, "I AM" and Augustine understood that God is Truth and Truth is real.
Ch. 11
All things not God are both real and unreal. They are real insofar as they are created God. They are unreal insofar as they are not God.
Ch. 12
All things, insofar as they exist are good. They cannot be all-evil because then they would not exist. Evil then is a corruption resulting in the privation of a good in something.
Ch. 13
Augustine states it is above our station to critique the things that exist because while we can pray that our surroundings be better the very fact of having surroundings at all should move us to thank God.
Ch. 14
"There is no health in those who find fault with any part of thy creation". That's a strong statement, but one that bears true.
Once Augustine stopped critiquing creation he became contented in it and no longer struggled with these material distractions.
Ch. 15
God exists outside of time.
Ch. 16
"And I asked what wickedness was, and I found that it was no substance, but a perversion of the will bent aside from thee, O God, the supreme substance, toward these lower things, casting away its inmost treasure and becoming bloated with external good"
Ch. 17
Augustine struggled with having mentally arrived at the truth and now bending his will to it.
Ch. 18
It took the mediation of Christ to truly connect Augustine to God. Try as he could, he could not reach God through mental activity.
One must forsake pride, lowering it, so that love may be heightened in order for one to throw one's self upon God and be lifted up.
Ch. 19
Augustine struggled then with Christological heresies. He and Alypius each embraced opposite ends of the nature of Christ that were heretical, focusing too much on either the human nature or the divine nature in Jesus before both finally being converted to the Catholic faith.
Ch. 20
Augustine followed the Platonists in searching for the incorporeal Truth. It led him to note that the invisible things of God were made visible to him by Creation.
The Platonists sort of primed the pump for Augustine to study Scripture.
Ch. 21
Augustine found he now enjoyed the Scriptures, especially the writings of Paul.
In reading Paul he found the truth he read in the Platonists had been elevated with the exaltation of God's Grace.
Augustine seems to have held the Platonists as being on the right track but insufficient because of their lack of Christ.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Godly Sorrow
Um, duh. Kinda missed the godly word in my reading. It's right there in 2 Corinthians 7:11.
"See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter"
So what is Godly sorrow? It's an awareness of our own sins. The ungodly don't have to worry about their moral shortcomings because it doesn't matter to them. But those who are striving to be godly and live a life that is pleasing to God must constantly assess their lives and root out the sin in them. When we sin we should feel this godly sorrow so that this sorrow can lead to repentance. Since godliness is a foundational attribute that I am seeking out, the natural expression of godliness when I go against the will of God ought to be sorrow, horror and indignation at my mistake. Lord, I ask you to forgive me of my multitude of sins. I am humbly seeking you Lord for answers. Forgive me and help me to walk with you. Help me to cease to do what is evil and learn to do what is good.
"See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter"
So what is Godly sorrow? It's an awareness of our own sins. The ungodly don't have to worry about their moral shortcomings because it doesn't matter to them. But those who are striving to be godly and live a life that is pleasing to God must constantly assess their lives and root out the sin in them. When we sin we should feel this godly sorrow so that this sorrow can lead to repentance. Since godliness is a foundational attribute that I am seeking out, the natural expression of godliness when I go against the will of God ought to be sorrow, horror and indignation at my mistake. Lord, I ask you to forgive me of my multitude of sins. I am humbly seeking you Lord for answers. Forgive me and help me to walk with you. Help me to cease to do what is evil and learn to do what is good.
The Promises of God
I think I found the "godly" word I was looking for in 2 Corinthians 7. But, in the NIV it is translated as holiness. It's connected to some promises Paul is reiterating in 2 Corinthians 6.
"I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:16-18).
Paul then states since we have these incredible promises from God lets purify ourselves and live godly lives perfecting the holiness that we strive for. This is my prayer Lord, that I can purify myself before you and strive for the perfection of holiness.
"I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:16-18).
Paul then states since we have these incredible promises from God lets purify ourselves and live godly lives perfecting the holiness that we strive for. This is my prayer Lord, that I can purify myself before you and strive for the perfection of holiness.
Sorrow & Repentance
In continuing the search for godliness I cam to both 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and chapter 7 but the word 'godly' wasn't in either one. I was confused in reading Chapter 1, mainly because I was looking for the specific word and missed much of the message, but in Chapter 7 I gleaned a couple of things.
"Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it - I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while - yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death" (2 Corinthians 7:8-10).
The difference between being sorry in the world and sorry in Christ is twofold. Being sorry in the world's terms leaves one feeling regret and on the road to death. But being sorry in Christ brings about repentance and salvation. In my recent struggles with alcohol I could easily be sorry because of the way my drinking has affected things externally. But in taking the approach of tackling it by going for God I do not go down the path of regret, but down the one to repentance and salvation. Hear my prayer God. I repent to you of my sin. I feel sorrow for the pain I've inflicted, especially on my wife. Lead me not into temptation and help me to stay on the straight path to you. Help me find godliness (and another passage that actually has the term in it). Amen.
"Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it - I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while - yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death" (2 Corinthians 7:8-10).
The difference between being sorry in the world and sorry in Christ is twofold. Being sorry in the world's terms leaves one feeling regret and on the road to death. But being sorry in Christ brings about repentance and salvation. In my recent struggles with alcohol I could easily be sorry because of the way my drinking has affected things externally. But in taking the approach of tackling it by going for God I do not go down the path of regret, but down the one to repentance and salvation. Hear my prayer God. I repent to you of my sin. I feel sorrow for the pain I've inflicted, especially on my wife. Lead me not into temptation and help me to stay on the straight path to you. Help me find godliness (and another passage that actually has the term in it). Amen.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Train yourself to be godly
In searching for the part of Scripture about weak and strong faiths and how they lead believers to either enjoy or abstain from foods I came across 1 Timothy 4, before finding the passage in Romans I was looking for. A couple things came across to me immediately.
1 Timothy 4:4-5 "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer."
This quickly gives me hope that I can overcome the alcohol problem and after awhile be able to receive the gifts of God with thanksgiving through consecration by prayer. Prayer is not a strong suit for me, but I'm hoping that keeping up this blog will increase my prayer life. In essence, while it covers numerous other topics, it is a collection of prayers to God. I hope to receive everything from God with thanksgiving. This is my prayer for what my future holds.
But, the alcohol angle of my prayer life will hopefully be fleeting and transient. I hope I don't have to concentrate on this subject matter for an extended point of time. The exhortation I see in later is something entirely different. "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (I Timothy 4:7-8).
I'm going to ignore the "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales" part for a moment. I hope that this isn't an exhortation to ignore philosophy or other things I have interest in. But, I am going to focus on training myself to be godly. What does that mean exactly?
To be honest, I haven't exactly figured it out. So, what I'll do is simply study everywhere the Scriptures uses the word "godly" or "godliness" and build from there. I'll study the text and try and figure out how to make it practically applicable to my life.
1 Timothy 4:4-5 "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer."
This quickly gives me hope that I can overcome the alcohol problem and after awhile be able to receive the gifts of God with thanksgiving through consecration by prayer. Prayer is not a strong suit for me, but I'm hoping that keeping up this blog will increase my prayer life. In essence, while it covers numerous other topics, it is a collection of prayers to God. I hope to receive everything from God with thanksgiving. This is my prayer for what my future holds.
But, the alcohol angle of my prayer life will hopefully be fleeting and transient. I hope I don't have to concentrate on this subject matter for an extended point of time. The exhortation I see in later is something entirely different. "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (I Timothy 4:7-8).
I'm going to ignore the "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales" part for a moment. I hope that this isn't an exhortation to ignore philosophy or other things I have interest in. But, I am going to focus on training myself to be godly. What does that mean exactly?
To be honest, I haven't exactly figured it out. So, what I'll do is simply study everywhere the Scriptures uses the word "godly" or "godliness" and build from there. I'll study the text and try and figure out how to make it practically applicable to my life.
Weak Faith
The prayer at the bottom of the Alcoholics Anonymous schedule reads "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and wisdom to know the difference". I'll be going to my first meeting tonight and I'm not incredibly thrilled by it. It's necessary because something has to change, but I'll be honest I don't want to give up alcohol indefinitely. That is an admission of failure. I'm unable to control an aspect of myself and I don't like that. But, I'll go into it with an open mind and a hope that I can conquer this regrettable character flaw that is wreaking such havoc in my life. But, I do think about Augustine's rather funny and all too serious prayer: "God grant me chastity, but not yet". I pray for sobriety, but not for a lifetime of abstinence. I want to have a glass of wine, or a beer later on in life. I have to put on complete abstinence for a good long while, but when I travel to France or Italy I'd like to taste wines.
I looked for the Scripture about weak and strong faith to sort of bolster my hope that through a stronger faith I could once again get to the point where I can enjoy alcohol, albeit responsibly. I'm not sure what I've found from it.
"One person's faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables." (Romans 14:2). This gives me the hope that when my faith is stronger I can enjoy the occasional glass of wine or beer. Obviously, I can't have the benders that I've been prone to, but enjoyed responsibly I can do it. Because like Paul states later "I am convinced, being persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself" (Romans 14:14). I don't have the conviction that alcohol is bad or wrong per se, only that I haven't mastered it.
But, while hopeful as this is, later Paul states "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). It stings because I know there is a part of me that wishes to conquer this addiction to or proclivity toward excess so that I can enjoy the matters of eating and drinking. Rather than this be my focus I should instead focus on the kingdom of God, which is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. That is my prayer Lord, that I would focus not on the kingdom of this world, but the kingdom of God. But I do pray a reversed version of Augustine's silly but serious prayer, God grant me sobriety, but not abstinence. I do humbly petition this.
I looked for the Scripture about weak and strong faith to sort of bolster my hope that through a stronger faith I could once again get to the point where I can enjoy alcohol, albeit responsibly. I'm not sure what I've found from it.
"One person's faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables." (Romans 14:2). This gives me the hope that when my faith is stronger I can enjoy the occasional glass of wine or beer. Obviously, I can't have the benders that I've been prone to, but enjoyed responsibly I can do it. Because like Paul states later "I am convinced, being persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself" (Romans 14:14). I don't have the conviction that alcohol is bad or wrong per se, only that I haven't mastered it.
But, while hopeful as this is, later Paul states "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). It stings because I know there is a part of me that wishes to conquer this addiction to or proclivity toward excess so that I can enjoy the matters of eating and drinking. Rather than this be my focus I should instead focus on the kingdom of God, which is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. That is my prayer Lord, that I would focus not on the kingdom of this world, but the kingdom of God. But I do pray a reversed version of Augustine's silly but serious prayer, God grant me sobriety, but not abstinence. I do humbly petition this.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Augustine of Hippo - Sermo LI (C)
In reading another section of this sermon I've come across some interesting notes about the usefulness of Heretics and a little bit on the Problem of Evil. First, onto the Heretics. Augustine writes "Odd thing, though. If we live piously, if we believe Christ, if we don't flop from the nest before we've learned to fly, then the Hecklers'll lead us - albeit unwittingly - to precisely where they don't want to go. That's to say, to the very mysteries they're trying to destroy" (Griffin, 19-20).
Now, Augustine was living in a very Christianized world. Of course Paganism hadn't been completely rooted out, but there were incredible amounts of heretical sects of Christianity around at the time that seemed only to want to argue with others about some of the mysterious natures of what it means to be a Christian. What Augustine is saying is that those heretics, whom he calls hecklers, are unwittingly leading the faithful (so long as they remain faithful) to a deeper understanding of Christ and God the Father. The Hecklers' arguments in effect force the faithful to retreat deeper into the mysteries of God to understand the points that the Hecklers are trying to jab them with. Of course some of these hecklers may be swayed by arguments by the faithful but others may not. These people aren't necessarily looking for answers, but are simply sitting in the seat of mockers - that is to say, they enjoy making others miserable to make themselves feel better. But, what Augustine is saying is that by jabbing at the faithful, God is using this evil to sharpen and draw the faithful closer to Him. (In essence He could also use the faithful to break the chains of bondage on the Hecklers, but sometimes people prefer their prison cells).
Today is a less Christianized world. The Hecklers might be heretical and lapsed Christians, combining the philosophies of the day with elements of the Christian faith or they might simply be avowed and evangelical atheists looking to destroy the mysteries of Christ. But, their purpose (and ours as the faithful) are thwarted and refurbished by God. While they seek to destroy, the faithful (as long as they remain faithful to Christ) will see the hecklers attacks turn into moments of deeper understanding of Christ and God the Father as they retreat into the Word to find the answers to these attacks. The skepticism of the world is not a sound argument against the faith, but serves as a prod to the faithful to understand the deeper mysteries of the faith. As was the case in the time of Augustine, God can use the faithful then as a means of breaking the bondage of the lapsed Christians or atheists and bring them into the fold of the faithful. But, also as was the case in the time of Augustine, the attacks of the hecklers will invariably lead the faithful into a deeper relationship with Christ.
This repurposing of the hecklers (be they atheist, heretic or something in between the two) by God to lead the faithful into a deeper relationship with Him is an interesting case study in the Problem of Evil. The attacks of the Hecklers are by definition, evil, in that they are aimed at separating man from God, which is the only Evil that exists. In essence, Evil is the separation of man and God though evil manifests itself in many ways. But though evil was the origin and the intent the outcome is turned into Good, that is to say, into a coming together of man and God among the faithful. This repurposing of Evil for Good is echoed throughout history and the Scriptures. In this particular sermon Augustine references Judas. Judas sold Jesus out and through the evil that Judas perpetuated the World was offered salvation through Christ.
Augustine resolves the problem of Evil in the case of Judas thusly, "God, therefore liberates the nations with His Suffering Son, and at the same time punishes Judas for his shameful crime" (Griffin, 20). He concedes that there are of course mysteries in this, but that "no one who has the least whiff of faith would get into an argument about them" (Griffin, 20).
So here then is the problem of Evil. If Evil exists then how can an all-Good, all-Powerful God also exist? Evil exists, therefore God cannot exist. Some have taken that evil is illusionary and resolved the problem of Evil. But, Evil is not illusionary as most human beings can easily attest to having been touched by Evil in various ways. The partial resolution of this paradox comes from the very fact that God repurposes Evil for good (proving both His goodness and His power). While this doesn't quite fully explain the existence of Evil it also shows that the paradox isn't quite as causally related, meaning that the existence of Evil doesn't negate the existence of an all-Good, all-Powerful God. It merely shows another mystery that the faithful would be wise to not argue about amongst themselves.
While it would certainly be better if Evil did not exist, the fact is that it does. Being all-powerful God can therefore repurpose the intent of the Evil done by the Evildoer. Being all-good, God therefore repurposes the Evil to achieve the ultimate Good, harmony and union with God.
Now, Augustine was living in a very Christianized world. Of course Paganism hadn't been completely rooted out, but there were incredible amounts of heretical sects of Christianity around at the time that seemed only to want to argue with others about some of the mysterious natures of what it means to be a Christian. What Augustine is saying is that those heretics, whom he calls hecklers, are unwittingly leading the faithful (so long as they remain faithful) to a deeper understanding of Christ and God the Father. The Hecklers' arguments in effect force the faithful to retreat deeper into the mysteries of God to understand the points that the Hecklers are trying to jab them with. Of course some of these hecklers may be swayed by arguments by the faithful but others may not. These people aren't necessarily looking for answers, but are simply sitting in the seat of mockers - that is to say, they enjoy making others miserable to make themselves feel better. But, what Augustine is saying is that by jabbing at the faithful, God is using this evil to sharpen and draw the faithful closer to Him. (In essence He could also use the faithful to break the chains of bondage on the Hecklers, but sometimes people prefer their prison cells).
Today is a less Christianized world. The Hecklers might be heretical and lapsed Christians, combining the philosophies of the day with elements of the Christian faith or they might simply be avowed and evangelical atheists looking to destroy the mysteries of Christ. But, their purpose (and ours as the faithful) are thwarted and refurbished by God. While they seek to destroy, the faithful (as long as they remain faithful to Christ) will see the hecklers attacks turn into moments of deeper understanding of Christ and God the Father as they retreat into the Word to find the answers to these attacks. The skepticism of the world is not a sound argument against the faith, but serves as a prod to the faithful to understand the deeper mysteries of the faith. As was the case in the time of Augustine, God can use the faithful then as a means of breaking the bondage of the lapsed Christians or atheists and bring them into the fold of the faithful. But, also as was the case in the time of Augustine, the attacks of the hecklers will invariably lead the faithful into a deeper relationship with Christ.
This repurposing of the hecklers (be they atheist, heretic or something in between the two) by God to lead the faithful into a deeper relationship with Him is an interesting case study in the Problem of Evil. The attacks of the Hecklers are by definition, evil, in that they are aimed at separating man from God, which is the only Evil that exists. In essence, Evil is the separation of man and God though evil manifests itself in many ways. But though evil was the origin and the intent the outcome is turned into Good, that is to say, into a coming together of man and God among the faithful. This repurposing of Evil for Good is echoed throughout history and the Scriptures. In this particular sermon Augustine references Judas. Judas sold Jesus out and through the evil that Judas perpetuated the World was offered salvation through Christ.
Augustine resolves the problem of Evil in the case of Judas thusly, "God, therefore liberates the nations with His Suffering Son, and at the same time punishes Judas for his shameful crime" (Griffin, 20). He concedes that there are of course mysteries in this, but that "no one who has the least whiff of faith would get into an argument about them" (Griffin, 20).
So here then is the problem of Evil. If Evil exists then how can an all-Good, all-Powerful God also exist? Evil exists, therefore God cannot exist. Some have taken that evil is illusionary and resolved the problem of Evil. But, Evil is not illusionary as most human beings can easily attest to having been touched by Evil in various ways. The partial resolution of this paradox comes from the very fact that God repurposes Evil for good (proving both His goodness and His power). While this doesn't quite fully explain the existence of Evil it also shows that the paradox isn't quite as causally related, meaning that the existence of Evil doesn't negate the existence of an all-Good, all-Powerful God. It merely shows another mystery that the faithful would be wise to not argue about amongst themselves.
While it would certainly be better if Evil did not exist, the fact is that it does. Being all-powerful God can therefore repurpose the intent of the Evil done by the Evildoer. Being all-good, God therefore repurposes the Evil to achieve the ultimate Good, harmony and union with God.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Conditional Consecration, Essential Holiness
The third day of Draw the Circle made me think about the the idea of consecration and holiness. I wondered to myself after I had posted the last blurb if I was really right in equating consecrating and holy so easily. Are they the same word basically? I remember in college learning the technical definition of the word holy was "set apart". THen when Batterson mentions that consecration means "set apart" the word holy just instantly popped into my head. It's just one of those lectures I happened to have a vivid memory of. I grew up in the church so the word holy is commonplace. We sang Holy, Holy, Holy more than any other song in our Baptist church, save the Doxology. But, I hadn't really heard a good definition of what it meant until college. It was just one of those concepts that I new related to God, in a positive way and was a command for us to be and a positive thing for us to strive for and something that the angels were and something that Moses and Abraham were and something that Jesus was and the first name of a part of the Godhead and, and, and... But that lecture in college sort of put it in concrete terms and it's stuck with me.
Forgive me now as I indulge in a little armchair linguistics with the help of Strong's online. Holy in the Old Testament comes from the Hebrew word "Qadosh", meaning "set apart for a special purpose". The New Testament word that gets translated as "Holy" is the Greek "hagios". This has a good meaning too. It connotes "different" or "otherness". But the technical definition that Strong's gives is great: "different from the world because like God". So consecration is similar. It comes from the Greek "Hagiazó". Biggest different is hagios is a adjective; hagiazó is a verb. Joshua 3:5 sees the Lord commanding them to consecrate themselves. I Timothy 4:5 has Paul telling Timothy that everything that is received with thanksgiving is good because its consecrated.
Now, maybe I'm splitting hairs and reading too much into this but as I'm looking at it I see a minute difference that may be a big deal. Holiness I think is a set apart thing of God. The otherness of "hagios" comes from God. The "qadosh" is God setting something aside for a special purpose. It was God that set Israel apart from the world. It was God that set Levi apart among Israel's tribes. Holiness comes from God alone.
But consecration seems to be a combined act of both man and God. I Timothy states that "because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer" referring to all things received with thanksgiving. Holiness doesn't require man's reception with thanksgiving though. God is Holy because God is Holy. The Holiness doesn't have a conditional existence, it is an essential thing to God. But for something to be consecrated it has two conditions. A) It requires the word of God. B) It requires an obedience to that word of God by man. Joshua couldn't have consecrated himself for God without hearing from God to get consecrated. Nothing could be consecrated or set apart to become the otherness if that Otherness wasn't first calling for that thing to become something else.
Now, I'm sure that those who actually speak Greek or Hebrew could shoot through my arguments with a tenacity that would cause my whole house of cards here to come a tumbling down. But, while spending an hour or so on Strong's Concordance via Safari doesn't make me an expert I think my initial reaction to Batterson's calling consecration "set apart" in equating it with holy was wrong. And again, maybe I'm making too much of this, but I find philosophy of language to be extremely important. Contemplating the minutia of word choices and synonyms may seem like a bit of sophistry on my part but I feel that the concepts entailed in certain words carry their weight differently, even if they weigh the same. Using the most correct language possible is essential in communicating with three groups.
A) Those who aren't actually there to ask you clarifying questions or to pick up on your nonverbal communication.
B) The Divine because even though He knows what you are praying, by wrestling with the synonyms a deeper understanding can be fleshed out and give us a better grasp of God though our pursuit of Him.
C) Your own mind. By combining and cataloging and distinguishing on levels that would bring a smile to the face of a Byzantine you may very well confuse yourself for the vast part of your day, but when those moments of sweet lucidity come, brief as they may be - ah such moments of clarity are unrivaled!
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Augustine Of Hippo - Sermo LI (B)
In continuation of Sermo LI, the Advent sermon I've come to a couple of other passages that are worth noting. Augustine is leading his congregation in somewhat of a dialectic against heretics who were denying that Jesus was born of a woman. It seems to me that he is preaching against Valentinianism, but that is an untrained eye doing quick research. It could also have been docetism but, as Augustine says in this sermon on numerous occasions, I digress...
Three more things came out to me in the next few pages. The first is "Badness came when perverted pleasure turned the Creature's face away from the Creator" (Griffin, 9). Now, I have read some more scholarly translations of Augustine and happen to like what Griffin describes as his paraphrasal translation approach because it makes it more approachable to readers like me. And his penchant for making Augustine colloquial is quite nice; but, on occasion we get words like "Badness" that make me feel like I'm reading the child's version of Augustine, but I digress... This strikes me in a number of ways though - Evil, sin or badness entered the world when perverted pleasure turned man's face away from God. Note that pleasure was not the thing that turned man's face from God, but perverted pleasure. I do have a bit of struggle between the two concepts. When I struggle with my sins I often act out in the way a pendulum does and try and swing it too far the other way. I mistake pleasure, a naturally and created thing for us for perverted pleasure and push both away. In essence I throw away God's gift to save me from my sin. I attempt salvation on my own. This never goes well and I set myself up to fail. It's all about that discipline. Not that I agree with the notion of everything in moderation because some things are inherently sinful no matter how moderately you partake of them, but I need not try and force myself into a hair shirt either.
Secondly, Augustine begins to theorize how Christ would respond to the fall of man in a down to earth tone. "Now I'm not in the habit of condemning a creature I've just made...No I don't condemn the creatures; it's there sins I condemn. Why? Because I didn't make the sins; they did" (Griffin, 9-10). There is a whole bunch of theology packed into this statement for me so, bear with me as I unfurl it. First, Augustine is combating another heresy, particularly Arianism because it is calling Christ the creator. Second, it resolves a problem of evil. In this short sentence Augustine is denying that Christ (or God) the creator of all things is therefore the creator of evil. Lastly, while still theological in nature, but with the added benefit of comfort and grace Christ states that by not condemning the man he is affording the man an opportunity of salvation through condemning the man-made sins.
Lastly, Augustine shamed my laziness and reminded me that my curiosity when applied properly will invariably lead me back to God. However, my curiosity when left alone will invariably wither and decline or sink into depths of depravity. "'In Him are hidden all the treasuries of wisdom and knowledge'. He hides them, yes, but not because he's embarrassed by them; rather He wants to increase our desire to discover what's in these treasuries. A secret, yes, but isn't it tantalizing? So, Augustine quotes Colossians 2:3 to remind me that there are mysteries of God that I must explore and in exploring I will find all the treasuries of wisdom and knowledge. I am tantalized.
In Chapter 2 of Colossians Paul is writing to those he knows and has not yet met personally to know that he is praying for them. He wants to encourage them to unite in love so that they can have the full riches of God. In this unity of love and encouragement of heart continue to seek the mystery of God, Christ "In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). Buy why is Paul encouraging this? Because there is safety in Christ. There is safety in His wisdom and knowledge. This safety protects from fine sounding arguments that might deceive and pull one away from God.
I'm starting to see the road to seeking the Kingdom of God, rooted in Scripture reading and this blog. But, I fear that the daily minutia of life will pull me from being rooted deeper and deeper. Lord I pray for the discipline I need to continue to seek first the Kingdom.
Three more things came out to me in the next few pages. The first is "Badness came when perverted pleasure turned the Creature's face away from the Creator" (Griffin, 9). Now, I have read some more scholarly translations of Augustine and happen to like what Griffin describes as his paraphrasal translation approach because it makes it more approachable to readers like me. And his penchant for making Augustine colloquial is quite nice; but, on occasion we get words like "Badness" that make me feel like I'm reading the child's version of Augustine, but I digress... This strikes me in a number of ways though - Evil, sin or badness entered the world when perverted pleasure turned man's face away from God. Note that pleasure was not the thing that turned man's face from God, but perverted pleasure. I do have a bit of struggle between the two concepts. When I struggle with my sins I often act out in the way a pendulum does and try and swing it too far the other way. I mistake pleasure, a naturally and created thing for us for perverted pleasure and push both away. In essence I throw away God's gift to save me from my sin. I attempt salvation on my own. This never goes well and I set myself up to fail. It's all about that discipline. Not that I agree with the notion of everything in moderation because some things are inherently sinful no matter how moderately you partake of them, but I need not try and force myself into a hair shirt either.
Secondly, Augustine begins to theorize how Christ would respond to the fall of man in a down to earth tone. "Now I'm not in the habit of condemning a creature I've just made...No I don't condemn the creatures; it's there sins I condemn. Why? Because I didn't make the sins; they did" (Griffin, 9-10). There is a whole bunch of theology packed into this statement for me so, bear with me as I unfurl it. First, Augustine is combating another heresy, particularly Arianism because it is calling Christ the creator. Second, it resolves a problem of evil. In this short sentence Augustine is denying that Christ (or God) the creator of all things is therefore the creator of evil. Lastly, while still theological in nature, but with the added benefit of comfort and grace Christ states that by not condemning the man he is affording the man an opportunity of salvation through condemning the man-made sins.
Lastly, Augustine shamed my laziness and reminded me that my curiosity when applied properly will invariably lead me back to God. However, my curiosity when left alone will invariably wither and decline or sink into depths of depravity. "'In Him are hidden all the treasuries of wisdom and knowledge'. He hides them, yes, but not because he's embarrassed by them; rather He wants to increase our desire to discover what's in these treasuries. A secret, yes, but isn't it tantalizing? So, Augustine quotes Colossians 2:3 to remind me that there are mysteries of God that I must explore and in exploring I will find all the treasuries of wisdom and knowledge. I am tantalized.
In Chapter 2 of Colossians Paul is writing to those he knows and has not yet met personally to know that he is praying for them. He wants to encourage them to unite in love so that they can have the full riches of God. In this unity of love and encouragement of heart continue to seek the mystery of God, Christ "In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). Buy why is Paul encouraging this? Because there is safety in Christ. There is safety in His wisdom and knowledge. This safety protects from fine sounding arguments that might deceive and pull one away from God.
I'm starting to see the road to seeking the Kingdom of God, rooted in Scripture reading and this blog. But, I fear that the daily minutia of life will pull me from being rooted deeper and deeper. Lord I pray for the discipline I need to continue to seek first the Kingdom.
I Corinthians 13 - Thoughts
I Corinthians 13 is a commonly read passage during weddings. The definition of love as patient, kind, without envy or boasting, being not proud or rude or self-seeking, its ability to withstand anger and its lack of keeping records of wrong and its delight in truth not evil is known by Christians and non-Christians alike who have attended weddings recently. We know that Paul writes that Love protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres and that Love never fails. I mentioned though that there is a verse in here that scares me in a couple of posts ago.
I Corinthians 1:11 "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."
It scares me because I have ostensibly become a man, but have not put all my childish ways behind me. I still reason and think like a child sometimes. Often when I have done something wrong I respond to it in a childish way: lying, denying, covering it up, etc. It scares me because I have taken on the mantle of manhood (marriage especially) without getting fully over the hump of my childish ways.
I had to look up the verse because I couldn't remember the reference. So after I posted my thoughts in the Augustine post I reread the whole chapter and while I'm still scared of my inadequacies as a man and fear I will once again revert to childish logic in the wake of my mistakes, the verse appears less horrifying in the context and actually somewhat comforting.
I Corinthians 1:9-12 "For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known".
I still have much work to do to put my childish ways behind me, but I can comfortably echo Paul's sentiment. I do know in part now and I can put my hope in that when perfection comes the imperfect will disappear. I see but a poor reflection of God now, but I can put my hope in that I will one day see face to face my God and King. I know bits of God now, but I can put my hope in that I shall know fully. And when perfection comes "these three remain: faith, hope and love".
Putting away the childish things of my past indiscretions is scary. I know myself and fear I will repeat my past mistakes. But I can take comfort that as long as I seek first the Kingdom of God that opportunity will come chasing me from God. I know bits of God now; I will know more bits later until eventually I shall know fully. Seeking first the kingdom of God, Lord help me stay in your Word.
I Corinthians 1:11 "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."
It scares me because I have ostensibly become a man, but have not put all my childish ways behind me. I still reason and think like a child sometimes. Often when I have done something wrong I respond to it in a childish way: lying, denying, covering it up, etc. It scares me because I have taken on the mantle of manhood (marriage especially) without getting fully over the hump of my childish ways.
I had to look up the verse because I couldn't remember the reference. So after I posted my thoughts in the Augustine post I reread the whole chapter and while I'm still scared of my inadequacies as a man and fear I will once again revert to childish logic in the wake of my mistakes, the verse appears less horrifying in the context and actually somewhat comforting.
I Corinthians 1:9-12 "For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known".
I still have much work to do to put my childish ways behind me, but I can comfortably echo Paul's sentiment. I do know in part now and I can put my hope in that when perfection comes the imperfect will disappear. I see but a poor reflection of God now, but I can put my hope in that I will one day see face to face my God and King. I know bits of God now, but I can put my hope in that I shall know fully. And when perfection comes "these three remain: faith, hope and love".
Putting away the childish things of my past indiscretions is scary. I know myself and fear I will repeat my past mistakes. But I can take comfort that as long as I seek first the Kingdom of God that opportunity will come chasing me from God. I know bits of God now; I will know more bits later until eventually I shall know fully. Seeking first the kingdom of God, Lord help me stay in your Word.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Philosophy of Religion - Hick: Ch. 9
(Originally written April 20, 2007 in Book 7)
Philosophy of Religion
John H. Hick
Chapter 9 - Human Destiny: Immortality and Resurrection
The Immortality of the Soul
Plato was the first to systematically develop the mind-body dichotomy and prove the immortality of the soul.
The soul (mind) as being conceived of as a simple substance is not an empirical fact, but a metaphysical theory. As such it cannot be used as proof for the immortality of the soul.
Cartesian mind-body theories have declined since WWIII due to attacks by the analytical school of philosophy.
The Re-Creation of the Psychophysical Person
Hebrew theology initially focused solely on the covenant between God and Israel and paid little attention to the individual. As the breakdown of Israel as a political entity Hebrew theology focused on the individual soul and on the after life.
Judaeo-Christian belief in immortality differs from Platonic belief in that the Judaeo-Christian conception includes a re-creation of the body.
St. Paul's conception of the resurrection concerns God's re-creation of the human psychophysical individual.
The major problem with this is providing criteria of personal identity.
Hell is a major part of the problem of evil. If God is all-good and uses evil for good then what is the purpose of eternal suffering?
Quick note: Hell is not itself evil. The suffering that befalls the men and women in hell is not evil. The torment they suffer is punitive action for the life they chose. Punishment is not evil; it is justice. Justice cannot be evil. Also, hell has a purpose for good. When all is finished and Hell is stalled, then all evil will be trapped and separated from good. As such, evil cannot escape from hell to corrupt what is good. Because evil exists and evil nearly inevitably corrupts good, hell is necessary to protect good from evil.
Does Parapsychology Help?
Spiritualists claims that life after death is proved by well-documented cases of communication between the living and the dead.
This section: pg 127-131 is really strange and obnoxious.
The supposed recalling of spirits from the land of the dead to the land of the living is explainable by a telepathic function of the medium. Mediums posses an ability to derive knowledge telepathically from their clients about whom they are "reaching". Though the medium may even feel this is a genuine connection it is merely a telepathic marvel.
Resuscitation Cases
People that have been resuscitated after being declared dead provide another interesting phenomenal experience.
People experience numerous similar things in the time they are dead. Often they are reluctant to speak about such strange things, but their view of death normally changes after the experience.
All of parapsychology's assertions must be handled with caution. They are not (yet) weighted enough to prove the immortality of the soul.
Philosophy of Religion
John H. Hick
Chapter 9 - Human Destiny: Immortality and Resurrection
The Immortality of the Soul
Plato was the first to systematically develop the mind-body dichotomy and prove the immortality of the soul.
The soul (mind) as being conceived of as a simple substance is not an empirical fact, but a metaphysical theory. As such it cannot be used as proof for the immortality of the soul.
Cartesian mind-body theories have declined since WWIII due to attacks by the analytical school of philosophy.
The Re-Creation of the Psychophysical Person
Hebrew theology initially focused solely on the covenant between God and Israel and paid little attention to the individual. As the breakdown of Israel as a political entity Hebrew theology focused on the individual soul and on the after life.
Judaeo-Christian belief in immortality differs from Platonic belief in that the Judaeo-Christian conception includes a re-creation of the body.
St. Paul's conception of the resurrection concerns God's re-creation of the human psychophysical individual.
The major problem with this is providing criteria of personal identity.
Hell is a major part of the problem of evil. If God is all-good and uses evil for good then what is the purpose of eternal suffering?
Quick note: Hell is not itself evil. The suffering that befalls the men and women in hell is not evil. The torment they suffer is punitive action for the life they chose. Punishment is not evil; it is justice. Justice cannot be evil. Also, hell has a purpose for good. When all is finished and Hell is stalled, then all evil will be trapped and separated from good. As such, evil cannot escape from hell to corrupt what is good. Because evil exists and evil nearly inevitably corrupts good, hell is necessary to protect good from evil.
Does Parapsychology Help?
Spiritualists claims that life after death is proved by well-documented cases of communication between the living and the dead.
This section: pg 127-131 is really strange and obnoxious.
The supposed recalling of spirits from the land of the dead to the land of the living is explainable by a telepathic function of the medium. Mediums posses an ability to derive knowledge telepathically from their clients about whom they are "reaching". Though the medium may even feel this is a genuine connection it is merely a telepathic marvel.
Resuscitation Cases
People that have been resuscitated after being declared dead provide another interesting phenomenal experience.
People experience numerous similar things in the time they are dead. Often they are reluctant to speak about such strange things, but their view of death normally changes after the experience.
All of parapsychology's assertions must be handled with caution. They are not (yet) weighted enough to prove the immortality of the soul.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Class notes on Scriptures of Various Religions
(Originally written on February 22, 2007 in Book 14)
Class Notes - Christianity & Religious Pluralism
The "Protestant Fallacy"
The Bible & Other Scriptures
General Revelation --> Natural Theology
(accesible to all human beings)
Romans 1:18-20 - "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."
Special Revelation
- Writings
- Jesus Christ
Protestant Fallacy -- to assume that the scriptures of other religions function in the same way as the Bible in Christianity.
The "protestant view" of Scriptures:
- inspired
- authoritative
- sola scriptura
- sufficient
- only guid to faith and practice
- no deterero - canon
- theoretically, all of what we believe and do so is based on the bible
- all other users (recitation, symbolisms) are secondary
Religion - "Canonical Scriptures" - Duetero-Canonical
Judaism - Tanakh (Law, Prophets, Writings) - Mishnah, Talmud
Islam - Koran - Sunna/Hadith
Zoroastrianism - Avesta - None
Hinduism - Vedas, Brahmanas, Sutras, Upanishads - Ramayana, Mahabharata
Judaism
-Tanak: Torah, Prophets, Writings
-Mishnah & Talmud - interpretations of the Tanak
The Talmud supersedes the Torah in practice
2 basic thoughts in Jewish belief in pre-Christ/time of Christ
1) Shamai - conservative
2) Hillel - liberal
Jesus' run-ins were more often with the Shamai followers.
Rabbi Gamaliel was another important thinker. The Apostle Paul was a follower of Gamaliel.
The Talmud is the combination of two works: the Mishna & the Gemara
Islam
The Qur'an
-Sunna, Hadith
The primary purpose of the Qur'an is to present the presence of Allah and to substantiate Muhammad's claims. To recite it is more important than to understand it.
Zoroastrianism
Avesta - consists of many parts, spanning centuries
Hinduism
Hindu Scriptures A
-Shruti "heard"
- The four Vedas
- Brahmanas
- Sutras
- Law of Manu
- Upanishads
Smriti
- Mahabharata
- Bhagavad Gita
- Ramayana
-Puranas
Class Notes - Christianity & Religious Pluralism
The "Protestant Fallacy"
The Bible & Other Scriptures
General Revelation --> Natural Theology
(accesible to all human beings)
Romans 1:18-20 - "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."
Special Revelation
- Writings
- Jesus Christ
Protestant Fallacy -- to assume that the scriptures of other religions function in the same way as the Bible in Christianity.
The "protestant view" of Scriptures:
- inspired
- authoritative
- sola scriptura
- sufficient
- only guid to faith and practice
- no deterero - canon
- theoretically, all of what we believe and do so is based on the bible
- all other users (recitation, symbolisms) are secondary
Religion - "Canonical Scriptures" - Duetero-Canonical
Judaism - Tanakh (Law, Prophets, Writings) - Mishnah, Talmud
Islam - Koran - Sunna/Hadith
Zoroastrianism - Avesta - None
Hinduism - Vedas, Brahmanas, Sutras, Upanishads - Ramayana, Mahabharata
Judaism
-Tanak: Torah, Prophets, Writings
-Mishnah & Talmud - interpretations of the Tanak
The Talmud supersedes the Torah in practice
2 basic thoughts in Jewish belief in pre-Christ/time of Christ
1) Shamai - conservative
2) Hillel - liberal
Jesus' run-ins were more often with the Shamai followers.
Rabbi Gamaliel was another important thinker. The Apostle Paul was a follower of Gamaliel.
The Talmud is the combination of two works: the Mishna & the Gemara
Islam
The Qur'an
-Sunna, Hadith
The primary purpose of the Qur'an is to present the presence of Allah and to substantiate Muhammad's claims. To recite it is more important than to understand it.
Zoroastrianism
Avesta - consists of many parts, spanning centuries
Hinduism
Hindu Scriptures A
-Shruti "heard"
- The four Vedas
- Brahmanas
- Sutras
- Law of Manu
- Upanishads
Smriti
- Mahabharata
- Bhagavad Gita
- Ramayana
-Puranas
Friday, February 16, 2007
Chapter 4 - Pocket Guide to World Religions (B)
(Originally written February 16, 2007 in Book 14)
Christianity and Judaism split within the first generations of Christianity.
Life of Jesus Christ
Jesus was born in Bethlehem about 6 BC.
He was born to a virgin via a miraculous birth.
Virtually nothing about his life is known prior to age 30. At 30 he launched his public ministry. He gathered 12 disciples.
He emphasized servitude to God and men out of love, not obligation.
He claimed to be the Messiah and the Son of God. He was a miracle worker and an exorcist.
He was crucified for offending the Jewish establishment and suspected of treason against Rome.
The Scriptures claim that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples over a 40-day period until finally ascending into Heaven.
Subsequent Developments
During the first 70 years after Jesus' death and resurrection his teachings spread throughout the Roman Empire.
Paul the Apostle was instrumental in these early years.
The New Testament books were written in this time too.
The Early Church was persecuted by the Roman Empire until 313 when Emperor Constantine declared Christianity a legal religion.
When the Roman Empire split tension between the Eastern Orthodox Church and Western Catholic Church arose. The Church finally split in 1054.
The bishop of Rome blame the Pope and asserted authority over all the Western Church between 350 - 850 AD.
Another major split occurred in the 16th century with the Protestant Reformation.
Currently, Christianity is characterized by two important features: first a global presence reaching into even the smallest corners of the world; and second, division into many different local churches and denominations, which often differ only on minor matters" (Corduan, 42).
Scriptures
Virtually all Christians recognize the Scriptures as two collections:
1) The Scriptures of Jesus' day (known as the Old Testament)
2) The New Testament
The Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches maintain that the Apocrypha are also inspired works and thus, Scriptures. Protestants do not hold this view because the Apocrypha was not recognized as Scripture in Jesus' day.
Major Beliefs
Christianity emphasizes correct belief.
1. God - one God who created the universe and is not part of the universe.
2. Trinity - God exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. God is one nature, but three distinct persons.
3. Sin and Redemption - man is fallen and must redeemed
4. Christ - Jesus Christ is God. He became Incarnate.
5. Atonement - Jesus' death was not a martyrdom. It was the atonement for sinful man.
6. Faith - faith is an attitude of trust in Christ. Salvation is earned by faith alone, not through works.
7. Future - Jesus will come back to judge the earth. Those who believed will go to Heaven, those who did not will go to Hell.
Subgroups
Christianity is divided into numerous subgroups and sub-subgroups. Many have split over very minor doctrinal disagreements
Major Subgroups
1) Roman Catholic Church
- Headed by the Pope
- The Largest subgroup
- Worldwide
- Sacramental
2) Eastern Orthodox Church
- primarily in Greece, Eastern Europe and the Middle East
- Sacramental
- Has preserved many ancient traditions
- Headed by the Patriarch
3) Protestant Churches
- Emphasize individual salvation
Worship Practices
They vary from church to church, but usually have singing, scripture reading, prayer and preaching.
Some churches are liturgical, others are very informal.
Baptism and Communion are areas that have caused rifts in the Church.
Church Division: (among many others)
Baptism is the Christian initiation ceremony.
Communion is a ceremonial meal of a portion of bread and a sip of wine.
Some call these sacraments, others call them ordinances.
Sacraments -> conveying of God's grace.
Ordinances -> reminders of God's actions
Christianity and Judaism split within the first generations of Christianity.
Life of Jesus Christ
Jesus was born in Bethlehem about 6 BC.
He was born to a virgin via a miraculous birth.
Virtually nothing about his life is known prior to age 30. At 30 he launched his public ministry. He gathered 12 disciples.
He emphasized servitude to God and men out of love, not obligation.
He claimed to be the Messiah and the Son of God. He was a miracle worker and an exorcist.
He was crucified for offending the Jewish establishment and suspected of treason against Rome.
The Scriptures claim that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples over a 40-day period until finally ascending into Heaven.
Subsequent Developments
During the first 70 years after Jesus' death and resurrection his teachings spread throughout the Roman Empire.
Paul the Apostle was instrumental in these early years.
The New Testament books were written in this time too.
The Early Church was persecuted by the Roman Empire until 313 when Emperor Constantine declared Christianity a legal religion.
When the Roman Empire split tension between the Eastern Orthodox Church and Western Catholic Church arose. The Church finally split in 1054.
The bishop of Rome blame the Pope and asserted authority over all the Western Church between 350 - 850 AD.
Another major split occurred in the 16th century with the Protestant Reformation.
Currently, Christianity is characterized by two important features: first a global presence reaching into even the smallest corners of the world; and second, division into many different local churches and denominations, which often differ only on minor matters" (Corduan, 42).
Scriptures
Virtually all Christians recognize the Scriptures as two collections:
1) The Scriptures of Jesus' day (known as the Old Testament)
2) The New Testament
The Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches maintain that the Apocrypha are also inspired works and thus, Scriptures. Protestants do not hold this view because the Apocrypha was not recognized as Scripture in Jesus' day.
Major Beliefs
Christianity emphasizes correct belief.
1. God - one God who created the universe and is not part of the universe.
2. Trinity - God exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. God is one nature, but three distinct persons.
3. Sin and Redemption - man is fallen and must redeemed
4. Christ - Jesus Christ is God. He became Incarnate.
5. Atonement - Jesus' death was not a martyrdom. It was the atonement for sinful man.
6. Faith - faith is an attitude of trust in Christ. Salvation is earned by faith alone, not through works.
7. Future - Jesus will come back to judge the earth. Those who believed will go to Heaven, those who did not will go to Hell.
Subgroups
Christianity is divided into numerous subgroups and sub-subgroups. Many have split over very minor doctrinal disagreements
Major Subgroups
1) Roman Catholic Church
- Headed by the Pope
- The Largest subgroup
- Worldwide
- Sacramental
2) Eastern Orthodox Church
- primarily in Greece, Eastern Europe and the Middle East
- Sacramental
- Has preserved many ancient traditions
- Headed by the Patriarch
3) Protestant Churches
- Emphasize individual salvation
Worship Practices
They vary from church to church, but usually have singing, scripture reading, prayer and preaching.
Some churches are liturgical, others are very informal.
Baptism and Communion are areas that have caused rifts in the Church.
Church Division: (among many others)
Baptism is the Christian initiation ceremony.
Communion is a ceremonial meal of a portion of bread and a sip of wine.
Some call these sacraments, others call them ordinances.
Sacraments -> conveying of God's grace.
Ordinances -> reminders of God's actions
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Orthodoxy and Heresy
(Originally written November 12, 2006 in Book 11)
Heresy and Orthodoxy
Gradual Emergence of Orthodoxy
The Jesus Movement became a world religion through the ideas of orthodoxy, holiness, apostolic ideal and catholic universalism.
The orthodoxy of the early church developed by attacking individual doctrines deemed heretical. The forensic ability and dialectical skill of the Fathers had more to do with the formation of orthodoxy more than the merit of doctrines.
By the fourth century the outlines of orthodoxy had been drawn, but the orthodoxy was not yet in full effect.
The Gnostic Heresy
Gnosticism states that salvation is acquired through knowledge, not faith.
Gnosticism believed that there was one Supreme Being and This Being created larger supernatural beings. (One of these was YHWH).
These lesser beings are in rebellion against the Absolute god and hold man hostage. Christ descended to save man. Salvation comes to those who have a divine spark that enables the to understand the knowledge given to them.
The Knowledge which led to salvation was a secret knowledge. Plato used the term, but meant a public objective knowledge, whereas Gnostics meant a suprarational knowledge.
Gnosticism attempted to synthesize all the Neoplatonist and mystery cults into one unified entity. This obviously offended the catholic church.
The Gnostics interpreted every scripture as allegory, which also offended Christian sentimentalities.
Syncretism was a major component of Gnosticism. Christianity's method of rejecting all other views, rather then synthesizing then proved to be a lasting one.
The Arian Heresy
Arianism focused on the problem of a Triune Godhead. How could a monotheistic religion have three Gods?
Aries, the founder claimed that Jesus was the logos of God, but was not equal with God the Father. Jesus was a created entity.
Christ was the first creation who later became Incarnated.
Athanasius, the preeminent anti-Arian claimed that God and Christ are of the same substance. But to avoid another heresy (Patripassianism, which claimed God the Father was crucified) he held that the Father and the Son, through the same substance, were distinct persons. Catholicism concluded that God is three in one and how that is is simply a mystery that must be accepted.
Aries was a bit of a rationalist attempting to resolve the issue of three as one in the Godhead.
Tertullian, contra to Arius was completely against any rational attempt to understand the divinity.
He held that any attempt to understand was a mark of weak faith.
The Arian Heresy marks the Church's subversion of reason. The Church would face no controversy so long as man deprecated their ability.
The Pelagian Heresy
The Pelagian Heresy came from the Judaic conception of omnipotence and omniscience.
Both Arius and Pelagius believed they were teaching Christian Orthodoxy and both had some evidence on their side.
Pelagius preached free will in man and stated Paul's mysticism led men to be slothful in Christian living and making excuses for the vices Paul preached against.
If God is all powerful and all knowing man has no fee will. If man has no free will God is unjust for blaming us for sin. Pelagius believed free will was necessary for responsibility.
Pelagius was deemed a heretic, but the Pelagian heresy has reemerged numerous times in the history of the Church.
The Manichean Heresy
Mani tried to resolve the problem of evil. It was regarded as heretical because they employed reason and not the authorities to come to their conclusions.
Manicheanism was dualistic. God was all-good, but not all powerful. Satan created the physical world.
Mani and Christ were prophets went from God to free men from the evil of the body. Manicheanism was thus, very, very ascetic.
The Albigensian heresy in the late Middle Ages was a rearticulation of the Manichaen heresy.
Relation of faith to Reason
Athanasius called the Trinity a mystery that must be accepted as faith, but to appeal to the pagan masses and to confound heretics, Christianity needed a systematic theology. The relationship between faith and reason was critical in forming this theology.
Greek and Christian views contrasted
God is the primary, almost exclusive object of concern in Christianity. In Greek philosophy the concern was to give an account of man's relation to nature.
The shift in emphasis changed all of philosophical thought.
Christianity aimed at perfection, thus were constantly subject to failure.
Christianity is too pessimistic to the modern mind, but Greek philosophy is too naive and optimistic. The major goal of philosophy since the Renaissance is to find a mean between the two.
The methodology of Christian philosophy had to be radically different from the Greek. Exegesis became a large part of philosophy.
Heresy and Orthodoxy
Gradual Emergence of Orthodoxy
The Jesus Movement became a world religion through the ideas of orthodoxy, holiness, apostolic ideal and catholic universalism.
The orthodoxy of the early church developed by attacking individual doctrines deemed heretical. The forensic ability and dialectical skill of the Fathers had more to do with the formation of orthodoxy more than the merit of doctrines.
By the fourth century the outlines of orthodoxy had been drawn, but the orthodoxy was not yet in full effect.
The Gnostic Heresy
Gnosticism states that salvation is acquired through knowledge, not faith.
Gnosticism believed that there was one Supreme Being and This Being created larger supernatural beings. (One of these was YHWH).
These lesser beings are in rebellion against the Absolute god and hold man hostage. Christ descended to save man. Salvation comes to those who have a divine spark that enables the to understand the knowledge given to them.
The Knowledge which led to salvation was a secret knowledge. Plato used the term, but meant a public objective knowledge, whereas Gnostics meant a suprarational knowledge.
Gnosticism attempted to synthesize all the Neoplatonist and mystery cults into one unified entity. This obviously offended the catholic church.
The Gnostics interpreted every scripture as allegory, which also offended Christian sentimentalities.
Syncretism was a major component of Gnosticism. Christianity's method of rejecting all other views, rather then synthesizing then proved to be a lasting one.
The Arian Heresy
Arianism focused on the problem of a Triune Godhead. How could a monotheistic religion have three Gods?
Aries, the founder claimed that Jesus was the logos of God, but was not equal with God the Father. Jesus was a created entity.
Christ was the first creation who later became Incarnated.
Athanasius, the preeminent anti-Arian claimed that God and Christ are of the same substance. But to avoid another heresy (Patripassianism, which claimed God the Father was crucified) he held that the Father and the Son, through the same substance, were distinct persons. Catholicism concluded that God is three in one and how that is is simply a mystery that must be accepted.
Aries was a bit of a rationalist attempting to resolve the issue of three as one in the Godhead.
Tertullian, contra to Arius was completely against any rational attempt to understand the divinity.
He held that any attempt to understand was a mark of weak faith.
The Arian Heresy marks the Church's subversion of reason. The Church would face no controversy so long as man deprecated their ability.
The Pelagian Heresy
The Pelagian Heresy came from the Judaic conception of omnipotence and omniscience.
Both Arius and Pelagius believed they were teaching Christian Orthodoxy and both had some evidence on their side.
Pelagius preached free will in man and stated Paul's mysticism led men to be slothful in Christian living and making excuses for the vices Paul preached against.
If God is all powerful and all knowing man has no fee will. If man has no free will God is unjust for blaming us for sin. Pelagius believed free will was necessary for responsibility.
Pelagius was deemed a heretic, but the Pelagian heresy has reemerged numerous times in the history of the Church.
The Manichean Heresy
Mani tried to resolve the problem of evil. It was regarded as heretical because they employed reason and not the authorities to come to their conclusions.
Manicheanism was dualistic. God was all-good, but not all powerful. Satan created the physical world.
Mani and Christ were prophets went from God to free men from the evil of the body. Manicheanism was thus, very, very ascetic.
The Albigensian heresy in the late Middle Ages was a rearticulation of the Manichaen heresy.
Relation of faith to Reason
Athanasius called the Trinity a mystery that must be accepted as faith, but to appeal to the pagan masses and to confound heretics, Christianity needed a systematic theology. The relationship between faith and reason was critical in forming this theology.
Greek and Christian views contrasted
God is the primary, almost exclusive object of concern in Christianity. In Greek philosophy the concern was to give an account of man's relation to nature.
The shift in emphasis changed all of philosophical thought.
Christianity aimed at perfection, thus were constantly subject to failure.
Christianity is too pessimistic to the modern mind, but Greek philosophy is too naive and optimistic. The major goal of philosophy since the Renaissance is to find a mean between the two.
The methodology of Christian philosophy had to be radically different from the Greek. Exegesis became a large part of philosophy.
The Christianity of John and the Institutionalization of the Church
(Originally written November 12, 2006 in Book 11)
John and the Logos Mystery
The Problem of Incarnation
Even if the problem of reconciling the notion of Jesus being the son of God and monotheistic YHWH was completed, the problem of the Incarnation had to be solved. Paul was blissfully unconcerned with this problem. It was enough for Paul to simply state that Jesus was God.
John identifies Christ as Logos. The Logos was with God in the beginning and through the Logos all was created. Then the Logos became flesh and dwelled among his creation for a time, but his own creation did not recognize it.
John and Paul's views compared
John, using the term "Logos" introduced a technical Greek philosophical term to Judaism and the mystery cults.
Paul and John's views are similar. Neither knew Jesus personally and each were driven by a profound mysticism.
Linehan: Didn't John know him?
Both were Jewish and both opened Christianity to Jews and Gentiles alike. Both agreed that salvation was not continued existence in time, but a rebirth free of sins, frustration and defeat.
John rose above the provincialism of Jesus and interpreted the personality of Jesus from the broad perspective of non-Jewish thought.
John was mystical in the sense of Hellenized Alexandria. He was more philosophical than Paul.
John's Jesus was not Paul's resurrected God, he was the Logos of Hellenistic Philosophy
Origins of the Logos Doctrine
The Logos had a faint beginning in Heraclitus, but was developed by Stoicism.
Stoicism's logos influenced much of Hellenistic philosophy and even some Jewish sects.
The Jewish logos appears in Philo, a Jewish philosopher of the Diaspora.
Philo was an Alexandrian Jew. Alexandria was the center of logos - thinking.
Philo was a younger contemporary of Jesus but seems never to have heard of him.
Philo was a younger contemporary of Jesus, but seems never to have heard of him.
Phil worked to harmonize Judaism with the current philosophical trend of the Roman world. In doing so he provided a basis for Christianity to develop.
YHWH began as an anthropomorphic being, but became so cosmic a deity that He seemed indifferent to man.
The changing of the times saw all religions seek to bring man closer to God and Philo attempted this within Judaism.
The logos of Philo was how God interacted with man; how He bridged the chasm between man and God, and how He revealed Himself to man.
John's Account of the Logos
John's use of the Logos in Christianity made it philosophically respectable to the world.
John saw Jesus as the eternal and divine Logos which happened to take a human form at a particular point in space and time.
How did the logos take form of man? John's answer was we do not know how and must accept it on faith.
Why did it come about? John stated that God so loved the world he sent the logos to save it.
Philo was interested with the logos for epistemic and metaphysical functions. John was interested with he logos for its redemptive qualities.
John's emphasis of love, kindness and mercy did not add anything new to YHWH. His non-emphasis of wrath is what added something to YHWH.
The Effects of Institutionalism
John and Paul were the most important figures in shaping the conception of God in Christianity.
After John and Paul, Christianity (like every other institutionalized movement) began to settle down and be reinterpreted.
What the Message Gained and Lost
Mysticism as a basis was too exclusive for the masses. Non-mystics had to reinterpret the message for themselves.
Salvation as an inner change became a notion that was to happen down the road and not immediately.
The otherworldliness of Paul became a Christian notion of separating one's self from the physical world.
The Church moved from mysticism and logos to an appeal to the magic of the sacraments, a new rigorous ascetic law, a fear worship of God and fear of hellfire instead of love and identification with the divine.
The Church and its Mystics
The Church and Christian mystics have had trouble achieving a Christian unity
The mystic views the Church as unnecessary and dangerous; the Church views the mystic as a maverick and a trouble-maker.
The amazing part of Christianity is the Church's use of mystics to continually revitalize itself.
The Church as an institution owes its longevity to the mystics. The massive lifespan of Christianity has caused its adherents to claim a divine establishment.
The Institutionalization of the Jesus Movement
Initially the disciples and Paul wanted to institutionalize the Church.
As the Apostles and Paul died off, interpretation of their writings became key. Heresies and orthodoxy became an issue.
The ideal of Orthodoxy
Christianity distinguished itself from the other mystery cults by being intolerant of the other ones. While every cult claimed to posses the key to salvation they allowed other cults to exist. With an intolerant God, Christianity could not be tolerant of rival salvation processes.
The Christians demanded uniform worship, the demanded orthodoxy. Determining what was orthodoxy was the growth of the Church as an institution.
Irenaeus, a bishop of the 2nd century put forth a view held by the Church still today. Bishops received (originally) the true doctrine from the authority of the Apostles. Successive bishops received this authority upon appointment and disagreements between bishops were to be solved by our infallible episcopate vote.
John and the Logos Mystery
The Problem of Incarnation
Even if the problem of reconciling the notion of Jesus being the son of God and monotheistic YHWH was completed, the problem of the Incarnation had to be solved. Paul was blissfully unconcerned with this problem. It was enough for Paul to simply state that Jesus was God.
John identifies Christ as Logos. The Logos was with God in the beginning and through the Logos all was created. Then the Logos became flesh and dwelled among his creation for a time, but his own creation did not recognize it.
John and Paul's views compared
John, using the term "Logos" introduced a technical Greek philosophical term to Judaism and the mystery cults.
Paul and John's views are similar. Neither knew Jesus personally and each were driven by a profound mysticism.
Linehan: Didn't John know him?
Both were Jewish and both opened Christianity to Jews and Gentiles alike. Both agreed that salvation was not continued existence in time, but a rebirth free of sins, frustration and defeat.
John rose above the provincialism of Jesus and interpreted the personality of Jesus from the broad perspective of non-Jewish thought.
John was mystical in the sense of Hellenized Alexandria. He was more philosophical than Paul.
John's Jesus was not Paul's resurrected God, he was the Logos of Hellenistic Philosophy
Origins of the Logos Doctrine
The Logos had a faint beginning in Heraclitus, but was developed by Stoicism.
Stoicism's logos influenced much of Hellenistic philosophy and even some Jewish sects.
The Jewish logos appears in Philo, a Jewish philosopher of the Diaspora.
Philo was an Alexandrian Jew. Alexandria was the center of logos - thinking.
Philo was a younger contemporary of Jesus but seems never to have heard of him.
Philo was a younger contemporary of Jesus, but seems never to have heard of him.
Phil worked to harmonize Judaism with the current philosophical trend of the Roman world. In doing so he provided a basis for Christianity to develop.
YHWH began as an anthropomorphic being, but became so cosmic a deity that He seemed indifferent to man.
The changing of the times saw all religions seek to bring man closer to God and Philo attempted this within Judaism.
The logos of Philo was how God interacted with man; how He bridged the chasm between man and God, and how He revealed Himself to man.
John's Account of the Logos
John's use of the Logos in Christianity made it philosophically respectable to the world.
John saw Jesus as the eternal and divine Logos which happened to take a human form at a particular point in space and time.
How did the logos take form of man? John's answer was we do not know how and must accept it on faith.
Why did it come about? John stated that God so loved the world he sent the logos to save it.
Philo was interested with the logos for epistemic and metaphysical functions. John was interested with he logos for its redemptive qualities.
John's emphasis of love, kindness and mercy did not add anything new to YHWH. His non-emphasis of wrath is what added something to YHWH.
The Effects of Institutionalism
John and Paul were the most important figures in shaping the conception of God in Christianity.
After John and Paul, Christianity (like every other institutionalized movement) began to settle down and be reinterpreted.
What the Message Gained and Lost
Mysticism as a basis was too exclusive for the masses. Non-mystics had to reinterpret the message for themselves.
Salvation as an inner change became a notion that was to happen down the road and not immediately.
The otherworldliness of Paul became a Christian notion of separating one's self from the physical world.
The Church moved from mysticism and logos to an appeal to the magic of the sacraments, a new rigorous ascetic law, a fear worship of God and fear of hellfire instead of love and identification with the divine.
The Church and its Mystics
The Church and Christian mystics have had trouble achieving a Christian unity
The mystic views the Church as unnecessary and dangerous; the Church views the mystic as a maverick and a trouble-maker.
The amazing part of Christianity is the Church's use of mystics to continually revitalize itself.
The Church as an institution owes its longevity to the mystics. The massive lifespan of Christianity has caused its adherents to claim a divine establishment.
The Institutionalization of the Jesus Movement
Initially the disciples and Paul wanted to institutionalize the Church.
As the Apostles and Paul died off, interpretation of their writings became key. Heresies and orthodoxy became an issue.
The ideal of Orthodoxy
Christianity distinguished itself from the other mystery cults by being intolerant of the other ones. While every cult claimed to posses the key to salvation they allowed other cults to exist. With an intolerant God, Christianity could not be tolerant of rival salvation processes.
The Christians demanded uniform worship, the demanded orthodoxy. Determining what was orthodoxy was the growth of the Church as an institution.
Irenaeus, a bishop of the 2nd century put forth a view held by the Church still today. Bishops received (originally) the true doctrine from the authority of the Apostles. Successive bishops received this authority upon appointment and disagreements between bishops were to be solved by our infallible episcopate vote.
The Mysticism of Paul
(Originally written November 12, 2006 in Book 11)
Chapter 2: Christianity: The Formative Years: The Mysticism of Paul
Paul was a Jew of the Diaspora. He was Hellenized, of a well-to-do family, educated and a Roman citizen.
Paul was extremely proud of his Jewish heritage.
He aimed himself to destroy the heretical Christian movement.
Paul's vision
Paul switched from persecuting Christians to spreading Christianity after a vision.
Christians explain this vision as a direct intervention of God, Freudians explain it as a psychotic man suffering from sexual repression and a father fixation. Epilepsy, fatigue and other mental problems have been labeled as the cause of Paul's transformation.
Paul's transformation, whatever the cause, had a monumental effect on the history o the Western world.
Paul interpreted Jesus' teachings in light of familiarity with Eastern mysticism.
Paul interpreted all of Early Christian teaching in a way that the Roman world could accept. His reinterpretation of it led to a cult to become a world religion.
The Letter to the Romans
Paul made the historical Jesus into a savior god and "built up a mythical setting for this god out of the Jewish legends and stories" (Jones, 41).
All men have inherited sin from the sin of Adam. Because of sin man's doomed, but Jesus was a savior for all.
Paul was ascetic, holding that the functions of the body were low.
Sin in Paul became associated with flesh and much wider than mere incontinence.
Paul adopted a dualism battle between flesh and spirit for his metaphysical base.
He held that the will was divided unless God intervenes to make it a unity.
This dualism was markedly different from Jesus' teachings.
Paul's asceticism was also much more severe than Jesus' mind-set.
Jesus took for granted that man was capable of working at his own problems, whereas Paul held man to be incompetently helpless.
Jesus held salvation to be obtainable by taking care of one's inner life. Paul believed man needed transcendental help.
Paul's dualism was two-fold:
1) Man was body and spirit
2) Jesus was God and Man
Each dualism had a battle between higher and lower principles, the only difference is that Jesus' higher principles was out unaided by God.
Paul placed emphasis on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus more than any other part of Jesus' life.
Jesus' suffering for us became Paul's chance to give all men hope to achieve the higher principle of life.
Like the Mystery cults, Paul emphasized the union of God and men. According to Paul, this happened through the salvation of man through Christ.
The Mystical Union with Christ
Paul's focus on the mystical union with Christ was a radical departure from the old worship of YHWH.
Man becomes identical with Christ according to Paul.
Paul regarded the Law as the way for man to live prior to the coming of Christ.
Paul attacked the Judaizing of Christianity. He focused on the ritual of circumcision.
Despite using Jesus as a freeing from the Law, Paul still maintained religious rules so people did not live life as there were no consequences.
Some followers of Paul abused the freedom from the Law, but Paul corrected them, especially in Galatians.
Paul maintained that those who truly live in spirit will no longer want to do evil deeds.
Paul held love as the ultimate virtue; knowledge, beauty, strength and wisdom are nothing without love.
Love was the source of all other virtues. Paul also added to love the virtues of faith and hope as important virtues.
Paul's mysticism
Paul was eloquent and a phenomenal missionary.
Paul was brought before the Roman leadership in Jerusalem by the Jews. He was then imprisoned in Caesarea, transferred to Rome, had a long imprisonment and was executed in 62 AD.
Pauline Christianity
Paul was a mystic, not a philosopher. Paul's views have however persisted to be a part of philosophy since the Middle Ages.
Paul's unique cultural background is what enabled him to turn Christianity into a world religion.
The synthesis of Paul's views into a systematic view was a difficult task for Paul's followers.
Paul's view of salvation freed contradicting theses in his own works:
1) Salvation is magical (through ritual acts)
2) Salvation is spiritual (through mystic inner changes)
Paul was contradictory in faith and works to salvation.
Paul's doctrine of original sin was almost problematic. How did men inherit the sin of Adam? If man inherited sin how is he responsible for it? Why did God allow Adam to sin? These questions plague theologies still today.
Another major problem for Paul is Jesus is son of God, but monotheism has to be maintained by now.
Chapter 2: Christianity: The Formative Years: The Mysticism of Paul
Paul was a Jew of the Diaspora. He was Hellenized, of a well-to-do family, educated and a Roman citizen.
Paul was extremely proud of his Jewish heritage.
He aimed himself to destroy the heretical Christian movement.
Paul's vision
Paul switched from persecuting Christians to spreading Christianity after a vision.
Christians explain this vision as a direct intervention of God, Freudians explain it as a psychotic man suffering from sexual repression and a father fixation. Epilepsy, fatigue and other mental problems have been labeled as the cause of Paul's transformation.
Paul's transformation, whatever the cause, had a monumental effect on the history o the Western world.
Paul interpreted Jesus' teachings in light of familiarity with Eastern mysticism.
Paul interpreted all of Early Christian teaching in a way that the Roman world could accept. His reinterpretation of it led to a cult to become a world religion.
The Letter to the Romans
Paul made the historical Jesus into a savior god and "built up a mythical setting for this god out of the Jewish legends and stories" (Jones, 41).
All men have inherited sin from the sin of Adam. Because of sin man's doomed, but Jesus was a savior for all.
Paul was ascetic, holding that the functions of the body were low.
Sin in Paul became associated with flesh and much wider than mere incontinence.
Paul adopted a dualism battle between flesh and spirit for his metaphysical base.
He held that the will was divided unless God intervenes to make it a unity.
This dualism was markedly different from Jesus' teachings.
Paul's asceticism was also much more severe than Jesus' mind-set.
Jesus took for granted that man was capable of working at his own problems, whereas Paul held man to be incompetently helpless.
Jesus held salvation to be obtainable by taking care of one's inner life. Paul believed man needed transcendental help.
Paul's dualism was two-fold:
1) Man was body and spirit
2) Jesus was God and Man
Each dualism had a battle between higher and lower principles, the only difference is that Jesus' higher principles was out unaided by God.
Paul placed emphasis on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus more than any other part of Jesus' life.
Jesus' suffering for us became Paul's chance to give all men hope to achieve the higher principle of life.
Like the Mystery cults, Paul emphasized the union of God and men. According to Paul, this happened through the salvation of man through Christ.
The Mystical Union with Christ
Paul's focus on the mystical union with Christ was a radical departure from the old worship of YHWH.
Man becomes identical with Christ according to Paul.
Paul regarded the Law as the way for man to live prior to the coming of Christ.
Paul attacked the Judaizing of Christianity. He focused on the ritual of circumcision.
Despite using Jesus as a freeing from the Law, Paul still maintained religious rules so people did not live life as there were no consequences.
Some followers of Paul abused the freedom from the Law, but Paul corrected them, especially in Galatians.
Paul maintained that those who truly live in spirit will no longer want to do evil deeds.
Paul held love as the ultimate virtue; knowledge, beauty, strength and wisdom are nothing without love.
Love was the source of all other virtues. Paul also added to love the virtues of faith and hope as important virtues.
Paul's mysticism
Paul was eloquent and a phenomenal missionary.
Paul was brought before the Roman leadership in Jerusalem by the Jews. He was then imprisoned in Caesarea, transferred to Rome, had a long imprisonment and was executed in 62 AD.
Pauline Christianity
Paul was a mystic, not a philosopher. Paul's views have however persisted to be a part of philosophy since the Middle Ages.
Paul's unique cultural background is what enabled him to turn Christianity into a world religion.
The synthesis of Paul's views into a systematic view was a difficult task for Paul's followers.
Paul's view of salvation freed contradicting theses in his own works:
1) Salvation is magical (through ritual acts)
2) Salvation is spiritual (through mystic inner changes)
Paul was contradictory in faith and works to salvation.
Paul's doctrine of original sin was almost problematic. How did men inherit the sin of Adam? If man inherited sin how is he responsible for it? Why did God allow Adam to sin? These questions plague theologies still today.
Another major problem for Paul is Jesus is son of God, but monotheism has to be maintained by now.
The Coming of Christianity
(Originally written November 12, 2006 in Book 11)
The Mystery Cults all began to reflect the shift from human emphasis to superhuman. The acceptance and adherence to them paved the way for Christianity.
The cults brought hope to the masses who were in despair due to the collapsing of the Empire. "But the masses had doubtless been ignorant and superstitious, ready to put their trust in occult powers" (Jones, 19).
Neoplatonism was the first instance where, not only the uneducated lower class gravitated toward the supernatural, but the educated, middle and upper classes abandoned the natural, human mind set.
The emphasis on discovering the natural reality shifted to an emphasis on discerning why a transcendent Absolute Being created a natural world.
Another major shift was to view this world as evil and thus not capable of producing the good life.
Christianity first appealed to the uneducated, but when it became socially acceptable Neoplatonism proved to be a philosophical model and rival.
The survival of Christianity over the mystery cults has nothing to do with its possession of an objective truth or moral superiority, but its energy, ingenuity, polemical ability, administrative skill and the good luck of early Christian Fathers.
Linehan: really? luck? wow, that is quite ad hoc.
Jesus: The Jewish Heritage
Pagan View of the Christians.
Christ was born circa 4 BC during the reign of Augustus.
He was crucified in 29 AD during the reign of Tiberius.
The first three centuries after Christ's death, Christianity spread slowly.
The persecution was not as great as the Church fathers reported and was due mainly to their traitor status. They pledged allegiance to a divine God, not the divine Emperor.
The Christians refused to conform to the outward state religion so the officials viewed the tiny sect as ignorant and dangerous.
They were regarded as atheists and hopelessly immersed in the blackest superstition.
Jesus was a Jew and sought to reform Judaism, not destroy it.
Yahweh
Yahweh seems to be originally a war god, associated with meteorological phenomena.
Moses fused the tribes of Judaism together and made Yahweh a state god.
Yahweh chose the Jews as his people, but was the supreme creator of all. Why should a supreme god trouble himself with such a small group of people? The Jews never asked this question.
Linehan: Not true! "What is man that you are mindful of him?"
Israel developed a supreme national egoism.
Despite Yahweh's love for them, the Israelites had an unfortunate career. They lost their independence again and again.
Their intense nationalism deeply marked their religious thinking.
Their loss of independence led them to develop the notion of a jealous god who demanded strict, sole, individual worship.
The Israelites aimed to get back into the good graces of YHWH. This changed over the centuries from primitive outward signs to an inner righteousness. This gradual transformation took place through the Hebrew prophets.
Elijah was one of the earliest prophets. He sought to defend the worship of YHWH (Moses' god of wrath) from the new polytheism of King Ahab's foreign wife Jezebel.
Amos, who lived 100 years or so after Elijah saw YHWH no longer a vain monarch. Amos' YHWH could be won over by flattery and was angered by luxury and vice, not so much disobedience.
People seeking to formulate a single YHWH face a problem of harmonizing primitive beliefs with a more sophisticated version of God.
Deuteronomy, written in the 7th century BC attempted to harmonize the two conceptions of YHWH. It stated that the rituals are important (primitive) because they were outward expressions of an inner righteousness (motive).
Motive for worship was key in Judaism's mature form.
The Deuteronomy harmonizing resulted in a codifying law. This law became unalterable and strict. The adherence to this law caused men to return to the primitive ritualism of Judaism.
Jesus' attitude toward the Law
Jesus was anti-legalistic. He wished for Judaism to return to being concerned with the spirit or motives, not the rigid ritualism of the law.
Jesus' main position was what matters is the thoughts of our hearts, not what we actually do.
Jesus did not however reject the Law totally. He simply believed that Jews were using the Law to justify unjustifiable conduct.
He wished to complete the Law, not destroy it.
He attempted to simplify the ever multiplying law into a few simple precepts.
Jesus' two main precepts were actually derived from the Law.
1) Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart
2) Love thy neighbor as thyself
Fatherhood of God
Jesus emphasized that God was the father of man.
This was not a discovery of Jesus. Many Eastern cults viewed God as a Father and the Jews even had come to the conclusion long before Jesus Christ.
Jesus' emphasis is on this point transferred the notion from the East to the West. The Gentile Christians who are unfamiliar with God as Father notion made it a pivotal part of the emerging religion.
The wrathful God of the Hebrews was also adapted and grafted into the teachings of Jesus,
Jesus' belief in imminent judgment day
Jesus was dominated by a conviction that the end was near. This imminent doom mentality affected all of his teachings.
The teachings of Jesus
There is no formal ethical theory or doctrine of virtues in Jesus' teachings.
Jesus' teachings were not systematic. He used paradoxes and parables.
Jesus' view of pleasure was similar to the Greek Cynic view, but his adoption of this view was for very different reasons.
Jesus was criticized for enjoying the company of low persons too much.
Jesus was not an ascetic, but his focus on the kingdom of Heaven led him to ignore the physical world to a point. Christianity would adopt an ascetic bias because of this aspect of Jesus.
Jesus did not place emphasis on tomorrow because there will be no tomorrow. He held that the more we concern ourselves with property and possessions the less we'll concern ourselves with readying for the judgment day.
Jesus criticized the wealthy for two reasons:
1) They got their riches unjustly
2) Their possessions naturally caused them to think about them.
The poor were at an advantage to focus on the judgment day for Jesus and this mind set caused Christianity to be popular with the poor.
Jesus' ethics compared with Greek ethics
Jesus' ethic is noticeably absent of any social ethic.
Jesus' focus on the Kingdom of God and on inwardness made him uninterested in overt social or political theorizing.
Christianity, when it became a state religion, had to concern itself with politics.
Jesus' ethics also varied from Greeks in that he placed no emphasis on intellectual virtues that Aristotle was so concerned with.
Jesus was vitally concerned with moral, practical virtues, but also differed from Aristotle here.
Jesus denigrated pride as a sin, which was a key virtue for Aristotle.
Jesus' starting point was God, whereas Aristotle's starting point was man. Pride was self-centered and thus it took away from God and sinful.
Jesus' altruism replaced Aristotle's egoism.
Jesus emphasized the equality of man or at least all Jews. Jesus was provincial.
Jesus' view was narrow compared to the Greek but possessed two advantages:
1) its altruism
2) its democratic outlook
The Messiahship of Jesus
Jesus' messiahship is not a philosophical issue and in philosophy it is more important what his followers thought of it, not what he thought of it.
The moral and eschatological meaning Jesus taught was understood in political terms by many of his followers.
The Romans were not worried with Jesus until he came into the urban centers and caused the crowds to riot.
The Jesus Movement
Christianity developed slowly by created a complex theology out of Jesus', Judaism's, Oriental Cults' and late Greek philosophical teachings.
How the movement survived
The crucifixion of Jesus and the scattering of the disciples could have easily killed the movement. Somehow, the disciples' belief in the Messiahship of Jesus was revived after his death.
Jesus miracles and resurrection convinced the disciples of his supernatural status.
The disciples formed a communal life after Jesus' death.
Shift of Emphasis to Jesus
Jesus began to become the focus of a new religion, rather than a reformer of an ancient one.
Jesus had always been considered anointed by his followers. The emphasis shift made him a deity.
The divinity of Jesus created problems. It faced monotheistic problems, conception of God problems and eschatological problems.
The Jews of the Dispersion
Only a small portion of Jews lived in Palestine. The Diaspora (dispersed Jews) lived all over the empire.
The Gentile Mission
The Orthodoxy of Judaism was primarily located in Palestine. The Diaspora and converts were less Orthodox and more open to Christianity.
The Hellenized Jews and Gentiles converting to Christianity continued to change the new religion.
Converts began interpreting Christianity and preaching it around the world. The most important of these converts was St. Paul.
The Mystery Cults all began to reflect the shift from human emphasis to superhuman. The acceptance and adherence to them paved the way for Christianity.
The cults brought hope to the masses who were in despair due to the collapsing of the Empire. "But the masses had doubtless been ignorant and superstitious, ready to put their trust in occult powers" (Jones, 19).
Neoplatonism was the first instance where, not only the uneducated lower class gravitated toward the supernatural, but the educated, middle and upper classes abandoned the natural, human mind set.
The emphasis on discovering the natural reality shifted to an emphasis on discerning why a transcendent Absolute Being created a natural world.
Another major shift was to view this world as evil and thus not capable of producing the good life.
Christianity first appealed to the uneducated, but when it became socially acceptable Neoplatonism proved to be a philosophical model and rival.
The survival of Christianity over the mystery cults has nothing to do with its possession of an objective truth or moral superiority, but its energy, ingenuity, polemical ability, administrative skill and the good luck of early Christian Fathers.
Linehan: really? luck? wow, that is quite ad hoc.
Jesus: The Jewish Heritage
Pagan View of the Christians.
Christ was born circa 4 BC during the reign of Augustus.
He was crucified in 29 AD during the reign of Tiberius.
The first three centuries after Christ's death, Christianity spread slowly.
The persecution was not as great as the Church fathers reported and was due mainly to their traitor status. They pledged allegiance to a divine God, not the divine Emperor.
The Christians refused to conform to the outward state religion so the officials viewed the tiny sect as ignorant and dangerous.
They were regarded as atheists and hopelessly immersed in the blackest superstition.
Jesus was a Jew and sought to reform Judaism, not destroy it.
Yahweh
Yahweh seems to be originally a war god, associated with meteorological phenomena.
Moses fused the tribes of Judaism together and made Yahweh a state god.
Yahweh chose the Jews as his people, but was the supreme creator of all. Why should a supreme god trouble himself with such a small group of people? The Jews never asked this question.
Linehan: Not true! "What is man that you are mindful of him?"
Israel developed a supreme national egoism.
Despite Yahweh's love for them, the Israelites had an unfortunate career. They lost their independence again and again.
Their intense nationalism deeply marked their religious thinking.
Their loss of independence led them to develop the notion of a jealous god who demanded strict, sole, individual worship.
The Israelites aimed to get back into the good graces of YHWH. This changed over the centuries from primitive outward signs to an inner righteousness. This gradual transformation took place through the Hebrew prophets.
Elijah was one of the earliest prophets. He sought to defend the worship of YHWH (Moses' god of wrath) from the new polytheism of King Ahab's foreign wife Jezebel.
Amos, who lived 100 years or so after Elijah saw YHWH no longer a vain monarch. Amos' YHWH could be won over by flattery and was angered by luxury and vice, not so much disobedience.
People seeking to formulate a single YHWH face a problem of harmonizing primitive beliefs with a more sophisticated version of God.
Deuteronomy, written in the 7th century BC attempted to harmonize the two conceptions of YHWH. It stated that the rituals are important (primitive) because they were outward expressions of an inner righteousness (motive).
Motive for worship was key in Judaism's mature form.
The Deuteronomy harmonizing resulted in a codifying law. This law became unalterable and strict. The adherence to this law caused men to return to the primitive ritualism of Judaism.
Jesus' attitude toward the Law
Jesus was anti-legalistic. He wished for Judaism to return to being concerned with the spirit or motives, not the rigid ritualism of the law.
Jesus' main position was what matters is the thoughts of our hearts, not what we actually do.
Jesus did not however reject the Law totally. He simply believed that Jews were using the Law to justify unjustifiable conduct.
He wished to complete the Law, not destroy it.
He attempted to simplify the ever multiplying law into a few simple precepts.
Jesus' two main precepts were actually derived from the Law.
1) Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart
2) Love thy neighbor as thyself
Fatherhood of God
Jesus emphasized that God was the father of man.
This was not a discovery of Jesus. Many Eastern cults viewed God as a Father and the Jews even had come to the conclusion long before Jesus Christ.
Jesus' emphasis is on this point transferred the notion from the East to the West. The Gentile Christians who are unfamiliar with God as Father notion made it a pivotal part of the emerging religion.
The wrathful God of the Hebrews was also adapted and grafted into the teachings of Jesus,
Jesus' belief in imminent judgment day
Jesus was dominated by a conviction that the end was near. This imminent doom mentality affected all of his teachings.
The teachings of Jesus
There is no formal ethical theory or doctrine of virtues in Jesus' teachings.
Jesus' teachings were not systematic. He used paradoxes and parables.
Jesus' view of pleasure was similar to the Greek Cynic view, but his adoption of this view was for very different reasons.
Jesus was criticized for enjoying the company of low persons too much.
Jesus was not an ascetic, but his focus on the kingdom of Heaven led him to ignore the physical world to a point. Christianity would adopt an ascetic bias because of this aspect of Jesus.
Jesus did not place emphasis on tomorrow because there will be no tomorrow. He held that the more we concern ourselves with property and possessions the less we'll concern ourselves with readying for the judgment day.
Jesus criticized the wealthy for two reasons:
1) They got their riches unjustly
2) Their possessions naturally caused them to think about them.
The poor were at an advantage to focus on the judgment day for Jesus and this mind set caused Christianity to be popular with the poor.
Jesus' ethics compared with Greek ethics
Jesus' ethic is noticeably absent of any social ethic.
Jesus' focus on the Kingdom of God and on inwardness made him uninterested in overt social or political theorizing.
Christianity, when it became a state religion, had to concern itself with politics.
Jesus' ethics also varied from Greeks in that he placed no emphasis on intellectual virtues that Aristotle was so concerned with.
Jesus was vitally concerned with moral, practical virtues, but also differed from Aristotle here.
Jesus denigrated pride as a sin, which was a key virtue for Aristotle.
Jesus' starting point was God, whereas Aristotle's starting point was man. Pride was self-centered and thus it took away from God and sinful.
Jesus' altruism replaced Aristotle's egoism.
Jesus emphasized the equality of man or at least all Jews. Jesus was provincial.
Jesus' view was narrow compared to the Greek but possessed two advantages:
1) its altruism
2) its democratic outlook
The Messiahship of Jesus
Jesus' messiahship is not a philosophical issue and in philosophy it is more important what his followers thought of it, not what he thought of it.
The moral and eschatological meaning Jesus taught was understood in political terms by many of his followers.
The Romans were not worried with Jesus until he came into the urban centers and caused the crowds to riot.
The Jesus Movement
Christianity developed slowly by created a complex theology out of Jesus', Judaism's, Oriental Cults' and late Greek philosophical teachings.
How the movement survived
The crucifixion of Jesus and the scattering of the disciples could have easily killed the movement. Somehow, the disciples' belief in the Messiahship of Jesus was revived after his death.
Jesus miracles and resurrection convinced the disciples of his supernatural status.
The disciples formed a communal life after Jesus' death.
Shift of Emphasis to Jesus
Jesus began to become the focus of a new religion, rather than a reformer of an ancient one.
Jesus had always been considered anointed by his followers. The emphasis shift made him a deity.
The divinity of Jesus created problems. It faced monotheistic problems, conception of God problems and eschatological problems.
The Jews of the Dispersion
Only a small portion of Jews lived in Palestine. The Diaspora (dispersed Jews) lived all over the empire.
The Gentile Mission
The Orthodoxy of Judaism was primarily located in Palestine. The Diaspora and converts were less Orthodox and more open to Christianity.
The Hellenized Jews and Gentiles converting to Christianity continued to change the new religion.
Converts began interpreting Christianity and preaching it around the world. The most important of these converts was St. Paul.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Romans 1-2
(Originally written July 28, 2006 in Book 7)
Recently I have been paying a lot of attention to philosophy and been completely neglecting any focus on God. I want to be a philosopher so I can reconcile philosophy with faith in God. If I don't pay attention to God I will fail in this quest. I need to spend contemplative time in the Word of God as well as prayer time with Him. I thin a study of the letters of Paul will again inspire me with God's word.
Romans
1:1-6 Paul describes himself as:
1) A slave of Jesus Christ
2) Called to be an apostle
3) set apart for the gospel of God
He describes the Gospel as:
1) Promised through the prophets
2) about Jesus Christ
He describes Jesus Christ as:
1) The son
2) Humanly descendant of David
3) Holy in spirit
4) declared with the power to be the son of God
5) resurrected from the dead
He offers the resurrection as proof for him being the son of God.
The charge of Paul's apostleship is to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith
The Romans are included in those who Paul is charged to call to obedience.
1:7 - Paul's greeting to the Romans
1:8-16 - Paul longs to visit Rome
He thanks God for the Romans and their faith
v. 12 is interesting "that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith". It is interesting because Paul, a man who wrote about half of the New Testament, is able to be encouraged by another person's faith. My minuscule faith can encourage someone who has great faith. That is a testament to faith's power.
v. 14 is also interesting to me and my call. "I am obligated... to the wise and the foolish".
v. 16 The power of faith: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes". The power of God is at the use of believers in the form of the Gospel.
How should we live? The righteous will live by faith...
1:18-32 "God's wrath against mankind"
Godlessness and wickedness surprise the truth
"What may be known about God is plain to them" v. 20. This means that knowledge of God is in plain sight, but that is only what may be known of Him. Hidden knowledge of God is not possible because what is known of Him is in plain sight because God has made it known to them.
No men have excuses because God can be known solely through creation.
Paul eludes to philosophers in v. 22. "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools". This foolishness caused men to become idolaters.
As punishment for their idolatry God gave them over to their sins. A man's choice of sin can therefore become his own punishment. This is evidence for free will.
v. 24, v. 26, and v. 27 condemns homosexuality, but it is one of many sins that God condemns. It should not be singled out as 'the' mortal sin or worse than any other. It is just another sin in the long list of wicked acts performed by mankind. All sins are equally horrid.
Chapter 2
Everyone is condemned by the judgment they pass on others.
Unrepentant hearts store up judgment against themselves from God.
God does not show favoritism.
Chapter two makes a strong case for innate ideas.
Physical appearances are not what God judges man on. God judges man on the contents of their heart. A heart precedes actions and transcends actions. God judges a man's heart.
Today I read Romans 1 & 2. I need to read more, but I am tired. I need to get back into the habit of reading God's word. Lord help me with this. Let the words sink into my heart. Help me to live by faith.
Recently I have been paying a lot of attention to philosophy and been completely neglecting any focus on God. I want to be a philosopher so I can reconcile philosophy with faith in God. If I don't pay attention to God I will fail in this quest. I need to spend contemplative time in the Word of God as well as prayer time with Him. I thin a study of the letters of Paul will again inspire me with God's word.
Romans
1:1-6 Paul describes himself as:
1) A slave of Jesus Christ
2) Called to be an apostle
3) set apart for the gospel of God
He describes the Gospel as:
1) Promised through the prophets
2) about Jesus Christ
He describes Jesus Christ as:
1) The son
2) Humanly descendant of David
3) Holy in spirit
4) declared with the power to be the son of God
5) resurrected from the dead
He offers the resurrection as proof for him being the son of God.
The charge of Paul's apostleship is to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith
The Romans are included in those who Paul is charged to call to obedience.
1:7 - Paul's greeting to the Romans
1:8-16 - Paul longs to visit Rome
He thanks God for the Romans and their faith
v. 12 is interesting "that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith". It is interesting because Paul, a man who wrote about half of the New Testament, is able to be encouraged by another person's faith. My minuscule faith can encourage someone who has great faith. That is a testament to faith's power.
v. 14 is also interesting to me and my call. "I am obligated... to the wise and the foolish".
v. 16 The power of faith: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes". The power of God is at the use of believers in the form of the Gospel.
How should we live? The righteous will live by faith...
1:18-32 "God's wrath against mankind"
Godlessness and wickedness surprise the truth
"What may be known about God is plain to them" v. 20. This means that knowledge of God is in plain sight, but that is only what may be known of Him. Hidden knowledge of God is not possible because what is known of Him is in plain sight because God has made it known to them.
No men have excuses because God can be known solely through creation.
Paul eludes to philosophers in v. 22. "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools". This foolishness caused men to become idolaters.
As punishment for their idolatry God gave them over to their sins. A man's choice of sin can therefore become his own punishment. This is evidence for free will.
v. 24, v. 26, and v. 27 condemns homosexuality, but it is one of many sins that God condemns. It should not be singled out as 'the' mortal sin or worse than any other. It is just another sin in the long list of wicked acts performed by mankind. All sins are equally horrid.
Chapter 2
Everyone is condemned by the judgment they pass on others.
Unrepentant hearts store up judgment against themselves from God.
God does not show favoritism.
Chapter two makes a strong case for innate ideas.
Physical appearances are not what God judges man on. God judges man on the contents of their heart. A heart precedes actions and transcends actions. God judges a man's heart.
Today I read Romans 1 & 2. I need to read more, but I am tired. I need to get back into the habit of reading God's word. Lord help me with this. Let the words sink into my heart. Help me to live by faith.
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