Fellow Labourers-
As I try to absorb the depth of this article my mind went all over the place as I think back on some of the folks who have helped to shape our thoughts. There is an interesting course of study in contemporary theology called From Hegel to the death of God Theologies. In this study one looks at the key philosophic issues in modern philosophy that impact theology. Note the word modern because there were philosophers prior to Rene Descartes,Hegel,Immanuel Kant, Soren kierkegaard,et al who saw God as the centre of the universe and the one by whom all things existed.
The Enlightenment that began in Italy and spread throughout Europe changed the face of religion and resulted in the spiritual deadness of Europe. In their book Literary terms and criticism, John Peck and Martin Coyle states the following." Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the literature of this period (medieval) is that it is markedly Christian. It is also often very sophisticated. A familiar pattern is the gap between the Christian ideal and the reality of life in this imperfect world." It is in this period that we get Chaucer's Canterbury Tales which depicts the greatness and authority of God.
I want us to note carefully that in a false dichotomy the two alternatives are proposed as if they are the only two possible options. If we are not careful we can be sucked into arguments where we argue within the confines of the smallest circle of a set of concentric circles. I believe this is where thinking outside of the box has arisen. This now leads me to syllogism. Here is where we make two truthful propositions and can end up with a false conclusion. For example;
Proposition 1-All chicken have two feet
Proposition 2-Socrates has two feet
Conclusion-Therefore Socrates is a chicken
Suggested Reading: The case for a Creator, The case for Faith, The case for Christ-Lee Strobel);(God in The Dock-C.S.Lewis).
Pax Vobiscum
Robert A. Stewart
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Kirk wrote:
ReplyDeleteGod Bless Elder Stewart and fellow labourers:
Very interesting comments Elder, I was looking at the trends in the middle ages in my recent studies, and I noticed that "the gap between the Christian ideal and the reality of life" was addressed in that period, through monasticism - a radical movement of resignation from the world.
We still are faced with this gap between the Christian ideal and the reality of life, today and though we cannot resign from the world like the monks, we can make the transformation reality our purpose and goal which was the focus of the monasticism of the Middle age.
The Fransciscans and especially the Dominicans produced the greatest theologians. Other monks did agricultural work, irrigation of land, drying up of swamps and all sorts of things needed in the newly conqured countries of Europe. In fact, the monks were the real bearers of theological science and perhaps even all science.
We can transform reality...for indeed we are the salt of the earth.
Robert Stewart wrote:
ReplyDeleteBro. Kirk,
I will address your excellent response in a more fulsome way in the future.But what I will say now is Bravo,Bravo,Bravo----