Response to Postmodern Biblical Authority
Kurt Willems wrote an article on theooze.com regarding postmodern biblical authority, this is something of a response.
In his article, Willems examines the deconstructionist philosophies of Jacques Derrida and Jean-Francois Lyotard and from this, attempts to show that within a postmodern framework, the Bible can be viewed as authoritative. Willems suggests we can claim an authoritative view of the Bible as the Bible is not a meta-narrative in the modern sense, but a collection of smaller stories.1 “Postmodernists are suspicious of meta-narratives, but highly value the ‘small stories.’ Your story matters; my story matters. The modern meta-narrative of progress has turned out to be a lie, but the ‘small stories’ are what is real in daily life.2
Willems begins by discussing Derrida’s famous phrase, “there is nothing outside the text”.3 He explains this mantra with the words of James K.A. Smith:
“Thus, just before making his famous … (Read more)
Gospel of Thomas
Something before my next post on postmodernism…
You can read the Gospel of Thomas here.
The (infant) Gospel of Thomas has been the center of attention in a few circles (think Dan Brown groupies) and has, for some, become something of an obstacle. I don’t believe there is any reason for accepting the Gospel of Thomas nor anything contained therein. Four reasons why I believe this, the third being most important:
1. Is what’s known as a psuedopigraphical work, a work his claims to authorship (in this case the Apostle Thomas) is false and unfounded.
2. Written between 200 and 250 CE (3rd century work). The last canonical Gospel is believed to have been written around 90 CE (‘Liberal’ dating).
3. Contradicts the established witness of the New Testament Gospels, some times with complete absurdities, more on this below.
4. Plagiarizes and incorrectly attributes sayings from the New … (Read more)
Book Review: The Shack by William Young
Published in 2007 The Shack continues to be a highly recommended book, despite the (sometimes intense) controversy that surrounds it. The benefit of writing a review of The Shack almost two years after its initial publishing is that I’m able to draw upon a very large knowledge base when addressing some of the concerns surrounding this book. If you haven’t read the book what follows would be considered spoiler material. Also important to keep in mind, after reading the book I’ve come away from it with strong reservations. The review that follows will be fair and balanced, however, it will address the plethora of theological missteps in particular.
No one needs to be told that the book is a (cult?) phenomenon, having sold more than one million copies.1 The Shack is still, after 56 weeks on The New York Times paperback trade fiction best sellers list, holding position … (Read more)
Truth and unbelief
John 8:45
But because I say the truth, ye believe me not.
I figure more could be said about the verse above (the words of Jesus). Jesus isn’t speaking these words without authority (although I say the truth, ye believe me not), as if to say them with a hint of resignation (I’m asserting one truth of many proposed truths, none any better than the other that we could know). Jesus is speaking strongly, but because I say the truth, regardless and in the face of his opposition.
If there are those who will not hear the truth after hearing it plainly, how much more for those who aren’t given the truth? It is a dangerous thing, equalizing Christianity, turning into a religion for moralists and humanists. Truth divides and the Gospel is offensive. How could any Christian imagine themselves enough of an authority to diminish the truth of the … (Read more)
Jesus, the path to right living?
“‘Who said anything about being a Christian? I’m not a Christian’.
The idea Struck Mack as odd and unexpected and he couldn’t keep himself from grinning. ‘No, I suppose you aren’t’.
They arrived at the door of the workshop. Again Jesus stopped. ‘Those who love me come from every system that exists. They were Buddhists or Mormons, Baptists or Muslims, Democrats, Republicans and many who don’t vote or are not part of any Sunday morning or religious institutions. I have followers who were murderers and many who were self-righteous. Some are bankers and bookies, Americans and Iraqis, Jews and Palestinians. I have no desire to make them Christian, but I do want to join them in their transformation into sons and daughters of my Papa, into my brothers and sisters, into my beloved.’”1
In the above quote from The Shack (notice the shift from ‘were’ to ‘are’) I see … (Read more)
Hell: Why don’t Christians do more?
If those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are going to Hell, why don’t Christians do more?
Hell is not simply the natural consequences of rejecting God. Some people say this in order to reject the thought that God sends people there. They say that people send themselves there. That is true. People make choices that lead to hell. But it is not the whole truth. Jesus says these choices are really deserving of hell. “Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to [that is, guilty of, or deserving of] the hell of fire” (Matt 5:22). That is why he calls hell “punishment” (Matt. 25:45). It is not a mere self-imposed natural consequence (like cigarette smoking leading to lung cancer); it is the penalty of God’s wrath (like a judge sentencing a criminal to hard labor).1
The God that holds you over the pit of hell, … (Read more)
What is Hell?
Video from: http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/resources/video/What-is-Hell
Video From: http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/resources/video/What-is-Hell1
Figured I needed something of a foundation for when I write about Hell — Enjoy!… (Read more)
Aristotle on tolerance and apathy
Back in May Mykel Pickens wrote an article on theooze.com on tolerance and what exactly tolerance means:
I’ve been thinking a lot about tolerance these days. What is tolerance? Who is to be tolerated? Is tolerance needed in today’s society? Should we, as Christians, be tolerant? Aristotle said that tolerance is the last virtue of a dying society. When I first heard this quote, I thought he was arguing for tolerance, but in fact he is saying that when our last virtue is tolerance, then we have no virtues.
I believe we need to value each other, not just simply tolerate each other. I agree with Aristotle’s statement, that when tolerance is the last virtue in our society, we have lost all hope; our society is going to die. Instead, when we value each other; when we truly seek to love and respect each other, that’s when the Kingdom of God … (Read more)
Cultural Theology
In fighting fire with fire there comes a danger in reinterpreting the truth of Scripture in view of society, rather than presenting the truth of Scripture in a way relevant to one’s societal context. The danger of the former is that as society changes, so too does the ‘truth’ of Scripture change. A system which needs constant redefinition is neither authoritative nor deserving of speaking into people’s lives. We see in this a diminution of doctrine and theology in favor of an ‘all we need is Jesus’ religion. This is a religion which many believe can be propagated without defense, claiming it’s experiential! The reality is that it does not require a defense because of it’s being consonant with, as Machen has said, the current of the age: “this curious fact–when men talk thus about propagating Christianity without defending it, they thing that we are propagating is pretty … (Read more)
Fetus: human being, if not, what?
We’ve all heard it said before:
I don’t feel that a fetus is alive until it can survive outside of the mother. I’m not going to change my mind about that…
I find this an untenable position, though at least he used the word fetus rather than baby, excusing the emotional language, more on this in just a little bit.
This entry isn’t intended as any sort of exhaustive discussion of abortion, it isn’t even necessarily intended as a religious examination of abortion, though keeping in mind a Christian world view would be of great benefit (as that is where I am ‘coming’ from, even if I try to remove as many of my presuppositions as possible). These are my initial thoughts which will more likely than not be expanded elsewhere.
In discussing abortion it seems clear to me that we need to define a few terms, terms that would be … (Read more)
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