May 9th, 2008 by D. P.
Wei-Hsien Wan, a Catholic blogger, has been writing about the bounds of theological orthodoxy as understood by the early church fathers. He brings to light some texts that suggest there might be a bit more leeway in theological interpretations there than many of us might expect. Do check out his series on “Church Unity and Legitimate Variance”:
May 5th, 2008 by Stuart
In Daniel chapter 9, when Daniel finds out that his people’s exile will last a lot longer than he thought it would, he immediately prays to God. And it isn’t the normal bow your head, close your eyes, and clasp your hands kind of prayer; Daniel pulls out all the stops. His people’s suffering is a serious issue, so he does some serious praying.
Daniel says that he didn’t just pray to the Lord; he “pleaded…in prayer and petition.” And he didn’t just get on his knees; he fasted and put on “sackcloth and ashes” (Da 9:3). Given his intense sorrow over his people’s suffering, it’s understandable that he would pray intensely as well. But that makes me ask the question, “Does it help?” Does the fact that Daniel completed a pre-prayer checklist help his prayers get answered? And what if he hadn’t done all those things? Maybe he was fresh out of ashes, or maybe his sackcloth was at the cleaners, so he couldn’t use either. Would his prayer have been less effective? I just can’t help wondering if the actions that we and Daniel utilize to give our prayers more weight are really effective.
May 1st, 2008 by Stuart
Daniel in the lions’ den is a very familiar story. But like many familiar stories, when I re-read it, I notice details that I hadn’t noticed before. In Daniel 6, a few interesting things stand out to me.
First, I’m struck by the events that lead to Daniel’s being thrown to the lions. The administrators who conspire against him don’t even try to do the right thing. They’re simply jealous of Daniel’s promotion and position, so they plot a scheme to have him killed. You would hope that leaders and administrators would have the people’s best interests in mind instead of worrying about gaining more recognition. Reading about their devious nature is a sad reminder that some things never change, and even people today who are supposed to serve others only work to serve their own interests.
It’s also strange that the king himself does not want Daniel thrown into the lions’ den. You would think that being the king would include some license to do whatever you want. He has the power to make up a new law in verse 9, but because of cultural traditions, he doesn’t have the power to repeal it. Well then, if you don’t like it so much, why not just make up another law that would protect Daniel, or add an amendment to the first one, or find some sort of legal loophole? For a king, he has surprisingly little legislative authority or creativity. As the modern-day legal system proves, you can always find ways around laws you don’t like if you have enough money.
April 25th, 2008 by D. P.
Thomas Oden has written a new book and established a new organization both devoted to the indigenous African influence on Western (and Eastern) Christianity. The book is called How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind, and it is reviewed by evangelical scholar Scot McKnight (part one, part two). The organization is The Center for Early African Christianity, whose mission is to “educate African leadership in the depth of African intellectual literary achievements, especially those from the Christian tradition of the first millennium.”
After editing the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture for many years, Oden came to realize that there was a historical blind spot in Christianity with respect to the profound African influence on early Christian biblical interpretation. McKnight explains how this came about:
The major mistake can be laid at the feet of Hegel, Harnack, Troeltsch and Nietzsche and it goes like this: Christianity was contaminated when it was infected with Hellenism, from which it learned abstractions and dualisms. This theory, Oden is arguing in sketch in this book, is overturned by learning that the origins of the Christian way of thinking were in Africa and shaped, not by the influence of Athens and Rome, but by the way Africans did things in North African places like the Maghreb and Nile valley.
Oden notes seven characteristics Christians the world over have adopted from Africa:
1. The University form of education — Alexandria.
2. Exegesis — prior to the Alexandrian/Antiochene debate there was the influence of the African, Origen.
3. Theology — the dogma of the Church emerged out of African articulations.
4. Ecumenical councils — shaped by African councils.
5. Spiritual formation — monasticism grew up out of African soil.
6. Neoplatonic philosophy — shaped in African soil.
7. Dialectics and literature — again, think of Tertullian, Cyprian, etc.. Africans.
In short, if it weren’t for Africans like Origen, Pachomius, Mary the Venerable, Perpetua and Felicitas, Tertullian, Augustine, Athanasius, and many others, Christianity would not exist in the form we know it today.
April 22nd, 2008 by Stuart
Most everyone has heard the story of the three boys in the fiery furnace from Daniel chapter 3. My favorite part of that story, though, is Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s statement, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it…. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods” (vv. 17-18). I think that is the epitome of what a mature faith looks like. A lot of people in the Bible and today have faith that God will do whatever they pray for. That shows some faith, yes, but if you believe that everything you ask for will be granted, that’s not faith so much as it is a spiritual cause and effect.
It takes real faith to acknowledge that God has the power to grant a request, he just might not do it, but that’s okay. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s faith in God was not connected to what God could do for them. Even if God did not rescue them, they would still believe.
April 19th, 2008 by Stuart
Even though I’ve been doing quick readthroughs of the prophets, I’m going to slow down in Daniel because it’s got a lot of great material. The book of Daniel contains some classic Bible stories that most people heard when they were children. Something about Daniel’s experiences makes them ideal for telling kids: they’re succinct, have some drama, the good guy(s) wins each time, and there’s a nice moral message. Chapter 1 is no different.
In a way, it’s hard to talk much about the story in chapter 1. It’s a good story with clear messages: don’t give in to peer pressure, stay true to God’s calling, and eat more vegetables. Simple, obvious messages, but we still seem to have problems following them. These are ideas even kids pick up from reading this story, but it seems that too many adults can’t adhere to them. We still give in to peer pressure, doing what other people do just because they say it’s the best thing for us. We still have a hard time obeying God’s calling, being easily distracted by our own selfishness. And we still don’t eat enough vegetables (at least, I sure don’t).
Given our continual inability to take the messages of Daniel 1 to heart, even though it seems like a kid’s story, it is good for us to study it as adults. We could all use some inspiration and a good role model to show us that we should do what we feel is right no matter what everyone else does, that God knows what’s best for our lives, and that we should eat more vegetables.
April 18th, 2008 by Stuart
Here’s a recent quote from a pastor in California: “I guess there was just a concern for the values of our society, being too caught up in what doesn’t last.” Good point; I agree with him. He went on, “Even in the church we get caught up in temporal things.” Another good point; I definitely agree. So what does he do about it? He paints the word “ETERNITY” in big, red letters on the roof of his church, so that everyone who drives by can read it. Now that’s something that would not have occurred to me.
Pastor Jim Nimmons apparently thought it would inspire people to deeply examine the complexities of the afterlife, salvation, and their own mortality–all while speeding by in their cars. If I drove by, I’d probably think something like, “Wow, that church is named ‘Eternity’? That’s an interesting name, and an odd way to advertise it.” Now that I’ve read Pastor Nimmons’s rationale behind painting it, I think, “Well that’s goofy.” Local residents, however, have complained to the city council that the church is in violation of city ordinances that prohibit such large advertising nuisances (aka. “tackiness”).
April 9th, 2008 by Stuart
As the father of a ten-month old son, I found a reassuring messing in Ezekiel 18. The whole chapter is God’s explanation of why an old Israelite proverb that the people have been quoting is wrong (18:1-3). Fortunately for my son, he won’t have to be punished for the mistakes I make in life, or as the proverb figuratively puts it, he won’t have bad teeth because of the junk food I eat. I’m sure that as a parent, I’ll be warping my child enough as it is, so he’ll need all the help he can get!
Not only did the Israelites believe that children should suffer the same punishment as their parents, but they also thought that to do differently was unjust. “Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel,” God asks them. “Is it not your ways that are unjust?” (18:29). So true. As is often the case, God’s justice is different–if not wholly the reverse–from the manufactured justice of his followers. Sure the Lord has high standards, but they were making God out to be darn right cruel. “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” God asks sarcastically, explaining “Am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live” (18:23). Not only was this counterintuitive for the Israelites who understood God to be happily vengeful, but it is also the opposite of many Christians today who espouse equally vengeful decrees of God’s supposed wrath. I think God would give them the same message he gave the Israelites, “get a new heart and a new spirit” (18:31).
April 7th, 2008 by Stuart
As I continue my brush through the Old Testament prophets, I come to Lamentations. A very unique book of the Bible since it’s all about how crappy life can be sometimes. Take chapter 3 for example.
If Lamentations 3 only included verses 25-33, I wouldn’t like it very much. Sure, it has very reassuring sentiments like, “The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him” (3:25). While I agree, if I were experiencing difficult, troubling times, I doubt that I would be comforted by the passage, especially when reading, “Let him bury his face in the dust…and let him be filled with disgrace. For men are not cast off by the Lord forever” (3:29-31). I would likely read that and respond, “Yeah, easy for you to say.”
April 4th, 2008 by Stuart
In March, a Colorado megachurch hosted a forum on church security. Their focus on increased security comes from an incident in December, when a man entered and started shooting at people after a worship service. Two were killed and three wounded before a volunteer guard shot the man, who then killed himself. Definitely a horrible tragedy for any place to endure.
The church has responded by having uniformed police offers patrol the premises during events and by installing other high security measures. I understand their reasoning of “better to be the safe than sorry,” and I certainly wouldn’t want anyone in church to be at risk, but having armed guards on patrol at church during a worship service? Something about that just doesn’t feel right.