The Relevance of the Holy Trinity.

Contrary to some perceptions, the Trinity is not some irrelevance or a concoction of doddery old bishops in the third century. I maintain that the Trinity is at the very heart of the Christian faith. The Trinity comprises the inner essence of God, and forms the basis for all His works, and gives rise to the beauty in creation; down to the level of all goodness, wherever it may be found.

Before there was even a little bang, before even an atom of matter, or a ray of light, there was the sublime, absolutely perfect, God-head - of grace, truth, love and tranquility. Equal in power and majesty, yet perfect in humility, unity and diversity – at once giving and fully able to receive. This is the greatest love of all time. Not that love is God, but God most definitely is love. When we are being loving, we are most like God.

Would that we could emulate the glorious magnanimity and harmony that is so intrinsic to the God-in-three. God as Trinity, gives love, sends the Son, empowers by the Spirit, is the Father of consolation and good shepherd to us all.

Some might ask, “how can this be? How can God be three, and yet one?” Yet such is the testimony of the Bible, implicit in creation, though hidden from overt comprehension; and it is the testimony of the Eastern and Western Church down the ages, treasured from earliest times. Even the name of God is plural in Hebrew. God is one, and God is three. We cannot understand this mystery. We can only stand in awe. Better, yet – kneel in adoration. But we do neither very easily.

Have you ever noticed the thrice-repeated phrase in the Bible – “Holy, Holy, Holy”? I do not think that it is without significance that we find instances of three “Holy’s” – i.e., Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here, we have unity, selflessness, diversity and love personified to a superlative degree, and moreover, worshipped as the One true God.

Glory be to the Father and the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Behold, The Man

Part 2.

I have been reflecting on the inablilty of humans to apprehend the revelation of God, in its various forms.

One might bring up the issue of the incarnation (God, enfleshed in Christ) as a key to the clearing up of these kinds of questions, (see earlier post) at least in some ways; but I think that the quest for the historical Jesus, though horribly mangled by those such as the Jesus Seminar, proves that these questions persist.

In some ways, the search for God is a visceral process which most of humanity is compelled to engage with/in. I wonder whether God designed this whole reality. I mean; He could certainly have beamed down and made a dramatic appearance even greater than the historical first coming. However, we are left to fumble about in faith with the occasional ray of light and the prod of the Spirit.

The late Stanley Grenz, in the introduction to his “Theology for the Community of God” speaks about the interpretive motifs’ that theologians have used to frame their systems of ordering doctrine. These motifs’ include things such as, justification by faith, the Glory of God, Scripture; and of course, much has been made of the concept of the Kingdom of God.

As I am considering the above issue of our inability to capture a complete vision of God, who by definition is above and beyond, I believe that the premiere interpretive framework for understanding God is, indeed, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, interpretive motif’s function as clues or windows onto the wider question of who God is and what He is about.

Paul writes that “in Christ are the keys to all wisdom and knowledge”. Quite a concept! Actually, I left out one word from Col 2:3; “hidden”. If he is right, then I believe that a follow up question is warranted, “what do you think of Christ”? “What is hidden there, and how do we approach truth in Him”?

Here again, we have shifted our gaze from the immutable, inscrutable God, to the communicable or somewhat more tangible person of Christ. I would encourage you to take up the spiritual shovel and start digging.

The greatness or benefit of Christianity does not consist in how well we might follow Christ and the teachings of scripture, not in our traditions, or along the arc of historical events in Christendom, but absolutely in the greatness of Jesus Christ. As Pilate said, unwittingly:” behold, The man”!

Ultimate Transcendence - Not just tautology

Above all of the contestations and hypothesis in the various aspects of theology with regard to Soteriology (theology of salvation), or for that matter, systematic theology in general, we must recognize the utter inability for our human mind, and even the biblical record (for we must interpret this too), and diverse glossaries to be able to truly describe the nature of metaphysical categories or events.

By this, I mean that when, for instance, we talk about an issue such as propitiation (satisfaction for our sins), on the one level we are employing a metaphor, (actually, the bible is steeped in the Jewish sacrificial system, itself a rich panorama of metaphor) while on another level, this actually refers to a transcendent, metaphysical event or effect that we will never approach fully - though, we may benefit from it nonetheless. Whether propitiation is believed by some, and not by others is largely irrelevant to my point. Furthermore, there are always ramifications to each theological assertion, further stretching and perhaps, breaking our original analogy.

Some writers have stressed the place and necessity of using analogy and metaphor to explain aspects of theology, and arguments for God's existence in particular, beginning perhaps with Aquinas, to whom I tip my hat through the hypothesis, previously posted - and even Gaunilo's “paradise isle”. To use Isaiah's words, ' "I don't think the way you think. The way you work isn't the way I work." God's Decree. "For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think." ' Isa 55:8-9; (The Message) Nice poetic phrasing comes in handy, too.

So if God's ways are above or beyond us, though specifically relevant to us nonetheless, we still need ways to talk and think about these matters - but we'll always have to admit a degree of uncertainty in our apprehension and comprehension of things. We also must admit that the language we use also falls prey to exactly the same problems, being metaphors in themselves.

This goes to issues of epistemology - how we know what we know - of course. Maybe, even to issues of ontology, or meaning; of why we are asking these questions, and to the noble quest which is theology as a formal enterprise, which Barth calls the "fairest of sciences", as well as an individual journey of positing ultimate questions.

I love the idea the Anselm of Canterbury positing his theological musings in the form of prayers - this is perhaps the best way to proceed with (our) theological work. Therefore, we should endeavour to find answers, with a good dose of humility with prayerful dependence and faith in God. This is an approach which is not unfamiliar to the Eastern Orthodox, who are much more apt to approach theology on their knees than we might - at our desks or in dusty classrooms.

Next time, I'd like to continue by introducing the important role of the incarnation.

Have a splendid Autumn season.

Cheers!

Peter

Ontology, Splontology!

I've just been reading Aquinas and a few other bods on arguments for the existence of God. Aquinas - "good 'ol, Tommy Ackers", as I used to call him - seems to use rather pedantic arguments in his famous five "proofs" or "ways"; riding on the wings of Aristotle. (Motion, Causes, Contingent Possibilities, Change, Design). I doubt that most pagans would be very impressed by them.

These assertions form a nest of what are called, cosmological and teleological arguments - i.e., deduced from the existence of the universe and from the order of things; so-called, arguments to design - that's a couple of new words for the day. These arguments seem to in be a kind of ontological loop; and a loop is not going to get us very far. Plantinga has resurrected some of these arguments (especially the ontological one, which originated from Anselm of Canterbury, by the way) so there is more here than meets the eye, perhaps.

You can read more of this stuff here: www.philosophyofreligion.info/theisticproofs.html

One of the things that does occur to me as I was reading through some of the later arguments from people like Anselm, (who made all of his investigations as prayers - famous dictum, "Faith seeking understanding - fides quaerens intellectum"), Gaunilo, (and his "Perfect Island"), Descartes (depending on our God-given mind for proof) and Kant (Ethical or moral proof), is that when Aquinas states at the end of each case, "this we call God", he finds it so easy to make this claim. It seems very matter of fact, casual almost. Such a generic statement, I attribute, is probably just a reflection of the waters he swam in - the world around him, the ideas we all grow up with. Moreover, it seems to me that how much and what we believe is directly related to the concepts we have received, learned or been exposed too.

How can we conceive of something or anything, without an idea being introduced to us (usually by an authority figure); a lens with which to view things, and a terminology or language to frame our reality - really, the perception or conception of that reality.

I wonder, for instance, whether people who grow up with a sense of faith from what they see and are told, are the most susceptible to belief, whatever the stripe. It seems obvious that it must lead to a perpetuation of faith. So does this necessarily apply across the board to all that a person believes? Is this just a part of socialization? Not that it does away with genuine faith, as though growing up in faith-filled home is an irresistible cause of personal belief, or a construction that we would otherwise have missed out on - though not always.

There are some who have made phenomenological arguments for God's existence, based on human experience, i.e., spiritual experiences, but this is also problematic. These are good fun to read, it must be said, unlike much philosophy and theology, which seem deliberately opaque and frequently dull. I would love to see art and more creativity set to work in these enterprises.

George Lindbeck, writing about post-liberal approaches to doctrine, makes the point that we are born into the world, or rather a culture, which informs and forms us; especially in terms of our religion. His view is called linguistic-cultural; though not strictly concerning proofs of God's existence, there are some parallels with my above discussion about faith-formation. This process could be referenced more broadly to other areas of development (not confined to faith-development). This process of formation, or inculcation of specifically religious values, behaviours, and norms, he says, is more than cognitive, though it does constitute fully, “comprehensive interpretive schemes”.

I would note that so many arguments (about our topic being discussed in this post) are put together mostly on a rational level. It is somewhat refreshing to go in a new direction - as Lindbeck does. I also appreciate Pascal’s focus on the heart, rather than just the noggin' (head). The faith-view we have is not merely developed or arrived at by cogitation of the little grey cells, it is something we breathe in and out. Okay, some did not inhale!

I like the idea of "Truth Myth", posited by Gary Dorrien, which indicates that our lives can be deeply enriched by the Big story of faith - something to sate the soul, not only the mind. Maybe, it is futile to try to prove there is a God - but there are evidences that beg the question, (such as the clearly historical basis of Christianity) nonetheless - and each of us have moments when they come knocking at our doors.

Cheers!

Peter

Is it June, already?

June means warmth

Well, April has flown by, as did May. I can’t believe I haven’t posted a blog for so l-o-n-g!

Briefly, we had a very nice trip to England. It was unseasonably cold, but that is almost a joke when it comes to the British weather.

We spend some lovely times with my family. It was especially good to have time with my brother’s three boys, who are growing like weeds.

While we were away, we had a chance to think and pray about the Church, Center Edge, and I decided not to take on the leadership. We may still meet on a more informal basis as a group, so we will see how that goes.

In the meantime, a few theological thoughts.

A BIG story to help Cross the road of life

The Theology of the Cross, as the result of our transgressions, is so often emphasized in the Western Church, whereas, in the Eastern Church, the emphasis is more on the Glory that results from our justification via the Resurrection.

Now, Karl Barth, writing in his handy little tome, “Dogmatics in Outline”, reminds us that we need both. We cannot have Easter Sunday without Good Friday, and we certainly cannot have Easter Sunday without Good Friday!

Similarly, I suppose, we must each live with a tension between these poles in the day-to-day happenings of life, and in our personal experience, as believers. If we camp out at the Cross, we will tend to remain glum and sin-conscious to an unhealthy degree, while, if we seat ourselves at the mouth of the cave, conversely, we might become so optimistic and petty about the hard things, that we will avoid grappling with the pain we must encounter in order to both, grow up as people, and to go deeper, personally and spiritually, and will ultimately, fail to bear, and help repair the suffering of others.

We need both the highs and the lows, but truly, these make no long-term sense by themselves, and lead to various forms immaturity without the vital contributions from both side of the Calvary-Easter story. As John Eldridge reminds us so often in his books, we need the Big story to make sense of our little stories.

Perhaps we would do well to ponder which side of the story we prefer, and why this is so.

Cheers!

Almost Spring

Almost Spring; most definitely!

Well, it’s about time I added a new blog entry. Since we began in earnest to lay the foundations of Center Edge, which is the new Church, I have been somewhat preoccupied.

It’s almost spring here in Atlanta, one of the loveliest times of the year. I do hope we all have a nice one. The winter has been very mild, but we always look forward to the riot of flowers that will burst out soon as spring commences.

In the meantime, I am enjoying listening to Miles Davis as I write this. Very nice music. A friend of mine gave me “A Kind of Blue”, and I just adore the music. I believe it is the biggest selling Jazz album of all time – Okay, it’s a CD.

Back to CE. We are now meeting in a basement and a small group is attending. It has been a challenge to ascertain what is the best plan, without, A. getting in God’s way, B. being wise in how we proceed. For now, we are thinking of limiting the size and not inviting scads of people, though we know there are several interested parties. It’s a difficult call, but I hope we are making the right choices. There are many things to consider. It you are the praying sort, please send one up for us.

We are soon, off to England for a long overdue trip to see (most of) my family there. We are very excited, and might even go on a holiday with my parents. It will be so good to indulge in some of the delights that are only available in the UK. We have our favourite Fish and Chip shop to visit, and SATTERTHWAITES, the local bakers with excellent cakes and fresh goodies. I hope we are able to visit a few nice pubs for some always improving, gastronomic fare as well, washed down with some quality ales.

That’s it for now.

Cheers!

Mystery and Suffering

Well, it's already a new year. Time for me to attempt to blog some more!

On a sad note; we had some terrible news a few weeks ago.

A dear friend was killed while riding his motorcycle - just as he was almost home from a Sunday morning ride. It was not his fault, and the driver of the other vehical was arrested. Worse still, was the fact that his wife had not yet returned home from a lovely retreat that same weekend, and was coming back on the day of the accident. So sad.

It is impossbile to understand when and how these things happen, and why. However, it does serve as a brutal reminder that we live in a very broken world which God did not intend.

I read a great quote recently about the mystery of God. It may not apply perfectly to the above situation, which pertains to the mystery of suffering, but I think the Monk that wrote this was onto something:

"Mysteries are not dark shadows, before which we must shut our eyes and be silent. On the contrary, they are dazzling splendours, with which we ought to sate our gaze, whilst recognizing, however, that they extend far beyond its capacity, and that our eyes cannot bear their full radiance. It is in contemplating them, in speaking of them, that we dispose ourselves to be given even here below as much of them as God see's fit to impart to us, and to receive one day that fullness of light which will be the essense of our beatitude."

Anonymous Carthusian Monk. From "Ordinary Graces", edited by Lorraine Kisly.

We have been praying that our friend, who's dear husband was killed, receives a measure of this blessing, but more so, that she senses the deepest comfort from God Himself.

One mystery is the only thing that seems to meet the challenge of another mystery - this calls us to faith when there are no other answers.

Blessings to you.

Cheers!