I said I would save my favorite quote from the book Proper Confidence for another post, so here it is:
“If the place where we look for ultimate truth is in a story and if (as is the case) we are still in the middle of the story, then it follows that we walk by faith and not by sight. If ultimate truth is sought in an idea, a formula, or a set of timeless laws or principles, then we do not have to recognize the possibility that something totally unexpected may happen.” -Proper Confidence, Leslie Newbigen, p.14.
The last 10 or so years in my life have been all about growing my capacity for faith... asking God to enter into situations which seemed hopeless, or at least un-redeemable, and to restore and transform them for His glory. During this time, Hebrews 11-12 has become such a precious passage of Scripture for me. Not only do I have the examples of so many heroes from the past to encourage me, but I am also part of the continuing story He is writing.
Of course, the big plot twist has already happened, oh, 2000 years ago, when the eternal God who created the universe, humbled Himself to take on the flesh of the very creatures who mocked and abandoned and ignored Him.
He made His dwelling among us and died a gory death for me and you.
And the story is not over; the God of the unexpected reigns. I think He loves to catch us unawares with whatever we were not hoping for and didn't even know that we desperately needed.
May our prayers be filled with the joyous expectation that He will act, even if we don't know how, and the confidence that His surprises will be altogether good.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Confessions of a giddy seminary newbie.
So, it's been a busy month or so what with job interviews, out-of-town visitors, and my latest endeavor, going back to school super-part-time. I am only taking one class this semester, but it has been an outstanding learning experience so far and I am loving it!! I suspect that stretching the educational process out (it could be 5 or 6 years for me to earn an M.A., if I persist) will allow me to learn more deeply and for the long-term.
I don't remember taking many courses in college where my ideas or opinion "mattered." My field(s) of study entailed mostly memorization and regurgitation, rather than reflection, synthesis, or (gasp!) original thought. So, needless to say, interacting with the class material and writing reaction-type papers will be challenging, but also encouraging, since the underlying assumption seems to be that I, as an individual, have a unique life experience which actually contributes to the class and to my own learning.
Somehow, I managed to get through my undergraduate education without ever darkening the threshhold of a philosophy class, so I have been at a distinct disadvantage in sharing my faith, as I could be intimidated into silence by the mere mention of Descartes or Kant, or by a question like "What is truth?" or "But how do you know?"
Well, I'm not going to turn into a super-evangelist overnight, but here are some quotes gleaned from the first book we are reading, Proper Confidence by Leslie Newbigen. He summarizes his purpose: “I am writing this book as a missionary who is concerned to commend the truth of the gospel in a culture that has sought for absolute certainty as the ideal of true knowledge but now despairs of the possibility of knowing truth at all, a culture that therefore responds to the Christian story by asking, ‘But how can we know that it is true?’” (p. 93)
On epistemology (how do we know what we know?) and truth:
"There exists no neutral reason that can decide impartially on the truth or falsehood of the Christian gospel.” (p.96)
“If philosophy has to be called in to underpin that knowledge of God which… comes by revelation; if, in other words, the religious experience of those apprenticed to the tradition which has its foundation in the biblical narrative is not in itself a sufficient ground for certainty, so that other, more reliable grounds are to be sought; it follows that those other grounds must be completely reliable. The philosophical proofs for the existence of God must be invulnerable. But they are not.” (p.19)
"...the idea of a certainty which relieves us of the need for personal commitment is an illusion… This illusion is so much part of the accepted worldview of modern societies that it is not easy to separate oneself from it.” (p.46)
“If we are in search of the kind of indubitable certainty which Descartes claimed, the Bible must be set aside… the only possible responses to the claims that the Bible makes are belief or unbelief. There can be no indubitable proofs. There is no scientific way of testing the claims and promises that the Bible makes.” (p.54-55)
“…that we are, so to speak, competent to undertake the search for truth—this has been the unquestioned assumption of modernity.” (p.68)
“…the world which does not acknowledge Jesus…is not as free as it thinks it is. We are not honest inquirers seeking the truth. We are alienated from truth and are enemies of it. We are by nature idolaters, constructing images of truth shaped by our own desires…when Truth became incarnate…our response…was to seek to destroy it.” (p.69)
“Before we continue with our questions, … we have to learn that we are lost and that we have to be rescued.” (p.104)
"...there can be no knowing without personal commitment. We must believe in order to know.” (p. 50)
On science and faith:
“…polarization between objectivity and subjectivity… has led, in turn, to a popular image of science as a realm of objective facts which are quite sanitized of any elements of subjectivity, with the corrollary that all other claims to knowledge… are merely subjective.” (p.22)
“Science combines to deliver an ever-growing abundance of things to have and to do, beyond all the dreams of earlier ages. It offers no guidance, however, on the questions of worth: What things are worth doing? What things are worth having?” (p.47)
“The debate between science and the Christian faith has for too long been overdramatized and radically skewered by those who want to propose science as the replacement for an outworn faith. The time has come when both scientists and theologians must address the question, Can science be redeemed?” (p.64)
On commitment as a Christian:
“The revelation of which we speak in the Christian tradition is more than the communication of information; it ….is also a summons, a call, an invitation. We are invited to commit ourselves and to learn as we go what our role in the whole enterprise is to be. Our commitment is an act of personal faith… There is no insurance against risk.” (p.65-66)
“…the locus of confidence…is not in the competence of our own knowing, but in the faithfulness and reliability of the One who is known.” (p.67)
“Knowing cannot be severed from living and acting, for we cannot know the truth unless we seek it with love and unless our love commits us to action.” (p.105)
“The confidence proper to a Christian is not the confidence of one who claims possession of demonstrable and indubitable knowledge. It is the confidence of one who has heard and answered the call that comes from the God through whom and for whom all things were made: ‘Follow Me.’” (p. 105)
...but my favorite quote of all from this book, shall be saved for another post! Stay tuned.
I don't remember taking many courses in college where my ideas or opinion "mattered." My field(s) of study entailed mostly memorization and regurgitation, rather than reflection, synthesis, or (gasp!) original thought. So, needless to say, interacting with the class material and writing reaction-type papers will be challenging, but also encouraging, since the underlying assumption seems to be that I, as an individual, have a unique life experience which actually contributes to the class and to my own learning.
Somehow, I managed to get through my undergraduate education without ever darkening the threshhold of a philosophy class, so I have been at a distinct disadvantage in sharing my faith, as I could be intimidated into silence by the mere mention of Descartes or Kant, or by a question like "What is truth?" or "But how do you know?"
Well, I'm not going to turn into a super-evangelist overnight, but here are some quotes gleaned from the first book we are reading, Proper Confidence by Leslie Newbigen. He summarizes his purpose: “I am writing this book as a missionary who is concerned to commend the truth of the gospel in a culture that has sought for absolute certainty as the ideal of true knowledge but now despairs of the possibility of knowing truth at all, a culture that therefore responds to the Christian story by asking, ‘But how can we know that it is true?’” (p. 93)
On epistemology (how do we know what we know?) and truth:
"There exists no neutral reason that can decide impartially on the truth or falsehood of the Christian gospel.” (p.96)
“If philosophy has to be called in to underpin that knowledge of God which… comes by revelation; if, in other words, the religious experience of those apprenticed to the tradition which has its foundation in the biblical narrative is not in itself a sufficient ground for certainty, so that other, more reliable grounds are to be sought; it follows that those other grounds must be completely reliable. The philosophical proofs for the existence of God must be invulnerable. But they are not.” (p.19)
"...the idea of a certainty which relieves us of the need for personal commitment is an illusion… This illusion is so much part of the accepted worldview of modern societies that it is not easy to separate oneself from it.” (p.46)
“If we are in search of the kind of indubitable certainty which Descartes claimed, the Bible must be set aside… the only possible responses to the claims that the Bible makes are belief or unbelief. There can be no indubitable proofs. There is no scientific way of testing the claims and promises that the Bible makes.” (p.54-55)
“…that we are, so to speak, competent to undertake the search for truth—this has been the unquestioned assumption of modernity.” (p.68)
“…the world which does not acknowledge Jesus…is not as free as it thinks it is. We are not honest inquirers seeking the truth. We are alienated from truth and are enemies of it. We are by nature idolaters, constructing images of truth shaped by our own desires…when Truth became incarnate…our response…was to seek to destroy it.” (p.69)
“Before we continue with our questions, … we have to learn that we are lost and that we have to be rescued.” (p.104)
"...there can be no knowing without personal commitment. We must believe in order to know.” (p. 50)
On science and faith:
“…polarization between objectivity and subjectivity… has led, in turn, to a popular image of science as a realm of objective facts which are quite sanitized of any elements of subjectivity, with the corrollary that all other claims to knowledge… are merely subjective.” (p.22)
“Science combines to deliver an ever-growing abundance of things to have and to do, beyond all the dreams of earlier ages. It offers no guidance, however, on the questions of worth: What things are worth doing? What things are worth having?” (p.47)
“The debate between science and the Christian faith has for too long been overdramatized and radically skewered by those who want to propose science as the replacement for an outworn faith. The time has come when both scientists and theologians must address the question, Can science be redeemed?” (p.64)
On commitment as a Christian:
“The revelation of which we speak in the Christian tradition is more than the communication of information; it ….is also a summons, a call, an invitation. We are invited to commit ourselves and to learn as we go what our role in the whole enterprise is to be. Our commitment is an act of personal faith… There is no insurance against risk.” (p.65-66)
“…the locus of confidence…is not in the competence of our own knowing, but in the faithfulness and reliability of the One who is known.” (p.67)
“Knowing cannot be severed from living and acting, for we cannot know the truth unless we seek it with love and unless our love commits us to action.” (p.105)
“The confidence proper to a Christian is not the confidence of one who claims possession of demonstrable and indubitable knowledge. It is the confidence of one who has heard and answered the call that comes from the God through whom and for whom all things were made: ‘Follow Me.’” (p. 105)
...but my favorite quote of all from this book, shall be saved for another post! Stay tuned.
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