Geoff's Miscellany

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Theology Thursday: Karl Barth and Christian mindset.

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Several years ago, I read a few volumes of Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics. During that period of my life I wasn’t sleeping much and I probably read too quickly. Anyhow, I’m trying to just read 10 pages a day now. I’ll eventually finish, or maybe I won’t. Reading the Bible and doing what Jesus says is better, but Barth is useful for preachers because he helps build the habit of comparing the church’s preaching back to Jesus. In other words, he reminds pastors to go back to Jesus and stay on task.

And without further ado:

The criterion of past, future and therefore present Christian utterance is thus the being of the Church, namely, Jesus Christ, God in His gracious revealing and reconciling address to man. Does Christian utterance derive from Him? Does it lead to Him? Is it conformable to Him? None of these questions can be put apart, but each is to be put independently and with all possible force. Hence theology as biblical theology is the question of the basis, as practical theology the question of the goal and as dogmatic theology the question of the content of the distinctive utterance of the Church.
Karl Barth, Geoffrey William Bromiley, and Thomas F. Torrance, Church Dogmatics: The Doctrine of the Word of God, Part 1, vol. 1 (London; New York: T&T Clark, 2004), 4–5.

Barth’s main point here is that the standard for theology is “the being of the Church.” People could easily read that and think, “What the heck?” But he explains himself: Jesus is the being of the church. Thus, the standard for theology is (not immediately) “is it true?” This is because one might have a definition of truth that is false or silly! Instead the standard is, “Is it comformable to, based on, and directed toward Jesus Christ?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think truth matters for theology. But Barth is making the point that if by “truth” somebody means, “that which is laboratory tested, that which makes me feel good, that which conforms to my worldview” then this question will do no good for theology (but I would add: yet).

Why does this matter? Well, last week I wrote about having Christian mindset. I think that Barth’s writings can help us in this matter. The following questions can help us return to Scripture not merely to be right and not merely to learn right decisions but to learn the right approach to ideas and decisions:

  1. Is my mindset conformable to Jesus Christ
  2. Is my mindset based on Jesus Christ?
  3. Is my mindset directed toward him?

These questions can lead one to a rather ruthless form of repentance from all sorts of idolatries, cowardices, and hardnesses of the heart. So, once again, while speculative theology and practical theology have their place in the Christian life and while the Bible certainly has its place in those things, do not forget to read it in order to have the wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

Wisdom Wednesday: The Wisdom of Solomon 8:7

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One of the most interesting pieces of ancient literature (in my mind) is the Wisdom of Solomon. If you’re Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox, it will appear in your Bible. If you’re Protestant some Bibles include it, some do not. It represents an attempt to express Jewish wisdom in relationship to Platonism, Aristotelianism, and Stoicism. I find the book to be intriguing and in many ways compelling. One of my favorite parts is where the author, using the voice of Solomon says this of wisdom:

2 I loved her and sought her from my youth,

and I desired to take her for my bride,

and I became enamored of her beauty. 3 She glorifies her noble birth by living with God,

and the Lord of all loves her. 4 For she is an initiate in the knowledge of God,

and an associate in his works. 5 If riches are a desirable possession in life,

what is richer than wisdom who effects all things? 6 And if understanding is effective,

who more than she is fashioner of what exists? 7 And if any one loves righteousness,

her labors are virtues;

for she teaches self-control and prudence,

justice and courage;

nothing in life is more profitable for men than these. 8 And if any one longs for wide experience,

she knows the things of old, and infers the things to come;

she understands turns of speech and the solutions of riddles;

she has foreknowledge of signs and wonders

and of the outcome of seasons and times. 9 [1]

Note the bolded text. If anybody loves righteousness/justice, then wisdom will teach that person self-control, prudence, justice (righteousness), and courage. If one is truly concerned with being right with God and man, then wisdom (no longer merely a word for skill or cunning in this book) will provide its adherent with all of the other virtues.

Why does this matter?

  1. New Testament Interpretation
    I think that the presence of the four cardinal virtues in this book is important to the modern Christian because in 2 Peter 1:3-11, Peter refers to virtue as a trait of Jesus that attracts us to the gospel and as a trait that brings us into conformity to his will. So, Jesus excellence (perhaps in terms of these four traits) is part of what makes the gospel appealing and is part and parcel of Christian character (as Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Unless we keep the barbarian virtues, gaining the civilized ones will be of little avail.” One might rephrase it thus, “If we cannot manage the pagan virtues like courage and cleverness, the Christian ones like innocence and meekness will be of little avail.”
  2. Old Testament Interpretation
    An ancient Jewish interpreter of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, Song of Solomon, and of the whole Old Testament found that wisdom as a way of life ultimately taught what was best in paganism. In other words, an ancient Jewish Bible scholar thought that self-control, prudence, justice, and courage were important virtues exemplified or shown by counter example in the Old Testament.
  3. Christian Life
    If we use the four cardinal virtues as lens (not the only or the main one) for reading the Bible, they can help us learn which Biblical characters should be treated as exemplars and which would be shameful to emulate. And if we treat the Bible as a legitimate repository of wisdom that is part of the pathway to a life of fully orbed character and joy in God and his creation, then I suspect it will help us on that path. Indeed, Paul says that the Old Testament is inspired for training in righteousness in a passage where he says that it also makes us wise for salvation (2 Timothy 3:14-17). The connection between righteousness, wisdom, and virtue is very important in our Bibles, far more than certain reductive readings of our Bible have led us to believe.

[1] The Revised Standard Version (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1971), Wis 8:2–9.

Music Monday: mewithoutYou

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mewithoutYou is a band that I’ve liked since my senior year of high school when I came across one of their songs on a compilation CD that was given to me at a concert. Their sound has evolved tremendously since then. Their first album is one I very rarely listen to anymore. But their newest album Pale Horses, is very good. One song that really grabs me is Birnam Wood.

My favorite line in the song is this:

I struck firm the hollow your thigh
Withheld my name, yet from determined hold I could not fly
Though every tendon came undone

It’s a beautiful retelling of the Jacob story in Genesis 32 from the perspective of the man who captured Jacob and renamed him. What is so interesting about the story and about the song is that after the man destroys Jacob’s hip, Jacob still won’t let go of the man. Still more bizarre in the tale is that the man turns out to be divine or a divine representative who could not escape the mortal Jacob’s grasp.

Lyrics:
All dark effects I’d long withstood
Upon my room advanced
The moving shade of Birnam Wood
Disguised by broken branch

I struck firm the hollow your thigh
Withheld my name, yet from determined hold I could not fly
Though every tendon came undone

Would you take a bound-up Isaac’s place?
“Is he a God and shall your grace
Grow weary of your saints?” (– I. Watts)
Or prefer the father’s dreadful fate?
Are you a God, and shall your grace
Grow weary of your saints?
(Though every tendon came undone
Safe in the arms of the kingdom come)

Floodwater filled your formless birth
A column cloud descends
‘Your cause of sorrow must not be measured by his worth
For then it hath no end’ (– Macbeth)
Yet may my heart in tune be found
In four-shape notes from underground
And can we not call it “a nervous breakdown”
My nervous system breaking down?

Would you take a bound-up Isaac’s place?
Are you a God, and shall your grace
Grow weary of your saints?
Steady a knife held sure by faith
Are you a God? And shall your grace
Grow weary of your saints?
Riding in a westbound railcar
They’ll dump you in the Highgate Graveyard
[Poison-in-the-teacup-graveyard alpha-radiation-graveyard]

Come untie your little son
Before the angel comes

Theology Thursday: Theology and Mindset

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Theology as Speculative Knowledge
Thomas Aquinas argues, in the Summa, that sacred doctrine (theology) is not a practical science, but instead speculative*:

Every practical science is concerned with human operations; as moral science is concerned with human acts, and architecture with buildings. But sacred doctrine is chiefly concerned with God, whose handiwork is especially man. Therefore it is not a practical but a speculative science.

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne, n.d.).

I think that the distinction is important. For instance, even if Christianity is true, the “how-it-happened” of the atonement does not concern human action, but it is a topic that concerns God. Aquinas does note that theology does touch on elements of human action, but the primary object of sacred doctrine is God. Therefore it is not a practical science..

Theology and Mindset
Keeping that definition of theology in mind, I want to distinguish it from what I would call a Christian mindset. A mindset, as I’m using the term, is a group of attitudes and methods of thought somebody brings to their inner and outer circumstances.

This is important because it is easy (and important) to look at all of the Bible’s language about thinking and cognition and to infer that all of it refers to becoming theologically sound. The Bible’s language about such things most certainly is about ideas in many places. But it is also about an approach to life that is largely cognitive that has effects on our bodily habits. Think about it, if Romans 12:1-2 were solely about being theologically sound, then all people with theology and Bible degrees would be “transformed by the renewing of their minds.” I’m one of those people and as important as knowing the theology is, it is not the transforming thing. The theology (as a speculative ordering of what Scripture shows and philosophy attempts to know) is an important framework for a Christian mindset, but it clearly is not the same thing. Many saintly Christians only know very basic aspects of theology.

Examples
A Christian mindset involves several things. And do note that the Scripture cited below does include some theology, but the theology informs the mindset. It does not stop at knowledge, but goes into a process or thought. Features of a Christian mindset include:

  1. A skeptical perspective on ones passions. See Romans 6 and Galatians 5 for more information.
  2. A simultaneously hopeful point of view about people because in Christ there is always hope (2 Corinthians 5), while being certain that the human heart is deceitful above all else and people often have ill intent (John 2:24-25).
  3. This one is hard to attain, but a joyful…even exploratory and adventurous approach to trials (James 2:2-4). Such an approach says of difficulties, “I wonder how this will help me learn endurance.” It is important to apply this one to yourself without telling other strugglers to “buck up, it’ll only teach you something.”
  4. Over all, a Christian mindset is one of thankfulness to God for what Christ has done and taught. This can be difficult when Christ’s teachings contradict our deepest longings. But often times a doctor or personal trainers tells us exactly what we don’t want to do, but the result of doing it will make us happier in the long run…so we’re thankful and take the medicine and do the push-ups.

Conclusion:
Over all then, I think that it would be helpful to study the Bible not only in terms of theological propositions or to know the over all story of Scripture and the gospel, and not only to understand moral priorities, but also to understand the mindset necessary to inhabit that story and to practice the virtues and ethics contained therein. Without the right mindset it is difficult to imagine the theology or ethics having a major effect on ones life.

Final Questions
There are more element of a Christian mindset. There are also pieces of this puzzle to think about:

  1. What is the relationship between a Christian mindset and ethics?
  2. What is the relationship between a Christian mindset and saving faith?
  3. What is the relationship between a Christian mindset and theological disagreement?

*Note: Aquinas’ isn’t the only game in town for defining theology. William Ames famously said, “Theology is the doctrine of living unto God.”

Book Review: I Robot by Isaac Asimov

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We read this book in class when I was in high school and I vaguely remembered finishing it. But we didn’t. We only actually read the first three stories.

Anyway, I had wanted to revisit it because in high school I was distracted by everything and because I thought I recalled the book having some fun logic exercises.

The logic exercises were fun. But they weren’t as good as I’d remembered. Anyway, the stories I hadn’t gotten to were all very good. My favorites are Evidence and Liar. Liar, about a robot whose positronic brain has spontaneously gained the ability to interpret human thought, is a page turner.

I’d review the book more in depth, but each chapter reads like a fun little mystery. Divulging details would literally ruin the stories.

There is very little character development, although Susan Calvin is shown in various stories at different stages in her life.

Potential Spoiler

As an aside, the three laws of robotics do not prevent Skynet. They merely reshape it.

Wisdom Wednesday: The Simple

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In Proverbs 14, the simple get a bad rep. But the point of that is to remind us, who might be simple-minded, to gain some nuance in the way we think.

For instance, Proverbs essentially outlines four ways of coming to know:

  1. Senses
  2. Inference
  3. Testimony (correction, tradition, instruction, or divine revelation)
  4. Trial and Error

Proverbs says that the simple believe anything that they hear and that they inherit folly.

Proverbs ESV 14:15  The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

Proverbs ESV 14:18 The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

The simple, in Proverbs, is essentially the person who does not stop and think things through, whether a good or bad person. They are easily swayed, this is why Lady Wisdom is always trying to get their attention and way Lady Folly and the scoffers find them such easy prey.

Anyway, the prudent is the person who through habitual attention to the four modes of knowing learns to consider the way to go forward. What this means that that a prudent person considers propositions before acting on them and situations before forming definite opinions. In other words, the prudent uses trial and error to test methods, senses to test ideas, inference to move forward from sensory data, and to compare ideas to one another.

Interestingly, I think that the simple person (from the rest of Proverbs) has a tendency to over complicate simple things, “I can’t go to work…there are lions in the streets,” and to over simplify complicated things, “I’ve gone to work for like 6 weeks and I’m not rich. This work thing isn’t worth it.”

Don’t be simple.