PJL on Postmodernism

Q&A: Dr Leithart on postmodernism Peter Leithart just published his eighteenth book, Solomon Among the Postmoderns. Apart from being his second book published by Brazos Press, it was also his first book to be dedicated to a grandchild (young John Arthur Leithart). In this title he tackles the tough question, “What should Christians do with postmodernism?”, turning to the book of Ecclesiastes for some clear, biblical answers. He graciously agreed to answer a few questions for those of us still scratching our heads and wondering what a “postmodern” really is. For starters, what is “postmodernism”? Big question, with different answers depending on which angle you take on it. In its earliest use, the term was applied to twentieth-century movements in art and architecture that rejected the standards and aspirations of Modernist art. The word “postmodernity” is used by sociologists to describe a set of social realities—high tech, globalization, consumerism, etc. Philosophically, it’s been defined as “incredulity toward metanarratives,” disbelief in the organizing stories that modern thinkers like Freud and Marx told about the world. In the book, I define “postmodernism” in terms drawn from Ecclesiastes. Modernity was an intellectual, scientific, and political effort to bring order to the world after the chaos of the post-Reformation era. Modernity is in many ways a huge success story, but modernity never controlled or explained the world as thoroughly as its proponents claimed. Moderns were never able to sculpt the mist of created reality, never able to “shepherd the wind.” Postmodernity as a social phenomenon and postmodernism as an intellectual movement is the recognition that modernity didn’t live up to its claims. It’s vapor’s revenge. Does it matter to non-intellectuals? “Postmodernity” is the label given to a whole range of realities that all of us encounter every day. We can choose from a zillion TV channels, communicate instantly with colleagues in Malaysia, hear Arabic spoken in the next aisle at the grocery store. We live in a more diverse, bigger, faster world than people did 40 years ago, and we need to learn how to live wisely in that world. Is eBay postmodern? Yes, and a very good example. Postmodernity’s technology is not heavy machinery, mining, smokestacks, but elegant communications technologies, without gears and oil and smoke; so eBay scores as postmodern on that point. Plus, eBay bypasses the institutional structures of modernity, and democratizes commerce. You don’t need to go to the department store or the mega-mall to shop; you can shop in your slippers online. And, eBay is global. Bonus Nerd Question: Why do you place the Renaissance as something standing outside the stream of modernity, as opposed to the “traditional” view that tends to put the Renaissance as the early flowering of modernity? (courtesy of our dear friend, Davey) Much depends on terms, of course. If “modern” means “post-medieval,” then the Renaissance counts. But in the book I followed Stephen Toulmin’s thesis that there are actually two modernities, one arising from the Renaissance and one arising from counter-Renaissance movements. I used “modernity” for the latter, because that form of modernity is what postmodern thinkers are attacking. The Renaissance actually shares quite a lot with postmodernism; read Pico’s Oration on the Dignity of Man. To see the difference between the Renaissance and modernity, it’s enough to compare Shakespeare to Dryden, or, even better, Shakespeare’s original plays with the purified re-writings that dominated the stage after the Stuart Restoration.

NT Wright on history and theology

from the article The Historical Jesus and Christian Theology

Thus far, so much we may say of the history—which is, of course, completely theological, both in itself and in our reading of it. I turn, in conclusion, to three wider remarks, again about history and theology.

First, Schweitzer was right to see that his eschatological Jesus would shake comfortable Western orthodoxy to its foundations. I have modified his scheme by interpreting apocalyptic historically, but the Jesus that I discover remains shocking. Western orthodoxy has for too long had an overly lofty, detached, and oppressive view of God. It has approached Christology by assuming this view of God, and has tried to fit Jesus into it. Hardly surprisingly, the result has been a docetic Jesus; this in turn generated Reimarus’s protest, not least because of the social and cultural nonsense which the combination of deism and docetism reinforced. That combination remains powerful and still needs a powerful challenge. My proposal, then, is not that we assume that we know what the word “God” means, managing somehow to fit Jesus into that. Instead, I suggest that we think historically about a young Jew, possessed of a desperately-risky— indeed, apparently crazy—vocation, riding into Jerusalem in tears, denouncing the Temple, dining once more with his friends, and dying on a Roman cross, and that we somehow allow our meaning for the word “God” to be re-centered around that point,

Second, the story of Jesus does not generate a set of theological propositions, a “New Testament Theology.” It generates, as Schweitzer saw with prophetic clarity, a set of tasks. The great exegetical mistake of the century (perpetrated by Schweitzer himself)—the idea that first-century Jews (including Jesus) expected the end of the world and were disappointed has so occupied the minds of scholars that the real problem of delay has gone almost unnoticed, and people now come upon it as though it were a novelty. If for Jesus, and indeed for the whole early church for which we have any real evidence, the God of Israel defeated evil once and for all on the cross, then why does evil still exist in the world? Was Jesus, after all, a failure? The New Testament answers this question with one voice. The cross and resurrection won the victory over evil, but it if the task of the Spirit, and those led by the Spirit, to implement that victory in and for all the world. This task demands a freshly-drawn worldview: new praxis, stories, symbols, and answers. These come together into a fresh vision of God in which—precisely because of this re-discovery of who God is—history, theology, spirituality, and vocation recover their proper relationship. For Jesus’s followers, finding out who Jesus was in his historical context meant and means discovering their own task within their own contents.

Third, and last. Several first-century Jews other than Jesus held and acted upon remarkable and subversive views. Why should Jesus be any more than one of the most remarkable of them? The answer must hinge upon the resurrection. If nothing happened to the body of Jesus, I cannot see why any of his implicit or explicit claims should be regarded as true. What is more, I cannot as a historian see why anyone would have continued to belong to his movement and regard him as its messiah. There were several other messianic or quasi-messianic movements within a hundred years on either side of Jesus. Routinely, they ended with the leader being killed by the authorities or by a rival group. If your messiah is killed, naturally you conclude that he was not the messiah. Some of those movements continued to exist; where they did, they took a new leader from the same family. (Note, however, that nobody ever said James, the brother of Jesus, was the messiah.) Such groups did not suffer from that blessed twentieth-century disease of cognitive dissonance. In particular, they did not go around saying that their messiah had been raised from the dead. I agree with Paula Fredriksen: the early Christians really did believe that Jesus had been raised bodily from the dead.10 What is more, I cannot make sense of the whole picture, historically or theologically, unless I say that they were right.

Canoe Trip coming.....

CANOE TRIP Are you interested in canoeing the Cahaba River this spring to see the Cahaba lilies? We are tentatively planning a group trip for a Saturday in late May/early June with the Cahaba River Society. The cost is $25/canoe, or free if you have your own. We depart from the Colonnade at 8:30 am, and return that afternoon depending on how fast the river is. Novice paddlers are encouraged to attend a training session directed by instructors with the B’ham Canoe Club. Children are welcome at discretion of parents, either in own canoe or riding with parents. They want a tentative number by the beginning of March to schedule us. If you are interested please email me (Debbie Woods) at silvasix@charter.net, with the possible # interested and any Saturdays you CANNOT go. I will try to schedule accordingly. If you want more information you can call them at 322-5326.

TPC Holy Week Schedule

Holy Week schedule:
Thursday, March 20, 6:30PM Maundy Thursday feast
Friday, March 21, 7:00PM Good Friday "Service of Darkness"

Audio Bible

Here's a free complete audio Bible online...........great listening!

JBJ's Commentary on the book of Daniel is available

Called by some as the "very best Bible teacher on the planet" and one of the most studied interpreters of the Bible alive today, Jordan has completed his commentary on the Book of Daniel. Jordan unravels the imagery of God's prophecies revealed in Daniel - events that were dawning in Daniel's lifetime. There are no "historical parentheses" or "gaps", no leaps of thousands of years into the future. (Hardback, 723 pages)

You can order it from American Vision...click on the image.

Sweet Brown Rice

I'm learning about different kinds of rice. Junie brought a bag of sweet brown rice with her and we cooked it in the rice cooker this Sunday. I didn't realize it would be so sticky....but it tastes great! I've especially enjoyed it for breakfast warmed, covered with cream and sweetened with honey.

This rice is very popular among certain ethnic groups. It is also referred to as "waxy rice," "glutinous rice" and "mochi." Used for sticky sweets, snacks and desserts. Used in Japanese sushi. It has been allowed to mature to its fullest flavor in the field.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1/4 Cup (46 g) Dry
Nutrient Amount %DV
Calories 180 Calories from Fat 10 Total Fat 1.5 g 2% Saturated Fat 0 g 0%
Cholesterol 0 mg 0% Sodium 0 mg 0% Total Carbohydrates 40 g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2 g 9% Sugars 0 g Protein 4 g Vitamin A 0% Calcium 0%
Vitamin C 0% Iron 4%

Laura Steele's Reece Cup Squares...YUMMY

Hi Cindy, Here's the recipe for the Reece Cup Squares: Mix together and pat into buttered 9x13 pan: 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 2 cups powdered sugar 3/4 cups melted butter (one and one-half sticks) 1 1/2 cups peanut butter Melt: 2 - 12oz. bags of chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet, but milk chocolate is good too). 1 1/2 sticks of butter Pour evenly over all. Chill and cut. Hope you enjoy! Laura

note from Keiah ...an opportunity to help Rahab Ministries...

Hello, I remembered a ministry and I wanted to share some info about them--so that maybe you would join me in prayer and support for them. The ministry is called Rahab Ministries and they help workers in the "adult" industry in Thailand get free from that lifestyle, while sharing Christ. They have recently begun efforts to prevent people from entering into the industry. I am sending a link to their store in the hopes that you might want to pass it on to family members (as a subtle hint) for the quickly approaching Mother's day, or even indulge a little and treat yourself to something nice--while being a blessing to those in need. Share this with your friends and family. I lived overseas and saw this problem with my own eyes. It would break your heart what happens to these people--particularly girls. Help me fight against this evil. http://www.rahabministriesthailand.org/ http://www.rahabministriesthailand.org/Rahab%20Catalogue_america_2007_low.pdf Blessings,Keiah

Covenant and Election

Here is a link to a post by our pastor answering some FAQ's on the topics of covenant and election....helpful.

Museum of Biblical Art

One day I would like to visit the Museum of Biblical Art in New York City. The current exhibit is featuring "The Art of Forgiveness." To the right is Benton's -Return of the Prodigal Son-1939:

Depicting the biblical story from Luke 15 of the loving father who forgives his wayward son has inspired artists through the centuries. MOBIA is currently presenting an exhibition dedicated to this theme, featuring works from the Renaissance to the present day. More than 50 prints, sculptures, and paintings by artists including Rembrandt, Pietro Testa and James Tissot provide a wide-ranging overview of the impact this theme has had on the history of art. One section of the exhibition is dedicated to the private collection of Jerry Evenrud, a musician and art enthusiast who has collected artworks depicting the Prodigal Son.


Upcoming Exhibition March 5-July 13, 2008 will feature Realms of Faith, Medieval Art from the Walters Art Museum. Much of the artistic legacy of the Middle Ages in Europe (ca. 500 to 1500 A.D.) was connected to religious practices and traditions. Yet art museums often present works of medieval art from an aesthetic point of view, neglecting to address the question of their original function in religious rituals. MOBIA's exhibition will present a selection of medieval works from the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, one of the largest and finest collections in the United States, interpreting these in the context of their use in Christian liturgical practices and personal devotion. Above left is an icon of Christ. Russian 16th Century. Tempera on Panel.

......the importance of taking religious ideas seriously

In his recent book on the West’s war on “Jihadism,” Weigel observes that it is ironic that the “new atheism” has emerged just when religion has become unavoidably dominant in world politics. Dawkins, Hitchens, and Harris would, Weigel suggests, deprive the West of necessary categories for engaging Islamic radicalism: “a West that has lost the ability to think in terms of ‘God’ and ‘Satan,’ and that has forgotten the drama contained in the idea of ‘redemption,’ is a West that will be at a loss to recognize what inspires and empowers those enemies of the West who showed their blood hand on September 11, 2001. A West that does not take religious ideas seriously is a West that will have disarmed itself, conceptually and imaginatively, in the midst of war.” posted by Peter J. Leithart on Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 4:16 pm

The Martyrs of Japan

I'm a little late with some of my readings...I just read this from The Daily Office Feb 5th post on remembrance of the Martyrs of Japan...... The Martyrs of Japan 5 February 1597 The Christian faith was first introduced into Japan in the sixteenth century by Jesuit and later by Franciscan missionaries. By the end of that century, there were probably about 300,000 baptized believers in Japan. Unfortunately, this promising beginning met reverses, brought about by rivalries between different groups of missionaries and political intrigues by the Spanish and Portuguese governments, along with power politics among factions in the Japanese government itself. The result was a suppression of Christians. The first victims were six Franciscan friars and twenty of their converts, who were executed at Nagasaki on 5 February 1597. (They were tied to crosses, the crosses were raised to an upright position, and they were then quickly stabbed to death by a soldier with a javelin.) After a short interval of relative tolerance, many other Christians were arrested, imprisoned for life, or tortured and killed; and the Church was totally driven underground by 1630. However, when Japan was re-opened to Western contacts 250 years later, it was found that a community of Japanese Christians had survived underground, without clergy, without Scriptures, with only very sketchy instructions in the doctrines of the faith, but with a firm commitment to Jesus as Lord. (I remind you that 250 years is a long time -- 250 years ago Americans were loyal subjects of King George II.) written by James Kiefer Prayer O God our Father, source of strength to all your saints, who brought the holy martyrs of Japan through the suffering of the cross to the joys of life eternal: Grant that we, being encouraged by their example, may hold fast the faith we profess, even to death itself; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Gilbert and Stacy's wedding

Our oldest son, Gilbert IV married Stacy Ann Jones on February 9, 2008. They had a lovely wedding and we were blessed to have so many of our family come to celebrate this happy occasion with them.

interesting bible exposition here :-(.......Anti Federal Vision Bible Study....

http://anti-federalvisionstudybible.blogspot.com/

hail stones as big as a tennis ball!!!

These are hailstones that fell in the Jackson, TN community last night. Our niece is a student at Union University there and thankfully is OK after a very frightful night. The photos I've seen of the campus look terrible. I think they really must have sustained a lot of damage. We need to pray for David Dockery (President of Union University) and all the students there...I'm sure this will be a major interruption of their school year! Here are some photos of the area showing damage from the storm.

Cornelius

All that we know of Cornelius is contained in the Book of Acts (chapters 10 and 11). A centurion was a Roman army officer, theoretically in charge of a hundred men. Several centurions are mentioned in the New Testament (Mark 8:5 = Luke 7:2; Mark 27:54 = Luke 23:47; Acts 10:1; 22:25; 23:17,23; 22:23; 27:1), and they are consistently portrayed favorably. Cornelius is called a God-fearer--that is to say, he was a monotheist, a Gentile who worshiped the One God. The Jews traditionally recognized that such Gentiles had a place in the Family of God, and they are mentioned along with the priests (House of Aaron), the Levites (House of Levi), and the Jews or Israelites (House of Israel) in Psalms 115:9-13, Psalms 118:2-4, and Psalms 135:19-20. In New Testament times, an estimated ten percent of the population of the Roman Empire consisted of God-fearers, Gentiles who recognized that the pagan belief in many gods and goddesses, who according to the myths about them were given to adultery, treachery, intrigue, and the like, was not a religion for a thoughtful and moral worshiper, and who had accordingly embraced an ethical monotheism--belief in One God, who had created the world, and who was the upholder of the Moral Law. Although only a few of them took the step of formal conversion to Judaism, undergoing circumcision and accepting the obligations of keeping the food laws and ritual laws of Moses and his rabbinical interpreters, most of them attended synagogue services regularly. Cornelius, then, was a Roman centurion, and a God-fearing man. One day, as he was praying, an angel appeared to him and told him to send a messenger to Joppa and ask Peter to come and preach to him. Peter, meanwhile, was given a vision that disposed him to go with the messenger. When Peter had preached to Cornelius and his family and friends, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on the first Christians at Pentecost (Acts 2), and they began to speak in other tongues. Thus, there was ample evidence to convince Jewish Christians who hesitated to believe that it was the will of God that Gentiles should be brought into the Church. Cornelius was the first Gentile converted to Christianity, along with his household, and Luke, recording this event, clearly regards it as an event of the utmost importance in the history of the early Church, the beginning of the Church's decision to admit Gentiles to full and equal fellowship with Jewish Christians. Cornelius lived in Caesarea, the political capital of Judea under Herod and the Romans. (Given that Jerusalem was a holy city to the Jews, it would have been needlessly provocative for the Romans to establish their headquarters there.) Although he is not mentioned again, Cornelius and his household presumably formed the nucleus of the Christian community that we find mentioned later (Acts 8:40; 21:18) in this important city. written by James Kiefer Prayer O God, who by your Spirit called Cornelius the Centurion to be the first Christian among the Gentiles: Grant to your Church in every nation a ready mind and will to proclaim your love to all who turn to you with unfeigned hope and faith; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

prayer....our prophetic calling

Here is a link to a blog post by Mark Horne about prophets, friendship, intercessors, prayer etc. As Christians we are God's "best friends" and he will listen to our prayers...isn't that great! He says: "Access to God’s presence provides the opportunity for effective prayer........ Christians chosen to love one another and bear fruit–chosen in other words to “command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him”–are chosen to prophetically intercede with God. As his friends they stand in his council and he will do whatever they ask. This is the prophetic calling that Christians have by being reconciled to God, not only to speak God’s word to the world, but to pray to God for the world. Among many other things we should pray for, as Prophets we should be interceding for sinners, both Christian and not, as our father Abraham the prophet and friend of God did before us."

...gie her a Haggis!

The Caledonian Society Burns Night dinner was canceled this year due to inclement weather. I missed the annual reciting of the address to a haggis, so, in honor, I have posted it below with a modern translation following....enjoy and....gie her a haggis! Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race! Aboon them a’ ye tak your place, Painch, tripe, or thairm: Weel are ye wordy o’ a grace As lang’s my arm. The groaning trencher there ye fill, Your hurdies like a distant hill, Your pin wad help to mend a mill In time o’ need, While thro’ your pores the dews distil Like amber bead. His knife see rustic Labour dight, An’ cut you upwi’ ready sleight, Trenching your gushing entrailsbright, Like ony ditch; And then, O what a glorious sight, Warm-reekin, rich! Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’ strive: Deiltak the hindmost! on they drive, Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve, Are bent lyke drums; Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive, “Bethankit!” ‘hums. Is there that owre his French ragout Or olio that wad staw a sow, Or fricassee wad mak her spew Wi’ perfect sconner, Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view On sic a dinner? Poor devil! see him ower his trash, As feckless as a wither’d rash, His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,His nieve a nit; Thro’ bloody flood or fieldto dash, O how unfit! But mark the Rustic, haggis fed, The trembling earth resounds his tread. Clap in his walie nievea blade, He’ll mak it whissle; An’ legs an’ arms,an’ heads will sned, Like taps o’ thrissle. Ye Pow’rs wha mak mankind your care, And dish them out their bill o’ fare, Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware That jaups in luggies; But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer, Gie her a haggis! -Robert Burns The Translation Fair is your honest happy face Great chieftain of the pudding race Above them all you take your place Stomach, tripe or guts Well are you worthy of a grace As long as my arm The groaning platter there you fill Your buttocks like a distant hill Your skewer would help to repair a mill In time of need While through your poresthe juices emerge Like amber beads His knife having seen hard labour wipes And cuts you up with great skill Digging into your gushing insides bright Like any ditch And then oh what a glorious sight Warm steaming, rich Then spoon for spoon They stretch and strive Devil take the last man, on they drive Until all their well swollen bellies Are bent like drums Then, the old gent most likely to rift (burp) Be thanked, mumbles Is there that over his French Ragout Or olio that would sicken a pig Or fricassee would make her vomit With perfect disgust Looks down with a sneering scornful opinion On such a dinner Poor devil, see him over his trash As weak as a withered rush (reed) His spindle-shank a good whiplash His clenched fist.the size of a nut. Through a bloody flood and battle field to dash Oh how unfit But take note of the strong haggis fed Scot The trembling earth resounds his tread Clasped in his large fist a blade He’ll make it whistle And legs and arms and heads he will cut off Like the tops of thistles You powers who make mankind your care And dish them out their meals Old Scotland wants no watery food That splashes in dishes But if you wish her grateful prayer Give her a haggis!

Jesus' identification as truth.....

...from Patrick Henry Reardon's comments in St. James Daily Devotional Guide This identification of Jesus with the Truth does not mean only what is called "religious truth." It affirms, rather, that there is no truth outside of Jesus Christ. All truth subsists in His person. This thesis prompts two considerations. First, it is possible that any truth may prove to be an initial path to Christ. This is why Christians value highly the study and pursuit of truth. All truth, as truth, leads to Christ. Therefore, those who belong to Christ must be intent on "whatever things are true." (Phil. 4:8). Second, the biblical identification of Christ with the Truth precludes any view of truth that reduces it to a subjective persuasion or individual preference, such as "You have your truth, I have mine." It is plainly absurd to affirm, "Christ is the Truth," and simultaneously to pretend that there is no such thing as objective truth. On the contrary, those who identify Christ with the Truth will insist that truth is objective, unchanging, and knowable. Jesus' lordship is inseparable from the Truth. That is to say, He is not first "my Lord," but "the Lord." His lordship is objective, unchanging, and knowable. This lordship is not a truth. It is the root of all truth.