Giles Fraser Church Times Why blogs can be bad for the soul
Theo Hobson Guardian: Comment is free Face to faith: Christians disillusioned with the churches should articulate an alternative
B P Dandelion Times Credo: Uncertainty speaks volumes in the sound of silence
Christopher Howse Telegraph Green men cut in church stonework
Giles,
Well said. I wonder if Levinas’ philosophy extends to the practice of theology. Probably … Eccl. 5:2.
I suppose that one way forward in this ‘blog-eat-blog’ world is continued, compassionate and courteous modeling of the implications of the Gospel … even in blog comments. Far easier said than done, but maybe that’s the mustard seed for us.
When it comes to blogging, I think one should try to focus on the policy and not the personality: however, personalities drive matters. You do have your own agenda too: mine is theological and partly political. In my own case, I combine all that with a bit of cartooning but it’s not exactly Gerald Scarfe (I don’t think I can get out of the box of aiming at recognition, that the said drawing is identifiably of the said person). I wonder if my recent cartoon of Giles Fraser, from the awful ‘skinhead’ photo in the Church Times (which actually hides… Read more »
Of course I approve of the stance of B. P. Dandelion (and not just his views seem to be spreading around a lot this year), but I’d combine the outlook with words and music and some worship structure…
My concern in reading some of these articles, notwithstanding Giles Fraser’s confusion over contributors and those who comment, is that we have lost that radically Christian concept of Holiness. Holiness has all but been ignored lately in favor a kind of relevancy that accommodates the spirit of the age into Christianity. The demise of Quakerism into a Unitarian fellowship is a case in point – as cited by B. P. Dandelion. Holiness has never been accommodating but it has been the way – from NT Church times to the present – by which we seek to become Christ like. Christianity… Read more »
“Those who pursue holiness, who pursue the radical claims of Christ for personal change and holiness in morals and ethics are usually typified as bigots, Puritans…”
And here, the (interesting) meditation on holiness disintegrated into yet more partisan blather. Pity.
Pluralist – no, I rather liked the cartoon (and you were quite right to out me as not being a liberal – too few people presume that I am one and they are wrong.) The response to my PSA was, of course, fully expected. The job of these short Church Times columns is not to tie up all the loose ends of an argument but to provoke debate. And the response to the PSA stuff was, of course, entirely expected. No, in terms of the rough and tumble of the web, I can look after myself. If you really want… Read more »
Ian Montgomery: up to a point. But, there is always the danger of using “holiness” to mean “holier than thou”, which leads ultimately to sectarianism and persecution of the “unholy”, and that is how Puritanism became so unpleasant the first time around: I’m surprised it’s being peddled again so naively in the C of E nowadays.
I wonder how often we stop to ask ourselves if what we call “holiness” is really just an excuse to follow the bigotry and brokenness of spirit in our lives. Perhaps when we project our own dislikes upon God (remaking him in our image) the result is an ugly bigotry reinforced by the warm feeling that we are really only hating that which we imagine that God must hate. We can know and love what we imagine to be God because the message is so close to our own prejudices. It becomes convenient to follow our own projections and call… Read more »
Like your sentiments, Ian. It’s just that there are a large number of Christians who claim to be radically transformed, but all it seems to mean is that they have become bold in their aggression. Giles’ comments parallel my own contemplations in recent months. Many of the blogs are about organisational politics and who is controlling what or how they are doing things to others. That is human nature and it is necessary. But there does need to be that alternative. Theo’s suggests that the alternatives need to be articulated, which is incredibly hard – just look at ther recent… Read more »
Holiness, in some quarters, appears to equate to a rigid, conservative morality, inevitably including homophobia.
Personally, I think that it not the sort of idea which deserves following, and if that is Christianity, bring on the ‘spirit of the age’
re ‘holiness’ – I am reminded of the occasion when a would-be disciple addressed Jesus as ‘Good Master’. The response of Jesus to him was: “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone!” (cf Mark 10:17-18) Supposing that true holiness is being good, Jesus points out the difficulty of any human being (including himself, in his human condition) being able to claim that title. Therefore, to suppose that one might approach the sort of holiness that Jesus here is talking about, is to court the impossible. This is why it is necessary to hold in… Read more »
The pursuit of holiness can indeed descend into holier than thou. However holiness held in humility will always seek God’s way rather than man’s way. God’s way can only be revealed in Christ and in the Scriptures which are always to be our supreme authority. I cannot be satisfied ever with where I am as He always calls me higher. That “higher” can never countenance complacency or sin – which can only be congruent with Scripture as God’s self revelation and God’s revelation of his will and purpose. If a claim to “else” emerges and is not found to be… Read more »
Ian: but to talk about holiness in terms of submitting to authority is odd, isn’t it? I do wonder why do some Evangelicals bang on and on about authority all the time – they seem to be the last people in Western society still to do so. My partner is an army officer, and even they have long given up seeing authority-talk as at all helpful as a method of enthusing personnel who could just as well opt to be doing something different with their time. Christians need to get beyond seeing the spiritual life as a question of titanic… Read more »
“God’s way can only be revealed in Christ and in the Scriptures which are always to be our supreme authority.” – Ian Montgomery – But which authority do you claim to be superior – Christ’s own words quoted in the Scriptures of the New Testament, or the less authoritative words of the Old Testament Scriptures on matters of morality and codes of practice? It seems to me that the New Covenant of Jesus says much more about the primacy of Love over Law than we can find anywhere else in Scripture. This is what the Christian Church is charged to… Read more »
“That “higher” can never countenance complacency or sin – which can only be congruent with Scripture as God’s self revelation and God’s revelation of his will and purpose.” Come now, Ian M, let’s quit beating around the bush. IIRC, you see the spousal love of same-sex couples as NOT “congruent with Scripture as God’s self revelation”, whereas I see your POV as a *projection* of “Ian’s self revelation” INTO Scripture. [The Scripture that I try, if always inadequately, “to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest”] Of course, we both can (and SHOULD) strive for personal holiness—but that’s not going to… Read more »