God, What on Earth are You Doing?
Atheism can help us Christians in many ways. Christian philosopher, Merold Westphal, wrote a terrific piece called “Atheism for Lent.” In it, he mentions how Marx, Nietzsche, and even Freud can help us better reflect the humility Scripture so regularly encourages. Even though it is not Lent, these insights are valuable to consider any time of the year!
For those so interested, here is a fascinating and important essay on “pragmatism.” Pragmatism has many varieties and is easily misunderstood. It does pose a challenge to the Christian faith or to anything that purports to have a fixed truth. As Walter Lippmann said, “…our primary care must be to keep the habits of mind flexible and adapted to the movement of real life…” In other words, there are no fixed rules or beliefs.
William James, the good looking fella on the left, is the focus of this piece:
A few preliminary matters…
Wayne Grudem approached me in 1992 to be the first director of what has now become the “Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.” I said “no” mainly because my interests are far too diverse to focus on any single issue.
I lean towards a more “conservative” (or commonly called complementarian position) when it comes to gender roles. I use the word lean by design as there are some practical implications which continue to nag.
Recently, I had an email exchange with a gracious person who holds a Ph.D in New Testament and who happens to hold a complementarian position. We talked about my concerns, but I found his perspective less than persuasive. Here are three issues I shared:
•It strikes me as arbitrary to allow women to teach the Bible when it comes to the written word, but not to the oral word. For example, many conservatives used to quote Susan Foh’s work, Women and the Word of God, but they would not have someone like her preach from the pulpit. So her book can inform the sermons of pastors, but she wouldn’t be allowed to preach. Many other examples could be added.
•Most complementarians extol the value of women teaching children’s Sunday school, yet would not allow women to teach adult males. Are we then saying that children have less value or that it is not so dangerous to deceive the minds of our little ones? Jesus had some pretty tough things to say about those who lead children astray.
•Why the virtual silence about Beth Moore speaking at the Passion conference? John Piper, whom I respect very much, has never to my knowledge raised any concern. Why the silence not just from him, but of so many others? My interlocutor believes things like the Passion conference are different from the local church. Granted, one could argue there is some distinction, but I find making a sharp disjunction unpersuasive.
So what do you think? I have read many of the answers of complementarians on these matters and they strike me as forced.
I believe women can teach mixed groups as long as they are under the authority of godly men. I gladly admit I could be wrong, but I also find it odd that my own position is hardly ever mentioned as a viable one within the complementarian camp.
I am currently meditating through Isaiah. Many things struck me in chapter one, but the last verse was especially sobering:
“The mighty man will become tinder
and his work a spark;
both will burn together,
with no one to quench the fire.”
There are a number of classes available, but I am currently listening to this one on the Civil War:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5DD220D6A1282057&feature=plcp
Listen to this one minute of excitement (starts at 21:30) about the endless riches of the Civil War. Professor Gary Gallagher, an eminent scholar of the Civil War, is unashamed to gush about how thrilling it is to study the Civlil War.
Why do so many of us not have this level of enthusiasm when it comes to studying the Bible?
Several of you will recall Bell’s controversial book, Love Wins. He rightly received a lot of criticism for his less than forthcoming view on the afterlife. Whatever your position on that book, you have got to love how he started his church…a church he recently left to pursue other interests:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2002/winter/4.45.html
I did not know Edmund Morgan, but several of his books are some of my favorites in studying and teaching American history. Two books on the Puritans were early reads and ones I have gone back to on many occasions since. His book, The Challenge of the American Revolution, was a companion on a trip back east and his biography on Franklin was my most recent read of his books. He was that rare historian who could write lucid, interesting, insightful, and competent works. Scholars had to pay notice, but anyone could read Morgan. He was not afraid to be clear.
There are many tributes about Morgan, but here is one by Joseph Ellis, who studied under Morgan. Not surprisingly, Ellis also writes competent and accessible books. Founding Brothers, which won the Pulitzer, is a book I have read and reread with great profit.
Critical insights on leadership: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/12/what_it_takes_to_win_extreme_l.html
