tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143758106257831502.post9190145011797047088..comments2023-10-09T03:08:56.799-04:00Comments on Just the Fiction, Ma'am: Be a Heretic Monday Starter KitAmy Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10168009915384872411noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143758106257831502.post-41014007772976826412013-12-14T11:18:09.588-05:002013-12-14T11:18:09.588-05:00Hooray for heresy! In this context, I think it can...Hooray for heresy! In this context, I think it can be really useful.<br /><br />Hahaha. #4. That happens to be one of two theological issues I picked for 2014. Meaning that I usually keep it in the background of my mind for the year and look for different perspectives on it. I'm not usually actively studying it, but over 12 months, you can accumulate a lot of information from both sides. My thoughts are that, while I'm logical enough to hold my own, systems and structures don't work well for me, and sometimes I don't think they do a good job of reflecting reality. Some people may need a process, but when I try that, I make God (or ethics, or other Biblical topics) into a strict formula. That A. doesn't work and B. takes all the fun out of it for me. <br /><br />What I'm planning to do is read historical Christian writings, study Bible passages, listen to people's opinions and ask why they have them, and think about the question, "Is being a woman of God different than being a man of God, and if so, in what ways?" And also, I want to spend more time praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit than I normally do, because sometimes I think we put such a high value on logic and exegesis that we forget that God can speak in other ways.<br /><br />I'm excited for what I might find out, although I don't expect to even come close to forming a general rule.Amy Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10168009915384872411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143758106257831502.post-11656491702618317632013-12-13T08:39:24.600-05:002013-12-13T08:39:24.600-05:001. When picking topics a friend of mine chatted to...1. When picking topics a friend of mine chatted to someone who advised focussing on the atonement because it would grow my friend spiritually. I think it was too long since he had studied though because my friend and I didn't want to touch atonement with a barge pole once we got into current debates which, on reflection, is quite a shame.<br /><br />2. I suppose you could argue that we are imposing the idea of death's finality onto the text but I don't think that the possibility of resurrection negates the problem of child sacrifice. I don't have a solution though...<br /><br />3. To be honest, I wasn't taking this one too seriously - I just wanted to be able to point at certain songs that somehow make it into the mainstream and say that they're a result of the fall.<br /><br />So be a heretic Monday is now a part of everyday life for me - let's hope I don't constantly experience Monday blues. One more interesting question:<br /><br />4. How do we go about designing a framework by which to comment on women's roles? That is, it seems that the question is more complex than simply asking whether women can do x, y or z because there aren't enough letters so we need some evaluative strategy. I'm thinking that it would start (1) with collecting all the references to women doing anything in the Bible and trying to categorise activities (though I'm not sure how), finding (2) all the references to women's roles and doing exegesis on each passage allowing them to comment on each other (which becomes exponentially more complex the more passages you decide have an impact). Finally (3) comparing the results of 2 to the activities of 1 to validate exegesis (or, more likely, invalidate. In which case, back to step 2).<br />What do you have on this?Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04800550117962466602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143758106257831502.post-20317703592903718302013-12-11T18:49:57.988-05:002013-12-11T18:49:57.988-05:00Hi James,
Here are a few of my thoughts on these ...Hi James,<br /><br />Here are a few of my thoughts on these three. A little scattered, but a starting point.<br /><br />1. I don't know. Really. That's just about it. When I start poking around with the nature of God, things get complicated. Add to that the fact that the mechanics of the atonement (did Jesus actually descend into hell? etc.) aren't covered in much detail in the Bible. The focus is almost always on the effects. I like the distinction you give, though. That could be very helpful in understanding the separation.<br /><br />2. Hmm, the emphasis on Isaac does change things a lot, and makes it easier to understand (Isaac is pretty clearly an innocent victim). What I would go to is the fact that Abraham believed that God was going to raise Isaac to life again even if he actually did die (Heb. 11). To him, there wasn't a finality to the death, and thus it wouldn't reflect badly on God's character. From God's perspective, I would think that his big-picture view (seeing all the tiny threads of motive and circumstance and result and understanding them all perfectly in order to determine whether something is "good" or "evil") could come into play.<br /><br />3. I think an individual artist knows when they're intentionally slapping something together that isn't their best quality, and that that's wrong. I don't think we have a right to point at something and say it's "sinfully cliche" or what have you. Because we have no idea where their heart was when making it or what their ability level was.<br /><br />Thanks for your thoughts--I really enjoyed them!Amy Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10168009915384872411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6143758106257831502.post-57487652591475140652013-12-10T10:49:16.683-05:002013-12-10T10:49:16.683-05:00Questions I liked:
1. Did God literally separate h...Questions I liked:<br />1. Did God literally separate himself/abandon Jesus when Jesus was on the cross? If so, how does that work with the Trinity? If not, how could Jesus have really paid the penalty for our sin (separation from God)?<br />I'd be fascinated by your opinion on this. I wrote an assignment on it and came to the conclusion that the separation couldn't be ontological but that there was relational separation. Yes?<br /><br />2. By the time you get to the Law of Moses, God is pretty clearly against child sacrifice. Yet he commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son. Was it okay for God to do that because he knew he would intervene before Isaac's death?<br />This is one I'm going to think about. It's Tuesday but how about asking whether Abraham failed part of the test of knowing God whose character would not permit it. It's interesting that Jewish tradition emphasises Akedah (short hand for "binding of Isaac" i.e. it's about sacrifice) whereas Christian tradition emphasises testing of Abraham. I wonder whether a different emphasis would deflect the question somehow. What do you say?<br /> <br />3. Is it a sin to create bad Christian art/writing/music? Is it even valid to call something Christian art/writing/music?<br />Mostly this question made me chuckle but I want so badly to say yes to the first question. Thoughts popping into my head are "all truth is God's truth" and "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" which complicate the question. How do you answer it?Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04800550117962466602noreply@blogger.com