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With one mistyped word, I change Christian doctrine
The Holy Spirit frees us for sin.
What?
Yes, boys and girls it's true. I said this in my paper. Here is the context:
"With the divine No and Yes spoken in Jesus Christ the root of human unbelief, the man of sin, is pulled out. In its place there is put the root of faith, the new man of obedience" (Barth 747). According to Barth, the necessity of grace does not mean it is natural but that Christ's destruction of sin makes unbelief, which is disobedience, impossible. This new man of obedience is made free for sin by the power of the Holy Spirit (Barth 748).
You are all free to run out and sin. The Holy Spirit said so. No, no, really, you don't have to thank me. Hey, I do what I can to change the basics of the faith so we can all have some fun.
Ooops!!! I believe that should read: This new man of obedience is made free for faith by the power of the Holy Spirit. See how the word "sin" is just above my mistyped word in the paragraph? Yep. Note to self: proofread, proofread, proofread. Also, no more writing papers at 2:00 A.M.
The prof was puzzled, but kind. He said my paper was near flawless, well written, thorough and analytically sound (flawless except for doctrinal error due to lack of sleep). I also was a bit unclear on Aquinas, Lubac, pure nature and integralism. I knew I might be. It's the stuff I had the hardest time grasping, but I thought, well I need to just dig in and wrestle with it best I can. I don't have an adequate background on Aquinas and scholasticism, so that's something to work on. But, the paper received...
A
Congrats. 8)
Visit me @ http://athanasius.blog-city.com/
Thanks! And thank you to Tripp and Thomas for their kind words yesterday
about my blog.
And to Neo, who asked why grades were important. For me, it's just a validation thing regarding possible Ph.D work. My intellectual confidence is built up. In the grand scheme of eternal things, of course, grades do not matter. Remember:
"What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God. I would rather feel contrition than know how to define it. For what would it profit us to know the whole Bible by heart and the principles of all the philosophers if we live without grace and the love of God? Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve Him alone." Thomas a Kempis
This is not anti-intellectualism, or faith vs. knowledge like I mentioned in my last blog. I see this passage as a call to humility and faithfulness. It does not say speaking about the Trinity learnedly will destroy your spirituality. It says speaking about the Trinity learnedly in order to puff yourself up is sin.
I need to think and pray more about why I want this Ph.D. For my glory, or for God's?
As one who is quite likely to be heading back to grad school sometime in
the coming year, I'm putting a lot of prayer into that same topic. I'm
also learning to appreciate God's grace a lot more, and to trust Him to
speak to my heart, and to give me the desires of my heart, even though my
heart is far from perfect.
Thanks for the Thomas a Kempis quote, by the way. One that has been haunting me for a week or so is from old Tertullian: "What has Athens to do with Jerusalem, the Academy with the Church?" Thanks a lot, Tertullian. That really helps. =\
Daniel [neotheologue@godsfamily.com]
Jennifer,
You're quite welcome. It's, as Tripp said, a damn fine blog. Just watch how often you change Christian doctrine. Keep that up and they’ll make you a bishop some day!
As for the whole ‘faith/knowledge’ thing, I think it’s important to remember Augustine’s simple wisdom: we can’t truly KNOW anything apart from love. Fernst’nce, I can know about my wife without KNOWING her, but I can’t really KNOW her without knowing a bit about her. See, ain’t it simple? It’s like he says at the end of his work on The Trinity:
‘It is a relief in this kind of difficulty and frustration to cry out to the living God, “‘Your knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is mighty and I cannot contain it’ (Ps. 139.6). From myself indeed I understand how wonderful and incomprehensible is your knowledge with which you have made me, seeing that I am not even able to comprehend myself whom you have made; and yet ‘a fire burns up in my meditation’ (Ps. 39.3), causing me to seek your face always.”’
And remember, when he got in a quandary, Paul always resolves things in doxology, hence Augustine, Athanasius, Basil, all them Gregories, Maximus the Confessor….you get the idea. Perhaps the knowledge faith seeks can best be summed up in one word: Eucharist. Not, of course, the simple ‘moment’ of consecration (what’s that, anyway?), but the whole Ordo, what the words say and mean, the pattern and flow of the liturgy. I’m rambling, so I’ll just leave you with a humble suggestion: try Fr. Alexander Schmemann’s For the Life of the World: The Sacraments and Orthodoxy. Also, you might have a gander at David Bentley Hart’s The Beauty of the Infinite: The Aesthetics of Christian Truth. It’s quite hard, but brilliant in many ways.
There, that’s too much space for a comment – I cry you mercy and pray your patience.
Peace.
Thomas
Thomas [thom53215@aol.com]
Very true, Jennifer, and thanks for the quote. There is certainly another
side to that coin, however: Speaking falsely about the Trinity out
of ignorance will put one in danger. It is not enough that you believe, if
you believe falsely.
athanasius
Visit me @ http://athanasius.blog-city.com/
"The Holy Spirit frees us for sin."
Whoa! Yet another reason to love that Holy Spirit! Do you have a date for the blog, babe?
Rob [fourdakins@msn.com]
Well, that does change things.
You know, "A" is the scarlette letter. It is red. Like the Spirit. It is a sign of sin...apparently like the Spirit. Who knew it was all so intertwined? Well done, goode and faitheful servant.
Thomas - great quote from Augustine and I like your words on doxology. I
posted about theology and worship on Nov. 13th.
Athanasius - interesting. But are people speaking falsely out of ignorance or just turning from the teachings of the faith? For example, my bishop, Joseph Sprauge, is not ignorant of the doctrine of the Trinity or atonement. He just thinks he can re-interpret it to be in line with "modern thought" or whatever. I think we have to teach people the what and the why, and that speaking falsely whether out of ignorance or rejection will put you in danger. As I've said before, bad theology will hurt you.
Neo - I'll pray for your discernment as well.
Rob - that's Mrs. Babe, please, and so that should answer your question. : )
Tripp - you spell like a Puritan.
Mrs. Babe, huh? We'll that's what makes it sinful! (Just kidding, of
course. I'm married with children myself). Thanks for having a good sense
of humor!
Rob [fourdakins@msn.com]
Okay, Thomas, I was reading the next chapter in the book we're studying for
Sunday School on the Apostle's Creed (Reading is Believing by David
Cunningham) and there was a paragraph and a long quote from the exact same
Fr. Schmemann book you mentioned. It was about the phrase "descended into
hell" and how Western Christianity glosses over the horror of death.
Is that wild or what?