I am in the throes of thinking about how my theological life is developing. It's been such an exciting two and a half years of study and discovery - many new ways of understanding God and the Bible and Jesus. I am deeply appreciative of the varied theologies I've had the privilege to study.
But this week, I am reading Luther and Calvin. I just can't imagine that these men continue to leave such a dark shadow across the doorsteps of the church. What kind of men must they have been in person to be so dogmatically negative about God's relationship to human beings?
I will post some choice excerpts once I write my analysis of their work tonight. But I just had to get it off my chest. I am deeply distressed by the spiritual "meme" that was released with their work on grace, sovereignty and predestination. This is not new territory for me, but it is more troubling this time around than it has ever been. Hope to share more about why when I get the time.
Peace to all you dear people whom God loves where ever you may be in your lives.
5 comments:
Julie, I have been reading your comments on the blog "Jesus Creed" and I truly admire and appreciate what you have to say. Thanks.
Rick
Julie, I will look forward to reading your comments. If you feel like sharing, I'd also like to know in what ways "Brokeback Mountain" has caused your life views to change.
Susan :-)
So... what you been saying over on "Jesus Creed?"
I'll go looking myself, later...
You are deeper into the whole Luther/Calvin thing than I ever have been myself, reading their stuff directly and at some length. It could be that what they had to say fit the tone of their times to such a degree that they got a big audience and its taken several centuries for their influence to finally wane a bit. Even though I don't agree with it fully as an explanation of essential human nature, there is plenty of evidence to fortify doctrines of our depravity and vindictiveness. But I agree, there seems to be a fundamentally depressive overtone to their writings that to me doesn't seem entirely healthy, even though some good and laudable things have been done in the names of Lutheranism and Calvinism.
I think I'll just wait and see what else you have to say before I comment further.
Julie, these are good thoughts. The truth is that it wasn't just Luther and Calvin, of course, it was the entire milieu. After generations of command and control from a church hierarchy, these guys really were a breath of fresh air simply due to the fact that they were doing their own thinking, somewhat like many of us are doing today.
And, like us, they operated in a particular context that gave wings to their words. Despite the fact that, looking back, we see a lot of oppressive stuff in there, the very simple fact that they were operating out there on their own without official sanction was no small thing.
I'm guessing that it was something of a nightmare to experience what they did, because at THAT time, doing what we do regularly today could get you burned at the stake for heresy.
So, yeah...definitely some weird stuff in there and, from our angle, you do have to wonder what kinds of whacked out forces shaped their lives. But, at the same time, there's a part of us that should be thankful that they fought a battle long before us that set in motion the particular trajectory of which we find ourselves a part today.
Russ, I agree that for the time period especially Luther and Calvin really did have breakthroughs/insights.
What I am more amazed by though is the power of that religious meme to keep growing and developing and influencing... to the point where today, I think it has been damaging to the image of God, Jesus and the Bible. The kind of believer today who is secure in salvation is of an entirely different nature than the one who was being liberated from a fear of going to hell over an inability to amass enough works.
I'll blog more about this when I get a chance...
Julie
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