Tag Archives: Theology

November 19, 2011 · 10:34 pm

Is the Bible the “Word of God” or is it a human book?

I had a thought last week during a Bible study class on Deuteronomy.  The leader of the group is a thoroughly “Bible-Believing” Christian. He is highly educated, with advanced degrees in Biblical scholarship, and is thus immersed in current academic understandings of the authorship of the ancient texts of the Hebrew scriptures.

 This presented a challenge, and something of a threat, to some members of the group, who understood the Torah as being of Mosaic authorship, and any move away from that as a move away from Divine inspiration.

 Now, I have no dog in that fight. But the ideas expressed had a familiar ring to them. Continue reading →

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August 21, 2011 · 2:20 pm

Thoughts on Marriage (or, “An Exercise in Hubris”)

A friend of mine wrote a brief blog post on a subject I have been ruminating on for a few years, the purpose of marriage. His post compels me to write. I dare not say this is exactly in opposition to him, for he writes with several advantages over me:

  1. First of all, he has actually been successful, while I am twice married and twice divorced. The fact that both of my marriages and divorces were to and from the same woman may tell for or against me; I will leave that alone.
  2. He is demonstrably smarter than I am.
  3. He is a priest (Anglican/Episcopalian, hence #1 above) and has actually studied more than a little on these subjects. Mine was Psychology and Computer Technology, and much longer ago
  4. His post is full of biblical references,which he uses accurately.
  5. And most difficult for me, he is right.

Facing all these issues, how could I possibly resist the urge to stick in my own oar?

Continue reading →

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July 18, 2011 · 6:34 pm

Yesterday, at the Church of the Redeemer

Yesterday, I went back to Redeemer.

God! What a statement! I had some idea of what I wanted
to say, why I wanted to write; but I had not formed any words in my head until
my fingers hit the keyboard. This is what came out, unannounced, a total
surprise to me. I have often spoken of writing as letting my pen speak to me,
and I am bowled over by what it has said. Continue reading →

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April 14, 2011 · 4:11 pm

A premature thought on “Divinity of Doubt”

Well, I’m about to do that which should (almost) never be done- I’m going to issue an opinion on a book I have never read. That book is Vincent Bugliosi’s “Divinity of Doubt.” Continue reading →

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February 28, 2011 · 4:24 pm

On the closing of The Church of the Redeemer

“My place in Redeemer & vice versa, ”compare and contrast “ with life in general and personal history, with particular emphasis on the themes of plans and expectation (see subtext “Judas”)…”

OK, yesterday eve (well, late afternoon!) when I finally got to bed after staying up like I was half my age, I couldn’t write what I wanted. But I was too full to properly resist, so I at least assigned a theme for myself, noted above. Upon reading my “assignment,” today, I am dismayed, and thankful on behalf of my non-existent class, that I do not teach High School English, nor do I assign term papers.

I have been dodging this topic all morning, and my available time is near an end. Some would say I have been dodging this topic for 20 years, maybe 25. Time to get to it… Continue reading →

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February 28, 2011 · 12:25 pm

An introduction to Thoughts of The Church of the Redeemer, Episcopal (Houston)

By way of explanation, I have alluded to my coming to the Anglican Communion in the form of the Episcopal Church. The parish was “Church of the Redeemer, Episcopal”, which has had a widely reported existence over the last 40+ years. It has indeed been remarkable, not easily shoved into one ecclesial pigeon-hole.  The physical building has this Sunday (27 February, 2011) been “secularized” meaning it is no longer set apart as a church. The life of that physical plant is at an end, due to an unattainable cost of essential repairs. The life of the parish continues, but it leads into a mist through which none but God can yet see.
Continue reading →

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February 16, 2011 · 9:12 pm

And now…, the other shoe.

I’ve got to take care of a little unwelcome personal business.

As you may have picked up through these scattered threads lying about here are a number that try to make some connection between the themes of Christianity,  of Christian theology, and the way the world seems to actually work in observation. Sometimes, as in “Simul Justes et Peccator” that connection is revealed by failure. Failure to act in accordance with what one knows to be true involves, if not a willful blindness, a willful “dimming of the eye,” a choosing not to see, a choosing to not know what one knows. Continue reading →

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December 17, 2010 · 10:25 pm

From a Voice of Christmas Past

As my life has taken on many changes, I have found myself talking with other people whose experience of this Christmas is less than idyllic. No Hallmark Card photographs here.
In those conversations, I have thought about a piece I wrote for a Christian coffeehouse back in 1984, and the advanced age of 29.

There are some cultural references that some may not catch today, and there are some things I would like to edit, or re-write entirely, but I think not. Because at the distance of 26 years, I am not speaking to you; the “Eric” of 1984 is now speaking to me as well. I think editing would be presumptuous of me! Continue reading →

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October 2, 2010 · 8:10 pm

Simul justes et peccator (and how it relates to me and my marriage)

One of my “soap-box” points, on which I am continually harping, is the importance of the pastoral implications and applicability of doctrine, and of theology. If there is a particular point about the nature of God and of our relationship with Him that is intellectually stimulating and recreationally pleasing to fondle, but has no true impact on my life, then I think that is a pretty fair description of what it means to “take the Lord’s name in vane” (No, it doesn’t mean saying “OMG!” as tiresome as that is). Continue reading →

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May 27, 2010 · 6:01 pm

Why I am a Christian

Again, I am going to cross-post from Tough Questions Answered I thoroughly encourage you to visit Bill Pratt’s site, and interact a bit, it is the best in its class that I know.

I was asked point-blank why I believe the Christian account is true, by a lapsed Christian calling himself “Willy G.” I think my explanation should be on this blog. Continue reading →

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