Text
a brief update
Though I’m active on Twitter and, subsequently, Facebook, I don’t think I’ve ever wholly explained what’s happening in our lives lately (though Cherith tends to deliver on that end fairly well). So part of me thinks it’s just plain redundant to send an update, but then I realize that there are a lot of people who don’t know my wife or read her blog. So I guess this is for YOU…uh, whoever you are.
So, Kentucky’s done. I finished my MA in Biblical Studies in July (technically August), and we were attempting to figure out the next step. God made it pretty clear that Kentucky wasn’t involved in that plan, and opened the door for us to return to upstate NY. Cherith was offered a job working in financial aid here at Houghton College, our alma mater, and will begin her Master’s degree in music next year. It’s really a great opportunity for her, and I’m especially happy that she gets to continue to pursue her dreams.
This year will be a slight pause for me. Since the job market is mostly crap in this area, I’ve been lucky enough to get my name in for subbing at both the Houghton Academy and at Belfast Central School. I was also approved to teach adjunct online for Regent University in Virginia; the main factor being that they will now have to find something for me to teach. But being “in” and doing nothing is certainly better than being “out” and doing nothing.
I’m also exploring possible PhD options for next year. I’m technically still admitted to Durham, so if somehow we find a way to pay for it, I could start that next year. We also took a day to head up to Toronto to visit Wycliffe College, one of the member colleges of the Toronto School of Theology (and to visit our friends Brie and Jesse). The TST is formed of half a dozen theological colleges that offer their own degrees at the basic level, and at the advanced level tend to focus on just a couple of them (something to do with accreditation). So even if I study and am advised by and take most courses through Wycliffe, at the PhD level technically my degree will be conferred by the University of St. Michael’s College. Most of them are related in some fashion to the University of Toronto, so I can also take classes there; however, I will probably apply separately to the U of T anyway since funding is much better, though more competitive. At any rate, fantastic professors, amazing library resources, and the city of Toronto would afford a ridiculously great opportunity. I’m not sure how commuting/living arrangements would work, but we’ll cross that bridge if/when we get there.
I think that’s pretty much it for now.
Text
review of "5 Cities that Ruled the World" by Douglas Wilson
5 Cities that Ruled the World is an interesting snapshot into the last few millenia of history told from Douglas Wilson’s point of view. Wilson briefly focuses on what he considers to be the five major cities throughout human history: Jerusalem, Athens, Rome, London, and New York. This is a good selection, and through each chapter Wilson relates how it is that these cities have impacted the world even into the present day; Jerusalem through “a legacy of the spirit,” Athens through “reason and mind,” Rome through law, London through literature, and New York through “industry and commerce” (xx). As Wilson weaves through these cities’ narratives, he not only picks up major historical turning points as they relate to his categorizations, but he finds a way to deftly weave in points of interest, trivia, and simply entertaining facts. Though I am not entirely certain that each chapter and the information that accompanies them solidify the title of the book, the reader may at least affirm Wilson’s thrust; yes, these cities have been major players in their prime, and have affected our present.
What really threw me for a loop, however, was the epilogue, where Wilson seemingly attempts to bring in the Gospel to this work. I am not against attempting to parallel the Gospel narrative with the world’s geo-political narrative, but whatever he does just doesn’t work. If Wilson had attempted to integrate this material in each chapter, perhaps his purpose would have worked out a bit smoother. Of course, his main thrust was not to detail the rise to power of five cities throughout history in light of the Gospel, so perhaps in the end an epilogue is a fitting place for an author clearly writing from a confessional standpoint, despite the material not necessarily cleanly integrating with this background (though of course Jerusalem, Athens, and Rome work out quite well in this regard).
Overall, this book is well-written and worth the quick read, especially if you just want to feel “up” on your history.
Quote with 1 note
Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Photo
The first dance.
Click through to see a large Flickr update, including more from the Messamore wedding and shots from the recent Sabres-Wings game.
Link with 1 note
why the filioque still matters to protestants →
Check out this interesting blog by Ben Myers over at the Faith and Theology blog. I anticipate the comment section to grow.
Text
what's the deal with the Vatican?
That was meant to come across sounding more like Jerry Seinfeld than a normal aggrevated person, but meh.
No doubt many of you will have read about the Vatican offering a complete Papal Makeover of any willing Anglican congregation, probably one of the biggest moves between the Vatican and Protestants since…well, a really long time (a.k.a. when Ramsey went to Rome in 1966). I’ve been reading various reactions over the past week or so, and it’s funny to see the disparity between opinions. One group seems to hold that more conservative Anglican groups, especially those who are a part of the Traditional Anglican Communion (here first, then here), will jump ship almost immediately. This no doubt comes from knowledge of the 2007 proposal made by the Communion to enter into the Catholic fold whilst remaining, in daily rite and liturgy, Anglican. The Vatican is even allowing married Anglican priests to retain their spouse.
The other group thinks not many groups will make the transition, mostly because of key remaining doctrinal difficulties. That is to say, there are reasons the purists are still Anglican and not Catholic - the Pope (especially his infallibility), lack of powers of the laity, bishop powers, marriage after divorce, etc. Thus a group should not base their judgment for transitioning on disliking one issue in their current state, but should judge on what they’d be getting themselves into. This is wise advice.
The main question I ask in all of this is: Why? Surely the Vatican isn’t as opportunistic as it seems to be in this case. Can the Catholic Church afford to offer a “defect now and we’ll throw in a free toaster” sort of scheme like this? Is this really the way to keep ecumenism alive between Anglicans and Catholics, or is there something going on behind the scenes?
What are your thoughts? I’m curious and introductorily-informed.
Text
review of "The Search for God and Guinness" by Stephen Mansfield
The title is the most intriguing aspect of this book, and though it lends a bit of direction to the text insofar as the author himself had direction, I would say that it is a bit of a misnomer. ”The Search for God and Guinness” makes me think that the author is somehow going to show how theology and alcohol are related, even a specific form of alcohol like Guinness throughout the family’s history. Instead, we get a miniaturized biography of the Guinness family, from the first Arthur to Benjamin, last chair from the actual Guinness family in the 1980s, and how the tale of Guinness has been woven throughout the past few centuries. It is indeed intriguing to see how one branch of the Guinness family was focused on full-time ministry (from the pastorate to the mission field), and certainly how a humanitarian spirit has run throughout the family, especially in efforts to provide factory workers with education, cleaner living spaces, and provision during war-time when few other companies were doing such things - and during times in Dublin’s past which many had fled.
On the whole, though, this book seems to be an unnecessary “Guinness Biography for Dummies” that sets out to seemingly (in an undercurrent-sort-of-way) justify why Christians should support Guinness, whether by drinking it or just nodding in approval toward it. I liked Guinness enough before reading this, so it didn’t “convert” me or anything; in fact, it hasn’t really affected me personally at all. However, I’m not going to read half-a-dozen books highlighting the history of Guinness as a beer and a family, so this smallish book (273 small pages with average-sized print, including bibliography and an About the Author section) does fine to pique my curiosity about the subject. I don’t think Mansfield does anything amazing, and I don’t really get his agenda, but it’s an interesting read nonetheless.
Text with 2 notes
an anglicanized conversation
Today I had lunch with my good buddy Dan, one of the handful of Houghton friends Cherith and I have had the fortune to be reunited with since our return. Dan has had a completely different experience within the Church than I have, so it’s always interesting to talk all things ecclesial with him.
As we ate, I began describing how I have viewed some of the challenges of Anglican church-planting. On the one hand, there needs to be a devoted core, it seems, while on the other hand, at some point the group has to be concerned with loving the community and its people, inviting people who don’t know God to join us in knowing him. To me, the most puzzling aspect is how to approach the liturgy.
To an “average” evangelical Christian, liturgy is either a bad word or, at best, a word void of meaning. Yet every church fellowship shares in a liturgy; it’s just the way people do the things they do when they worship together. So when you’ve been doing certain things for a long time, it’s at the same time annoying yet not too difficult to transition to doing something different. The context for doing some practice is the same, yet the content might vary. Thus, I think it is obvious to say that in the US, much of the becoming-Anglican-process involves “switching teams,” so to speak; some Christians might even assess it as a “worship upgrade” (yes, I’ve heard this). The person moves from doing things one way to leveling up and doing things a better, improved way that somehow puts them closer to God. Now I obviously don’t agree with that, but stick with me.
Enter the average non-Christian. The typical evangelical liturgy can almost be seen as a gateway to a more complex liturgy. After all, how does one jump straight from no Christian liturgy to an ancient, complex one? And yet, this is happening every day in Africa. Christian conversion is exponential over there compared to the US, and the Anglican Church in Africa is certainly a part of that. If I were a non-Christian, probably the last thing I’d want is to have to try to swim in a sea of words and phrases and body movements and prayers that have no direct relation to the world I was already involved in!
All that to say, I have no idea why a non-Christian would want to become an Anglican Christian, unless this person were already an egg-head that didn’t mind reading a book every week at church gatherings. Still, not only do I know the liturgy that has been developed in the Church is important, but I also love it dearly (obviously not with the same love that I love God, but you get my drift). I love being able to join in saying words that have time on their side, that have greater minds than mind on their side, that have so many more minds on their side, words that I didn’t have to make up five minutes before the service. As Dan so eloquently mused, if you only had a screwdriver and a wrench you could fix a car, but it’d take you forever. What’s wrong with using tools that were created over much time and energy to do specific, efficient, good jobs?
And so, of course, we departed the cafeteria with no answers. To find our answers, we’re just going to have to see what happens.
Video
This is one of the better/more interesting TED talks I’ve come across. A.J. Jacobs discusses his experiences of living biblically for a year, sharing insights that have come to shape him post-experiment even though he is an agnostic. Though obviously he disagrees with much of the Christian faith, I think his discoveries about how behavior affects mindset are important if not profound. This will be the best 17 minutes of your day.
Page 1 of 69
