the dysfunctional panopticon

Christian Cursing?

2011-10-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

seminar on cursing.

A few years back, there was a problem in our youth group with cursing. Some of the older kids were doing it, in church, with alarming frequency and recklessness. When my teachers tried to address the problem, some of the older kids began to retort back, "I don't understand why this is wrong!"

At KUMC we work really hard to avoid the "BECAUSE I SAID SO" approach. I think its important to explain to teenagers the wisdom behind our rules.

Here's the problem tho.

Usually, when it comes to 'cursing', parents and pastors give their kids provisional answers. I think its because we assume that the badness of cursing will become obvious once kids mature a bit. And because of this assumption, we often don't bother to do the hard work of thinking through the issue as well as we need to in order to provide a well thought out answer to these kinds of questions.

This was my problem. And I ended up writing and delivering the following essay at a youth group meeting almost as a contemptuous joke.

I now believe that we were wrong to assume that the morality of cursing is obvious to the mature. These things are not obvious. And the fact that my friend Paul's blog post is still generating comments after 3 years is probably indicative of that.

And so, I decided to post something about Christian Cursing. Please remember that the original paper was written so that some snotty know-it-all teenagers could be rebuffed in their attempt at justifying their foul mouths (grrrrrr!!!). But really, I don't claim to have all the answers. I'm just trying to generate some more discussion on the topic while offering some ideas as a launch point. If you don't like something I say here, please go ahead and comment. If you really don't like what I say here, please blame Paul.

Cursing seminar

All words are social constructs. Their meanings are determined collectively by society. These meanings, just like the societies that employ them, are not static. The word, ‘n*gg*r’ (henceforth, the n-word) in earlier times was received more benignly. It simply meant ‘ignorant’. The term has come to be both a derogatory and racially inflammatory term. If there was one word that embodies the baggage of historical hatred, derision and dehumanization of whites towards Blacks, that word would be it.

But it might be argued that in certain circles, the term seems to be ok. For, if meaning is socially determined, and our receptivity of any given word is socially conditioned, in a world where such conditioning is absent, the term would lack its baggage and thus would be more acceptable for use.

Such is the case with once taboo words as ‘sh*t’ and ‘f*ck’, words my youth group kids are starting to use with alarming frequency.

The problem is that the social conditioning that happens regarding words does not happen in a vacuum. Words become taboo for a reason.

The wisdom in these taboo-respecting societies is pretty simply. Just as there are certain words you can say to build up, so there are words that tear down. Certain words cause disruptions in relations. Oftentimes these disruptions can and will become violent. Thus those words that were deemed the most egregious have been rendered beyond the pail.

Lets flush that out a bit more.
Certain words are inflammatory, often exacerbating problems that have yet to be solved. The afore mentioned ‘n word’ has this effect. When used by non-blacks of blacks, it exasperates an already volatile racial tension. The issue of race in this country, even today, still has not been resolved. The use of this word only makes matters worse. It has the effect of making one feel as if the resolution we seek is further than it actually is.

But what about the curse words that we employ like "sh*t" and "f*ck"? Aren't they a little more benign than the n word? Don't they have less social and historical baggage?

But what about those words that are becoming more common place? Eg ‘sh*t’ and ‘f*ck’ Should Christians use such terms if the terms are acceptable in the circles they run? The argument usually goes like this: ‘my friends use it, and its ok.’

Such thinking assumes that context can remove the inflammatory nature of taboo words. But this is NOT always the case. Words, by virtue of the aforementioned social conditioning/construction, have meaning apart from us as individuals. So much so that some words have been poisoned for us before we even had a chance to formulate the msg in our mind that we want to communicate.

The "n-word" suffers from this problem. Some black ppl use the word as a term of endearment. Non-blacks sometimes complain that this is a double standard. Why is it ok for black people to use, but inappropriate for non blacks?.

The answer is tricky, but manageable. Black people will tend to use the word when there is no white presense. ie...it is supposed to be used in a situation where white people, for all intensive purposes don't exist.

And this is why I'm arguing that the word should be both retired and banned from use at least until the cultural and historical baggage associated with the word can be divorced from any possible contemporary usage (which will probably be never).

This offers us a nice way to look at the other words in question. 'F*ck' and 'sh*t' have similar uses as terms of endearment. This seems to indicate that the inflammatory aspect of these words CAN and in fact has been divorced from their contemporary usage. It has. But it was done in the same way the 'n-word' was. These words only can be uded in particular dialects of localized cliques, of which a large part of America is not a part of.

The problem with all of these words then is one of division and fracture. It conveys the idea that Shalom is further off than it needs to be.

But what then is the appeal? Why do people continue to use language that hurtfully fractures and disillusions?

I think that answer to that is the fact that cursing is tribal language. It's a way to identify and endear oneself to a particular clan. But those who cannot use such language (like those ppl of a more conservative persuasion) run the risk of ridicule and marginalization.

Endearing?
When one says, ‘you are F*cking Amazing!”. That tends to be endearing.
Compare this to ‘you are a F*cking Screw up!’ This is inflammatory.

Inflammatory?
when ‘f*ck’ in introduced into the sentence, any possibility for rational dialogue is made more distant. It sets the recipient on a defensive edge.
Contrast ‘you are a F*cking Screw up!’
with the following sentence: ‘you made a mistake here’.

I have found it to be the case that when I find people who are comfortable with cursing, when they become upset with someone, the cursing is one of the first things that ensues. I know that this is a slippery slope argument, and that such arguments are fallacies. But that is only in logic. Slippery Slope actually does a good job describing character formation.

Remember, at the root, the Problem is not only in the word, but in the people.

The problem is a heart problem.

James warns us of this. We use words as power plays…in order to get what we want.
Words can be weapons...or manipulation…or the agents by which we exert our will upon another.

Its ironic. we often 1st learn how to be comfortable with reckless word use because it enabled them come off as endearing to friends. But once things get heated, our words are the very thing that hampers our ability to keep those friends.

This all being said, is there room for a Christian to curse if he or she can avoid all of those pitfalls mentioned?

I would say yes. But it takes wisdom to parse out when such words are endearing and when they are inflammatory. It takes forsight to understand the ramifications of our words on other people, even if we meant well. And this is wisdom that I rarely see in teenagers and adults (including myself) alike.

PS...if you are a youth group kid and you are reading this, disregard that last statement. You are still not allowed to curse. now goto your room!

Korean Americans and abuse

2010-04-10T08:08:00.001-07:00

I havent' posted anything in a while. i really think that seminary killed my ability to write. when you are being graded by people who are constantly trying to figure out "what side you are on", it starts to instill a sense of incapacitating paranoia.

this is the first paper I've written since seminary. its for a seminar that i'm giving to my church on the topic of Child Abuse in Korean American homes. This is only the 1st half...and there are no citations. I'll go back and fix it later. please, no one accuse me of plagarizing until I've had a chance to cite properly. (see? I'm still paranoid!)

Joe

Abstract: Korean kids today are going through a version of life that is radically different and more stressful than it was even 10 years ago. This difference is so radical that many of the parenting techniques that we use in Korean circles actually hurt our kid’s development and hinder their chances of success in this world.

This week marks the 2 year anniversary of the Virginia tech massacre, where a Korean American student, Seung Hui Cho, went on a shooting rampage, killing 32 people and wounding many more. This tragic event ended up being the deadliest in American peacetime history. And the fact that it involved a Korean student sparked all kinds of discussions both in Korea and in America about Korean students and mental health. Cho’s rampage was not the 1^st instance of Korean American mental sickness, but it did illuminate what for many Americans (and Koreans) what was a grossly under-discussed topic.

Studies began to surface that showed what many experts had already known for years. Koreans, out of all the ethnic groups in America, tend to suffer the most from a lot of mental and emotional dysfunction such as Depression, Anxiety and Anger. And while that information is disturbing enough, it turns out that we are also the least likely to seek treatment.

Here are some facts:

- More than a few studies show that Korean college students (particularly male ones) are more likely to be depressed than all other ethnicities including Caucasian people.

- As mentioned above, out of all the ethnicities, Koreans are the least likely to seek professional help. Instead, they have a tendency to self medicate using drugs and alcohol.

- Suicide is the #2 cause of death for all Asian women, among whom Koreans are at the top.

A Korean counseling center in Los Angeles reported on their website that they see many patients who are depressed. The reasons for their depression, while varied, all had to do with stress.

Renewal Church in Philadelphia (a 2^nd generation Korean American church) has one of the largest college groups in the city. They reported in an interview that there are quite a number of college students who are hospitalized due to some mental breakdown. These students come from families where the pressure for academic achievement is high. The cause of their breakdown is almost always stress.

Why are our teenagers and college students breaking down?

Haven’t students always been under a great deal of stress? After all, if you aren’t stressed out about your grades, maybe you aren’t trying hard enough!

For as long as I can remember, Koreans have been sending their kids to the top schools in the country without incident. Why are Kids, all of sudden, breaking down? Has something changed so radically in culture or society that it caused the stress level of students to increase?

I can’t be sure, but based on my experience 10 years as a youth pastor, I would say ‘yes’. Culture and society has changed. And these radical changes have increased the level of stress that kids experience today.

One scholar (Harvey Conn) notes that the earlier 2^nd generation of Korean Americans tended to have a complex about their American identities. They seemed to have a maniacal need to prove to Caucasians that they were just as “American” as the next person. But the 3^rd generation tended not to have this complex. Instead, while comfortably acclimated to their American situatedness, they were more open to celebrating their ethnic heritage. This would explain why many of our youth, while still firmly American, love listening to Korean music, watching Korean dramas and generally love all things Korean. In other words, today’s next generation loves both cultures. And they love both so much, that they often become addicted to the alluring parts and utterly susceptible to the toxic parts.

In the past, the tendency was for kids to struggle with the problems of one culture or the other. Today, many struggle equally with both. For many, there is so much pressure to be perfectly beautiful and perfectly educated.

In Korea culture, there is an inordinate emphasis on physical appearance. This issue has to do with upward mobility. If one desired to move up in society and “succeed”, you had to either be born into a good family or else marry into one. This would explain why Korea as a nation seems to have an insatiable appetite for plastic surgery and designer clothing. Many are simply trying to improve their chances to marry.

But in America, things are slightly different, though the difference tends to be only of emphasis. While American culture is rife with many examples of plastic surgery indulgence and consumer materialism, in Korean circles, it’s Education that is the preferred vehicle for upward social mobility. This would explain why there is so much pressure in many Korean families for children to do well academically.

It is on this topic of academic excellence that we will focus the rest of the paper on. The beauty issue will have to be covered in another seminar. My thesis is that while Korean parents genuinely desire their kids to succeed socially and academically, current Korean parenting trends sabotage the effort.

I need a new doctor

2010-02-09T15:45:00.000-08:00

I'm searching for a primary care doctor. the last one i had was a bit unkind.
I remember during my first (and only visit) he asked me,

"How come you are not married?"

I jokingly responded,

"if you know anyone please let me know."

He then asked me,

"Don't you have any friends who are looking out for you?"

and even tho I had high cholesterol and some pretty bad chest pains, i never went back to him. That was last year. I need a new doctor.

some thoughts on pluralization and faith.

2009-11-24T21:56:00.000-08:00

Some thoughts gleaned from Peter Berger’s book, “In Praise of Doubt”.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/In-Praise-of-Doubt/Peter-Berger/e/9780061778162/?itm=3&USRI=peter+berger

According to Berger, the modern era has put American Christians in touch with many faiths and ideologies that differ from its own. This pluralistic situation has produced 3 basic positions in the American religious landscape: pluralist (different religions? its all good!), inclusivist (think syncretism) and exclusivist (My religion is right and no further discussion is necessary). Of the 3, the inclusivist view has become the dominant position. In such an environment, the other views have become increasingly difficult for many Xtns to maintain.

I’ll give you an example of what he is talking about.

In any given high school, Kids come into contact with kids of other faiths and beliefs. They make friends with mormons and/or homosexuals who, as it turns out, are not the evil demons that they were led to believe they were. These kids, on one hand, would rather not give up on their religion. But on the other hand, they would rather not believe that their friends of differing beliefs are heading to hell…a move that most likely will lead to the re-demonization of their new found friends. So they compromise saying, ‘I would like to remain Xtn, but I choose to alter some tenets (like the morality of Homosexuality) so that I don’t have to ostracize my friends’.

Is there a way for us as Xtn leaders to help these kids maintain historic and orthodox Xtnity while addressing the concerns of this (in some ways) new (and in some ways not so new) situation? I haven't seen too many churches do both well.

thoughts?

the Elusive middle strikes again

2009-11-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

the search for that ever elusive middle strikes again.

Exhibit A: "Freaks and Geeks"

- ...a tv series in 1999. canceled mid-season. the series follows the life of one Lindsey Weir as she tries to get thru high school. the twist that makes this show special is that the 'cool kids' (designated "Freaks") are just as dysfunctional...and in most cases even more so... as the geeks.
even the adults in the show are unhelpful. Lindsey was present when her grandmother ignominiously died on a hospital bed. There was no God, or bright lights or peace. there was fear on her face...because there was nothing waiting for her.

here's the gist, what difference does it make if you are either end of any given spectrum? your life still ends up being that endless pursuit of that ever elusive middle ground. there are no answers on the edges. instead, you have every side trying to get towards some common sense of normalcy.

and here's where the philosophers (i'm talking about you Sartre!) perhaps, are a little bit helpful.
in the absence of something to hang your hat on (ie. God, THE good, truth, raison d'etre ect) there is always anxiety...some sort of vacuum that drives ppl to fill in the emptiness. this vacuum is not stagnant...it drives ppl in a particular direction. again...the search for that ever elusive middle.

the Bible begins with the story of Ha Adam...the man. what does it mean to be human? what is humanity's raison d'etre? in our case, we might as well change the statement for contextualization sake...what does it mean to be normal? or clean (as opposed to unclean)...or honored as opposed to shamed?

maybe there is more of a parallel between what the Bible calls 'idolatry' and what we call "status markers". think Rolex's for older folks...think $200 jeans for younger ones...or make up for teenagers...or music for junkies like me.

maybe idolators, while biblically being without excuse, really deserve some sympathy. tho the idea of 'gods' is a silly figment of superstitious imagination(i'll over turn this later some other time), the pain of losing a status marker is quite real. the shame, or uncleanliness, or lack of 'normalcy' is real enough.

more to come later...

random meanderings

2009-11-07T22:01:00.000-08:00

its really cold in my house tonight. so pulled out my old halloween costume. I was Max...from 'Where the Wild things Are'. lucky for me, Max wears some pretty warm clothing. I particularly felt better as soon as I donned the pants.

i hate the cold.
it makes me feel as if God no longer remembers me.
i hate that feeling.

I had an interesting chat not too long ago. it went something like this:

Friend: what do you do for a living?
Me: I put people back together again.
Friend: who do you turn to when you're the one who needs to be put back together again?
Me: I pay someone $80/hr. He's good about meeting with me. he never cancels. He listens to everything I say. He doesn't judge me and he usually has helpful things to say after our conversation.

I had a thought not too long ago. it ended up in a sermon that Sunday. All worldviews, including the Christian one, ultimately break down. the difference is that the Xtn one acknowledges this problem and gives you resources for handling such a scenario.

failed attempt at dinner...

2009-04-09T18:15:00.000-07:00

okay...so i finished my workout. I ran on the treadmill for 50 minutes (Paul Park wanted me to run the Broad street 10k with him, so I started training just in case i was stupid enough to say 'yes'), and then I went back to the office. but then I realized that I hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast that morning (it was 9:00pm at the time).

so i thought to myself, 'hey...Sushi sounds really good!!' and there's a sushi place that right next to the church. so I got in my car and drove over.

and that's when I noticed the smell of burning. something REALLY reeked.
I looked over and guess what I saw!!!
the sushi place that I was heading for was ON FIRE!!!
there were fire trucks all over the place! I couldn't even turn around.
lucky for me, i knew some back roads. I ended up pulling into a McDonalds and got some dollar menu items.

(sheesh!!)

i really wanted sushi. It totally fits that my sushi restaurant would burn down literally right in front of my eyes!! and on top of that it turns out that all that hard work on the tread mill was for nothing.

I hate you Murphy!!! you are the worst law maker in the history of jurisprudence!!!

2009-04-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, i was at the mall with a bunch of friends (fellow grad students+1 hs student).
we were sitting in the food court enjoying some Chick Fil A. (and I must say that Chick Fil A has some good milk shakes!!) The conversation somehow switched to jnr high students. I mentioned something about the place being littered with them.
'why were they all here?'
One of the guys replied, 'its because they really don't have anywhere else to go'

and almost on cue, a young jnr high girl comes up to our table and says to me,
'Excuse me...do you see that girl over there? She likes you. She thinks you're really cute'

when i looked over to see who she was talking about, i didn't see anyone but a bunch of jnr high girls giggling themselves off their table. It turns out that THAT girl was probably 14 years old.

I immediately thought that the messenger girl meant to tell our highschool friend that was sitting next to me. but she said it again to me...'its the girl in blue'.
i looked again to see if there were any adults in the vicinity wearing blue.
nope...just those jnr high girls.

one of my friend noticed my confusion and told me to simply say 'thankyou'.
I told her,'thank-you but I'm probably twice her age'.

and as she walked away, i wasn't sure whether to laugh or be utterly mortified.

memories of a battered cartoon character

2009-04-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

plz forgive me. i think i need to do something therapeutic.

i've come to the point where i now realize that i don't need to find myself. i never did.
it was a bad idea...the result of reading too many books by self absorbed americans.
(that's code for I've been reading my own xanga posts)

now where did i put that thing?
ironic how you lose track of something you never let anyone see.
heck...i don't think I've even seen it.

but it's there. dust it off, and let the little one know its okay to come out.
and if we are lucky (ashere ha ish)
if we are truly lucky, then maybe he won't be so inclined to run away again...

besides, the cartoon is getting old.

sex and sexuality as the new litmus test for Xtnity

2009-02-07T14:32:00.000-08:00

This will thankfully be my last semester in seminary. To me, its the end of papers, papers and MORE PAPERS. I used to like writing...till i went to seminary. It's kinda like music. I used to like music...till I went to music school.

and so, given that brief historical context, you can understand why my blogs are either non-existent or outright horrible when I manage to be motivated enough to post.

I hate writing (blogging apparently only 1/2 counts as writing).

but then again, I should be thankful that writing is the sole focus of my seminary induced disdain. I still love God...and considering what happened with music, that's saying something.

at any rate, I ended up taking a class in sermon delivery. There, I was assigned to preach on a passage regarding sexual misconduct.

...and you know what? I still have no clue as to what possessed me to agree to do that passage. I'm an idiot...just look at my dating history.

but here are some questions i'd like to cover:

- How in the world did sexuality become the litmus test for Xtnity? someone once mentioned that Augustine had something to do with it...but i think i was absent for that lecture.

- why is Homosexuality the unforgivable sin that leads to death? see Ted Haggard..eg...if Haggard was guilty of embezzelment or spousal abuse, would he have been punished as severely? ...just wondering..

- how did sex and sexuality become such a hot button topic issue in the states? notice how both the PCUSA and the UMC are fiercely wrestling with this issue.

- How did the greeks understand sex and sexuality? why did paul feel the need to hand them guidelines for sexuality that we don't see in other parts of Bible? where did they come from? what was he trying to accomplish besides a standard of chastity?

alright. you probably won't see an update on this. if you want to hear the message, you'll probably have to come visit my church. take care...probably for another year or so.

reflections in modern church history

2008-09-08T18:19:00.000-07:00

this is an excerpt i found in Mark Noll's mammoth book, America's God.
I'll comment extensively later.

...rarely were the Reformed as sharp-eyed to catch their own compromises with worldly reasoning as they were to pounce upon the inconsistencies of Roman Catholics, Lutherans, or rival Reformed communities...

...Reformed theologies that shaped culture were singularly susceptible to being shaped by currents within cultures, especially at those moments when the intellectual energy of the wider society began to match the religious energy of the church. The Reformed eagerness to treat culture as a theological construct and to shape culture in accord with theological principle depended on a comprehensive understanding of culture-a steady bifocal gaze at the new birth of persons alongside the kingdom-possibilities of society. The genius of Reformed Protestantism was its ability to keep both possibilities in view. The ever-present threat to Reformed Protestantism was its proximity to the world.

pg 36

i normally find myself on the other side of the argument; namely that we, as reformed Xtns, OUGHT to engage with what Noll calls the world in part because of our beliefs about history ("the world" in motion) lead us to understand the world as the theatre of God's redemptive plan as well as the entire Xtn enterprise (see New Heavens and New Earth). Such lines of thought has always given me yearnings for both the end of days as well as a deep concern for the world at present...hence the idea that we SHOULD engage with this world.

but even so, i think Noll's caution speaks to me.

why is it that so many of our Xtn endeavors in this world end up merely worldly?

...unscientific postscript 4.1

2008-08-19T15:11:00.001-07:00

So given this history, how do you wisely navigate thru all this skubala?
to be honest, I haven’t the slightest clue. it’s in times like these that I truly wish I were smarter.

But I’m not. (tho I think this explains why I gravitate towards smarter ppl).

And so I did what I thought was the smartest thing I could do given the circumstances. I turned to PoMo...and for a while it worked. Remember: PoMo uses carefully obfuscated language games as its main strategy towards diffusing all potentially volatile situations. And anyone who knows me can probably see a connection. (I’ll buy you dinner if you can tell me what that connection is.)

Armed with such games, I managed to “get in” with any group I had to work with whether that was Evangelicals in the deep south, or Roman Catholics in the north...I even worked for an ultra conservative Korean denomination (although I think I left on bad terms...to this day, I don’t think they’re too happy with me!). PoMo consistently allowed me to dance around any problem that ever came up. How do you keep from fighting? Just don’t take yourself or anyone or even anything too seriously (even tho you are constantly demanding that everyone take you seriously! Do you see the conundrum?).

But all games ultimately come to an end. All children eventually grow up.
1Cor. 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

Naively I think, I really wanted to believe that Machen’s war was over...I found out the hard way that this was not the case.

there were 4 incidents that involved liberals in the past year that I found totally exasperating. If anything, these 4 incidents confirmed for me the Serbian/Croatian analogy of the situation...they hate us, we hate them and there is nothing we can do to fix this. Now plz understand what I'm saying...even tho this is a pathetically written post (maybe 4.1 will be better). the situation between liberals and conservatives and everyone in between is a lot more complicated (and damaged) than I could have imagined. It didn't help ('cause it didn't work) that I tried to use games as my bandaid...its also not helping that my heart is adopting the attitude of the ppl involved. Its also not helping that I met 4 ppl who have colored my thinking on the whole situation in such a negative way.

(sigh...I got beat, and I hate to lose. I lost because I wasn't learned enough to understand what was going on and once I did understand, I wasn't smart (or loving) enough to fix the problem.)

I was going to post these stories in detail...but I changed my mind. ask me about them in person if you get a chance and I'll be glad to share.

1. The retired pastor

2. The Self-righteous and arrogantly condescending Barthian

3. The smirking new Bultmannian

4. The unhelpful counselor

I think there was something inside of me that so wanted to be that "tertian quid" that was able to establish some common ground between all these ppl. I now know this to be arrogance and naivete on my part.

its funny because whenever I meet someone from some part of the religious spectrum, I start to adopt the tendencies of the diametric opposite. eg...I tend harbor anger towards evangelicals, or am condescending towards 2nd degree Fundamentalists. in this case, my attitude towards liberals needs to be addressed.

(Some might say that I’m burning bridges. I beg to differ. I personally see it as the house is already on fire. And yet no one seems particularly inclined to put the fire out.)

PS to the PS: poorly written...I don't think I care. and I find that approach freeing.

Next time: a new approach towards a new consensus.

...unscientific postscript 3.1

2008-08-19T15:10:00.001-07:00

and so a war broke out between Liberals and Conservatives. And they fought over just about everything from the Bible, to denominations, congregations, mission fields and even universities and seminaries (see Machen).

Venom spewed from both sides as liberals condescendingly looked down upon their anti-intellectual "stupid and uneducated" little brothers...and Conservatives viciously excommunicated their heretical blasphemer big brothers. In the words of Barney: I hate you...you hate me...we're one fractured family!

in the rest of country, uneasiness was starting to set in the hearts of the ppl over this war.
In big conflicts like this, the majority of ppl rarely polarize so radically. Usually, there is a push towards some kind of middle ground. enter in the battle for the designation of "moderate". Moderates are often seen as the "good guys". This is most likely due to the fact that Moderates tend to be viewed as the middle ground between extremes...everybody seems to think that "extreme" is bad (say that I love you..is not the words I want to hear from you!)

and so we have the Neo-Evangelical in the late 1920's (Billy graham, Ockenga, Henry) emerging from one end of the spectrum...Karl Barth and maybe New princeton arising from the other...all trying to establish themselves as the "middle ground". Its hard to say who won...I guess it depends on what circle you're coming out of. Keller (as always) has the best explanation of what's going on. make note of what he says is "the next thing".

Basically Evangelicalism is this: The liberals are not orthodox in their theology, but are engaged with culture and scholarship. Fundamentalists are orthodox in their theology, but are separatist and anti-intellectual. Evangelicalism aimed to be orthodox but engaged, concerned with scholarship, and facing the world. And actually, it worked. This middle ground has been the most vital - until recently.

The rise of the Christian right has made many evangelicals more hostile and condemning to culture. Then you have the charismatic movement, which has been good in many ways but is sometimes anti-intellectual.

A younger generation - sometimes called the emerging church, sometimes post-conservatives or post-evangelicals, are saying, "The old consensus isn't going to work anymore." They are responding to the anti-intellectualism of the charismatic movement, and to the rigidity, self-righteousness, and political narrowness of the Christian right. And they are blaming it on classical evangelical doctrine.

They are looking for a new center and consensus.
(taken w/o permission from a blogsite)

when I 1st read that, I immediately resonated what what Keller was saying.
It finally dawned on me why I was so gung ho about PoMo in general. I'm also sick of fighting...and I want to live in peace. but unfortunately, there is no peace to be had...

and just to catch everyone up now:

the liberals are condescending towards everybody (tho they probably would have you believe that they are inclusive of everyone) and dismissive of the emergents (citation needed)
the conservatives hate everybody
the evangelicals hate the liberals, but think that the conservatives are right-wing pricks and are suspicious/paranoid towards the emergents.
and the emergents are cool with trying to live in peace with everybody except the evangelicals...boy are they angry at Evangelicals! (see Scott Mcknight at Westminster Pomo conference)

next time...the failure of PoMo to bridge the gaps.

*I suspect that the Machen/Princeton battle had something to do with the fight for the middle. Barth also falls under this (fight for middle) category. i'm not going to get into it too much except to say that no one is immune. they hate us...we hate them. peace is a long way off.

its sad really.

...unscientific postscript 2.1

2008-08-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

(disclaimer...I have not yet taken 'Modern Age' yet, and so if you find something obnoxiously wrong with my historiography, please...simply ignore it like you normally do...or at least should be doing with everything else I say...)

...Politics and revivals: an uneasy marriage

The transdenominational revivals of the Great Awakenings (among other things) managed to give American Evangelicals the sense that they had some sort of solidarity (see Marsden). Politicians, even from the inception of this country, capitalized on this thinking as they tried to get Evangelicals on board with their Democratic enterprise. (cue in Hyenas screaming: NO KING! NO KING! NO KING!)

This turned out to be an easy sell. The Xtn idea of ‘Freedom from spiritual oppression’ deeply resonated with the politicians' democratic cry of ‘Freedom from political oppression’. Even things like: Natural revelation and Common Grace could be seen as echoing the Republican sentiment: ‘We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are...yada yada yada.’ Thus when Democracy was established, a spirit of patriotism, which had already gripped the nation, was now deemed to be in line with Christianity. For in the minds of these American Evangelicals, the terms "Xtn" and "American" were synonymous.

and this turned out to be all hunkydory for about a century or so (a civil war and the rise of a few major cults not withstanding...)

At the turn of the (20th) century however, something quite unforeseen happened (cue Lord of the Rings music!).

The rise of Xtn Liberalism in America - A liberal was one who took seriously the enlightenment questioning of traditions and sought to be free from what they would’ve considered to be oppressive (and silly) constructs. Armed with new advances in science, Higher Criticism, and a whole slew of innovative thinking, Liberals were able to shake the foundations of Christian thought and its hegemonous death grip on public life…things that have stood for centuries (see Christendom). and as a result, Christianity was in a crisis because its view of the Bible as the Truth (whatever that meant) did not match up with the message that this new priesthood of intellectuals was preaching. consequently, the religious landscape fractured into 3 parts: liberals, conservatives and the go-betweens. (haha!!! these are completely spineless designations! they're so general, they can't possibly be attacked except on the grounds that their banality renders them uselessly mute!!)

unscientific postscript

2007-10-27T06:56:00.001-07:00

The underlying “golden thread” that seems to bind PoMo together was a tremendous distaste for violence and fighting. It’s quite understandable considering the history of where a lot of these guys came from (post WWII anti-Marxist/France). They were sick of fighting, and thus were willing to do anything and everything to achieve some measure of peace...even if they needed to play games to do so.

And so the games began...language games...reality games...power games, Derrida’s game aka: deconstruction...it was all ONE GINORMOUS GAME.

The consequence was that these games did violence to language (as did my high school education) and subsequently also to perceptions of reality (see Rorty). Meaning in Language became the pharmakos...the proverbial sacrificial lamb. But then again, as my beloved commanding officer, Capt Obvious once said: murdering meaning tends to be preferable to murdering ppl.

musings on the 'sensus divinitatus'

2007-09-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

Part III

Previously we said that the reason people gravitate towards religion and idolatry is because there is some type of inward (spiritual) longing (Ecc3:10-11) that drives people towards such things. There is a spiritual vacuum inside all of us as a result of Gen 3, and as a result, all of us are working hard (laboring by the sweat of our brow) to fill that void. The problem lies in that the work we do to accomplish this goal (ie filling up the void using materialism, sex, religion ect) will ultimately kill us.

The early church recognized that Jesus was not only Israel’s long awaited messiah, but also the answer to all people’s spiritual longings. If this was true, then in theory, the gospel could effectively correct any errant religious practice simply because these practices were born out of this common religious affection. And if THAT point is true, then we have found ourselves a very powerful tool for evangelism. But what shall we call this thing?

Fortunately for us, we’re not the 1^st ones to figure this stuff out. The Bible often mentions this phenomenon both in the OT and NT. It even gives a name to this longing… “the Hope of Glory” (Rom 5:2, Rom 8:18, Eph 1:18, Col 1:27, Tit 2:13). it's a longing that is universal for all people in places since the fall.

CS Lewis offers the best explaination that I’ve seen. Here is an excerpt from his book, “Weight of Glory”:

“Glory, as Christianity teaches me to hope for it, turns out to satisfy my original desire and indeed to reveal an element in that desire which I had not noticed. By ceasing for a moment to consider my own wants I have begun to learn better what I really wanted. When I attempted to describe our spiritual longings, I was omitting one of their most curious characteristics. We usually notice it just as the moment of vision dies away, as the music ends, or as the landscape loses the celestial light. For a few minutes we have had the illusion of belonging to that world. Now we wake to find that it is no such thing.”

“We do not merely want to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words-to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it. That is why we have peopled air and earth and water with gods and goddesses and nymphs and elves-that, though we cannot, yet these projections can enjoy in themselves that beauty, grace and power of which Nature is the image. That is why the poets tell us such lovely falsehoods. They talk as if the west wind could really sweep into a human soul; but it can’t. They tell us that “beauty born of murmuring sound” will pass into a human face; but it won’t. Or not yet.”

So far then, we’ve explained “hope” in some detail. But what about Glory? What is Glory? That is a question that I’ve spent the last 5 years trying to answer…with only mild success. There are some things however, that we do know.

Glory is:

-something so beautiful, just seeing it would kill you.(ex 33:18-20)

-something that God will not give up under any circumstances (Is 42:8, 48:11)

-something that is most accurately seen by looking at Jesus on the cross (Jn 1:4b)

-something that is so great, our present sufferings don’t even compare.(rom 8:18)

and when you put all of these things together, you see that glory cannot simply mean fame or reknown (though its certainly not something less than this). It must be something greater than simply God making sure that everybody technically knows what His name is. Or maybe its more like God’s name being made known means more than just people technically know the name Yahweh or even Jesus. Instead it’s something so great that the sufferings we go through don’t even compare…no matter how intense those sufferings may be.

Glory then can be understood better as referring to “Redemption” more so than fame. The Glory of God is both coming and has already come...it is a day when everything that is aweful in this world will be made right. Not just the elimination of sin and the effects of sin (death), but also utter fulfillment of our deepest longings...that we will see God face to face.

contextualization in context...

2007-08-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

Currently Reading
The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, Volume 1 : The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600) (The Christian Traditi ... ory of the Development of Christian Doctrine)
By Jaroslav Pelikan
see related

Part II

The logical question that naturally arises is: does this mean that Korean Christianity is something less than authentic/orthodox? Or more specifically: is the Christianity that Koreans practice really just a syncretistic amalgamation of animistic* superstition and Christian practice?

The answer of course is: not necessarily.

It seems that the Church has always had a missional approach to evangelizing the world. For eg. Easter was originally an 8th century Anglo-Saxon pagan idea which coincidentally happened to fall around the Christian celebration of the Death and Ressurection of our Lord. The English Church simply adopted (and then adapted) the pagan holiday and used it as a touch point so that people could more easily convert to Christianity.

Some people call this contextualization alla Acts 17:23. Others think its a big mistake and refuse to call Easter..Easter. Instead they will call it "Resurrection Sunday".

I personally believe that this animosity towards what people percieve to be a "tainted" Christianity is misplaced. And I answer in this way largely because of something I found in a book on Early Church history that I’ve been reading lately. The book is by Jaroslav Pelikan and is entitled, “The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600)”

“The missionary practice of the church was constrained to recognize from the outset that "God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him," and that therefore the Greek did not have to become a Jew en route to the gospel. From this premise it appeared to follow that Christian missionaries should affirm whatever could be affirmed of the religion prevailing in the nations to which they came and should represent Christianity as the correction and fulfillment of the expectations at work in those nations. (...This) was based on the divine principle that Jesus Christ was the divinely ordained answer to the needs and aspirations of the Gentiles as well as the fulfillment of the messianic hopes of Israel.”

Pelikan pg 65-66

I realize that this quote is a bit difficult to grasp, especially for my High School readers (I love you guys! thanks for visiting my site!). Pelikan is saying that the reason that these people gravitated to these pagan rituals (indeed, the reason that anyone engages in idolatry) is because they are seeking after the thing that can fill the gaping hole in their hearts. though the hole is spiritual, it seems that their emotions, and feelings tend to shadow physically the hole and this is why it (the emptiness) sometimes hurts so much.

It sometimes physically hurts that you don't have a lover.

It sometimes physically hurts that you didn't get that promotion.

It always hurts that the Eagles haven't won a Superbowl...ever.

Pelikan is saying that the Church (not Pelikan's idea) recognized this and therefore felt comfortable contextualizing Christianity in a way that not only could people's brains grasp the concept, but their flesh (as opposed to spirit)would respond as well. why did Koreans constantly find themselves gazing up towards the sacred mountain, hoping that someone or something would perhaps look down upon them in kindness? who were they really expecting to help them when angst (Han?) came?

again, any feedback or refutation is more than welcome.

next time...Part III- the conclusion

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*Animism technically refers to a belief that spirits are inside all objects of the physical world (including people, animals, trees, earth and other material things). When taken in this sense, it’s probably true that animism was something that Korea rarely struggled with. But there is a broader sense in which animism can be understood.

In the broader sense, we can understand animism to mean that there are “spirits” or “unseen forces” that can and do exert influence on our world (eg. on people, animals, trees, earth ect) and that these spirits can be manipulated to do what you want them to, usually by pleading with the spirit or force via some sacrifice or ritual.

I prefer this broader definition because it encompasses shaminism, witchcraft, superstition and legalism. In fact, such a definition helps us to see that there is no real difference (from a Biblical standpoint) between the 4. They are all merely ways of trying to get power thru manipulation. If I just say the right words, and/or go thru a certain progression of motions, and/or sacrifice the right thing, and/or engage in the right series of gestures, THEN I’ll get what I want. What difference would it make if you are trying to manipulate spirits, nature (sentient) or God Himself? This stands in stark contrast to our gospel of grace. I’m convinced that this is why God hates witchcraft (Dt 18:10 and legalism (Gal 2:21), and also why superstition has no place in a Christian worldview (1Tim 4:7).

a face for the faceless? Is that what you are?

2007-07-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

Currently Reading
Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold
By C. S. Lewis
see related

Here's an excerpt from a book by CS Lewis.

"Often when he was teaching me to write in Greek, (my teacher) would say,

'Child, to say the very thing you really mean, the whole of it, nothing more or less or other than what you really mean; that’s the whole art and joy of words'

A glib saying.

When the time comes to you at which you will be forced at last to utter the speech which has lain at the center of your soul for years, which you have, all that time, idiot-like, been saying over and over, you’ll not talk about joy of words. I saw well why the gods do not speak to us openly, nor let us answer. Till that word can be dug out of us, why should they hear the babble that we think we mean? How can they meet us face to face till we have faces?"

"Till we have faces" CS Lewis Pg 294

2005-01-18T07:27:00.000-08:00

Currently Reading
Children of a Lesser God: A Play
By Mark Howard. Medoff
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Children of a lesser god.

synopsis: James Leeds is a speech therapist at a school for the deaf who falls in love with a student (Sarah) who many wrongly believed to be retarded and unteachable. The title is derived from something that Sarah says to James as she is explaining why she doesn't work well with teachers. Teachers often have a tendency to "play God" and try make their students into their own image. In Sarah's case, she was sick of 'hearing' teachers (ie teachers who are not deaf) trying to make her into an image of themselves. These teachers delude themselves into thinking that they are conducting a noble thing, but as Sarah rightly points out, they are mistaken. Instead, they unwittingly oppress the deaf by forcing them into the 'hearing' world. The deaf are forced to speak aloud (when doing so make them appear "retarded" and are looked down upon with pity). These teachers play god by making these students images of what they perceive to be the ideal deaf person in a hearing world. The deaf however, rightly see this perception as dehumanizing. Submitting to this kind of teaching/engineering will not make them free...it makes them nothing more than progeny of a lesser god.

2004-08-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I've always struggled with as a pastor was how to give sermons that spoke to women as well as men. And since the majority of my crew were women and young girls, I knew I had to at least try to learn. What ended up happening was that I tried to read some feminist literature. In this post I'd like to introduce you to one of the pieces I read...an article by Judy Syfers. I've reproduced the article in its entirety. I'm hoping it will inspire some good thought. Let me know what you think...

Joe

Why I Want a Wife by Judy Syfers (1971)(Editors Note: This classic piece of feminist humor appeared in the premier issue of Ms. Magazine and was widely circulated in the women's movement.)

I belong to that classification of people known as wives. I am A Wife.And, not altogether incidentally, I am a mother. Not too long ago a male friend of mine appeared on the scene fresh from a recent divorce. He had one child, who is, of course, with his ex-wife. He is looking for another wife. As I thought about him while I was ironing one evening, it suddenly occurred to me that I too, would like to have a wife. Why do I want a wife?I would like to go back to school so that I can become economically independent, support myself, and if need be, support those dependent upon me. I want a wife who will work and send me to school. And while I am going to school I want a wife to take care of my children. I want a wife a wife to keep track of the children's doctor and dentist appointments. And to keep track of mine, too. I want a wife to make sure my children eat properly and are kept clean. I want a wife who will wash the children's clothes and keep them mended. I want a wife who is a good nurturing attendant to my children, who arranges for their schooling, makes sure that they have an adequate social life with their peers, takes them to the park, the zoo, etc. I want a wife who takes care of the children when they are sick, a wife who arranges to be around when the children need special care, because, of course, I cannot miss classes at school. My wife must arrange to lose time at work and not lose the job. It may mean a small cut in my wife's income from time to time, but I guess I can tolerate that. Needless to say, my wife will arrange and pay for the care of the children while my wife is working.I want a wife who will take care of my physical needs. I want a wife who will keep my house clean. A wife who will pick up after my children, a wife who will pick up after me. I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean, ironed, mended, replaced when need be, and who will see to it that my personal things are kept in their proper place so that I can find what I need the minute I need it. I want a wife who cooks the meals, a wife who is a good cook. I want a wife who will plan the menus, do the necessary grocery shopping, prepare the meals,serve them pleasantly, and then do the cleaning up while I do my studying. I want a wife who will care for me when I am sick and sympathize with my pain and loss of time from school. I want a wife to go along when our family takes a vacation so that someone can continue care for me and my when I need a rest and change of scene. I want a wife who will not bother me with rambling complaints about a wife's duties. But I want a wife who will listen to me when I feel the need to explain a rather difficult point I have come across in my course of studies. And I want a wife who will type my papers for me when I have written them.I want a wife who will take care of the details of my social life. When my wife and I are invited out by my friends, I want a wife who take care of the baby-sitting arrangements. When I meet people at school that I like and want to entertain, I want a wife who will have the house clean, will prepare a special meal, serve it to me and my friends, and not interrupt when I talk about things that interest me and my friends. I want a wife who will have arranged that the children are fed and ready for bed before my guests arrive so that the children do not bother us. I want a wife who takes care of the needs of my quests so that they feel comfortable, who makes sure that they have an ashtray, that they are passed the hors d'oeuvres, that they are offered a second helping of the food, that their wine glasses are replenished when necessary, that their coffee is served to them as they like it. And I want a wife who knows that sometimes I need a night out by myself.I want a wife who is sensitive to my sexual needs, a wife who makes love passionately and eagerly when I feel like it, a wife who makes sure that I am satisfied. And, of course, I want a wife who will not demand sexual attention when I am not in the mood for it. I want a wife who assumes the complete responsibility for birth control, because I do not want more children. I want a wife who will remain sexually faithful to me so that I do not have to clutter up my intellectual life with jealousies. And I want a wife who understands that my sexual needs may entail more than strict adherence to monogamy. I must, after all, be able to relate to people as fully as possible.If, by chance, I find another person more suitable as a wife than the wife I already have, I want the liberty to replace my present wife with another one. Naturally, I will expect a fresh, new life; my wife will take the children and be solely responsible for them so that I am left free.When I am through with school and have a job, I want my wife to quit working and remain at home so that my wife can more fully and completely take care of a wife's duties.My God, who wouldn't want a wife?