There’s been nearly too much stuff going on to write coherently about any of it. So, I’ll merely provide some quick hits…
I’ve basically dropped out of the pacificism discussion on Gideon’s site. I’m still not sold on either side of the debate (just war v. pacificism), but Caleb Stegall makes a good point:
I’ve written elsewhere about the “discipline of place.” “It is the idea that to suffer one’s place and one?s people in the particularity of its and their needs is the only true basis for finding love, friendship, and an authentic, meaningful life. This is nothing less than the key to the pursuit of Christian holiness, which is the whole of the Christian adventure: live in love with the frailty and limits of one?s existence, suffering the places, customs, rites, joys, and sorrows of the people who are in close relation to you by family, friendship, and community?all in service of the truth, goodness, and beauty that is best experienced directly. The discipline of place teaches that it is more than enough to care skillfully and lovingly for one?s own little circle, and this is the model for the good life, not the limitless jurisdiction of the ego, granted by a doctrine of choice, that is ever seeking its own fulfillment, pleasure, and satiation. The Puritan heritage of America has long chafed against this discipline as it necessarily limits one to a small field of action in a world with seemingly little hope for eschatological fulfillment. Thus have American Evangelicals historically pined after their great mission of ‘giftedness’ and ‘calling,’ forsaking that foolishness of the Gospel of our Lord which has ever lain at their doorstep, in need of nurturing care.”
Maybe burning all this time trying hash out morality in what is an amoral space is a waste of time. I am not, and will doubtless ever be, directly involved in the governance of citizens. Perhaps I simply need to concern myself with practicing peace within my own community and let things spiral outward from there.
After a brief discussion with a few co-workers about evolutionary theory, and it’s place in Christian theology, I found myself wondering something — if I subscribe to the literary perspective on the creation story in Genesis, does that mean that the Fall is nothing more than metaphor? And, how does evolution (and, more to the point, the fossil record) fit with that literary theory? If there wasn’t death before the Fall, how can we explain the fossil record? So I started down the rabbit hole with my father-in-law, and we shared some links, that I’ll pass along here.
Here are two articles from the American Scientific Affiliation:
Space and Time in the Genesis Cosmogony
And here’s a post by Maclin Horton regarding this thoughts on the dilemma these questions pose.
All that said, I’ve only read the Horton post, so I’ve got nothing further to say. For now.
And finally, Keith has an open invitation to join the dialogue regarding Catholicism and postmodern Christianity. Interesting stuff.
Posted on 8 June 2005