Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Chapter 13. Reflection

This chapter is subtitled "thinking theologically."  There's a difference between "learning about Christianity" and "learning Christianity."  To use a phrase coined by Marcus Borg, the Episcopalians at Lynne's Episcopal church took the Bible "seriously, but not literally" (p. 188).
"Bible study is a practice of thoughtful faithfulness, one that blends Christian commitment with openness.  As such, learning moves beyond information and becomes spiritual formation in a way of life, a life, as Lynne had hoped, that nurtures compassion and justice" (p. 188).
1.  How do you understand the Christian life of the mind?  Have you ever thought of intellectual curiosity as a spiritual practice?  Does your church encourage or discourage theological reflection as an important part of the faith journey?  Have you ever considered theological reflection a "way of life"?

2.  What do you think about the difference between liberality and liberalism?

3.  What do you make of the last two paragraphs of this chapter?  Do they reflect your longings?  Your congregation?

5 comments:

Shirley said...

1. How do you understand the Christian life of the mind? Have you ever thought of intellectual curiosity as a spiritual practice? Does your church encourage or discourage theological reflection as an important part of the faith journey? Have you ever considered theological reflection a "way of life"?
The Christian life of the mind is an active reflection of one’s faith and how it is practiced. I had not thought of intellectual curiosity as a spiritual practice. My church encourages acceptance of its beliefs rather than theological reflection of its members. I had not thought of theological reflection as a “way of life”, but the chapter certainly presents a good case of the importance of theological reflection.
2.
2. What do you think about the difference between liberality and liberalism?
Liberality with the definition of theological generosity has more of a religious meaning of taking an open approach to scriptural interpretation. Liberalism with its openness to change tends to have more of a secular political meaning which is given a negative connotation by many self-righteous conservatives. Reading this chapter, I realized that a liberal approach to religion encourages going beyond the literal interpretation of scripture.

3. What do you make of the last two paragraphs of this chapter? Do they reflect your longings? Your congregation?
I liked the explanation in the last two paragraphs of the chapter that people do want to seek truths through reflection rather than being told what to think. I like the idea, but don’t think it has been a longing of mine or of my congregation.

Zorro said...

1. How do you understand the Christian life of the mind? Have you ever thought of intellectual curiosity as a spiritual practice? Does your church encourage or discourage theological reflection as an important part of the faith journey? Have you ever considered theological reflection a "way of life"?

Yes, I have thought of intellectual curiosity as spiritual practice. I have done a lot of reading of the writings of Catholic intellectuals in the long ago past, right after I became a Catholic, so I am familiar with trying to embrace the practice. I have not 'practiced' lately. Some familiarity with the theories of Carl Jung and with Kohlberg's theory of moral development is an essential part of my spiritual journey.

Theological reflection seems very important to me as a part of my life.

Zorro said...

What do you make of the last two paragraphs of this chapter? Do they reflect your longings?

I like these sentences: "Intellectual engagement takes pilgrims to the edge of the gap where, unexpectedly, theological reflection melds into the Spirit. At that place, believers glimpse God, and the vision can empower...acts of faith. Head, heart, hands (and health). Connected and integrated." Isn't this what 4H is all about?

Shirley said...

Especially as a former 4-H parent and leader, I liked the connection Zorro made to tie the last two paragraphs in to the 4-H motto.

Shirley

AuntyDon said...

1.To me, the core of the "Christian life of the mind" is the art of questioning for the twofold purpose of making the answers relative to daily life and igniting more questions to explore. I've always thought of intellectual curiosity as the #1 spiritual practice because it is what is uniquely human and leads to all the other spiritual practices.
Some in my congregation welcome theological reflection, but most, including the person I consider the church's matriarch, are really stuck in either their childhood teachings or their "new" denominational beliefs.
For most of my life I have viewed reflection on the sacred as essential for living my life. It is not a new thought for me.

2. For me, the difference has to do with the self more than the communal elements of both of these words. "Liberality" in this sense is the freedom to allow myself to experience God using my mind at work, interpreting both scripture and life events. "Liberalism" is the freedom to understand scripture and life filtered through expected outcomes of previous experiences. To me 'liberality" uses balanced heart and head faith, while "liberalism" is unbalanced in favor of head faith.

3. They definitely reflect my longings for what Butler Bass calls "gap between human knowing and God," the questions that are never fully answered but are always spiritually empowering, "Head, heart, hands. Connected and integrated" is my goal. My congregation has the heart and hands, but many lack the head, so the missing head link keeps us broken.