I seem to spend a lot of time on the quiet questioning fellow Christians about the assertion that Scripture is a metanarrative. I've tended to ask if that's so: why do the same stories get told differently? How come there are clear culturally-different takes on things? Why is it that we can't come to agreed Christian views about various things on the basis of Scripture? So, I was happy to discove that I'm not a voice in the wilderness. Here's the article I found comfort in: THEOOZE - Articles: Viewing Article: And here's a quote to try to persuade you to read it. "In light of this explanation of meta-narratives, does the Bible fit into such a category? Is the Bible a meta-narrative in the modern sense? The answer is clearly, no. As was discussed earlier, the New Testament church is not part of a meta-narrative, but is a movement of resistance against such. The Roman Empire oppressed the early Christians with its power, but through weakness the church endured; and this is the proclamation that we read each time we open the Scriptures. Just as Homer’s Odyssey is a “big story” of proclamation, so also biblical authority is found in the story that is told, not in some form of scientific or universal reason. James K. A. Smith states:
While in modernity science was the emperor who set the rules for what counted as truth and castigated faith as fable, postmodernity has shown us the emperor’s nudity. Thus, we no longer need to apologize for faith—we can be unapologetic in our kerygmatic proclamation of the gospel narrative."
27 November 2008
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I've been watching the TV series 'Foundation'. I read the books about 50 years ago (I know!) but scarcely now remember anything...
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I've just had an article published on emergingchurch.info. It's an adaptation of some of my book, but I thought I'd share it and...
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I'm very caught up with the idea of what it means to be a co-worker with God. I'm listening to Brian McClaren on the kingdom in 'The Secret Message of Jesus' and it's making me think. Thanks for pointing my attention to this collection of essays at the Ooze. I read what you recommended and I'm very captured by Wright's understanding of the Bible as a five act play. That 'it is within our participation that the Bible becomes truly authoritative [and] this will not always be an easy task and it may require some awkward moments along the way, but it is in these moments that we can re-imagine and implement our place in the narrative of God' . I see this as a very exciting challenge.
Rachel at Re vis.e Re form
Encouraging to realise that the lecturers too aren't united in their perceptions of things at the college. This is what makes it all so fascinating - all the 'iron sharpening iron' that goes on.
I stand up and cheer Rachel, at your comment.
As to college lecturers; you're right -there are areas of debate and onging reflection on difference! That's part of the interest in college life for me. We do wonder, as faculty, whether we ought to find ways to bring some of our reflections on difference out into the open more in college life ... so that others can see debate and disagreement modelled hopefully reasonably well!
I think that that's a great idea, particularly in the current climate. I find it all fascinating, particularly the disagreements over orthodoxy and the three streams that Dr Graham Kings has described. I think we all need to learn, and I include myself here, about how we might listen better to others by opening up our ears to really hear and I think it is important that we discover a language with which we can debate our views so that dignity on all sides is maintained. I will 'watch this space'.
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