Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Stevenson Historical Interlude & Chpt 6: The Bible
Pick a few questions to discuss; respond to 1-2 of your classmates.
1. "Where should we draw the line between symbolic or metaphorical talk of God and realistic, literal talk of Him?" (around p. 112-3)
2. Comment on this quote, p. 113
"Perhaps the difference between theism and atheism is not so much a question of metaphysical fact concerning the existence of a supernormal incorporeal person, but rather a question of how helpful, useful, and illuminating a person finds theistic figures of speech in talking about life. The answer to that can be a matter of degree."
3. What is the role of humans in relation to other creation? (around p. 115)
4. Connect the material from the section "The New Testament Theory of Human Nature" to Chpt 6 Survival Hypotheses in Barry. Should we focus on an afterlife or a new way of living in this life? (p. 122-3)
5. What exactly do we mean by God's Salvation in Christ? What do you think about the concepts of saved by grace vs. saved by faith vs. saved by good works. Note that those aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.
6. Comment on this, p. 127
"Many thinking Christians may acknowledge such intellectual problems. But they remain practicing members of a Christian community, and in some sense 'accept' or 'go along with' the orthodox doctrines because of what they find in the life and worship of the Church and in reading the Bible--a certain growth in the spiritual life."
7. Do you find any tension in believing in science while believing in religion? Comment on what Islam or Judaism or the Enlightenment philosophers say about the source of authority, whether one can be a believer as well as a scientist, about how the rise of science changed the way we see ourselves.
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6.) The quote from page 127 is not wrong at all, at least in the Catholic church. I have talked to countless people that say they are catholic but then when asked why they believe what they believe, they have no response. Yes, there are people who have challenged the beliefs of the church and ultimately grown from it, but there are also those who just mindlessly flock to church every Sunday morning.
ReplyDelete5.) To me, God's salvation in Christ is like Wonka's golden ticket from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The golden ticket gives Charlie the means by which he can enter into Wonka's amazing chocolate factory. This factory is full of mind blowing things that no one could have ever conceived. As Christians, we are given a golden ticket into the marvelous kingdom of God through salvation in Christ. We cannot begin to imagine the amazingness of His kingdom!