Category: Beliefs
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Becoming a Whole Christian
I want to be a Whole Christian. I want to love the Lord my God with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind, and all my strength, and be part of a worshipping community with others who do. I want to love my brothers and sisters the way…
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Partially Examined Assumptions from PEL #46: Plato on Ethics & Religion
Dear Partially Examined Life podcasters, Like Skepoet, I was very impressed by your recent episode on Plato’s “Euthyphro.” And yes, Seth, I deeply appreciated your perspective on Judaism. In particular, it helped me realize that modern Christianity in practice actually functions the way you describe Judaism (with decisions made by a…
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Partially Examined Questions
Dear Mark, Seth, and Wes, Thanks for the shout out on the The Partially Examined Life blog. First of all, I want to apologize for my snarky and apparently misleading comments on your Facebook page; let me know when I’ve expended $10 worth of annoyance and I’ll make another donation. 🙂 Now that…
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TASPOR: Towards a Scientific Perspective on Religion
One of the most common complaints about religion is that it is “anti-scientific”, or conversely that science has removed the need for religion. To be sure, there is a grain of truth in this critique — especially given the anti-intellectual tendencies of American Fundamentalism, which is what the new wave…
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TAST: Toward a Systemic Theology
In this “TAST” series of blog posts, I want to go beyond critiquing traditional systematic theology and start laying a groundwork for an alternative approach, which I’m labeling “systemic theology.” apostles, doctrine, god’s word, history, kingdom, leadership, pastoral, prophets, restoration, systems, terminology, theology, transformation, truth, understanding
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Devotional Theology, Further On
CourageHebrews 12:1-3Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter…
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The Four “Self” Principles
Thus, while I think my list is compatible with his — and owes a great debt to him — he would probably formulate things differently (and, in practice, draw the line in a slightly different place).That said, I couldn’t resist using his name for a pun on the old “post-missiological”…
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Towards a Devotional Theology
CallIsaiah 61:1-3 (cf. Luke 4:17-19)The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,because the LORD has anointed meto preach good news to the poor.He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim freedom for the captivesand release from darkness for the prisoners,to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favorand…
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Seven Verses Worth Dying For
That is, some of the issues that were life-and-death millennia ago are now gnats, and while we strain them out camels are overrunning our camp.This got me thinking: what are the core truths that are so foundational to my understanding and experience of God — and myself — that I…
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DiaBlogue Finale 2: The Halting Problem
For the record, I did not in any way mean to imply that any goalpost-shifting was intentional or malicious — or even that any anger involved was necessarily “irrational.”The specific bit of cognitive dissonance I’ve been trying to wrap my head around is that you appear to hold Christianity to…
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DiaBlogue Aside: Open Questions on Desire Utilitarianism
…these are not so much meant to negate DU as to point out that (as currently formulated, as far as I can see) it fails to address a great many important questions that are successfully addressed by other ethical theories (though to be fair, DU solves problems that those other…
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DiaBlogue Finale: Return to Love (redux)
It is a follow-up to my own initial reaction to our decision to call things off, as well as Alan’s own reaction and closing thoughts, and may well be our final word on this topic.Dear Alan,There’s many things I could say to you at this time, but after much wrestling…
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DiaBlogue: A Time To Grieve
It is probably the sin of Pride — not wanting to admit there’s problems I can’t solve; or, worse, problems that I’m not supposed to solve.Regret also plays a role, though; as long as things continue, there’s always the hope (vain though it may be) that past mistakes may yet…
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Diablogue[Chat]: End Game
E: So, we should wrap up. A: yepE: Do you want to take a stab at defining secular humanism for next time, and how it obviates the need for a consensus around my Deistic Hypothesis?A: I’m not really sure I’m interested in continuing, actually. E: Sorry to hear that. E:…
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DiaBlogue[Chat]: Agree Locally, Disagree Globally
Medieval Western Christianity (MWC) — while far from perfect — has proven to be the most fertile ground for succesful moral innovation of any system yet attempted.A: How are you determining that?E: Well, can we go back to the metric of “greatest good for the greatest number?”E: If you buy…
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DiaBlogue: For the Love of G/NOD
E’s “Love” for G/NOD is only “Rational” if G/NOD also “Loves” E.That is, if the Global Network of Desires includes a set of desires that maximize the most and strongest of E’s desires.I don’t know if I’ve actually proved anything of significance, but I do think the argument above is…
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DiaBlogue[Chat]: True Good
So in that case, the appropriate network is a global one.E: So, in the general case, is morality defined relative to the global network of all humans who are currently living?A: Yes.E: (even if the coupling of certain actions is quite weak)E: And might live in the future?E: Or only…
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DiaBlogue to Chatalogue
Hey, it works!Howdy!Are you still at work, then?Yeah.Though, it is a quiet afternoon.You almost missed me.
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DiaBlogue: My Bad
As I like to say, “anger is a great stop sign, but a lousy street sign”: it tells you that something is wrong, but not where.In this case, I concede that the underlying problem is mine: I had some fundamentally mistaken assumptions about the issues of our diablogue and the…
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DiaBlogue: Ashes to Ashes
Dear Alan, Happy Ash Wednesday! [Yes, I realize that’s a problematic statement on many levels :-]. Though our church is otherwise very informal and contemporary, Lent is always as a major time of fasting, reflection, repentance, and prayer. In particular, as I’ve been reflecting on our DiaBlogue during the three-week…
Radically Happy 