Peter is an Old Testament scholar (PhD, Harvard University) who currently teaches as Affiliate Faculty of Biblical Studies at Eastern University. I think the answer is bringing up the conversations more and trying to find what we have in common with each other. Thanks Pete, I expressed my full view in a direct response above. in being with another person expressing love in ones flesh. Were two thousand years in. Polls, Statistics and other Data In Roman Catholicism, Peter is seen as the first vicar of the church and so on. Im still working on itof course. http://www.al-islam.org/tradition-myrobalan-fruit-hadith-al-halila-imam-jafar-al-sadiq/hadith. He has written numerous books, including The Bible Tells Me So, The Sin of Certainty, and How the Bible Actually Works. I only presume that peoples experiences of God are a mixed bag that lay along a very wide spectrum. What should be the impact? It certainly seems that way as we compare the experiences of people across faiths. To me there is a sacred goodness in characteristics of the way and Christianitys wins over the centuries are attributable to this. As claimed, the Incarnation passed through our material and human existence. In passing, he also makes a very interesting observation about contemporary Protestant theology: "I live in an ecclesial world in which those who value Christian orthodoxy as a concept seem invariably to drift towards either Rome or Constantinople or some amalgamation of the two which is represented by no existing church. Id take the liberty of summarizing that your belief in God, to the extent you do, is based on faith, not fact. Youve concisely and clearly explained the way I understand my faith and conviction in the existence of God. And there are child-rearing costs to and constraints concerning size of head vs. size of pelvis. Intelligence, understanding and attainment cannot attain the depth of knowledge to study or scrutinise the Godhead. The rule that clarity is the standard of truth subsequently achieved dominance in the Enlightenment (Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, 1 vol edition, 486). They explore the potential behind reading the Bible creatively, the dangers of our modernist sense of truth, and the growing desire for . prof at Westminster Seminary for his progressive evangelicalism, and has not identified himself as a universalist. Of course, it helps that I have absolutely no expectations of him whatsoever. It is in this context, that Christianity, for me, is a profound disappointment. If the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ does exist, watch out. I love this observation, especially about projects and their being emphatically contrasted to silence and solitude. But one alternative is to have a church, mosque, and a Jewish, Buddhist and Hindu temple, close together on every corner with no ones sign larger or higher than the rest, to remind ourselves we can indeed all truly get along. M All this is to say, I am not ready to leave the hope and realism of modernity behind yet, but if I do it wont be atheism. According to Enns, when Paul spoke about Adam, he was not communicating actual history (though Paul believed that he was), rather, he was highlighting an important theological fact (the universal sinfulness of man), employing the most foundational biblical idiom available to him (Enns 2012, p. 142). immediacy. apprehension uncluttered by thought The Christian trusts God even when things do not always make sense this tensions exists in the Christian message and story (but it exists in everyones story) the four Gospels are not shy in displaying this reality. Rule out experience and youre forcing yourself into mysticism. Honestly and looking ahead, my mind is more centered on the significance of the sixth extinction, climate change, the forth-coming dissipation of petroleum energy, a huge human population, limited supply of fresh water for all, and need for compassion for and collaboration with others to existentially address all this. God is just another word for magic. I agree that post-enlightenment empiricism is never going to lead to genuine interaction with the creator, but what about prayer? Indeed. Fideism is a rich and credible approach to knowing God. Try the works of John Hick, former Evangelical who became a fascinating philosopher of religion and sought a common transcendental basis for them all. A few years ago David Benners Spirituality and the Awakening Self: The Sacred Journey of Transformationwas very helpful in pushing me to look at the God question differently at a time when I was ready to hear it. Acts of Interpretation features essays by biblical scholars and theologians offering broad reflections on key interpretive issues, rich readings of challenging biblical texts, and interaction with the Christian exegetical tradition from Melito of Sardis to Dietrich Bonhoeffer.The contributors to this volume are leading figures in the theological interpretation of Scripture. With this, I think wed not only find less conflict but more hope realized. How could God (if He does exist) reject anyone who was honestly searching? Specifically on love as a way of knowing. Speaking of each breath, the sustaining of human consciousness seems to rely on the humble oxygen molecule. One task that gives me great joy is to introduce students to the big picture of the biblical story and to develop insight and respect for how the Old and New Testaments are in conversation with each other. There do not exist words in any language to specify or define His qualities, peculiarities, characteristics and singularities. Scientists tend to understand everything through the lens of our basic five senses which reside in our body and soul. Which I think is the case, but I dont want to speak for Ed. He affirms that Israel's laws were not new in content but were uniquely in that they were connected to a monotheistic community-Israel (57). And if Peter didnt write it and the author was not present; is it still considered an eyewitness testimony? Perhaps even the characteristics on the other-way-of-knowing list are not beyond study. Many say, Lord, Lord. Small is the gate and narrow is the road. It isnt about intellectual knowing and many people butcher Christianity when they think it is Im afraid. Also, be sure to read the book rather than a blurb to see what I am after. Furthermore, I believe it just to consider that biases are adaptive. Talk of a vibrant Christian faith seems overblown. Find it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/19X9WC7Find it at CBD: http://bit.ly/1dnBcesPeter Enns discusses the inerrancy of the Bible as an often contentious topic. Basis for my response: 2 Peter 1:15 to 2 Peter 2:2. 14 Tage gratis - jederzeit kndbar | Lies & hre unbegrenzt | Groe Auswahl an neuen Bchern | 9/10 lesen mehr mit Nextory | Fr Buchliebhaber . Interesting article. I didnt say anything about your knowledge of other religions. The only reason I could see us being worried about being wrong about a certain path/religion/idea/concept would be because God (our Creator) might reject us if we chose the wrong path. 254). Many dont understand that the contentions among faiths are fought (and will be won in the end) not on the grounds of being right, but on the grounds of making the world right. Instead only their book features inspired writingsthe truth and stories necessary to believe, and of course conservatives, moderates and liberals differ concerning what that book really means or what the most essential and necessary lessons are. Therefore, that which is felt or known by the senses, having shape and colour, cannot be God. Did you see the same thing I saw? Does it mean that same thing to you?. Now one can doubt that the man, Peter ever lived, but there are extra-biblical references to him as being the head of the church. But it takes the work of the Spirit of God in ones life to actually believe and rely upon these evidences. Twelve years later, Old Testament scholar Peter Enns has confirmed my suspicions, . It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where "'the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.' Instead, it should be understood as participation in the mystery of the transformational journey toward union with God in love. wouldnt it be more appropriate to say that its possibly an I witness account..the sin of certainty. As Read Post The Evangelical Mind February 5, 2013 Category: General Tags: Doubt, Peter Enns, The Mind, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, Theology, Wisdom And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. Legitttttttt. In her book Shameless, Nadia Bolz-Weber argues for a new Christian sexual ethic that allows for moderate pornography consumption, one-night stands, same-sex encounters, and virtually any sexual activity that demonstrates a "concern for each other . I think you are conflating your own journey with mine. Evidence presented to our reasoning faculties is one way of knowing, not the only way, which is obvious. ". pages we were years from learning And this is the connection to mysticism. Indeed, it is a way of knowing that has been championed as part of the development of culture in the Western tradition, but to pigeon hole the method as somehow distinctively Western is to lose something about its universality in a universe that significantly appears to exhibit fundamental uniformity. The question Is God real? is equal to the question Is magic real?. At Eastern Since 2012. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. I know others mileage may vary. Enns believes that there are many different views of God and that we human beings cannot tell which is the correct ones, and that it is better that we do not know for certain than that we do know for certain. I say, God. For, everything is under the one and the same law-the law of transformation and decline. Thanks for this post. I think the Mystics have something important to say. Tweets at @peteenns. @peteenns. Alot of us have reached the point where the only left left to do is bring people together despite our differences. Just dont mistakethis as an argument for Gods existence. Its just where my thinking process is. These are subjective, private experiences. So please do not think I am trying to quantitize it in some scientific sense. And the one thing that every single wisdom tradition or religious group teaches is the way. M.A. 2. Not sure what the phrase, proper locus of religious conviction means, because based on my own interactions with a wide variety of folks I have noticed that people dont have the same attraction to mystical or spiritual thinking. I think the proper locus of religious conviction can help one find meaning in a religion better than help one find a religion. and disasters Catholics see Angels, Mary and Jesus, Protestants usually just see Angels and Jesus, and one Protestant apparently saw a talking Bible in his NDE, while another claims to have been to heaven dozens of times and seen images from everything In Revelation, and Mormons have their own NDE bulletin, Betty Eade had a bestseller about meeting a Mormon Jesus who was not God, universalist NDEs, then there are Hindu and Buddhist visions and NDEs, like seeing a talking Buddhist turtle god, while native Americans have totem animal visions, and New Agers and some other folks claims to have seen Angels, UFOs, aliens of different species. I suggest maybe you read your Bible again. even if our lack of understanding gives us a sense that our existence is meaningless and that, if one could, one would not choose existence. Which then opens up the question of what reality it what knowing we are engaged in. Evidence based knowledge may not be necessary for a person to believe in God, but it sure would be handy when it comes to rival claims about God between people in different religions, denominations and mystical sects, not to mention between various schools of non-religious philosophical theists, agnostics and atheists. 2. What gives? transrational As a United Methodist, part of how I articulate this is in the language of experience (1 part of what Albert Outler named the Wesleyan quadrilateral). That is a blessing from God. much more defined by their longing than by theirexperience. Concepts of God can propel or retard in this context. He has taught courses at several other institutions including Harvard University, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Princeton Theological Seminary. Maybe dramatically more so? Piper argues that God's judgments are just and shouldn't be questioned. There is no external mention of the writing until Origen in the 3rd century. One of the things about the Western way of knowing is that it isnt really a Western way of knowing. Enns' view is that the Bible is essentially a human collection (s) of different stories (by different authors/editors) that have a common reference to "God". That your mind cannot stretch to embrace a perspective that seems to transcend all of existence. He has not permitted human mind to grasp the Essence of His Being **YET** He has not prevented them from realising His Presence. Every disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who draws out from their storage room things both old and new. Its generally NOT considered trustworthy; if it was then Bigfoot and alien abductions would be accepted beyond the fringe as accurate descriptions of reality/history. Certainly, too many Islamists (by no means all) are tragically attempting to force their beliefs on others, and the result is ISIS, AQ, Boko Haram, and too many other groups. So sad to have so much education without conviction. You can experience a spiritual longing, connectedness, peace, transformation, serenity, boundless compassion, and so on. Peter Enns. Faced with the incoherence of a fundamentalist/evangelical reaction to modernity, I have no problem accepting Pascals Wager and embracing your mystical/existential explanation. This happens not in our mind, but in our spirit. I do not think the gospel stands on whether we can read Paul's Adam in the . 610-341-5800. Peter Enns is Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University, St. Davids, Pennsylvania. It is based on direct and personal encounter. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Another mans spiritual experience cannot be denied. His Attributes cannot be fixed, limited or defined. Peter Enns (PhD, Harvard University) is the Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. Pete Enns (PhD, Harvard University) is the Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University, St. Davids, Pennsylvania, and co-host of The Bible for Normal People podcast. M.Div. I like your emphasis here. What I have noticed especially in connection with your point about knowing God outside of our default rationalism, Pete, is that both as a church and as individual Christians in the West, we find it difficult knowing how to spend time in silence, or in solitude, away from our faith projects or church systems. Good point. I suggest you read Richard Rohr. . Beitr-ge zum internationalen Symposium vom 27. bis 29. There are a variety of reasons (speaking myself) that I believe while having doubt and disparaging my trust in God (Jesus) does not solve the dilemma (my own opinion) but creates more problems ( I was not raised Christian either in fact I did not become a Christian until a few years ago). I dont think God would. Peter Enns Height He is a man of above-average stature. God means many different things to people. God, our creator cannot be perceivable by the five senses for, He is not a thing-which is compound elements etc or created. Olof Pedersn is Professor emeritus in Assyriology is studying at the University of Uppsala. It just begs the question, which one? Here's where the money is going! No matter how much you imagine or try. I have been following your story since the Westminster brouhaha (and enjoyed and endorsed your books to others online) but I dont recall reading your whole story from your youth, which I am sure would be interesting, probably some overlap with Randal Rausers and my own Evangelical Christian youth. But in the formerit seemssome individuals cannot ask the does God exist? question without deeply wondering about which God?? For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/cruz-any-president-who-doesnt-begin-every-day-his-knees-isnt-fit-be-commander-chief-nation. Wonder of breathing and wonder of stars and wonder of babies are indeed wonders. 3. Read Dr. Enns full CV, B.S. The idea there is magic in the universe is ridiculous, childish, and completely impossible. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. In this context, for practical reasons, some times its time to stop thinking and to take action based upon the best information and limited brains computational power and time available. The universe is a really big place. Knowing God is a life-long participation. Previous Post Wholeheartedness with Chuck DeGroat But regarding a mans spiritual experience cannot be denied, well the experience may not perhaps but certainly the interpretation of it can. He is a cohost of the popular podcast The Bible for. and Ph.D. Harvard University Westminster Theological Seminary From this, I have a question for you; isnt it also completely reasonable (and rational) to look at the fruits of other peoples experience to see that their belief and faith are grounded in the truth? Academically, I graduated from Messiah College in 1982 (Behavior Science), WTS in 1989 (MDiv), and Harvard University in 1994 (PhD, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations). We go crazy in solitary confinement, when stranded on an island, when lost in the wilderness solo. Even today Christians keep founding relatively new and youthful institutions devoted to walling themselves up against questions, like Liberty Christian U, or Tim LaHays Heritage Christian U, or Patrick Henry U, or all the televangelist stations on TV. Thats why all we need to focus on is the Way; which is your way that youre honestly seeking God. In asking does God exist?, Ive heard it said that two very large questions are revealed or not. My point is a rather modest one: the question of Gods existence is not settledone way or the otheron the basis of the kind of evidence-based knowledge that modern western culture (rightly) embraces to help us explain many, many things around us. I would take as examples of this people such as Jesus and the profound impact on the entire world for the good, that his truth has produced, and by extension, His Apostles and their experience. Let God alone if need be. These are ideals that I subjectively value. The other day he wrote a post that he entitled Why I Don't Believe in God Anymore. Show Notes This episode was . Thank you Joseph. Some have thought it to be evasiveness. I also suspect that you and Frank probably share many criticisms of your more conservative Christian pasts. . Forced love . And I learned about the history of all these relatively young fundamentalist Christian colleges founded in the 1920s like WTS, during the fndamentalist-modernist controversy. Although, both people and God can be disappointing in ways myself included. Interesting Beau, thanks. However, today, philosophers who reject Cartesian or Substance Dualism acknowledge that subjective states like color, pain, and thoughts are objectively real using empirical tools. There are multiple (a lot!) Its not utopia but Ill take it. Or read my own my testimony where I mention the effect that finding and fully acknowledging goodness in people of all beliefs or none had on me. My point is that we ought to consider seriously the word of an eyewitness, especially when the eye witness is a confirmed historical figure. This is perhaps another way to look at the sin of certainty. (Ive blogged on Benner several times, for examplehere. I would never ever suggest this is a unique property of Xty. And make sure you bring your oil along with your lamps as the bridegroom is a long time in coming yet always arrives soon. 2 Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; Does God exist? That is what He did for me over 50 years ago. In this episode of The Tentative Apologist Podcast we sit down with Dr. Peter Enns to explore a range of questions relating to the Bible, science and faith. Theists believe magic is real. On what basis is God still an option for you?. Most people seem to have never seen or heard a literal voice of God like Abraham or Noah allegedly received. The Quran Chapter 112, Things are compound elements atoms etc, made of parts. To conclude, I'd like to quote Enns one more time. First, note the way I phrased the staged questions above. It is transrational. But let us then continue this comparison to Buddhism. For instance, some have hypothesized the benefit of aggressive agency detection. There is a type of love that can only be experience I think by a parent for their child. As revealed clearly in the scriptures, God is raising up out of this raging cauldron of sin pain and suffering adopted sons(and daughters) who will embrace the process of being transformed by their tests and trials into those who will be worthy of ruling and reigning with Him throughout eternity. The reason many do not talk more about these issues are beyond me (I say that knowing that many do in fact talk about these tensions Pete is one of them). Have something important to say this browser for the next time I comment God in flesh... But more hope realized honestly seeking God Allah, the Eternal, Absolute does... Origen in the 3rd century across faiths knowing, not the only left! Although, both people and God can be disappointing in ways myself included the locus! Better than help one find meaning in a direct response above a religion to the is... People together despite our differences absolutely no expectations of him whatsoever everything through the lens of our Lord Jesus does. 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When they think it is in this context, that which is your way that youre honestly seeking.! With each other what basis is God still an option for you? wilderness solo heard it that... Not only find less conflict but more hope realized until Origen in the 3rd century our! To see what I am trying to find what we have in common with each other then up. Still an option for you? knowledge to pete enns universalism or scrutinise the Godhead proper locus of religious can! Can help one find meaning in a religion, connectedness, peace,,. Think I am after across faiths real? bring people together despite our differences your., things are compound elements atoms etc, made of parts we go crazy in solitary confinement when... Of knowledge to study pete enns universalism scrutinise the Godhead I also suspect that you and Frank share. And clearly explained the way and Christianitys wins over the centuries are attributable to this compare! 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And singularities exist ) reject anyone who was honestly searching context, that Christianity, for examplehere more Christian... I also suspect that you and Frank probably share many criticisms of more. Is ridiculous, childish, and so on, but what about prayer in the of...
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