Patristics and Succession

Looking at the patristic period of Christian history (c. 100-451), Christianity was far more theologically diverse than the Roman church gives it credit for. One of the Roman Church's arguments for its status as the true church is that the Roman Church is the development of the early periods of Christianity: it is most true to the early forms of Christianity. This assumes that there was a single type of Christianity which Rome adheres to and other denominations do not. However, there is no one theology of the patristic period. There were many, conflicting theologies. Different cities represented different schools of theology: the theologians from Alexandria are referred to as, surprise, Alexandrine theologians, and they are different from the theologians from Antioch, known as Antiochene theologians. Also, there were the theologians from North Africa, such as Tertullian and Augustine. The Roman Church may agree with some of these guys, but they cannot agree with them all. To give it credit, though, the Roman Church is probably the most diverse church, able to hold in unity the most disparate group of believers.

The Interpretation of Needs

"There is no difficulty in securing enough agreement for action on the point that education should serve the needs of the people. But all hinges on the interpretation of needs; if the primary need of man is to perfect his spiritual being and prepare for immortality, then education of the mind and the passions will take precedence over all else. The growth of materialism, however, has made this a consideration remote and even incomprehensible to the majority. Those who maintain that education should prepare one for living successfully in this world have won a practically complete victory...[Such an education] neither encourages reflection nor inspires a reverence for the good."
- Richard M. Weaver, Ideas Have Consequences (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1954), 49.

Freedom Old and New

Augustine makes a distinction between the freedom of the first man and the freedom of the last men, or as he puts it, the freedom of the first immortality and the freedom of the second immortality. The freedom of Adam was that he had the ability to not sin. The choice was his. The freedom of the resurrected is that they are unable to sin. In this way they are more like God, who also cannot sin. This inability is a gift from God and something for which we will be eternally thankful. The inability to sin must proceed from our hearts, which must then have no desire to sin. If the resurrected wanted to sin but were unable to, then their inability to sin would be bondage and not freedom. If Adam's freedom was less than the new freedom, then freedom is both doing what one wants and wanting the right things. Because Adam did not want the right thing, his freedom was less than the new man's. The freedom of the resurrected will be freedom from the battle of the soul which Paul talks about, freedom from wanting to please God but doing things that will displease him.

Every Sentence Shines

This is the great difference between some recent developments of Nonconformity and the great Puritanism of the seventeenth century. It was the whole point of the Puritans that they cared nothing for decency. Modern Nonconformist newspapers distinguish themselves by suppressing precisely those nouns and adjectives which the founders of Nonconformity distinguished themselves by flinging at kings and queens.

- Chapter 2 in Chesterton, Heretics

Christmas Songs

Click here for some of the finest renditions of two Christmas classics that you'll ever hear.

Also, I highly recommend the Sacred Sandwich, which is like Lark News but from a bunch of Baptists.

I Almost Cried

Superman Returns contains one of the most racking scenes that I have seen in a while. The movie portrays Superman as strong. While one might expect this from a Superman movie, I have heard that media often portrays Superman as comparatively wimpy. In the beginning of the movie, Superman crashes into the earth from space. Soon after his return, Superman gently lays a crashing Boeing 747 on a baseball field. Later Superman takes a complete round of a chain gun to the chest, grabs a giant, iron advertisement in the air in mid-fall, and lifts a huge boat out of the water, holding it in the air with one hand as he saves Lois and Richard with the other. He is strong. But when he lands on Lex Luthor's kryptonite laced island things change. Lex punches Superman down a staircase. He kicks him around, and then one of Lex's thugs fish hooks Superman under the chin and drags him through the puddles and across the rocks. The three thugs start to beat him heavily, kicking him in the chest and drowning him in puddles. Seeing Superman try to crawl away, then collapse, moan and cry out in pain hurts.

I have read a number of comments on the Christological imagery of the movie. A heavenly being sends down his only son to help men. Jor-El mentions that men are capable of good, but that they need a light for their feet and a lamp for their path. After Lex and his cronies thrash Superman Jor-El says that men are corrupt and have evil hearts but there is still hope for them. The scene of Superman's suffering presents some of the most visceral imagery, and it is reminiscent of the Passion scene in which the Roman soldiers flog Christ (I say scene because I'm comparing movie with movie). There are differences of course: Superman is not almighty; Christ suffered willingly. The Superman scene illustrates the Passion scene in that the contrast between Superman's strength and his weakness is so obvious and so humiliating to us, whereas Christ's strength is not as obvious. As Flannery O'Connor said, when saying something to deaf men you have to speak very loudly. Michael Collender at St. Anne's Pub remarks, however, that all in all Superman was irresponsible with its imagery. I'll let you listen to that on your own.

Procrastination

I am in the Vaughan Memorial library. I've wasted most of the day on pleasant diversions. When I got to school I spent several hours in the Div school study room and talked with fellow students. Wasted time is a bit harsh. It was quite fun. Here in the library I stopped looking for books and just looked around. This is the first time that I've looked around this library. I am sitting on the third floor, looking down on the second. The library is on a hill, so the first and the second floor are on ground level. What look like cow skulls line the wall across from me. The lights cast shadows on the ceiling, which looks like it's made up of aluminum tiles with ventilating holes. The tiles look like army camouflage pants only a lighter green. A purple banner hangs from the ceiling and reads in big white letters "Quiet Study Area." Coughs and the tapping of keys reverberate off the walls, disobeying the sign. Textbook pages are turning, as students study for exams. It is exam week. A guy and a girl just told the girl sitting in front of me that her exam is tomorrow, not Wednesday, and she got so frustrated. She cursed herself, defamed herself, bit, chewed, and tore herself. Her friends felt awkward, almost like it would have been better if they hadn't told her. Below me are the literature books, and far down the stacks of books, on the wall above them, hangs a large painting. Someone has dug a road through a wood. The road is unpaved and about the size for a car to drive on. The sun in shining golden off the upper part of the far window sill and reflecting on the wooden panelled wall. I am scared that I'll miss Jason if I wait any longer, so I have to go now.

Fiction as truth

Some people don't like fiction.  I don't understand it, but there it is.  Something to do with "waste of time."  However, there are few things as profitable as reading a good story.  Through stories hidden things are revealed; we see, whereas before our eyes were covered.  A good story teaches, through characters that do not exist, some truth, either a new truth or one that we already knew but needed to see afresh.

Once there was a great man who committed adultery with a gorgeous woman, and subsequently had her husband killed to hide his deed. Then a storyteller, knowing about this deed and wanting to reveal it to him, came up to the man and told him the following story.  There was a poor man with one lamb, and he loved the lamb dearly.  He cared for it, fed it, and it was his joy and delight.  Then a rich ruler, who had many lambs of his own, took the beloved lamb from the poor man to use at a feast for his guests, leaving the poor man desolate.  The great man fomented at this story, and exclaimed that the ruler ought to pay four lambs for the lamb that he took.  The storyteller, realizing that the great man was a bit obtuse and needed more prodding, said, That ruler is you.  And the great man, seeing what he had done, wept.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

We have many things to be thankful for, not the least of which is being home with family this Thanksgiving. I have been looking forward to this weekend ever since we arrived home. I'm overdue for some big family time and definitly overdue for a large turkey dinner!

Scott's mom, Betty picked us up from New Minas yesterday afternoon and we are at their house in Dartmouth until tomorrow. Tomorrow (Sunday), we will travel to Porter's Lake where we will celebrate Thanksgiving Monday with a large family gathering, lots of Turkey and pie. I am so excited! I imagine that I'll pack on the pounds this weekend (the doctor told me I had to gain 10, so that's okay), however, I was planning on gaining it slowly, 5 in October, 5 in November to avoid the whole yo-yo thing with the fast gain that doesn't last.

We'll be in Dartmouth still on Sunday morning.. I don't know where we'll go to church? Maybe 'Grace Baptist'... Betty mentioned that she would like to try it out, as a possible church for them to attend, so maybe we'll end up there tomorrow... who knows?

Anyway... I'll end this by saying that we are very thankful this year for all of the blessings that God has given us (of which there are many), among those blessings, we are especially thankful for our ever-growing family and for the time we get to spend together. (... and lest we forget... turkey of course).

A New Song

I've uploaded the first take of the first part of a new song. Check it out here.

Finally getting a start...

Well, since my last post I finally have a job! I am a cashier at Kent Building Supplies. I just started training today (I had safety training yesterday). It's not really in my field (that is the one I went to university for); but, it's a job and a pleasant work environment with a helpful and friendly staff, so it's pretty good. Scott is still applying for jobs, but as of yet has not heard from any of the places he has applied... hopefully he'll get an interview soon.

Reuban Dixon (our youngest Dixon nephew) took his first steps yesterday, for those of you who have not heared. It was really cool... we were cheering him on (he walked to me the second time he did it), he looked awesome, stumbling forward with his belly pushed out, it was so exciting!

I guess that's all of the news I have for now, we don't do too much these days... Scott is still enjoying school and we've started going to a Reformed Presbyterian Church in Kentville, that we both enjoy... style of worship wise and liturgy wise.

Anyway, I'll try to keep this updated for our faithfull readers of whom there are a few (I guess, maybe there aren't any, but I think there are at least two... and if you're reading this, you're probably one of them).

Studio Ghibli

I find myself longing to see Kiki's Delivery Service and Whispers of the Heart. I think it helps to talk about it.

Job seeking woes

So, we've been on the job hunt for like three weeks now and not even a smidgen of hope! Every day I apply for more jobs, every day the phone fails to ring. I've now exhausted all of my options in New Minas... handing out something like sixteen resumes, so tomorrow it is off to Kentville to try my luck there. Things in Kentville seem a bit brighter since I read online that Lawtons there is looking for a Pharmacy technician... someone to help the pharmacist with labelling, cataloguing, organizing... that sort of thing. So, I'm hoping that they'll at least consider me... I do have lots of experience with chemicals and biological things and with labelling and organizing (thanks to my Biology degree and all of my labs that up to this point have proved completely useless in my job search).

So, tomorrow morning I will bike to Kentville and scout out the territory, hand out some resumes and hopefully I'll finally get some interviews. I did have two interviews at Sears, but they were only looking for someone for 6 to 20 hours per week and they decided against me in the second interview when I told them that I didn't work on sundays (after they told me that they would soon be opening on sundays). So much for people saying that we wouldn't be discriminated against in finding jobs if we refused to work on sundays for retailers!... I'm not bitter, really. It wasn't that great of an opportunity because I'm looking for full time and they were only offering minimal hours. Also, they said that on friday nights I would have to work until 11pm setting up displays for saturday morning... and I'm not too keen on working until 11pm, then walking home in the dark from County fair mall. So, it was all for the best I guess.

Home at last

I apologise for not keeping this site up to date lately (for those of you that read it). We are now at long last back home in our native land! We have been home in Canada for two weeks now, but already it seems like forever... like we never even left. We moved into our own place in New Minas, NS on Monday evening and have had a busy week. I have been busy printing off resumes and looking for work. Scott has been going to school at Acadia Divinity College, studying and already working on his first report. When I'm at home I keep myself busy with arranging and decorating things the way I want them and I think I have everything looking pretty good. Everything is unpacked and arranged in the different rooms anyway. It is so nice to have our own place and so much space.

I have yet to post our last pictures from Korea, but I promise to do so soon. I need to get a bunch of our pictures printed off so that I can make a scrapbook of our time in Korea... that will be a big project, so I have to get started soon.

Anyway, I have to go finish getting ready for church. We will attend New Minas Baptist Church today, but we don't know where we will go permanently. We were going to try out the presbyterian church in the area, but upon looking at their website discovered that they ordain women reverends at their church and have women in leadership roles, which we do not agree or feel comfortable with. So, we now have three to try over the next few weeks... New Minas Baptist, New Minas church of the Nazarene, and a new church just starting up: Heritage Baptist church (independant Baptist). So, as of right now, I don't know where we will attend, but hopefully we'll settle into a place before the end of the month, I don't like hopping around.

Coming Home

So, we now have approximately fourteen hours until we fly out of Korea! I am so excited! Most of the day will be spent in preparation to leave tonight. We will go to church this morning, then when we come back to the apartment, we'll do some last minute preparations and then we'll depart for the airport at about 4:30pm (it's about an hour and a half drive to the airport, but with weekend traffic, probably longer). We will take the 'airport limousine' bus to the airport and we'll arrive about 2-3 hours before our flight, hopefully with plenty of time to get all the check-in etc... done.

Yesterday, our last full day in Korea we actually did very little. We went out for breakfast in the morning, then Scott had to go to work for his final day (he had to work until 1pm). While Scott was at work, I did some last minute packing and then went for my final trip to the gym here... working out very hard in an attempt to make my body tired enough to have no choice but to sleep on the airplane. After the gym, I cleaned up and went upstairs to the school to meet Scott, we ended up staying for the staff meeting at 1pm. We then went home and I went out to do a little grocery shopping, just for some snacks and a bit of food for the next day. At 6pm we had a school farewell dinner for us and our roommate Wasseem, who is leaving to teach at a public school. When we came home at about 8:30pm, I finished packing and went to bed. So, overall it was a pretty uneventful day, but oh so relaxing.

Last night I had a terrible sleep probably partially from excitement and partially from the food I had eaten at the staff dinner (galbi always does a number on my digestive system after I've eaten it). It was actually a good thing to have a bad sleep though because it gave me the opportunity to hear Scott talking in his sleep once more. At about 3am, I looked at Scott to see him having some kind of spasm with his hands in the air (he must have been dreaming... about what, I have no idea)... anyway, I asked him "What on earth are you doing?" and he replied "We have to get ready to start the conversation class, we're going to start the conversation". Thinking that I could amuse myself by actually having the conversation with him while he was asleep, I said "okay, what do you want to talk about?", unfortunately he partially woke up at that moment and said "oh nothing". So, I didn't get the conversation I had hoped for, but it was still pretty funny.

I can't wait to get home and see everyone! Unfortunately I have a long flight ahead of me and I don't like being in the air that long, but if it's the only way to get home, so be it.

We sang a duet at worship

Here is a link to our performance. You must watch it in Internet Explorer. We sang Psalm 111 from our new hymn book, Cantus Christi.

Spinoza

I guess July 27th was the 350th anniversary of Baruch Spinoza's excommunication from his Jewish community. Spinoza is a giant among philosophers. Funnily enough, although I majored in philosophy, I don't think I ever learned about Spinoza or read his works. I know vaguely that he was a pantheist, but Rebecca Newberger Goldstein claims that he gave us modernity. Modernity is basically summed up in the title one of Kant's books, Religion within the Bounds of Reason. According to Goldstein,

Spinoza's faith in reason as our only hope and redemption is the core of his system, and its consequences reach out in many directions, including the political. Each of us has been endowed with reason, and it is our right, as well as our responsibility, to exercise it. Ceding this faculty to others, to the authorities of either the church or the state, is neither a rational nor an ethical option.

Our religion should thus be tamed by our reason, and reason should build the foundation of our religion. All revelation is disallowed. We need not be contacted from the outside, but only sit in our room with a paper and a pencil and pull our ethics and beliefs from within us.

But when we sit in our rooms, we all start from different places, and we take different paths. So it's no surprise that we end up in different places. There are plenty of ethical systems, and though many are similar in letter, they are very different at heart. Utilitarian and emotivism and categorical imperatives and divine command theory, and darwinian survival-of-the-fittest, and so on and so on. Reason will not unite us.

Reason is not our redeemer; Christ is. From the beginning, reason is compromised (cf. Rom 1:19-21). God can be known, is known in fact, by everybody. They who don't believe in him are merely "suppressing the truth" by unrighteousness (vs. 18). We see, then, that righteousness is neccessary to have proper reason; obedience is key to getting things right. We must be regenerated, given new hearts, before we can depend on our reason at all.

Even then, however, a man is likely to suppress the truth. A man's decisions always look good to himself, but he will often believe things simply because they suit him. So, he must, contrary to the quote above, submit his reason to other authorities, secondarily to the church, and primarily to the Word who speaks in the scriptures. Where a man's thinking differs from these he must obey them, even when he doesn't see the reason. I'm pretty sure he'll understand it eventually: "I believe that I may understand," goes an old saying.

A better book title for Christians is Reason within the Bounds of Religion (there is such a book, by Nicholas Wolterstorff). But in school we were all taught to think like Kant, and sometimes it's quite hard work to begin to think like Wolterstorff. But keep trying, because it's Christ working in you for His good purpose.

Science and Logic

Michael Shermer notes, in his essay for Scientific American entitled "Folk Science," that our intuition of causes is often wrong. "To discriminate true causal inferences from false," he writes, "real science trumps folk science." As an example, he mentions intercessory prayer, and how many attribute their convalescence to it. He claims that the following experiment refutes this. 1802 patients were having coronary bypass surgery and two thirds of them were being prayed for by some churches. Half of those being prayed for were told so, and the other half were told that they might be prayed for. In the end, there was no significant difference in recovery. Prayer had no effect: "case closed," pronounces the Sherminator: the god of the christians is impotent.

That's it? Hold on a second, Mr. Shermer. Let's lay it out. The experiment is set up thus: if there is a statistical increase in the recuperation of prayed for patients, then intercessory prayer works. Straight up conditional. But the statistics were the same. Therefore...the statistics were the same. That's it. That's what we get. The falsity of the antecedant doesn't affect the truth of the consequent. If A, then B: not A: therefore, not A. This argument, which seemed to speak so loudly and which he thought strong enough to close the case, doesn't actually say anything. Teach your kids logic, folks. It'll serve them well in the fight.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh my!

This past Saturday we went to the Seoul Zoo and though I do not have much time to talk about it now, it was awesome! It was such a big zoo and had so many cool different types of animals. Unfortunately I couldn't get pictures of them all... all of the primates were inside for the day, so the gorillas and chimps and orangutans were behind frosted glass and I couldn't get a good picture of any of them. It was a really great time though and we had great weather, so if you'd like to see them there are some really cool pictures of animals that we took, they are posted on our photo page. There are also some pictures of when we visited a palace, but when we arrived, it was closed for the day, so there are only a few pictures of the outside.

Lasts

So.. we now have only fifteen more days to wait until we fly home to Canada! It's really exciting! However, with the recent terrorist actions.. I have had to check the websites for Korean air and for Air Canada to check on recent changes in baggage allowances. The only changes are that we cannot have any liquids or gels in our carry-on, which really isn't that big of a deal I guess since neither of us uses hair gel or spray. Having no toothpaste and handcream will be kind of a drag (On a fifteen hour flight... hello bad breath), but like I said, not a big deal. Actually I think I recall that there was toothpaste in the plane bathrooms on Korean air when we came.

It's fun to think of the last things we are doing here and when the last of each will be. For example: My last choir practice... Sunday Aug 13th, my last choir performance... sunday August 20th, our last time teaching specific classes, our last time teaching all classes... Friday August 25th. Anyway, you get the idea. I'm really excited to get home and spend time with family and to see our new place.... just fifteen more days!