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the singularity of being and nothingness
Book Review: Brian Greene's "Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time and the Texture of Reality"
Jun 17th
A quasi-sequel to his "Elegant Universe," Fabric is an intriguing foray into the wild and wonderful world of quantum mechanics and speculative physics. Prima facie, the subject matter would appear to be significantly beyond the interests and capacities of the general, non-specialized public. However, Greene does an exceptional job of distilling the relevant issues of the content into managable, comprehensible and–most importantly–interesting reading.
As in Elegant Universe, Greene briefly traces the historical developments which have laid the foundations for the revolutions of quantum physics in the twentieth century. To do this, he examines "classical" conceptions of space and time, showing how very fundamental beliefs about the nature of these realities are being challenged and overturned by rapid discoveries in the field of quantum physics. With this established, Greene moves onto to discuss cosmic origins. Of particular interest is Greene's in-depth critique of deficiencies in the standard big-bang model. After discussing these issues at length, Greene proceeds to apply considerations of quantum physics to propose a new model of origins, the inflationary model.
After dispensing with considerations of origins, Greene brings the previous discussions to bear on one of his particular interests, String Theory. To Greene, String Theory encapsulates one of modern More >
A 1600 Year-Old Justification of an Assertion?
Jun 17th
In several of my posts, I have argued that human language is incapable of propositionally communicating truth about the divine nature of the Godhead. The qualification of propositionally is important, I think, because on the one hand it acknowledges the severe break that exists between the human and divine in terms of ontology (and the comprehensibility of the same) while concomitantly avoiding the equally deficient perspective that human language is incapable of speaking of God en toto.
My conclusion to these discussions is that we must always be aware that in our speaking of the divine nature, our languagebeing defined and deployed through the paradigm of finitudeis entirely incapable of encapsulating the truth of the divine nature in a propositional way (that is, in such a way as to be able to definitively prove the truth or falsity of such proposition through some means of quantification). Rather, epistemological humility must not simply be given lip service, but a strategic place in the deployment of any human-speak about God.
With that said, let me begin again.
Last semester, I analyzed St. Athanasius defense of the Nicaean determinations concerning Christs relationship in divinity to the Father in his important work, De Decretis. For those More >
The Eschatological Christ in the Face of the Poor
Jun 17th
Let's be honest: in the final analysis, the Christ of revelation–the one who comes in power, glory and vengeance–is the Christ we want. Yes, of course, the humble servant was a great example of love; his moral example was admirable; the atonement, for sure, was necessary, so we can't forget that. But really–REALLY–it is the cosmic hero of the apocalypse, the rider of the white horse who strikes down his enemies–it is this Christ that we desire.
This is hardly surprising. We live in a world suffused with violence, hatred and, most of all, injustice. We intuitively know and daily experience that justice and recompense in the "here and now" are impossible; therefore, there is something psychologically pacifying about the thought of God setting things "right" in the eschaton. Therefore, in a very definite sense, it is this Christ that we seek, it is this Christ for whom we wait. When Immanuel comes a second time, the final time, we assert that he shall not come in weakness and vulnerability as before; rather, the whole world shall know of his coming, and the necks of nations shall be tread beneath the feet of his judgment. In a nutshell, this is the More >
Come Let Us Reason Together – A Call for Sacramental Reevaluation
Jun 17th
On Thursday of last week, I officially finished my Master's Degree in Theology. Given that I am now working as a web designer/developer, the immediate relevance of my degree is not readily apparent. Nonetheless, theology is–and will continue to be–my first love. Hence, I will continue posting reflections that I have in the course of my theological development.
My final semester was, in many ways, one of the most important. While I will be posting about many of the things I have learned, the reflection which I will today share derives from my semester's work in the subject of Sacramentology. I simply wish to discuss the role of the sacrments in the early church, examining them in light of the current practice which I encounter in my worship. But first, a bit of background.
I grew up in the Wesleyan Church, a small denomination established in the late 1960's from a merger between the Wesleyan-Methodists and Pilgrim Holiness churches. Although Wesley himself speaks of the sacraments as "converting ordinances," the practice within the Wesleyan Church is thoroughly Zwinglian. That is, the sacraments are viewed symbolically, as psychologized memorials of that which Christ has done for the believer. True enough, the *official* More >
Calvinism, a Syllogism and the Origin of Evil
Jun 17th
Those who affirm the canons of Calvinistic philosophy often laud the logical coherence of its systematic formulation. In this post, I would like to turn the tables on this methodological assumption, showing how Calvinistic philosophy, while perhaps logical, leads to a horribly perverse image of the divine nature and will of God. I shall do this through a syllogistic form and shall concentrate upon the origin of evil.
A: God has eternally decreed all that comes to pass. B: That which God decrees proceeds from the free and boundless will of God. C: The will of God is essential with Gods being. Proposition: Evil exists.
Therefore:
A: Because God has eternally decreed that evil should exist, or come to pass: B: Because the existence and perpetuity of evil proceeds from the free and boundless will of God. C: Because the will of God is essential with Gods being; D: It is logically concluded that evil is essential with the being of God.
In response, I suspect a couple different approaches may (and will) be taken. I assume many will argue with the relationship between will and being. Note that I have carefully qualified the language: essential with. I think this More >
Anberlin – "Cities"
May 15th
Anberlin absolutely shines on their newest album, Cities.
True enough, many of their critics suggest that Cities is yet another collection of the standard Anberlin fare, and in a sense the critics are correct. Melodically, Anberlin does not diverge significantly from previous works, and the band delivers the same aggressive musicianship for which they are adored.
What makes Cities a meaningfully different album, then, is the level of introspection in which the band engages throughout the project. Cities engenders the human condition, confronting issues of love, failure, disappointment, injustice–just to name only a few. Yet the depth of these existential investigations is not simply thrust upon the listener without warning, but is rather buttressed gracefully by the driving, yet infectious melodies and rhythms which seem to move and fuse seamlessly from track to track, creating a truly epic and album-ic listening experience. This collusion of lyrical depth and melodic intensity underscores the importance of each line, creating an almost desperate yet intoxicating pleading for the full attention and involvement of the listener in the profundity of what is occuring in this primal moment.
In this sense, then, Cities is not meant for easy listening or casual interaction; rather, it’s very form and function More >
Introductory Thoughts Concerning the Shift from Faith to Objectivity in Religious Thought
May 2nd
There was perhaps no greater shift in human epistemology than that engendered in the Englightenment. The revolution in thinking was so profound that if Socrates is the father of philosophy, Descartes is his violent and victorious progeny. All aspects of human epistemology–from history to science to religion–have undergone palpable changes, philosophy being forever marked by the revolution of the modern philosophical programme.
While volumes and volumes can and have been devoted to outlining the changes and effects actualized through the implementation of Enlightenment thinking to all areas of human epistemology, one of the most profound can be seen in Christian thinking. While doctorates could be written and institutes established concerning this more refined topic, I simply wish to outline some very brief reflections concerning what I perceive to be devastating shifts within Christian thinking concerning the inheritance of the Enlightenment and the nature of faith. In doing so, I simply wish to call attention to the all-too-subtle ways in which inherent philosophical assumptions of culture (racial, social and religious) create definitions of religious categories which may or may not cohere with the ancient beliefs of the earliest believers, concluding, alternatively, with suggestions of the how the same can be avoided More >
Penal Substitutionary Atonement Theory, Sans Atonement
Apr 26th
Several weeks ago, I posted some reflections on the meaning of Good Friday. In this post, I suggested that the "goodness" of Christ's death (which is commemorated on this day) is not located within the violence of the cross, but rather in the ultimate victory which Christ acheived over the powers of human sinfulness and hatred even in the face of the collected history and force of evil which was gathered therein against him. That Christ did not capitulate to the cycles of human violence and sinfulness, but rather resisted them even to the point of death, I argued, is truly where the "goodness" of this day is located.
Although there were some very generous comments left, other readers were not impressed. Two in particular argued that I had "missed the point," the "point" being that the violence enacted upon the cross against Christ was not borne out of human sinfulness and hatred, but rather had its primal origin in the very ontology of God.
This kind of thinking very much in keeping with Penal Substitutionary Atonement theory which, in a nutshell, locates the crisis of atonement in the satisfaction of divine wrath through the punishment of sin. This theory suggests More >
*New* Music from Jonezetta – "Popularity"
Apr 20th
I recently came across one of Tooth and Nail Records' newest darling's, Jonezetta.
Part pseudo-Euro rock, part emo, part screamo, Jonezetta fuses many interesting and innovative sounds to put together what is, IMO, one of most enjoyable albums in a long time.
Released in 2006, I am admittedly tardy in getting around to this band. However, their sound is emminently fresh, so the listener will forgive my only recently assuaged ignorance.
Anyway, I have linked to two of their songs from Popularity, "Communicate" and "The City We Live In." I think they well capture the essence of Jonezetta's unique sound. To listen to them, scroll around in the mp3 player on the right-hand side of this page.
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A Self-Legitimating Argument Against the Existence of God
Mar 28th
Several weeks ago, I posted some reflections about Hugh Ross' apologetic of theism based upon cosmological discoveries of the recent decade. In short, Ross argues that there is objective, ascertainable evidence in the cosmos that legitimizes belief in not only God, but more specifically the "God of the Bible." I argued that Ross approaches the discussion with illegitimate categories, as professing belief in naturalistic proof for divinity, IMO, plays directly into the materialist conceptions of origins against which Ross is attempting to argue.
Upon finishing this book, I ran across a submission from Victor J. Stenger entitled "God: The Failed Hypothesis." In this work, Stenger argues that, contra Ross, evidence within the cosmos leads to the inevitable conclusion that God does not, in fact, exist. To develop this thesis, Stenger looks for evidence in creation, asserting that the universe looks exactly like it would were one to eliminate "God" from the discussion of origins. Later in the book, he even dons the philosopher's hat and suggests that considerations of the universality and variability of human morality; the problem of evil; and the materialism of the human person specifically deny the existence of God.
Overall, I had a fairly difficult time taking More >
