"It seems to me that to organize on the basis of feeding people or righting social injustice and all that is very valuable. But to rally people around the idea of modernism, modernity, or something is simply silly. I mean, I don't know what kind of a cause that is, to be up to date. I think it ultimately leads to fashion and snobbery and I'm against it."
Jack Levine: January 3, 1915 – November 8, 2010
LEVEL BILLIONAIRES OUT OF EXISTENCE
Just re-reading (had forgotten I'd read it) a text about modern theology and modern philosophy of religion (two conditions that often look alike), and the main spur of it is to set aside Christian Neoplatonism (which undoes the God of Plato, Kant, and Hegel).
Reaching into the God of the Hebrew Scriptures, IOW. But not the caricature of the "angry" God; the real picture of the God involved in human life, and concerned above all with justice for the living.
Much of a piece with this, IOW. Fundies are hanging on to the God of Neoplatonism (Kant and Hegel happily disparaged the "Jewish" God, but then, Biblical scholars they weren't). My own thinking is much influenced by how I read the Hebrew scriptures, and how Jesus of Nazareth is rooted and grown from that God. More and more I think the idea that Jesus was "Son of God" (a term Crossan explains had a different meaning in 1st century Palestine than it does in 21st century America) and finally God Incarnate, was an effort to explain what the experience of Jesus and his teachings and example, portrays. Not a way to limit God, to squeeze God into flesh, but to explain, perhaps apophatically and incompletely, but still try to describe (rather than explain) the experience one has when they experience "the transforming power of Jesus...[in the] experience of the poor...among [us]."
Ironically, my theology, as it develops, is anchored in Heidegger, one of those 'European" thinkers. And I find it brings me right up alongside Cone's theology.
Not to say there weren't/aren't "white" theologians who still look down on Cone.
"The God of Plato...Kant...Hegel...."
ReplyDeleteJust re-reading (had forgotten I'd read it) a text about modern theology and modern philosophy of religion (two conditions that often look alike), and the main spur of it is to set aside Christian Neoplatonism (which undoes the God of Plato, Kant, and Hegel).
Reaching into the God of the Hebrew Scriptures, IOW. But not the caricature of the "angry" God; the real picture of the God involved in human life, and concerned above all with justice for the living.
Much of a piece with this, IOW. Fundies are hanging on to the God of Neoplatonism (Kant and Hegel happily disparaged the "Jewish" God, but then, Biblical scholars they weren't). My own thinking is much influenced by how I read the Hebrew scriptures, and how Jesus of Nazareth is rooted and grown from that God. More and more I think the idea that Jesus was "Son of God" (a term Crossan explains had a different meaning in 1st century Palestine than it does in 21st century America) and finally God Incarnate, was an effort to explain what the experience of Jesus and his teachings and example, portrays. Not a way to limit God, to squeeze God into flesh, but to explain, perhaps apophatically and incompletely, but still try to describe (rather than explain) the experience one has when they experience "the transforming power of Jesus...[in the] experience of the poor...among [us]."
Good stuff, this.
Ironically, my theology, as it develops, is anchored in Heidegger, one of those 'European" thinkers. And I find it brings me right up alongside Cone's theology.
ReplyDeleteNot to say there weren't/aren't "white" theologians who still look down on Cone.
Ironies abound.
Funny, too. If Salon (or any website) wanted to be "radical," they'd just post this on their front page.
ReplyDeleteBut, you know, can't do that......